NAD: Mackie ShowBox: Final thoughts - keeping it!

[JackB1]

If you already have an Everse 8 is there any reason to get the Showbox? If you need more channels couldn't you just pick up a small mixer? If it offered something new or better I would understand. The only things I see is the ability to record your gig to a SD card, which is nice and the detachable mixer, which isn't a big deal to me. Once you set your levels you will rarely need to touch it.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

Just letting everyone know the latest firmware has just been posted to the Mackie site. It is for Mac and PC.

Thanks for the heads up. I downloaded the release notes. They put them in a protected PDF and I cannot paste them here.

Seemed to be several fixes for the SD card.
A fix for the long press on FX1/2.
A fix for the voice mode which didn't do anything.

[willymartin]

Curious to hear any more gig experiences with this unit. The one touch record feature sounds cool. Is it as easy as advertised? Does it record one wave file on the SD card, or the separate tracks/inputs? Has the battery been getting close to the advertised 12 hours? Thnx

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by willymartin

Curious to hear any more gig experiences with this unit. The one touch record feature sounds cool. Is it as easy as advertised? Does it record one wave file on the SD card, or the separate tracks/inputs? Has the battery been getting close to the advertised 12 hours? Thnx

Recording really is that easy, one push of the button records until you push it again. Records the sum of everything going on through the amp, no separate tracks/inputs. So if you want to record individual songs you need to press to stop/restart between each song. We just record the entire show.

No idea on the battery. Our gigs are only 1 or 1.5 hours long. Once summer rolls around and I've got it outside blasting streaming music while we work around the yard I'll have a better idea. It's always 'Up to 12 hours' which, like gas mileage quotes, is a maximum time based usually on lower volumes.

[CatieLakeMusic]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Thanks for the heads up. I downloaded the release notes. They put them in a protected PDF and I cannot paste them here.

Seemed to be several fixes for the SD card.
A fix for the long press on FX1/2.
A fix for the voice mode which didn't do anything.

Hey everyone. I found your thread really interesting so I signed up so that I can reply. I am a Bodhráness/Percussionist and got my ShowBox whilst I was helping Mackie relaunch it's Discord Community Server.

I am not a guitarist but I do have a Mackie Showbox I plan to use as a monitor, portable PA for our annual Steampunk event and a busking amp including loan to friends from our Folk & Roots Club.

Where did you find the release notes as I've downloaded everything from the ShowBox page and didn't see any.

I did finally get the firmware updated today but only when I found the full instructions instead of the simply starter guide to dong it.

Catie

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by CatieLakeMusic

Hey everyone. I found your thread really interesting so I signed up so that I can reply. I am a Bodhráness/Percussionist and got my ShowBox whilst I was helping Mackie relaunch it's Discord Community Server.

I am not a guitarist but I do have a Mackie Showbox I plan to use as a monitor, portable PA for our annual Steampunk event and a busking amp including loan to friends from our Folk & Roots Club.

Where did you find the release notes as I've downloaded everything from the ShowBox page and didn't see any.

I did finally get the firmware updated today but only when I found the full instructions instead of the simply starter guide to dong it.

Catie

In the firmware zip file there was a readme pdf.

Glad you’re enjoying the unit!

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Thanks for the heads up. I downloaded the release notes. They put them in a protected PDF and I cannot paste them here.

Seemed to be several fixes for the SD card.
A fix for the long press on FX1/2.
A fix for the voice mode which didn't do anything.

Yes, this was my experience as well. The 'PA/Amp' button does next to nothing, at least as far as my admittedly awful hearing can discern!

[CatieLakeMusic]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

In the firmware zip file there was a readme pdf.

Sadly not in the Mac download I have. I just have the installer and the instruction sheets I downloaded separately.

Glad you’re enjoying the unit!

It's certainly been interesting playing with the looper via the breakaway controller as a tabletop device.

[ZackPomerleau]

I’m insanely tempted to get this because it’s practically the Everse with more inputs and the Everse does most of my gigs now. I could also mic up my foot drum with it for gigs I need to go into house systems. But the Everse 12 would handle even large events and I have a couple that are larger and I NEED battery power. I’d be curious how it compared. I imagine the 12 blows it away. It just sucks they stayed with the 2 input madness. The build quality of the Everse seems better to me.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by ZackPomerleau

I’m insanely tempted to get this because it’s practically the Everse with more inputs and the Everse does most of my gigs now. I could also mic up my foot drum with it for gigs I need to go into house systems. But the Everse 12 would handle even large events and I have a couple that are larger and I NEED battery power. I’d be curious how it compared. I imagine the 12 blows it away. It just sucks they stayed with the 2 input madness. The build quality of the Everse seems better to me.

The Everse is smaller, lighter and of higher build quality. The rest is as you state.

