SAVE $150 WHEN YOU BUY A PAIR OF SRM450V2 LOUDSPEAKERS!
Purchase a pair of SRM450v2s from an authorized U.S. Mackie dealer between Sept. 1, 2008 and Oct.15, 2008 to qualify for a rebate. Your rebate must be postmarked no later than Oct. 31, 2008 to be eligible. Download the official rebate coupon and mail the fully completed rebate coupon along with the original box UPC codes for both speakers and a copy of your receipt (keep the original) to the address below. (If you bought floor demos, you must send a copy of a store-printed receipt that indicates "no box").
Mail completed rebate coupon to: MACKIE REBATES-ATTN: SRM450v2 Rebate, 4936 Verdugo Way #338, Camarillo, CA 93012
* Limited to one pair of SRM450v2 speakers only per household. Attempts to redeem this rebate more than once will result in disqualification from rebate promotion. Valid to U.S. residents only. All checks will be mailed within 8-10 weeks from the time your request is received. LOUD Technologies Inc. will not honor delayed submissions due to dealer's being out of stock . Submissions received incomplete, inaccurate or without proper documentation will not be eligible. All requests and submitted materials become the property of LOUD Technologies Inc. and will not be returned. LOUD Technologies Inc. is not responsible for late, lost, damaged, misdirected, incorrect, incomplete, illegible or postage due requests or requests that are not properly submitted for any reason. Such requests will not be honored. Keep copies of submitted materials for your records. Please see downloaded rebate coupon for rules and regulations.
I think the phrase “…at least it’s a dry heat” makes sense most of the time. However, it did not offer much comfort when attending the 2008 New Media Expo in Las Vegas, which took place August 14-16. Daytime temps of over 100 degrees everyday ensured that you stayed in the convention center (or casinos) for as long as possible and kept all outdoor activities to a minimum. That seemed to work out well for the 2500+ attendees, who were fine hanging out in the lobby, tapping away at their laptops after visiting booths and attending workshops.
The New Media Expo is in its fourth year, catering to content creators and promising to arm them with the knowledge and networking necessary to not only improve the quality of their content, but hopefully expand their audiences and get some money in their pockets.
A large portion of the attendees were podcasters and, as such, spend a large part of their time recording audio. Mackie was there to not only show off the U.Series Production Mixers and MR Mackie Reference Monitors, but also served to educate people who were just starting out, or have produced their show using only the most modest of tools.
There were a lot of people whose studio consisted of a USB mic and a pair of computer speakers or headphones, and when podcasting was in its infancy, this may have served them well. However, times have changed. People are making money podcasting, and it only stands to reason that quality audio production would not be far behind. Many people were interested in making the wise move to a hybrid mixer. The U.420d, with two mic pres, two stereo line channels and great price point was definitely a crowd pleaser. The hip crowd loved the unique form factor, and the FireWire “loop-thru” feature was a huge success. With this feature, a podcaster could hook up with an interviewee on Skype, bring that audio into the U.420d, combine it with their own mic and send the whole mix back to the computer for recording. This was a revelation to many and a perfect solution to their problems.
Mackie’s MR5 monitors were also a huge hit. Besides letting the attendees listen to their favorite music through the pair, Mackie Product Manager Matt Redmon and Communications Lead, Ryan Cassady, explained the other benefits of using a reference monitor with flat frequency response. A podcaster cannot assume their audience is only listening through headphones. As new media grows, the audience becomes more sophisticated and a content creator must be sure that their mix will translate well on any playback system. Once that light bulb went off, people could really see the value of the MR monitors, which you can get for around $300 a pair at any US authorized Mackie dealer.
We also had a decidedly more professional setup, consisting of an Onyx1220 (w/ FW card), a pair of HR624mk2 Studio Monitors and an MCU Pro. Since the crowd was a real mix, from noob to pro, there was also a lot of interest in this station. The ability to multi-track record out of the Onyx was a really strong selling point and the monitors sounded excellent, of course.
