Omg! I did film that and somehow managed to cut that out of the video?! 🤦🏻 late night editing! Anyways - it’s an integrated but removable battery that you can take out from the battery with a Phillips screwdriver 🪛 You can get additional batteries from Mackie and is a Lithium Ion, 5200mAh, 14.8V custom battery. Charge time is 3hrs-4hrs and can last up to 12hrs depending on usage.
Hi JP - great review (thanks). My question is after 7-8 months how do you feel about the unit now? The feature list is really cool but the “proof of the pudding ..” as they say. - Do you actually use it for gigs? - Is it loud enough? - Did anything break? Real world, in-the-field experience from you (or anyone else that bought one) would be really helpful .. Thanks, Ian
This has everything I want in one box. Only issue is the sound quality. How does it compare in this regard to the standards like a Bose S1? Everse 8? AER?
Excellent review. You missed NOTHING. I couldn’t find what size drivers they used in their specs. You took cover off and explained perfectly! I was hoping it had a 10” woofer. It’s a lot like the Thump go but with way more features and 400 watts instead of 200. (200w- 100w reality)
Thanks 🙏 It’s an amazing piece of kit and I really hope they make a family of Showbox’s.. maybe a bigger one. However you can get two and stereo pair them like all Mackie’s. 👌
More than welcome. Amazing speaker and will certainly be on my go to for capturing content on the go whilst busking. Please please update it with an undo / redo on the looper! Pleeeeeeeease 🙏
My hesitation is due to negative Amazon reviews especially compared to the much more favorable S1 Pro plus and the EV8. Thanks nice job. I do think if you demo an electric guitar in detail that would be cool and help me decide.
I dont know about the product - in comparrison to the EVerse 8 or s1 pro pluss say and cant make up my mind but i can say as for the review this is by far the most in depth one and the most professional one i ever saw online - He ( David Brent ) really has come a long way since starring in the office
hahaha.. its not the first time ive been called David Brent! lmao. REALLY want to get my hands on an EVerse 8 to compare. I'm personally not fussed on the Bose S1 due to connections but I get why people use it.
@@JohnPaulMusicUK there is e verse 12 and 8 and i think 12 is too big man .... i could cart round 1 of my yamaha dsrs but why bother thats over kill for a busker portability is everything but best thing about the everse 12 is its weather rated ... but the bose s1 plus is the new speaker with the built in wireless charging mic and built in wireless charging guitar thingy extras might be a thing you do good reviews get one free do a review and sell me your makie lol ....and its a little louder than the last s1 ... i still think i like the one you have better than the ev and th bose but yeah david brent is a gear hog... blessings brother stay cool
hi Jon Paul I love your content I have a few questions about this speaker: can I hook a passive speaker to this ? I like this speaker but I need a speaker in front of me too. is this loud enough to play med sized room like a brewery or tiki bar type gig?
Hey thanks. So it has an out which you could make it as a speaker in front but you won’t be able to change the sound. It will be a duplicate. I have used it for a medium sized pub and was fine. It’s not for a large environment unless it’s only for part of a room.
Very thorough review. I don't suppose you have any experience of using a ukulele bass (with rubber strings and Fishman pickup) as these really seem to test the lows of speakers and I'm struggling to find anything compact and battery powered that doesn't flab out on the low notes. I'm looking for something for a group of up to 20 ukulele players (only the bass would be using the PA though) in small venues (church, cricket clubs, care homes, etc). Thanks.
I don’t I’m afraid. Best ask Emily McVicker as she has one of these and also has had guests play on her channel including bassists. Unsure if she has had that specific setup though.
Hey JP thansk for the review . In a small band myself i have a question maybe you can help me with ? Could my group work 2 of these linking them with the line out ?? With different loops /effects on both
Very well detailed review. Can you please clarify if it’s possible to record a video on an iPhone with audio coming from the showbox system (via the usb-c cable)? That way I don’t have to post edit videos to match up with the audio lol thanks.
Have a look at this livestream of me testing it. I just plugged my iPhone in from USBC and it just worked. 👍🏻 th-cam.com/users/livehwjzGW1-gpA?si=F04bhWHJ6CLH4z1O
I have tried with an iPhone 12 going into the usb-c and it doesnt seem to be any different than just recording without the cord. So Im not sure if I’m doing something wrong or what. I haven’t tried the sd card and matching up with the video yet but I guess that’s the only way to do what I was hoping the usb-c would do. Have you found a solution or still having the same problem dannydane2707?
