You've undoubtedly seen many a movie glorifying on the great American traditions: The Road Trip. Well, one of our executives was apparently watching one of these fine films and came up with a great idea. He said, "Let's go on a road trip, but in Europe!" He obviously hasn't seen the Euro-skewed version of these films but, whatever, we have gear to show the world. So, we gathered up our finest Mackoids and our latest gear, put them on a plane and said our goodbyes. They will visit European dealers and draw a crowd in nine different European cities over the next couple of weeks, providing demos of all the newest Mackie gear, including: Onyx-i Series FireWire Recording Mixers Onyx-i Series FireWire Recording Mixers combine the benefits of a powerful computer interface with the tactile, hands-on control of a premium analog mixer. Qualified by Mackie for use with all major DAWs including Pro Tools® M-Powered™ 8*, the Onyx-i Series opens up a new world of options for anyone interested in computer recording. In addition to an ultra-high quality 24-bit/96kHz FireWire recording interface, Onyx-i mixers offer professional analog features like boutique-quality Onyx mic preamps, classic “British-style” Perkins EQ and pre/post assignable aux sends, all of which can be flexibly routed via integrated FireWire. A better way to record — Onyx-i. To record professionally these days, you need the hands-on control and routing of a premium mixer, a stellar, high-resolution interface and the ability to work with any DAW. Problem Solved. Premium Recording Mixers with 24-bit/96kHz FireWire Qualified by Mackie for use will all major DAWs, including: Pro Tools® M-Powered™ 8 Logic® SONAR™ Cubase® Ableton® Live Boutique-quality Onyx mic preamps Perkins “British style” EQ on every channel Flexible FireWire routing, including aux sends and pre/post EQ assignment for all channels Stereo playback from DAW, returned to control room or into channel for integration into mix Full 16x16 FireWire channel streaming for ultimate DAW integration (Onyx 1640i only) Check out the website for more details *The Onyx-i Series Mixers are qualified by Mackie for use with Pro Tools® M-Powered™ 8. Mackie will release a driver (via http://www.mackie.com) together with full details of how to use the Onyx series with Pro Tools M-Powered 8 in the coming weeks. HD Series High-Definition Powered Loudspeakers HD Series High-Definition Powered Loudspeakers deliver up to 1800W of peak system power via ultra-efficient Class-D Fast Recovery™ amplification. Revolutionary high-definition audio processing elevates the audience’s experience by combining the power of precision crossovers, time correction and patented acoustic correction for unparalleled clarity and performance. System tuning and custom transducers by EAW create an optimized system that can be easily configured for your application using the integrated 3-band EQ with a sweepable mid. The sleek, all-wood cabinet design is pole-mountable and flyable, providing flexible mounting options for touring or installation. Elevate Your Experience with HD Series High-Definition Powered Loudspeakers. Check out the website for more details So there you have it. A bunch of no-good-nicks touring around Europe in a van, visiting dealers and attracting crowds. Who among those in Europe will witness High-Definition Live Sound for the first time? Who will be the first to use Mackie hardware with the world's most popular DAW? You will have to wait and see. We will post photos and cool info from every stop along the way. Here's the schedule in case you are in the area or plan to take your holiday nearby....enjoy:
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
MACKIE'S EUROPEAN ROAD SHOW HITS...WELL, THE ROAD
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- Behind the Scenes
September 15 2009, 4:52pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
The InfoComm 2009 Show just wrapped up in Orlando, FL. Buyers, sellers, system integrator, distributors, engineers and everyone in-between were there to share ideas, conduct business and learn about technology that will drive the AV industry this year. Mackie was there to represent several products that are well-suited for this audience. This included the all-new Mackie HD Series High-Definition Loudspeakers, which got a ton of press and impressed many a listener. Patented audio processing, specific to this series, counters inherent acoustical anomalies that occur primarily in the horn. The resulting experience is amazing and the clarity is unbelievable. And since they are well-priced, we are sure there are many an install that would benefit from their flyable design. The HD Series loudspeakers were put through their paces in two separate demo rooms. Visitors to the Martin Audio or EAW demo rooms sat in on a slick video demo that really showed what these HD loudspeakers can do. HD loudspeakers are hitting the stores now, so be sure to check in with your dealer to see if you can get a demo. We also brought along an AV industry standard, our VLZ3 Compact Mixers. Known for their objective mic preamps and headroom, VLZ3 mixers are perfect for systems that need broadcast-quality signal in a compact package. Also shown were the SRMv2 Series powered loudspeakers and the SRM150 Compact PA System. It’s the perfect combination of mixer and speaker that is needed in small AV setups. Apparently the show attendees felt the same way, as it “walked away” from the booth. The show was a great success. We were able to spread the gospel of HD live sound, meet a ton of great customers and generally have a good time. Thanks to everyone who attended.
