SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
A week or two ago there was a subtopic in a thread here in this forum that I'd like to update, but I can't now find which thread that was 
. So for the sake of record I'd like to post the update here. For those who keep up on the industry and find this old news, I apologize. But you know me, I love busting Internet myths 
...
The question was raised as to why the Mackie HR624 and HR824 monitors were being blown out at low prices by everybody and their brother right now. The (usual and predictable) response was brought up by somebody that it was because Mackie was losing sales and face because of a quality control issue because their stuff was now being assembled (not manufactured, mind you) overseas. This was the line given by some retail sales hacks at places like Guitar Center and such.
I replied that was probably a bunch of bullshit - the kind usually spit out by salesfolk when they want to steer you to a higher-priced item and don't have the talent to do so without having to slander the sale item - and that the across-the-board price reduction was most likely because either everybody wanted to clear out inventory space and budget for some new models coming down the pike from Mackie, or because Mackie had floded the pipeline with inventory that had to be cleared out. Usually that second reason is because of the first reason.
Well, I just read a little blurb in the May issue of Mix magazine* that confirmed that new versions of their monitors are indeed on the way. This is exactly why the old ones are being closed out at great prices now.
The 624 and the 824 are being replaced by the 624mkII and the 824mkII. As far as I can tell from the blurb, the only real differences between the mkIIs and the originals are that the new ones have a cast aluminum enclosure with a curved "Zero-Edge" faceplate and baffle design. The actual loudspeaker elements appear to be the same. No mention was made if there are any amplifier differences, but I figure if there were, it would have been mentioned in the blurb.
* P.S. I strongly recommend everybody check out the May Mix rag. It's a special issue on hearing and health issues related to the audio engineering gig. For those who say one should always mix at or around 85dBSPL and get high before mixing to "boost their creativity", I recommend they read the interviews with four of the top engineers in the business in there where they discuss the fallacies of both of those ideas in no uncertain terms.
G.
. So for the sake of record I'd like to post the update here. For those who keep up on the industry and find this old news, I apologize. But you know me, I love busting Internet myths ...The question was raised as to why the Mackie HR624 and HR824 monitors were being blown out at low prices by everybody and their brother right now. The (usual and predictable) response was brought up by somebody that it was because Mackie was losing sales and face because of a quality control issue because their stuff was now being assembled (not manufactured, mind you) overseas. This was the line given by some retail sales hacks at places like Guitar Center and such.
I replied that was probably a bunch of bullshit - the kind usually spit out by salesfolk when they want to steer you to a higher-priced item and don't have the talent to do so without having to slander the sale item - and that the across-the-board price reduction was most likely because either everybody wanted to clear out inventory space and budget for some new models coming down the pike from Mackie, or because Mackie had floded the pipeline with inventory that had to be cleared out. Usually that second reason is because of the first reason.
Well, I just read a little blurb in the May issue of Mix magazine* that confirmed that new versions of their monitors are indeed on the way. This is exactly why the old ones are being closed out at great prices now.
The 624 and the 824 are being replaced by the 624mkII and the 824mkII. As far as I can tell from the blurb, the only real differences between the mkIIs and the originals are that the new ones have a cast aluminum enclosure with a curved "Zero-Edge" faceplate and baffle design. The actual loudspeaker elements appear to be the same. No mention was made if there are any amplifier differences, but I figure if there were, it would have been mentioned in the blurb.
* P.S. I strongly recommend everybody check out the May Mix rag. It's a special issue on hearing and health issues related to the audio engineering gig. For those who say one should always mix at or around 85dBSPL and get high before mixing to "boost their creativity", I recommend they read the interviews with four of the top engineers in the business in there where they discuss the fallacies of both of those ideas in no uncertain terms.
G.
) sounded like absolute horseshit in comparison to the original design. We'll have to see how the new Mackies play out.
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