Can anyone confirm if you can manually adjust the EQ of each Chanel? I know it has separate presets or whatever you'd like to call them, but I always like the option to adjust manually
Yes. You can adjust the eq of each channel. As you press the button on the breakaway mixer for the channel all of the left hand side of the mixer is for that. So you have volume gain, eq,(low mid high) compression, 2 fx dials and fx loop. 👍 look at the manual on page 18
It does have effects and maybe you would get a good boosted sound with a pre amp but I found I didn’t have to. But just be aware that the effects would then be added on top. Look at page 25 of the manual that you can download here: mackie.com/img/file_resources/SHOWBOX_OM%20rev%20B.pdf
Yes certainly. you would use the MIX OUT on the back of the speaker with an XLR to another one and best to use the same kind of speaker to get an even sound. 👍🏻
If it’s an iPhone that is iPhone 14 or below, then you will need usb-C (from the Showbox) to Lightening cable and then you will need to get the Apple camera adapter. This gives the phone more power whilst doing it. Then that will go into lightening (Apple’s proprietary connection). If it’s android then you will need to make sure the phone knows what the connection is. If it’s micro USB then it might not work on older devices (it should but not all phones are born equal) If it’s in iPhone that’s 15 or 16 or an android with USBC then that’s the easiest. Just USBC to USBC cable and plug in. 👍
@@JohnPaulMusicUK Perfect! I appreciate the response, I ended up getting it to work. Do you know if I get a sony camera such as the ZV E10, can I plug my Mackie directly into the 3.5mm jag using a usbc to 3.5mm to usbc locking TRS cable?
This thing may have great features, BUT, the reviews I have been reading say the sound is awful. I don't hear much from you on the sound quality. Care to elaborate?
I had one and I thought the sound was shocking, it was a shame because such a good idea but let down by the sound. It was distorting on my vocals and wasn’t even that loud. Sent back and stuck to my everse
It’s a very good question and the answer is that it’s difficult to showcase. TH-cam will compress the sound down and you’re also not in the room. I could certainly do that but you wouldn’t get a sense of the loudness. But it’s again difficult to ‘feel’ and hear the loudness.
@@JohnPaulMusicUK I appreciate your response. Yes, points taken. But those of us who already have (or have played) other speakers (e.g. Everse 8, Bose S1 Pro - original or new version, JBL, etc.) can easily deduce fundamental differences in tone from a side-by-side comparison, no matter what the room. We know how one speaker sounds, and can hear basics such as whether the other speaker is perhaps stronger or weaker in the bass, clearer or muddier in the treble, etc. And even without comparing two directly, if you stand outside and place a halfway balanced mic at a distance of approximately where a busking audience might stand, we can hear the overall tonal makeup of the speaker. Hearing a recording direct to SD card tells us nothing at all, except that the feature (a great one, to be sure!) works. So far, I haven‘t found a single reviewer out there in YT Land that showed us anything but the SD-recorded sound. For a really good impression, some reviews (of other speakers), set up outside and move the mic progressively further backwards and then again forwards so we can get a relative impression of how the audience might experience the sound at various distances. Especially when directly compared with a well-established speaker, that can tell us a lot. I hate purchasing stuff and having to return it (despite Thomann‘s generous policy), so am always keen on doing my homework up front to the greatest extent possible. Saves back and forth and extra work on both sides. P.S. Best to demo a speaker with your own vocal and guitar playing, with no low- or high-cut filters engaged. Some folks demo with canned music, often with no vocals, and that really doesn‘t well represent a busking situation.
What type of rechargeable battery (batteries)? Replaceable AA type or built -in?
Omg! I did film that and somehow managed to cut that out of the video?! 🤦🏻 late night editing!
Anyways - it’s an integrated but removable battery that you can take out from the battery with a Phillips screwdriver 🪛
You can get additional batteries from Mackie and is a Lithium Ion, 5200mAh, 14.8V custom battery. Charge time is 3hrs-4hrs and can last up to 12hrs depending on usage.
Hi JP - great review (thanks). My question is after 7-8 months how do you feel about the unit now?
The feature list is really cool but the “proof of the pudding ..” as they say.
- Do you actually use it for gigs?
- Is it loud enough?
- Did anything break?
Real world, in-the-field experience from you (or anyone else that bought one) would be really helpful ..