We even gave away a couple of U.420d mixers, which was a sure crowd pleaser!
Besides manning the booth, Matt Redmon was also tasked with conducting two separate on-site workshops. In these discussions, he outlined what hardware would be needed for a serious audio production rig. From mic to ear, he explained
the benefits and drawbacks that a consumer faces when choosing the right hardware and software for their applications. He also walked them through Tracktion 3, showing them how easy it is to get a session going, lay down a music bed and export the whole mix for distribution.
We would have to say that this event was a huge success. Everyone who attended is sure to benefit from increased production capabilities and marketing. There are undoubtedly many blogs out there giving you a play by play, so be sure to search those out. Everyone was networking like crazy, proving once again that what happens in Vegas, does not necessarily STAY in Vegas!
Seattle has long been known as a hot-spot for music. However, grunge died long ago…where does that leave Seattle? The annual Capitol Hill Block Party is the answer. For the past five years, several blocks of one of Seattle hippest neighborhoods is transformed into a multi-stage festival that feels more like an outdoor club and less like the dusty, mosh-laden festivals that take place around the country every summer. Even with the 20,000+ crowds, one gets the sense that this is a party for Seattlites, which is a far cry from overcrowded Bumbershoot.
For this event, we gather all available Mackoids from the office and transform the group from cubicle nerds to professional production crew, working two 15+ hour days to pull off one of the largest shows in the region. You can find tech support members running the Vera Stage. You will see our Business Director running monitors. One of our Product Managers, the Copywriter and our Product Requirements Manager patched the main stage on both days. It is really quite amazing that we are able to pull off such a large show, when our normal routine is full of meetings and spreadsheets. Anyway, enough about us.
The Main Stage was the place to be this year. We used Onyx 4880s at the FOH and monitor positions, and there was no missing the SRM450v2s that were lined up as front fill speakers. Our sister brand, EAW was also well represented, as the main stacks were comprised of a large amount of KF750s and SB1000zs. This awesome system was well fed, dining on the gourmet sounds of several groundbreaking groups over the course of the two-day event.
Here a list of the bands that rocked the main stage:
Mackie also sponsored the Vera Stage, which highlights emerging artists, most of which have never played a venue of this caliber. The Vera Stage was fully decked-out with a TT System32. With the new software update, you can use the DS3232 Digital Snake as a splitter, sending the same signals to TT24s at both FOH and monitors. Check out the FOH/Monitor split situation at the TT System32 page. The main featured a healthy dose of the Mackie Tetrad line (S408/S410s) and was more than enough for the venue. SRM450v2s were used as stage monitors.
Mackie created and ran the VIP area, which featured some free beer and booze for whoever could get in. There were couches for relaxing and even a couple of Xbox360 stations featuring Guitar Hero III. Not bad.
So, get online and check out reviews from the show and give some support to the involved artists. It was a hell of a time and Mackie is super proud to have been involved (yet again) with what is arguably the best block party in the entire free world.
Indonesia has seen tremendous growth in the past decade and there are many people interested in recording and live sound. Kairos (PT Santika) is the Mackie distributor for this region, and our man in Indonesia, Laz Harris recently visited Kairos and they certainly showed him a good time.
One of the stops was at a large local beach-front resort and them park, which features a very popular attraction called “Police Academy”. Yes, like the movie. It’s a massive stunt show that is approved by Warner Bros. When Kairos was asked to spec the gear for the large outdoor event, they immediately thought of Mackie and, in particular, the SRM450.
As you can see, there are TONS of 450s flown, providing the audience with a rich sonic experience.
So, if you plan on being in Indonesia any time soon, please stop by the “Police Academy” stunt show and enjoy the articulation of the SRM450. BTW, you may not want to commit any vehicular crimes in the area, as the local law enforcement apparently has access to BMWs and monster trucks. Yikes!
