Mackie Designs Inc. Announces a Strategic Alliance with Universal Audio Inc.

December 21, 2001 – Woodinville, WA – Mackie Designs Inc. (NASDAQ: MKIE), a leading manufacturer of professional analog and digital audio products and Universal Audio Inc., developers of classic analog recording equipment and advanced digital signal processing tools, today announced a strategic partnership in which Mackie will market and distribute a series of cutting-edge DSP-based software tools developed by Universal Audio.

"We have a strong relationship with Universal Audio and have been impressed with their innovation and engineering expertise," stated Jamie Engen, Chief Executive Officer at Mackie Designs Inc. "We believe that by combining Universal Audio's engineering talents with Mackie's marketing and distribution capabilities, we will be able to provide even more useful and inventive tools to our customers while further solidifying Mackie's position in the digital recording arena."

Bill Putnam, CEO of Universal Audio stated, "We are very proud and excited to enter into this strategic relationship with Mackie. We believe that Mackie's leadership in marketing, distribution and customer reach in the audio markets is the perfect complement to promote and distribute Universal Audio's DSP-based technology worldwide."

The first Universal Audio-developed product to become part of the Mackie family will be the UAD-1 Powered Plug-Ins' for Windows-based, VST compatible software including Cubase VST, Logic Audio, Nuendo and others. A Macintosh version that includes support for Mark of The Unicorn's Digital Performer will be available next year.

The UAD-1's dedicated DSP hardware greatly reduces the burden on a computer's host processor, allowing for plug-in effects of such unprecedented reality, warmth and complexity that even a Pentium IV would be brought to its knees. The ultra-high speed processing capability of the UAD-1's high-speed DSP chip delivers a quantum leap in performance that allows native workstation users to run the professional quality "powered" plug-ins without bogging down the host processor.

The included "Powered" plug-ins feature software emulations of the classic Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier and 1176LN Leveling Amplifier. Also included are the coveted RealVerb' Pro, and UAD CS-1 Channel Strip with Equalizer/Compressor, Delay Demodulator and Reflection Engine.

Currently available in limited distribution, Powered Plug-Ins will soon be available at Mackie dealers worldwide as the Mackie Powered Plug-Ins' System ($995 U.S.) and will include all available Universal Audio-developed plug-ins as well as the UAD-1 PCI card.

The Mackie Powered Plug-Ins will also be on display at the upcoming NAMM show in Anaheim California, January 17-20. Mackie will be located in booth #6766.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company's business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including those described above and the following: changes in demand for the Company's products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing, constraints on supplies of critical components, excess or shortage of production capacity, difficulties encountered in the integration of acquired businesses and other risks discussed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports. In addition, such statements could be affected by general industry and market conditions and growth rates, and general domestic and international economic conditions. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

About Mackie
Mackie Designs Inc. is known worldwide as a leading manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, affordable professional audio systems. Mackie products can be found in professional and project recording studios, video and broadcast suites, post production facilities, sound reinforcement applications including churches and nightclubs, retail locations and on major musical tours. Mackie Designs Inc. products are marketed by 54 distributors to more than 100 countries around the world.

"Mackie." is a registered trademark of Mackie Designs Inc. in the United States and other countries.

For more information please contact: Mackie Designs Inc. – 16220 Wood-Red Road N.E. – Woodinville, WA 98072 – Phone: 425-487-4333 – Fax: 425-487-4337 – Internet: www.mackiedesigns.com