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- Behind the Scenes
June 24 2009, 5:50pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
WINNER ANNOUNCED FOR MACKIE 20 YEARS RUNNING CONTEST
Mackie recently held a photo/video contest to celebrate 20 years of creating category-defining pro audio gear. We asked people to tell us their story…and we certainly got a ton of responses. So, without further ado, we announce the winner of Mackie’s 20 Years Running Contest. Congrats to Badger Koon (yes, we verified his name). His house was subject to a devastating mudslide and his Mackie’s…well, see for yourself. My name is Badger Koon and My Mackie SRM450 Active Speakers are amazing! They were totally covered in nasty horse poop and mud during a mudslide!!! I dug them out, washed them out with a hose, and let them dry. To this day they sound good as new. And they are loud! My Mackie speakers sound great for all the events I produce. Thank you Mackie for a great product. As you can see, Badger is a true Mackoid and his SRM450s weren’t so bad either. But Badger now has a reason to be excited, as he is about to receive a pair of Mackie’s all-new HD1531 3-Way High Definition Powered Loudspeakers. Each one pushes 1800W of power. If he had these after the mudslide, clean-up would’ve been easy. Just crank them up and watch a cubic ton of dirt effortlessly evacuate your house. He also wins a 1604-VLZ3 Compact Mixer. The prize is valued at four grand, so it’s nothing to sneeze at. There were also tons of other great entries, so be sure to check out the gallery. And if you have a story of your own, please share it with us. You don’t share with people just because you think you might get something, do you?
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- Behind the Scenes
June 24 2009, 4:45pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
FOLLOW US, BE OUR FAN...POKE US?
Mackie wants to interact with you. But since we have restraining orders against some of you and are flat out not permitted to enter the state of Texas for another 4 1/2 years, we thought that "social networking" might be a good way to keep in touch. To that end, please become a fan of Mackie on our Facebook page. If periodic announcements, cool photos and the ability to send virtual cupcakes is not quite enough, you can follow us on Twitter. We don't Tweet too much, but when we do, you are bound to either be entertained or bored. Either way, you can tell us all about it right away. So, good. Be our friend, follow us, become a fan...after all, we are YOUR biggest fan.
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- Behind the Scenes
January 27 2009, 6:38pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
INNOVATIVE LAPTOP BATTLE, SPONSORED BY MACKIE
Mackie is psyched to sponsor the Seattle-based Laptop Battle. This may entice the more imaginative readers to conjure up images of scantily clad she-warriors hurling iBooks at each other in a fight to the death. Oh…no? Maybe that’s just me. The Laptop Battle is much more interesting and certainly more entertaining. In 2003, Kris Moon and Zach Huntting from the Fourthcity collective created an original concept to bring people and music together…the Laptop Battle. We thought it was a great idea to expose some of the underground talent that was really starting to come of age in Seattle around that time. The event was also a reaction to boring shows with laptops, a phenomenon that has grown less frequent with the advent of better MIDI controllers and bigger audiences for electronic music straight off the hard drive. You don’t have to be an established musician or have loads of high-end equipment to participate. A wide variety of musical sounds are welcomed…there are no rules at all regarding content. In fact, the rules are very simple: Gear Specifications: · Up to one MIDI controller and one soundcard · All gear must fit into a 2’ x 2’ square The battle is a single elimination tournament and battles are randomly chosen Battles are 3-minutes long. After that time is up, the MC will fade out the contest’s output The choice of material, software and everything else is completely up to the contestant. This leaves room for a tremendous amount of creative freedom. At the center of it all is a Mackie Onyx 1640. The crew hooks several battlers into the mixer, drastically minimizing the time between acts. The Mackie is at the heart of the Laptop Battle. It sits on the junction between two 6' tables, with four laptops on either side. It's the perfect mixer for the show, we hook eight laptops into it at once, filling up all the channels, and send the front of house our stereo mains. After the first four battles, we break down and set up another eight lappys in about 10 minutes, and a big part of that speed is the ease of use of the Onyx 1640. The Laptop Battle is growing and Mackie will likely sponsor this great event for years to come, including the National Championship in February 2009. We've continued to throw battles, moving from the Deep Down to Chop Suey, where in 2004 the first ever Championship event was held. Early on in 2003 and 2004 several other cities started throwing battles, including Philly and Dallas. Fourthcity also took a tour down the coast, and rallied winners from SF and LA. Since then, we've had many other cities join the fold. At our 5th Championship event on February 20th, '09 at Nectar Lounge, we will have contestants from Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, Seattle, Philly & Dallas. The Laptop Battle has also grown overseas, with outposts in Tokyo, New Zealand, Germany and the UK. Laptop Battle winners will enjoy some choice Mackie gear as regional champions will receive a copy of the Tracktion 3 Ultimate Bundle and the national champion scores a pair of HR624mk2 High-Resolution Studio Monitors. For more info on the Laptop Battle or Kris Moon and his projects, visit: http://www.laptopbattle.com http://soundcloud.com/kris-moon - - Kris' favorite new way to share music http://www.myspace.com/krismoon http://www.myspace.com/laptopbattles http://www.myspace.com/abletonseattle http://www.dbfestival.com Photos courtesy of +Russ
