Mackie Profx8 or 12
 

Hi all, just wondering if anyone has used or has any feed back on the above mixer, can't get it here yet as the company who builds them for Mackie went bust bust so you guys in the states got the 1st batch, a couple of reviews state a problem with the usb recording and noise but as i don't use this function it would not be a problem. I have used the Dfx from mackie but the lack of headphone plug is a problem and the effects are a bit sharp. The CFX is good although the effects again i find a bit bright and only two stereo input channels. I have just bought a Bose L11 with the ToneMatch for my smaller venues, but just cannot get on with it, turning knobs and adjusting the sound is a major feat and the effects are very limited, no nice warm sound from this unit, so I want a small mixer to use instead and one with faders, the Mackie looks to fit the bill.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Would be grateful for any feedback. Thanks guys.<o:p></o:p>
:)

as of now the Mackie Profx 8/12 is not yet available, i have never used any of the boards that has usb, i too uses Mackie board, i have 3 of them 2 dfx6 and cfx12, my Mackies got headphone plugs, ( just below the Main Out ) That's true about the brightness of the efx, but you can always turn that down.don't get me wrong i know that a lot of Hoster users like the Bose L11 but in my oponion they're good for playbacks..all my gears are Mackies..2) SRM 450 and 2) SRM1521z 3) mackie boards i've been using them for a # of years and never had a problem with them..

Thanks for the reply, I am too a big fan of Mackie too but the support here makes it a pain to keep enthusiastic. I have had a CFX and like a fool sold it to make room for something else but the 2 stereo inputs were not enough at the time asI use a twin cd player as well. The DFX i had to route some of the channel input to AUX for prefade listening and plug the headphones in that socket so a bit of a pain when running a disco at the same time. I have a studiomaster Horizon and I use it with my EV sx300 and the effects are the best i have heard but it is heavy and I aint getting any younger, hence the Bose L11 for my smaller venues. The sound is great, but it is so loud, to use it for 4 hours my ears are ringing, i love to stand behind the speakers with a foldback monitor for my singers.
I did try a small alesis mixer with usb very good little mixer, effects ok too, I would say better than the Yamaha stuff but i need faders rather than knobs, year of fixing cars has taken it's toll on my hands.
Cheers:)

i too uses a 2 tray cd player/mixer ( when needed), but i have that plugged into my cd/tape input,as a matter of fact i used it last Sat. for a fund raising, there was a 6 yrs. old boy who can play the drums like a pro, and he needed to use the headphone so he can play the drums over the music..i am ot able to use any board that has usb due to the fact that my laptop has an xp windows media center ..i use my KRK studio monitors for small venues...

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this. For ex.: What if windows media center is on the PC but you are currently not using that. (not on)

there are some programs, drivers and softwares that are not compatible with windows media center, i bought a bunch of dj , recording gears recording software while back , that cost me over $1,000 total ( i think it was the mixmeister, lexicon etc,including the yamaha board that i almost bought i can't remember the rest of them) which has usb on it, while reading the manual, there was this little note, that says " not compatible with windows xp media center " so i researched it, and theres plenty of outboard gears, that won't run with wmc, if you go to www.sweatwater.com there are list of items that wont run with wmc.

What I am asking though, is, "Just because you have windows media center on your computer, it doesn't need to be on and running", and if it is not on and running, will the usb to mixer still work okay, say for controlling the sound from a DJ or Hoster program?

This is a variation of Windows XP like XP Home and XP Professional. It is not an add-on but is integrated into XP.

I see. I was a little confused as it seemed I remember that popping up once in a while on my wife's shuttle but never really used it. How do I know for sure if this is what I have on the shuttle. I've already ordered two of these units and hope I didn't screw up.:):e:)

It should be listed in the specs as XP Media Center. I am not sure if it comes up in the System Info that way but I think it does. Billy could verify that for sure.

when my laptop crashed ,and when i found out that most of dj's software, outboard gears that i bought doesn't work with wmc, i callled Dell tech support and asked them if there's a way i could re-install xp without wmc, they told wmc is integrated with xp, ther'e no way you could turn it off or on..i think the only way to removed wmc is to downgrade from xp pro to xp home editon, i'm not even sure if that will work due to drivers and utilities compatibility..

Billy do you have XP Media Center or XP Professional? There is a difference between the two. To change it you would have to get a copy of XP Pro or Home and re-load with it from scratch. Of course you could always get a full version of Windows 7 and load it instead, but be sure and check the "compatability" of the computer for it first.

i think both of my laptops has pro w/wmc..thanks for the adv. Dale but i think i'll stick with xp for now

Just for later reference to someone reading this thread, you can go to my favorite tweak site http://www.blackviper.com/ and go down the services list. Disable any services that only show up in the MCE column. Then it will work just like XP Pro. I have only had this issue come up a couple of times with different hardware, but it always fixed it.

byrant if you look at your restoration cd, it should say windows media center..

i just bought the Mackie Profx8 and they're loud & clear,you can now hear instruments not noticeable to a regular board even with my other Mackies.the usb part is great, i had the main volume at the unity gain and i had the usb gain control just a tad and it's loud, digital effects are noticeable even with just a little turn of the knob, i just have to play around with the eq to my liking, i am now thinking of getting rid of all (3) my Mackie boards and upgrade to the profx..money worth spending.( this is now way endorsing Mackie..this is just a responsed to this thread )

Billy,
Where did you buy your mixer from? I had mine on backorder since Dec. 2008.. Lemme know, i wanna get two profx12 really fast?

i got mine in Guitar Center, they had (3 ) i bought 2 of them for $229. ea.( had to get the other 1 for a friend of mine who does karaoke also )and the other one was put on lay-away by someone, i just called my sales person and she said that they might have some coming in this thursday,i asked her to set aside 1 or 2 more for me:g you might wanna call them if you want ( Guitar Center in West Palm Beach).

I have an M-Audio NRV10 for almost two years now that does the same thing via firewire with all types of vst ,fx and so on, can get very creative.

It will also link with abelton live protools recording software and record any session with music and vocals plus edit and add fx later or patch live through your mixer adding any effect at will to any channel and feed back to the computer to record.

Good Tool to have...

Joe......

Mackie profx8 has a traction 3 basic software for mixing and recording too, but it's gotta be downloaded form the web site, havent done and cant decide to which one of my 3 laptops to download the software , i used the profx8 last night, and i had to use the channel part of it caused this thing is so loud, when using the usb part of it, and it took me a while to get used to it,i had to play around with eq and the diff. effects, but the sound and effects presents are so loud and clear .