Mackie Thump

Skip Ellis · #1 09-12-2017, 01:33 PM

Was just looking over the specs on the new line of Mackie powered speakers and, while it sounded pretty neat to start with, the more I read, the more features I found that, to me, were just unnecessary bells and whistles. Frankly, I don't really care that I can adjust my speaker settings with my phone (and they're assuming that I have one of those fancy phones). Why can't they just build a lightweight cabinet with a class 'd' power amp in it that you plug your mixer into. Most everyone will have to use an external mixer anyway to get enough channels so the built in mixers (all two channels!!) seem like a waste. To me, it seems like they add a lot of this stuff just because they can and it gives them more selling points. Doesn't really add much to the bottom line because it's pretty much all on the same circuit board anyway but they can charge more $$$. Class 'd' amps are super cheap anyway - I've got a 150 watt version in a cabinet that cost me $12. Power it with an old printer power supply and it's ready to go - wouldn't be that much more for 1000 watts.

Another thing - this stuff usually can't be fixed. Just throw it away and get another one. It's the story of the world these days.

chris6120 · #2 09-12-2017, 02:26 PM

Couldn't agree more with everything you said Skip.

As an example of what your talking about:

A lot of the new powered column PA's I've been investigating use some kind of smart phone app. I can understand the trend towards everything being cutting edge and sometimes this kind of feature is cool and useful, but there were a few I researched that you couldn't even fully adjust the EQ or effects without using the app (no way to physically adjust on the unit itself) and some of these IOS and Android apps can be buggy and occasionally unreliable with connecting or working right... not exactly the kind of thing you want to have to worry about while on a gig in front of a live audience.

Bells and whistles are fine, but not all that valuable (at least to me) if you have to depend on them and can't have a simple dependable alternative... like a physical control knob on the unit itself.

jonfields45 · #3 09-12-2017, 02:36 PM

I think, in time, all speakers not destined for permanent installation will get the features of a Bluetooth speaker. Think how simple this is for someone who is not a musician to set up a music stream from their phone and control the EQ and volume. It broadens the market for the product and these days costs a few dollars of extra electronics.

That said, I've not been impressed with the Mackie products I've auditioned as of late and mostly for weird noises instead of a dead quiet noise floor (the first gen QSC Ks were the champs of noise floor).

Petty1818 · #4 09-12-2017, 06:41 PM

Honestly, I skip brands like Mackie. They can sound okay but the Thump series are often very noisy. My friend had one and it was extremely light weight but my god, the hiss! QSC speakers are the way to go. Rock solid, insanely quiet (pretty much no hiss unless you put your ear to the speaker) and they sound great. There's a reason why people pay a bit more for them.

The Bard Rocks · #5 09-12-2017, 08:42 PM

Something many folks do not know or forget about is that for the manufacturer, knobs and sliders cost extra money, whether its mixers, cookstoves, or whatever. Digital adjustments are much cheaper to manufacture. And since so many folks think digital is better, or at least "more modern", their cost-savings measure is readily adapted, and both parties are (usually) happy. And adding bells and whistles digitally does often not add much cost and folks think they are getting a lot of extras that maybe they will use - or maybe they won't get around to it. I've learned this lesson several times. Because you can do something does not mean you should.

martingitdave · #6 09-12-2017, 09:38 PM

Not to be a contrarian to the OP's point, but I actually thought they made a big improvement with the latest edition of the Thump. In fact, I am hoping it trickles down to the DLM (compact coaxial cabinet) line. You see, Mackie released it's first set of digital mixers integrated with the speaker cabinets several years ago. And, while they got some things right, they got a number of things wrong. When I saw the advertisement for the revamped Thumps, I checked to see if they addressed the issues I have with my DLM 8. And, indeed, they had. I currently use their two compact PA options (Reach and FreePlay) with relative success for my folky singer songwriter routine. I thought I would be annoyed by the Bluetooth app control and avoided them until they were discounted enough that I felt obligated to give them a try. I'm glad I did. The devices have enough control with their onboard buttons, but the app unveils handy features and effects which make the devices more useful. With every release, the speaker manufacturers get closer to making the "perfect" compact all-in-one solution. Acoustic combo amplifier manufacturers should be worried.

MikeBmusic · #7 09-13-2017, 06:34 AM

Like The Bard says, knobs and switches cost money, they are also a physical thing that can break - tell me you've never had a tone or volume pot go bad, or had the knob break (or at least get lost) on a piece of equipment?
Although having Bluetooth adjustability on a powered speaker might seem useless to you, there are people who plug into these direct, without a mixer. Many manufacturers have been offering these for some time. The new QSC _.2 speakers don't have the capability - because QSC wants you to use a Touchmix mixer, too!
I have a friend who got one of those for his band a month or so ago, they're still using the touchscreen on the unit, rather than accessing from a phone.

Petty1818 · #8 09-13-2017, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

Like The Bard says, knobs and switches cost money, they are also a physical thing that can break - tell me you've never had a tone or volume pot go bad, or had the knob break (or at least get lost) on a piece of equipment?
Although having Bluetooth adjustability on a powered speaker might seem useless to you, there are people who plug into these direct, without a mixer. Many manufacturers have been offering these for some time. The new QSC _.2 speakers don't have the capability - because QSC wants you to use a Touchmix mixer, too!
I have a friend who got one of those for his band a month or so ago, they're still using the touchscreen on the unit, rather than accessing from a phone.

I think that's the beauty of the Touchmix system. There are a few mixers out there that went all in on the tablet/phone mixing set up. That's great but a lot of people, including myself, still want to actually physically play with knobs and or a touch screen. I own the TM16 and I do use the touch screen the most but the beauty of it is that the large knob to the right of the touchscreen, can be used as a traditional knob for any of the parameters. I do use my iphone and ipad to mix from out front and that has been a huge time saver for me. However, I do find that once the show gets going, I hardly ever reference my phone, even though it's open on my mic stand and I can make adjustments. I just find it to be a small screen to make small adjustments as the show is moving along. Much easier to just reach over to the mixer.

cattzap · #9 09-13-2017, 07:40 AM

"QSC speakers are the way to go. Rock solid, insanely quiet (pretty much no hiss unless you put your ear to the speaker) and they sound great. There's a reason why people pay a bit more for them. "

Agree. It's what I use Switching to these actually made running and setting up my pa easier. I do like the idea if being able to adjust my board remotely, but don't you need an iPad for these? An every time you turn around, you need a new iPad for them? Now it's an iPad X