Mackie MR8 Mk II

[mojobone]

Initial impressions: Excellent low-frequency extension, smooth and detailed from top to bottom, plenty, and I do mean plenty of power, with excellent headroom. Very snappy transient response, wide sweet spot, excellent detail. I'm already learning a lot with this new focus and clarity; for one, my old rig had a hole in the upper low mids, for another, I can now tell the difference between girl handclaps and manly ones, sweet! I would describe the character as very much in the Genelec camp, and sittin' mighty close to the fire. At just under $499 street, these are bang per buck champions, and I am one happy camper.

[cameron]

Mine just arrived today! They sound great! I was a little worried because I hadn't actually heard them before-- I took a chance because every other Mackie product I've bought has sounded great-- and I'd read some reviews that said they sound too much like home stereo speakers, meaning studio monitors are supposed to sound "true" and not necessarily "good". After listening to some of my own mixes and some of my Nashville studio mixes tonight, I think that's unfounded. Yes, the bass response is really good, but I have no problem hearing the clarity of the mids and the highs too. Nice and clear, without being shrill.

It is true that if you get my old KRK Rokit 5 sounding good (hardly ever) the resulting mix would sound good on just about every system. That doesn't make them worth it. The Mackie were only about $100 more than what I paid for the KRK. I never would have bothered with the KRK if I had heard these first.

Also, Guitar Center had a 20% off coupon on purchases over $500, which is exactly what these would have cost, but I would have had to pay shipping (unless I picked them up in the store, a two-hour drive) and sales tax. I sent the GC coupon to Zzounds.com, and they beat their price by $7.00 each, plus I got free shipping and no sales tax. I paid $388 for two, and they arrived three days after I ordered them. I couldn't be happier.

Cam

[mojobone]

That lack of 'shrill' you noted is already paying big dividends, chez moi. I now have a far more believable dynamic range with my Addictive drums, because of all the additional headroom. (at least triple what I had before, and the attenuators on the back of the MR8IIs are set at half; I can't make 'em distort without donning ear protection, so I'm not gonna try) Ghost notes are speaking as they should and I can really bash a crash without tearing my own head off. This, as you might imagine, makes them far more fun to play. (hope my grin don't split my face)

I've always said you can mix on anything, if you know your rig, your room and their limitations, but I sure as hell don't wanna go back to the old limitations. A quick note; I have mine on Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizers, and the difference isn't subtle. The clarity and definition go all the way down to the 'foot' of the kick note, you can actually hear the air, and a string bass sounds like it's in the room with you. I feel like a damned idiot, cuz I shoulda done this years ago....