The First Annual Rockstar™ Energy Mayhem Festival kicked off July 9^th at the Whiteriver Amphitheater in the Seattle area. The highly anticipated all-star tour features multi-platinum rock acts Slipknot and Disturbed, not to mention Dragonforce, Mastodon and a whole gang of other notable rock groups.

DJ Sid Wilson of Slipknot (longstanding d.2 Pro endorsee and generally scary dude) contacted Mackie before the tour started, looking for some gear for what is definitely the most aggressive after-party DJ setup Mackie has ever heard of. So, we gathered up a robust set of Mackie loudspeakers and a couple of d.2 Pro mixers and drove them down to the amphitheater the day before the show.

For the tour, Sid will be traveling in a 37 foot Damon Outlaw motor coach, which opens up from the back to unveil a full-on DJ set-up which is perfect for the backstage after-party. When opened up and fully-decked out, this is a formidable setup that is tremendously powerful, offering tons of low end thanks to four S410s Precision Passive Subwoofers. Two S408’s were used for the top boxes, and the whole system was powered with two M3000 and two M2000 Stereo Power Amplifiers. DJ Sid uses the d.2 Pro Production Mixer for his sessions and and SRM450v2 for his booth monitor.

So, it would seem that the show is never quite over during the Mayhem festival. If you are lucky enough to get some backstage passes for the tour, make sure to stop by the RV, say hi to DJ Sid (although it is doubtful he will hear you over the massive Mackie system!)

Posted by Mackie at 10:01 AM | Permalink

IN LABORE GAUDIUM

That’s the motto of the Tak Sun Secondary School in Hong Kong, one of the most tech savvy schools you will find anywhere. It means “Joy in duty”, and the 900+ students that attend the school have many reasons to be joyful. Founded in 2000, TSSS has spared no expensive in creating one of the best learning environments possible, complete with an Integrated Learning center, Language Studio and refreshing Canteen.

The high quality of Mackie gear (not to mention the reasonable price tag) led TSSL to contact Mackie to outfit their facility.

The large Performing Arts Theatre is home to a TT System32, feeding a 5.1 surround sound setup comprised entirely of SRM450s (and an SWA1801z for the LFE channel).

The Integrated Learning Center and Canteen also benefit from the punch and clarity of the SRM450, run through an Onyx 1620. The Student Activities Center features an 1402-VLZ3 routed through power amps to four C300z Passive Loudspeakers.

The school has a highly developed music arts program and performances are often recorded for archiving and distribution to adoring parents.

Mackie is proud to be a part of this great school. In fact, we would like everyone to join along as we sing the school song. click here for the music and follow the lyrics below:

Let us sing out for our school,
Backed by mountains, faced by sea.
Where we learn to write our poem of life,
And to live as family.

Where the bond of friendship's born,
With our classmates loyal and true.
As we strive to win our daily fight,
They're the strength that sees us through.

What the world needs today are generous men,
Who will serve our society.
Here the knowledge we gain, with our gifts and skills,
Will lead forward our mother country.

Take heart, one and all,
Every family, each teacher and boy.
Offering God work well done, setbacks overcome,
We will find in our duty, joy.
Through our love, in our duty, joy.

Music by Eric Wong
Words by Peter Herbert

Posted by Mackie at 09:43 AM | Permalink

Mackie is proud to be heavily involved with the 2008 Van’s Warped Tour. Sponsorship of three different stages ensures that thousands of music lovers will experience true Mackie sound in what is arguably one of the best roving parties of the summer. Here are the specifics of where you can find Mackie on the Warped Tour:

Solar Stage— The Kia/Kevin Says Stage is the only touring stage in the country run entirely on solar power. It is part of the Warped Tour’s promise to reduce carbon emissions and is a testament to solar power. After all, it takes a lot of juice to run a stage almost everyday for the whole summer. Two Mackie TT24’s, each stocked with a UFXII and U-100 card are employed to run both the FOH and Monitors.

Shira Girl Stage— At this years Warped Tour, Shiragirl will launch Shiragirl World, providing exposure for female artists, highlighting diversity in musical genres, age, race and geography. Mackie is a proud sponsor of this stage and is more than happy to have donated an Onyx2480 for use at FOH. You can learn more about Shiragirl World by visiting their website at www.myspace.com/shiragirlstage.

East Coast Indie Stage— Mackie is the “Official Sponsor of the East Coast Indie Stage on Vans Warped Tour", donating the entire PA System for this stage. Built by and for indie bands, this stage provides an outlet for the lesser known acts touring today. It has proven to be an excellent launching point for indie bands over the years, and this year should be no exception. There is an Onyx2480 at FOH and a massive main system comprised of eight SWA1801z’s and four SA1232z’s. Six SRM450v2 provide the needed punch and clarity on stage, along with an SWA1501 that is used as part of the drummer’s monitors. That is a decidedly professional system, giving these great indie bands a taste of what’s to come when they headline their own tour.

Please stop by any of the above stages at this years Warped Tour to see Mackie gear in action.

Posted by Mackie at 02:03 PM | Permalink

The U.Series 4-Channel Production Mixers (U.420 & U.420d) have the right combination of inputs are features for modern applications. Innovative stuff line like the ergonomically-minded central master section and cool stuff like certified RIAA phono preamps (the U.420d even sports a 30mm crossfader!) make the U.Series mixers the ideal choice for any modern musician or producer. Recording magazine recently reviewed the brand-spanking new mixers. See what they thought, then head over to the store and buy one already. It's bound to be 4:20 somewhere.

Recording U.Series Review

Posted by Mackie at 01:42 PM | Permalink

The SRM150 is the perfect stage monitor for solo performers. The SRM150 is the perfect small PA system for small conferences. The SRM150 is the perfect solution for cafes and small bars that host open mic nights. The SRM150 is, well...perfect.

Performing Musician recently reviewed this little snack-sized wonder. See what they thought, perhaps the SRM150 is perfect for you.

Performing Musician SRM150 Review

Posted by Mackie at 01:10 PM | Permalink

Check out the latest reviews for the Ultra-Compact 402-VLZ3 & 802-VLZ3 Mixers. Yes, they're small, but good things come in small packages, right? Think jewelry, colonge and Napolean...okay, you might want to scratch that last one. Anyway, here are the reviews. Enjoy!

Guitar Gear Heads

Harmony Central

Musico Pro

Recording

Posted by Mackie at 11:00 AM | Permalink