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by ZackPomerleau

I’m insanely tempted to get this because it’s practically the Everse with more inputs and the Everse does most of my gigs now. I could also mic up my foot drum with it for gigs I need to go into house systems. But the Everse 12 would handle even large events and I have a couple that are larger and I NEED battery power. I’d be curious how it compared. I imagine the 12 blows it away. It just sucks they stayed with the 2 input madness. The build quality of the Everse seems better to me.

Why?? If you need more inputs with the Everse, get a small mixer. Save yourself the $$$.

[JakeStone]

Originally Posted by ZackPomerleau

I’m insanely tempted to get this because it’s practically the Everse with more inputs and the Everse does most of my gigs now. I could also mic up my foot drum with it for gigs I need to go into house systems. But the Everse 12 would handle even large events and I have a couple that are larger and I NEED battery power. I’d be curious how it compared. I imagine the 12 blows it away. It just sucks they stayed with the 2 input madness. The build quality of the Everse seems better to me.

I've owned both and still have the EV 8.

I will admit the Showbox has an alluring feature set. If busking or doing coffee shop or small-medium bar gigs,
the Mackie would work well! One box does it all.

However, the Everse is much higher quality.. it's "punchier" sound and built like a tank.
I think the Mackie's mixer and knobs are very "toy" like..
knobs are flimsy, not sure it will last through the rigors of gigs.


If I didn't own the Everse 8 the SB would be a "good" choice.
However, the sound quality on the EV is better. Especially noticeable when playing tracks or music from my phone. Much more low end on EV.

I do like the break away mixer for quick and easy tweaks.
I still like the depth of the EV App. The EQs blow the mackie away.

Lastly, my Martin Dread sounded very warm and woody through the Showbox..
It actually sounds better than the Everse (out of the box with flat settings).
It takes me a bit of tweaking and lowering the highs and mids to achieve the mackie warmth.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by ZackPomerleau

I’m insanely tempted to get this because it’s practically the Everse with more inputs and the Everse does most of my gigs now. I could also mic up my foot drum with it for gigs I need to go into house systems. But the Everse 12 would handle even large events and I have a couple that are larger and I NEED battery power. I’d be curious how it compared. I imagine the 12 blows it away. It just sucks they stayed with the 2 input madness. The build quality of the Everse seems better to me.

Originally Posted by JackB1

Why?? If you need more inputs with the Everse, get a small mixer. Save yourself the $$$.

Like the man said, Jack - he needs battery power as he performs outside a lot in places that don't have available power. So, under your 'get a small mixer' suggestion, he'd need either a battery powered mixer or a battery supply system which would negate any 'savings'. It would also mean carrying yet more stuff, more setup time, etc. Just because YOU don't like/want/need this system doesn't mean it's not optimal for others. Just move along, thanks.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by JakeStone

I've owned both and still have the EV 8.

I will admit the Showbox has an alluring feature set. If busking or doing coffee shop or small-medium bar gigs,
the Mackie would work well! One box does it all.

However, the Everse is much higher quality.. it's "punchier" sound and built like a tank.
I think the Mackie's mixer and knobs are very "toy" like..
knobs are flimsy, not sure it will last through the rigors of gigs.


If I didn't own the Everse 8 the SB would be a "good" choice.
However, the sound quality on the EV is better. Especially noticeable when playing tracks or music from my phone. Much more low end on EV.

I do like the break away mixer for quick and easy tweaks.
I still like the depth of the EV App. The EQs blow the mackie away.

Lastly, my Martin Dread sounded very warm and woody through the Showbox..
It actually sounds better than the Everse (out of the box with flat settings).
It takes me a bit of tweaking and lowering the highs and mids to achieve the mackie warmth.

I don't own and have never encountered the EV8 in person but based on what I know as an owner of the EV30M and what I can 'see' in photos, I would agree with the above. The EV8 seems like it's more robustly built. It was the same with the Yamaha Stagepas 200BTR - much heavier build which has a higher quality feel to it. The detachable mixer on the ShowBox is VERY lightweight and as such it does have a 'toyish' feel to it but it still seems to be high quality. I wonder as well how well it will hold up to the rigors of hardcore gigging. I think it will be okay for us as our gigs are nearly all assisted living-type places so those 'rigors' are fairly easy on gear and, especially, us!

[ZackPomerleau]

Appreciate this guys. I kinda figured. I’m actually considering buying the 12. I have a few outdoor gigs with no power and they’re in weird spots. The 8 is barely enough. I have a 50M but honestly it’s often a huge hassle to bring out. I bet the 12 would cover all the other scenarios big time. Regarding a mixer, I have found some that run on usb power which means you could utilize the Everse to power it. Which is awesome. I’m curious to hear how the 12 would sound with a small amount of a farmer foot drum through it. Not so much for huge volume but to get everything even in the speaker. From every review I’ve seen it’s substantially louder than the 8 and the 8 gets pretty loud for most environments.