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- Behind the Scenes
November 4 2008, 11:48am
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
Open since September 1991, High Tech High School is a full-time public school of choice that offers a challenging academic curriculum in a technology-based environment. This environment facilitates the acquisition of a repertoire of skills that allows students to access and manipulate knowledge through technology. There are several programs of study, including a Media major, with special emphasis on Audio Tech skills. Areas of study include an overview of music technology currently used in the entertainment industry, the use and application of the MIDI keyboard within a recording studio environment, synthesis, recording consoles, modular digital tape machines, digital audio workstations and synchronization. Each student has their own workstation, which uses a Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro as the central hub. All keyboards and instruments run through the 1202, and students also use the ALT 3/4 bus to send channels to their interface for recording. This feature, which is also found on the VLZ3 Series mixers, allows for simple routing without the risk of feedback loops. Rod Shepard (aka Mr. Shepard) is the instructor of the Audio Tech class in addition to his role as Musical Director. He even runs a 24.8 in his home studio! “…even with the latest technology in computing and audio/sequencing software, the 1202 VLZ's are still reliable” -Mr. Shepard The tech-savvy school also has an Arts major that puts on award winning productions...including a recent performance of Dracula. The system for their theatre includes a TT24 at FOH. It just goes to show you that Mackie's commitment to technology ensures that our new products can be found alongside our classic products in recording environments worldwide.
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- Behind the Scenes
November 3 2008, 1:40pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
MACKIE SERENADES SINGAPORE ZOO
The Singapore Zoo opened its doors in June of 1973. Since then the animal population has surged to over 2500 different specimens. Set in a rainforest environment, Singapore Zoo’s world famous ‘open concept’ offers the opportunity to experience and be inspired by the wonders of nature. Animals here live in spacious and landscaped environments simulating that of their natural habitat. The Singapore Zoo takes this concept even further by evolving into a learning zoo. Instead of just observing the animals, interactive, educational content is a feature of all exhibits. These interpretive activities aim to effectively convey facts about the animals and messages about wildlife conservation. Asia/Pacific Market Manager, Laz Harris, recently visited the zoo for the completion of the 2nd Mackie install at the zoo. The zoo has used Mackie gear for quite some time. In fact, they have had a CR1604-VLZ in service for the past seven years. Most amazing is the fact that this particular 1604 has been in a non-air conditioned environment the entire time! With Singapore’s average temperature of 89°F coupled with 80% humidity, there is no doubt that the 1604 is “Built-Like-A-Tank”. There are also a ton of SRM350s and SRM450s in service as portable and backup sound solutions, but the install of a complete Tetrad system is the first Mackie “main” PA for the zoo. The gear list for the install included an Onyx 24.4 at FOH, with a pair of MR5 studio monitors being used to reference the mix. The system is feeding a full Mackie Tetrad system that includes two S408s for tops and a pair of S410s’ as subwoofers. Senior Sound Director, Mike Hassan, had the following to say regarding the high-end new system. “It’s amazing to me that this [Tetrad] system sounds clearer and more evenly dispersed than our Adamson line array!” One thing that surprised all involved was that while speaker placement was far from optimal for presenters due to space limitations posed by the surrounding animal environments, the amount of feedback was amazingly low. What little feedback was encountered during tuning was easily tamed with the most minor EQ adjustments on the Onyx 24.4. The rest of the system EQ remained virtually flat. “The sound is full and pleasing,” remarked Hassan. The low end was particularly impressive and the punchy character of the S410s was perfect for the hyped-up New Age and Afro-pop “safari-textured” soundtracks used in the shows. “Mackie is very pleased to play a part in the zoo’s ongoing commitment to visitor education. We are sure that the new PA system will serve the zoo well, helping to educate and entertain visitors for years to come,” comments Harris.
