New Mackie Freeplay series!

[Per Burström]

Still considering the new Freeplay Live, mostly as a replacement for the Yamaha THR5A as a light and portable battery powered speaker to take with me when I sit outside jamming. It's 1-2 weeks away from shipping to Sweden now.

Anyway, by curiosity I downloaded the new Freeplay Live Connect app for my phone, and ran it in demo mode. The only effect that seems to be available is reverb, and only send. So no different reverb types even.

On the old Freeplay, the "sloth one", if I understand it correctly there's a multi-effect unit with different reverb types, chorus, delay etc. Am I correct?

/Per

[lkingston]

Does anyone know if the stereo wireless link to a second FreePlay works for the audio inputs or if it is just for the Bluetooth audio (like the Bose S1)?

Edit: playing wit the demo, it looks like you can control 2 FreePlay Live units with the one app, but I’m guessing that the audio inputs each only come out of their local speaker. Might be pretty useful anyway.

[Hurricane Ramon]

Originally Posted by Per Burström

Still considering the new Freeplay Live, mostly as a replacement for the Yamaha THR5A as a light and portable battery powered speaker to take with me when I sit outside jamming. It's 1-2 weeks away from shipping to Sweden now.

Anyway, by curiosity I downloaded the new Freeplay Live Connect app for my phone, and ran it in demo mode. The only effect that seems to be available is reverb, and only send. So no different reverb types even.

On the old Freeplay, the "sloth one", if I understand it correctly there's a multi-effect unit with different reverb types, chorus, delay etc. Am I correct?

/Per

Correct - you can get EQ / Rerb control on 3 channels on the older unit , this is why I'm getting a second unit that's the older version .

EZ :

HR

[Per Burström]

The first real review that I know about for the Freeplay Live is up:

https://americansongwriter.com/2018/...nal-pa-review/

/Per

[necrome]

Thanks for the link to the review! Looks like an exciting product but I don't think a 6" woofer is going to be loud enough for busking...

Hoping to see a live audio recording of it eventually!

[Hurricane Ramon]

Originally Posted by necrome

Thanks for the link to the review! Looks like an exciting product but I don't think a 6" woofer is going to be loud enough for busking...
Hoping to see a live audio recording of it eventually!

Get the older one with the 8" driver is my recommendation > I'm getting a second one <

I like the one I have very much , it's a lot more than just a small portable PA system .

EZ :

HR

[Per Burström]

Originally Posted by Hurricane Ramon

Get the older one with the 8" driver is my recommendation > I'm getting a second one <

I like the one I have very much , it's a lot more than just a small portable PA system .

EZ :

I think they are removing the old Freeplay from the lineup (??), but here in Sweden I find at least one store that can offer the old one for 3/4:th of the price of the new one, including the battery pack. I have also found an used one at half the price of the new one.

So I'm considering to listen to your advice, although I find the new format and lower weight really attractive.

Cheers,
Per

[Hurricane Ramon]

Originally Posted by Per Burström

I think they are removing the old Freeplay from the lineup (??), but here in Sweden I find at least one store that can offer the old one for 3/4:th of the price of the new one, including the battery pack. I have also found an used one at half the price of the new one.

So I'm considering to listen to your advice, although I find the new format and lower weight really attractive.

Cheers,
Per

I realized the size differential too but , @ approx 7 Kilos/15lbs the difference in over all performance was more important to me .

Just make sure you have some kind of warranty period to be sure there are no negative issues to have to deal with for repair/exchange should they unfortunately occur .

I went through two units - each had a different problem . I did business with a reputable online store and everything has worked out quite well .

EZ & Good Luck :

HR

[martingitdave]

I would agree with HR, the 8” speaker in the older unit is advantageous. The only issue I had with the Mackie units is the preamp design. Make sure you have enough gain going into the instrument input. Otherwise, I really like to flat response of their speaker design.

[lkingston]

The numbers on the volume fader have changed on the new app (tested in demo mode). On the old app the numbers went from -30 to +10. On the new app the range from 0 to 32.

My guess is that in both cases these are a representation of dB gain. I think that what they are doing is just using a 24bit or 32bit ADC (analog to digital converter) so that there is a wide dynamic range of possible input levels, then adjusting the volume levels digitally. With the old Freeplay and Reach they allowed up to 10db of added digital gain, but that obviously not enough. If I’m correct and the new design adds up to 32db of digital gain, that would take you right up to being able to match the mic preamp, which would be enough even for the softest guitars.

Now with the old design, even going up to 10 added a lot of noise. To able to go up to 32db they would really have to clean up the noise floor of the input circuitry.

I would love to actually try it. It is possible for this design to be improved enough to work but I am skeptical.

With my Mackie Reach, the solution I ended up with was to buy a Samson MD1 active directbox. I plug my guitar into this, turn on the 15db pad, and connect to the Reach with an XLR cable. This gives me 15db of gain over just plugging the guitar straight into the Reach and the gain structure is perfect. It’s silly to have to do this, but with that one major flaw corrected, the Reach becomes an amazingly good small PA, so I am happy.