During this process, he ran into a problem. Not enough preamps for all the mics needed for the recording. Simple enough problem, right? Well, when you pose this question to audio engineers in a public forum, it is bound to get more complicated. Just read the comments at the bottom of the “problem” story and you will see. Every audio engineer has their opinion, but a large majority of readers suggested Mackie’s Onyx Compact Mixers.
There are a lot of options and Jim took some time to consider, but ultimately decided to use two Onyx 1640 mixers. Here is an excerpt from his story:
After reading the feedback in the article forums, I noticed quite a few recommendations for the Mackie Onyx 1640 mixer. It has 16 mic preamps
and all of the other features you would expect from analog mixer. You can also use two of the channels for a direct guitar input via the Hi-Z input.
The Hi-Z input is perfect for what I’m looking for because it’s designed specifically for guitars, allowing me to plug directly into the mixer. This means that I no longer have to plug the guitar into a powered box before going to the mixer. When I’m amping the guitar signal in software using Guitar Rig or other similar application, having a direct clean signal is important for the overall tone.
The mixer also has an internal Talkback function—another handy thing that you don’t necessarily think about until you have a group of people standing around with headphones on recording some music. Using this feature, I can push a button and talk to everyone in the band at once without taking off the headphones, making silly hand gestures or otherwise disrupting the session.
I got two of the 1640s, giving me a total of 32 inputs. The 1640 also has a FireWire option, so I can daisy chain the two mixers together and then plug into the Mac and use Logic or GarageBand to record all 32 channels. However, I didn’t do that. With all of the mics connected to the mixer, I’m using the recording outs on the 1640 to go into Apogee’s AD-16x using a DB25-to-XLR cable. The AD-16x is connected to the Mac via the PCI Express Apogee Symphony card, which gives me a great digital signal into Logic. To decode the digital output signal to analog, I’m using an optical lightpipe connection from the AD-16 into the Apogee Mini-Dac.
We would like to thank Jim for implementing the Onyx and look forward to hearing more about his recording project at Macworld.com.
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!)
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.
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.
We will assume that you have heard of the massive motorcycle rally known as Sturgis. The vast majority of you who regularly wear leather chaps probably have also heard of The Buffalo Chip. No? OK, then…The Chip is four miles from downtown Sturgis, SD. It is a massive campground and is commonly referred to as the “best party anywhere”. The Chip consistently has the best Sturgis concerts and enjoys the honor of being the only campground in the world where Dominos delivers.
Playing at The Chip is a great opportunity for a band and Mackie is very excited to be a part of the 2nd Annual Rock the Sound…Sturgis Bound competition. Over the course of a few weekends, six bands will compete for a place on stage at The Chip.
The first competition roared to live with the help of several hundred bikes, two great bands and a much appreciated sunny day. Fortune 500 was the first band to take the stage. This three piece power trio impressed the audience with solid chops, well-crafted vocal harmonies and a diverse collection of original songs.
Hungry Dogs were the second band promised to bring the blues, and boy howdy, did they bring it. The five piece band featured moving guitar solos that make you wish you had a one-legged dog right beside you. And the tasty vocal work of both the guitarist and ridiculously talented keyboard player pulled you right into the Delta frame of mind.
Both Fortune 500 and Hungry Dogs left the audience wanting more and that’s just what they’ll get. There are several more bands participating in the competition over the next few weeks, so we’ll just have to wait and see which bands find themselves entertaining hundreds of bikers who make it to The Chip this year.
Sound Harley-Davidson, located in Marysville, WA is proudly hosting this years Rock the Sound…Sturgis Bound competition, this year and last.
Last year’s competition, with an equally impressive Mackie sound system, provided four weekends of amazing band competition. When it was over, the winning prize was awarded to Midstokke. This powerhouse band went on to play several audience-inspiring shows at The Chip during the 2007 Sturgis rally. If you missed them last year, you’ll get another chance because they will be back to rock The Chip again this year.
As the Rock the Sound…Sturgis Bound competition continues to unfold, we will be sure to provide you updates on the happenings.