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- Behind the Scenes
October 13 2008, 12:52pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
STARS, STRIPES, REDHOOK & MACKIE
Redhook Brewery has a long history of making some of the finest full-bodied, hand-crafted beer in the Northwest. And it just so happens that they are just down the road from Mackie world headquarters in Woodinville, WA. Every summer, Redhook holds a series of outdoor movies nights called Redhook Moonlight Cinema. Basically, just combine one part giant inflatable screen, two parts Mackie powered loudspeakers and 20 billion parts beer and there you go. It is really fun and a great way to spend a summer evening. This summer, Mackie and Redhook partnered to show some really cool flicks. The lineup included Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, 300, Kingpin, The Shining and Knocked Up. Like I said…fun for all…ever watched The Shining outdoors? It is an odd experience. One night, in particular, was Military Appreciation Night and anyone with a Military ID was granted free admission, although there are no weapons permitted on Redhook’s campus. The movie shown was…Top Gun. Needless to say, the audience was sympathetic to the epic tale of friendship and intense competition so effectively conveyed by such characters as “Maverick” and “Iceman”. In fact there was hardly a dry eye in the place when “Goose” met his untimely end, foolhardily engaging the airplanes canopy during an emergency ejection. However, Top Gun fans will remember that good always triumphs evil and “Maverick” learns a valuable lesson. It turns out that Mackie learned a lesson also. Movies + Redhook + Mackie = Good times.
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- Behind the Scenes
October 9 2008, 5:13pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
One day earlier this year, avid race fan and dedicated Mackie Tech Support Rep Nick Kristoffersen came by the graphic design department looking to get a load of Mackie vinyl decals for his rally car. Now, all Mackie employees are loyal fans of the brand, but not all are willing to blanket their rides with Mackie decals (although you can see more than a few “running man” decals in the parking lot). Anyway, Lead Graphic Designer Jayme Delma was quick to ask why he wanted so many decals. It turns out that Nick was scheduled to race his Subaru WRX in Cle Elum, WA for the Under The Wires Rally X event and when it came time for him to choose his race car number, he could think of no better number than 450. You know, like SRM450, the world’s best-selling portable powered loudspeaker…or SRM450v2, boasting more power, clarity and punch than ever before. But I digress, Jayme not only fulfilled his request, but had some custom vinyls created for the sweet rally car. The day of the event came and not only did Nick roll up in the best looking car in the competition, he also brought along a pair of SRM450v2 loudspeakers for exciting turn-by-turn announcements. SRM450v2 Rally Car Check out a little bit of footage from the event and join us in congratulating Nick on a job well done. Also, be sure to check out some unedited footage on Nick's YouTube page. While you're at it, subscribe to the MackieTV YouTube page and become a Fan of Mackie on Facebook.
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- Behind the Scenes
October 7 2008, 5:52pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
MACKIE CONTROL OVERLAYS NOW AVAILABLE AT http://WWW.MACKIE.COM
Lexan overlays for your MCU, MCU Pro, C4 and C4 Pro are now available for purchase directly from Mackie. Here's how to get a brand-spanking new, software-specific overlay in three easy steps: 1. Visit the Mackie Accessories Store and click on overlays 2. Choose a machine and software type 3. Pay us Well, I guess there is a step four...delivering your overlay! Anyway, please enjoy a hassle-free overlay shopping experience, courtesy of Mackie.
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- Behind the Scenes
September 26 2008, 2:42pm
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From Mackie e-News, mackie.com
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- Behind the Scenes
September 15 2008, 12:03pm
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