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Mackie Designs
That's why powered mixers are popular: because they offer compact, easy-to-use, economical, all-in-one packages to the players who most need them. In other words, they save a band from needing a mixing board and a separate rack with EQ, effects, and power amps. Mackie, known for quality mixing consoles for the stage and small studio, now offers a line of powered mixers. They also offer speaker enclosures. At first glance, these products resemble offerings from Carvin and Crate; the speakers, in particular, look strikingly similar to JBL's Eon system. But closer inspection reveals an amazing attention to tiny but critical details. Take, for example, the entry-level 406 M six-channel powered mixer. It's encased in the same durable plastic housing as the speakers. The cooling fins on the back are rounded of, so they won't tear up your car's interior. There's a Break switch, which simultaneously mutes all mic inputs but still lets the CD player be heard. The input level control features a blinking light, which takes the guesswork out of feeding signal to the board. There are even directions on top, with valuable advice to help you troubleshoot problems. The speakers, meanwhile, are wedge-shaped, which lets you use them as either mains or floor monitors. A lot of care went into designing the housing. "Speakers in plastic housings typically experience a lot of problems with resonance," said Mackie product specialist Nils-Peter Keller. "We spent a tremendous amount of engineering [on the speakers]." The 406 M costs 1,500 DM (approx. $715 US), with the speakers listing at 1,100 DM (approx. $524 USD) each. www.mackie.com, 425-487-4333 |
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It's nice to play venues with house P.A. systems and staff sound guys. But for most working bands, the reality is that you gotta haul your own stuff and mix from the stage.