12 Students, 12,000 Miles and 1 Waste Veggie Oil Powered Bus on a Mission for a Greener Tomorrow.
Lofty goal? The 12 Dartmouth students who are living and touring on The Big Green Bus would probably agree. However, the intended message is rather simple—educate Americans about climate change and its relationship to energy issues.
This year marks the fourth summer road trip of The Big Green Bus, a green 27’ long 1996 International school bus which has been lovingly converted to run on WVO (waste veggie oil). As they traverse the country, the students stop at any place where they can educate people. From festivals and block parties to wind farms and city council meetings, The Big Green Bus is a focal point for promoting high-profile media attention in the communities visited in an effort to spark a national dialogue. So...start talking people!
Mackie believes in the cause and wanted to provide some gear to help spread the message. Two SRM350v2’s and a 1202-VLZ3 enable the students to be heard during presentations and interactions. Bus-rider Trey Roy had the following to say, “We will be heard loud and clear with the two portable Mackie loudspeakers and compact mixer to run our presentations through.”
Visit www.thebiggreenbus.org to learn more about this inspiring project. You can follow the bus as it travels the country and read the blog, highlighting the progress as the bus rolls on. There's also some great video content on YouTube. So check it all out and learn what you can do to be a part of the solution.
Everything's Bigger In Texas: July Sound Workshops
Fits and Starts Productions will be holding several HOW-TO Church Sound Workshops this July- five in Texas, one in D.C and one in Virginia. The HOW-TO Church Sound Workshops™ focus on both basic and advanced gear and techniques that will help your volunteer staff do a more effective job of running and recording your worship services. Whether you have a single pulpit microphone with speaker, or dozens of mics with a live band and choir, these hands-on workshops will help your volunteers get the best sound for the entire congregation.
Any Mackoid who registers for any of the seven upcoming HOW-TO Church Sound Workshops can register for 50% off the regular price.
All you need to do is go online to www.howtosound.com/register and enter the coupon code mackie-50 in the coupon box area. The price will automatically be updated to show the Mackie discount once you hit "update".
Here are the dates for the eligible workshops:
• Saturday July 12, 2008 (9am-6pm)
Highlands Christian Church
9949 McCree Road, Dallas, TX 75238
• Sunday, July 13, 2008 (1pm-4pm)
Red Oak Baptist Church
320 E. Ovilla Road, Red Oak, TX 75154
• Thursday, July 17, 2008 (6:30pm-9:30pm)
First Baptist Church
1515 Live Oak Street, Rockport, TX 78382
• Saturday, July 19, 2008 (9am-6pm)
Friendswood UMC
110 N. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood, TX 77546
• Sunday, July 20, 2008 (1pm-4pm)
First UMC Pasadena
1062 Fairmont PKWY, Pasadena, TX 77504
• Saturday, July 26, 2008
(9am-6pm)
Allen Chapel AME Church
2498 Alabama Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. 20020
• Sunday, July 27, 2008
(1pm-4pm)
Capital Baptist Church
3504 Gallows Road, Annandale, VA 22003
You can register as many people as you want from your church, unlimited, and get 50% off the final price. If you need more information, please visit the registration area or you can contact Hector with Fits and Starts Productions (732-741-1275).
It is common knowledge that Mackie products are Built-Like-A-Tank. However, there are those that may doubt the inherent robust-ness that makes a Mackie what it is.
To this end, meet the Mackie MixBusters!
You may notice that they resemble (but are legally distinct from) those other guys who bust things…
Watch as they pit the 802-VLZ3 against the competition in a no-holds-barred destruction challenge, suffering abuse that no mixer should.
Then, the FRS-2800 goes toe-to-toe with another popular power amp in an Extreme Performance Challenge. You will learn that specs are not always what they seem.
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So, there you have it. Proof positive that quality matters over here in Woodinville, WA.
