Mackie active speakers (not monitors)

  • Thread starter Thread starter ditnoj
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ditnoj

New member
Hey,

LIVE SOUND QUESTION ALERT!!!!!!


Anybody out there got some real world info on the mackie active monitors and full range speakers. I'm looking at mains for a church (all kinds of music, full rhythm section plus trumpet, lead singer, 5 backup). I heard them at a show and they sound great, but I'd like some opinions from some users...especially concerning durability of the built in amps (heard some nasty stuff about some of the JBL's)

D out ITNOJ
 
We were using 6 of them for stage wedges at a church I was just working in (A big church!). I really liked the sound, and we didn't have any of them blow on us or have any power amp problems. They have the Mackie Fr series amps built in, which I use for my personal system. I went through blowing 4 power amps before I started using only the Mackie amps, I haven't had a single problem since.

H2H
 
I have a pair of the SRM450s and like them a great deal. They sound much better for the style of music I work with lately (a capella vocal/acoustic music) than the JBLs did, and they have been very robust. They'll never be up to the task for major-league rock and roll reinforcement (although the SRM1530s would be!), but for small-venue, reasonable-level music, they're remarkably accurate and clean.

I also plan to use mine as drum monitors for my Edrums on the offchance I ever play out again. I've set them up and used them for this once or twice, but not at live-venue stage levels. I'd be very concerned about the woofers in PA use if they were trying to reproduce the kick from an E-kit (where there's no stage bleed to reduce the output requirement...).

Just did a wedding with them this weekend, in fact, playing DJ for some friends. Diana Krall "Only Trust your Heart" sounds downright _fantastic_ over them, set up with a wall right behind to work into half-space. Best sounding small PA rig I know of.

I still may have to get some 1530s one day. Those sound wonderful, and would remove the concern orver woofer longevity.
 
I have a pair of JBL EON G2 active speakers.
Bass: 300w
HI: 100w

i simply love them!

leomazz
 
Leomazz,

¿Para que estás usando los JBL? Yo necesito las bocinas para monitorear y para balfles en una iglesia mas o menos grande (¡caben 1000 gente!).

Aqui me dicen que los JBL queman del podercito que esta allí y que las refacciónes son dificiles encontrar. ¿Cuanto tiempo tienes con las bocinas?

Mr. D
EENDJ
 
Have 'em love 'em and r very dependable. Skippy forget the 1530's. Add the 1500 sub to the 450's. You gotta hear this small very mobil package to believe it! As "in your face" and as accurate as the 450's are, the sub ABSOLUTELY KICKS! And the built in crossover in the sub does an extremely accurate and robust job. You will NEVER, and I must repeat NEVER (emphasis added) regret purchasing the sub and will quickly forget the 1530's.
 
engineear:

My app is going to be a 1000 seat church. If I got the 1530's, they would be flown (probably 6). We have 2 CV woofers to use with that for special events. We play literally, all kinds of music with a full band.

So are you saying for mobility the 450 plus sub team is the jam (I heard that at the show too, and it drowned out the noise from the floor of the show) or are you saying that the end result is better than the 1530's?

D out ITNOJ
 
ditnoj:
Las usamos para PA de grupos de musica en vivo.
En lugares de hasta 400 personas sin ningun problema.
Hace 7 meses que las tenemos.

Saludos

leomazz
 
Enginear- thanks for the pointer. I'll go audition those the next time I'm looking to upgrade live gear (which hopefully will be a while!).

I'd like to A/B the 1530s and the 450/1500 combo side by side at the same levels. The thing that really got my attention with the 1530s was vocal intelligibility at moderately high levels: that horn-loaded 6" midrange really worked for the vocal music styles I'm dealing with. The smaller horn drivers usally break up when pushed hard in some of the vocal ranges (although the 450's horn is exceptionally good).

They aren't as portable, for sure, but for my wierdball application vocal crispness and intelligibility (and the absence of horn unload or crossover phenomena in the vocal range) is pretty important.

On the other hand, I _do_ already own the 450s, and those vocalists I work with don't pay me very much....

Once again, thanks for the pointer: that A/B test will definitely happen.
 
The 1530's have the added mid driver so vocal and some Git etc in that freq is addressed. However, as in any "sound based/audio venue" I like to use my ears. With a nice desk( A&H, yep, even a mackie etc) a LITTLE eq, the 450's and the 1500 will rock. A/B is my favorite pastime (altho it drives salesmen up da wall!!)....Do it, but run the system thru a good desk hopefully comparable to the one you will use or have access to. I've used my 1604,Rane 24 mpz, and A&H 2200 ALL sound great( believe it or not I like the Rane the best - go figure!). When the 450's are connected to the 1500 sub the sub's crossover takes over below 120 and allows the 450's to deliver more volume @ the higher freqs. It takes exponentially increasing energy/power to produce lower and lower freqs and altho the freq RESPONSE on both are similar @ hi SPL's the 450's energy is being sucked up by the lo-end driver to produce the bass and at the same time THIS COMPROMISES THE MID's. With the 1500 and it's dedicated 600 watt onboard amp it relieves the 450's to do a "morebetter" job, especially with a decent board in the mid's and hi's. Again, keep in mind our lives are directed by the Laws of Physics ( at least in this plane and time dimension that we as human's occupy). This 450/1500 package is extremely compact, a Raymond James stadium venue is not appropiate, but I've been in some very nice size rooms and this package much more then holds it's own. The sub with it's power and xover is key. Good luck and rock on, just touch the red it's good 4 ya head!
 
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