Tim, from another thread I quote you:
original Mackie CR-1604 (1990) is another fav.
manufacturers really started cutting corners in the 90’s and after the outsource-to-China approach caught on it was all over.
What are your thoughts on the quality of the other, later Mackies, like the VLZ and VLZ PRO series of the same 1604 model? In other words, is it paramount, if one is looking for quality Mackie, to actually look if that particular model was "Made in the USA"? I know the current models are made in china though... which pretty much says it all.
Thanks.
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My church had a VLZ for years and it seemed ok other than loosing a couple channels. I don't know if the model we had was made in USA or not. I really liked the first Mackie's though.
I have a problem in general with the Asia outsource model on principle and quality issues. There are exceptions of course, but only on the quality aspect… Taiwan is generally a better bet than China, Malaysia or Indonesia and Taiwan doesn’t treat her people like dogs.
IMO, It’s harder to find exceptions on the moral issue, which in effect is demonstrating that our way of life isn’t viable without slavery. The United States is both importing what I consider slave labor across our southern border and outsourcing labor to countries like China, which abuse their citizens (well you can’t really call them citizens… they are subjects.) It’s hard to wave a flag for freedom and democracy when the way we are maintaining our own way of life is by exploiting oppressed peoples somewhere else.
Nearly every developed country is outsourcing to China. I feel greed has fostered a new slave trade. China’s industry isn’t very refined as far as energy consumption either. The growing industries in China are part of the reason we’re paying these ungodly prices at the pump. Whatever little we save at Wal-Mart, we lose it all and more when filling up our cars and paying our power bills.
Back to the practical quality issues, one of the reasons I buy vintage stuff is that manufactures didn’t have a throwaway mentality in the early days of personal studio development (late 70’s to early 90’s). Things just don’t seem to last much past the warranty these days without some sort of failure. Also, companies were competing for cost and quality, not just cost. Outsourcing is just one way manufacturers are cutting corners.
It’s impossible to live these days without buying Chinese made stuff, but recording is one area I have some control, so I buy mostly vintage equipment made in the country the company started in. In my experience it has the sound I'm looking for and lasts longer.
Alesis, Lexicon, Mackie and dbx from USA
Yamaha, Tascam, Fostex and Roland from Japan
Yorkville from Canada
Behringer from Germany
Etc.
I don’t have much gear made past the mid 90’s (except my PC). And even newer stuff like my Echo Layla was made in USA and
my Fostex CR300 CD recorder (2001) was made in Japan.
It works for me.