Mackie recently received a letter from a Mackoid that lives across the pond. He rents out SRM450 packages for people in the UK. Here's what he had to say:
Dear Sir,
I run a speaker hire business in London, UK (www.mackiesrm450.com & www.londonspeakerhire.com) and we both sell and rent out the Mackie SRM450’s and SW1501’s to clients. Our clients range from house parties all the way through to SonyBMG and artists like The Kooks. Last week a client was returning a set of speakers that and forgot to calculate for the fact that the kit may have moved in the back of the vehicle.
When the shutter on the back of the lorry opened, I could only stare in amazement and dread as my world turned to slow motion as I watched an SRM450 slide across and hurtle towards the road side!
I must commend Mackie on probably one of the best “drop test” imaginable at a height of some 10 foot. The speaker in question bounced on one end as it hit the tarmac of the road, flipped and then bounced on the other end before landing on its front. The only damage apart from a small scuff was a dented grill which was easy to fix by simply removing it from the front of the speaker and popping it back into shape!
Thanks again Mackie for helping prove the point of why we only provide Mackie kits to our customers because of both its quality and reliability!
Kind regards,
Grant
That's what we like to hear! Thanks for the good word, Grant. If you have a Built-Like-A-Tank testimonial of your own, please let us know. We are always happy to hear from the people who make Mackie what it is.
Mackie tries to get out, whenever possible, and support local events. Each year, we are proud to be a part of the Old Snohomish Antique & Classic Motorcycle Show. The show, now in it’s 12th year, takes place in beautiful downtown Snohomish, WA…just a short trip from Mackie headquarters in Woodinville, which is outside of Seattle…just Google Map it. Anyway…each year, locals get together to show off their antique and classic bikes, listen to bands and generally have a good time.
Mackie was there to provide the PA and run the sound for all the bands that were playing throughout the day. The bands were set up on a flatbed that was parked at the end of the street and it had to be loud enough to be heard over the rumbling of close to 15,000 bikes. Two SA1532z’s and four SWA1801z’s served as mains, with a whole host of SRM450v2’s acting as stage monitors. We even brought along an Onyx 1620, which came out of the direct outs on the Onyx 3280, which was used at front of house. This enabled a live recording of the show using Tracktion 3. Quad Comp/Gates and Quad EQs were used for processing at the main stage. There was also an awards stage, with two SA1521z’s being run through an 802-VLZ3.
200 motorcycles entered into a bike competition with categories like best vintage and best customized. This was a big increase in participation from last year and there seems to be no sign of slowing.
Needless to say, Mackie was happy to participate in this great event and we look forward to being a part of it in the future. If only we could mount the PA on a bike….hmm.
It is common knowledge that Mackie gear is Built-Like-A-Tank. Over the years, we have heard countless stories showing that Mackie products can survive just about anything. So, it should not be surprising that TAPCO gear is not far behind.
We recently came across an awesome video on YouTube that proves that the TAPCO Blend 6 mixer might well deserve a place in Mackie’s hall of fame.
In this video, the Blend 6 is subject to the following abuse:
• Run over by a bad-ass truck
• Set on fire Beavis & Butthead style
• Used to drive a nail
• Slam-dunked
So, check out the video and see for yourself that the Blend 6 not only survives, but is still able to pump out audio to some great-looking TAPCO S●5 Studio Monitors.
Purchase a pair of SRM450v2s from an authorized U.S. Mackie dealer between Sept. 1, 2008 and Oct.15, 2008 to qualify for a rebate. Your rebate must be postmarked no later than Oct. 31, 2008 to be eligible. Download the official rebate coupon and mail the fully completed rebate coupon along with the original box UPC codes for both speakers and a copy of your receipt (keep the original) to the address below. (If you bought floor demos, you must send a copy of a store-printed receipt that indicates "no box"). 
We also had a decidedly more professional setup, consisting of an 
Seattle has long been known as a hot-spot for music. However, grunge died long ago…where does that leave Seattle? The annual 
Lofty goal? The 12 Dartmouth students who are living and touring on 
Mackie believes in the cause and wanted to provide some gear to help spread the message. Two 
To this end, meet the Mackie MixBusters!