The worst case scenario would be having to do this on the New Freeplay Live model.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by lkingston

The numbers on the volume fader have changed on the new app (tested in demo mode). On the old app the numbers went from -30 to +10. On the new app the range from 0 to 32.

My guess is that in both cases these are a representation of dB gain. I think that what they are doing is just using a 24bit or 32bit ADC (analog to digital converter) so that there is a wide dynamic range of possible input levels, then adjusting the volume levels digitally. With the old Freeplay and Reach they allowed up to 10db of added digital gain, but that obviously not enough. If I’m correct and the new design adds up to 32db of digital gain, that would take you right up to being able to match the mic preamp, which would be enough even for the softest guitars.

Now with the old design, even going up to 10 added a lot of noise. To able to go up to 32db they would really have to clean up the noise floor of the input circuitry.

I would love to actually try it. It is possible for this design to be improved enough to work but I am skeptical.

With my Mackie Reach, the solution I ended up with was to buy a Samson MD1 active directbox. I plug my guitar into this, turn on the 15db pad, and connect to the Reach with an XLR cable. This gives me 15db of gain over just plugging the guitar straight into the Reach and the gain structure is perfect. It’s silly to have to do this, but with that one major flaw corrected, the Reach becomes an amazingly good small PA, so I am happy.

The worst case scenario would be having to do this on the New Freeplay Live model.

I made an XLR to TS cable and then plugged in directly. I just turned the volume on the guitar down. It works with active pickups. But it won’t work with passive pickups. You’d need the active DI like you were using. I would be fine with an additional 30 dB of digital gain on each channel if the circuit was quiet. I still think an analog gain and impedance switch would have been more useful.

[Per Burström]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

I would agree with HR, the 8” speaker in the older unit is advantageous.

But is the size of the woofer "everything"? Could it be that they have done something "magic" to compensate for going down in woofer size?

Has anyone actually compared these two Freeplay models?

When it comes to woofer size, my Cube Street EX has dual 8 inch woofers, but I still find it to lack a lot of bottom. I have just briefly tried the Bose S1 Pro in a store, with a microphone only though, and I was amazed with the bottom it gave... and is that from a 6 inch woofer?!

Cheers,
Per

[Hurricane Ramon]

Originally Posted by Per Burström

But is the size of the woofer "everything"? Could it be that they have done something "magic" to compensate for going down in woofer size?

Has anyone actually compared these two Freeplay models?

When it comes to woofer size, my Cube Street EX has dual 8 inch woofers, but I still find it to lack a lot of bottom. I have just briefly tried the Bose S1 Pro in a store, with a microphone only though, and I was amazed with the bottom it gave... and is that from a 6 inch woofer?!

Cheers,
Per

It depends on what kind instruments & frequencies you play in the sound spectrum I would suppose .

With a synthesizer guitar ( or any type for that matter ) the demand for a full spectrum FRFR type amp & speaker
will be better served on the low Hz with the larger of the two drivers That's the main point I consider/ed .

The low hz's of my Roland GR33 guitar synthesizer module cover acoustic basso profundo to the big Mexican bass guitarron - and all the
wild electronic bass sounds as well .

The best speaker for bass hz's is a 12" or larger but , since we're talking portability you have to have trade offs
to be able to port these P.A.'s and accessories about with minimum discomfort and ease of setting up/breaking down .

I would suppose the 6" inch does a good job but an 8" is better IMHO .

EZ :

HR

[Hurricane Ramon]

Originally Posted by Per Burström

But is the size of the woofer "everything"? Could it be that they have done something "magic" to compensate for going down in woofer size?

Has anyone actually compared these two Freeplay models?

When it comes to woofer size, my Cube Street EX has dual 8 inch woofers, but I still find it to lack a lot of bottom. I have just briefly tried the Bose S1 Pro in a store, with a microphone only though, and I was amazed with the bottom it gave... and is that from a 6 inch woofer?!

Cheers,
Per

Per :

Those 8" Cube Street EX drivers are great speakers for guitars and voice since both frequency spectrums do not reside in the
low Hz end of the spectrum of sound .

Low Hz bass sound(s) need a speaker that has a lot of travel space from the back to front and those in the Roland
Cube Street EX drivers are not able to move that far , hence a diminished bass Hz .

The Mackie's FreePlay does in fact have quite a throwing distance from back to front as it reproduces bass Hz's , they are
nothing like a 12" but definitely more than the Cube's 8" can travel . This was a great surprise to realize because
I had not auditioned them and took a chance sight/sound unseen/heard when I bought it . Sometimes taking a chance works .

EZ :

HR

[lkingston]

When I had the Street Cube EX, I replaced the stock speakers with two Jensen Mod8-20 speakers. It significantly improved the low end.