Thanks, Ian
This is absolutely amazing. Tech is repeatedly beyond what we have imagined.
Yeah it’s awesome!
This has everything I want in one box. Only issue is the sound quality. How does it compare in this regard to the standards like a Bose S1? Everse 8? AER?
Excellent review. You missed NOTHING. I couldn’t find what size drivers they used in their specs. You took cover off and explained perfectly! I was hoping it had a 10” woofer. It’s a lot like the Thump go but with way more features and 400 watts instead of 200. (200w- 100w reality)
Thanks 🙏
It’s an amazing piece of kit and I really hope they make a family of Showbox’s.. maybe a bigger one. However you can get two and stereo pair them like all Mackie’s. 👌
Thank you for checking out the ShowBox!
More than welcome.
Amazing speaker and will certainly be on my go to for capturing content on the go whilst busking.
Please please update it with an undo / redo on the looper! Pleeeeeeeease 🙏
@mackietv if this had combi inputs and phantom power it would be an instant buy for me. Maybe in a v2? Pretty please?
My hesitation is due to negative Amazon reviews especially compared to the much more favorable S1 Pro plus and the EV8. Thanks nice job. I do think if you demo an electric guitar in detail that would be cool and help me decide.
What's the latency like when you use it as an audio interface for something like Loopy Pro?
I dont know about the product - in comparrison to the EVerse 8 or s1 pro pluss say and cant make up my mind but i can say as for the review this is by far the most in depth one and the most professional one i ever saw online - He ( David Brent ) really has come a long way since starring in the office
hahaha.. its not the first time ive been called David Brent! lmao.
REALLY want to get my hands on an EVerse 8 to compare.
I'm personally not fussed on the Bose S1 due to connections but I get why people use it.
@@JohnPaulMusicUK there is e verse 12 and 8 and i think 12 is too big man .... i could cart round 1 of my yamaha dsrs but why bother thats over kill for a busker portability is everything but best thing about the everse 12 is its weather rated ... but the bose s1 plus is the new speaker with the built in wireless charging mic and built in wireless charging guitar thingy extras might be a thing you do good reviews get one free do a review and sell me your makie lol ....and its a little louder than the last s1 ... i still think i like the one you have better than the ev and th bose but yeah david brent is a gear hog... blessings brother stay cool
If this was made with a removable stomp box like a Line 6 it would be brilliant.
That would be cool!
Maybe a 4 or 6 pedal one that’s Bluetooth.
For all its bells and whistles does it sound any good, is it loud enough, how does that little 8" speaker cope with bass.What is the wattage in RMS.
When you looping its two taps to punch out of the loop or is it two taps to stop the loop entirely? Thanks
Two taps to stop.
hi Jon Paul I love your content I have a few questions about this speaker: can I hook a passive speaker to this ? I like this speaker but I need a speaker in front of me too. is this loud enough to play med sized room like a brewery or tiki bar type gig?
Hey thanks.
So it has an out which you could make it as a speaker in front but you won’t be able to change the sound. It will be a duplicate.
I have used it for a medium sized pub and was fine. It’s not for a large environment unless it’s only for part of a room.
Very thorough review. I don't suppose you have any experience of using a ukulele bass (with rubber strings and Fishman pickup) as these really seem to test the lows of speakers and I'm struggling to find anything compact and battery powered that doesn't flab out on the low notes. I'm looking for something for a group of up to 20 ukulele players (only the bass would be using the PA though) in small venues (church, cricket clubs, care homes, etc). Thanks.
I don’t I’m afraid. Best ask Emily McVicker as she has one of these and also has had guests play on her channel including bassists. Unsure if she has had that specific setup though.
Damn what you said about the looper kind of mess things up for me.
How can you not have a do and undo on a looper priority number one
Hey JP thansk for the review . In a small band myself i have a question maybe you can help me with ? Could my group work 2 of these linking them with the line out ?? With different loops /effects on both
Very well detailed review. Can you please clarify if it’s possible to record a video on an iPhone with audio coming from the showbox system (via the usb-c cable)?
That way I don’t have to post edit videos to match up with the audio lol thanks.
Have a look at this livestream of me testing it. I just plugged my iPhone in from USBC and it just worked. 👍🏻 th-cam.com/users/livehwjzGW1-gpA?si=F04bhWHJ6CLH4z1O
I have tried with an iPhone 12 going into the usb-c and it doesnt seem to be any different than just recording without the cord. So Im not sure if I’m doing something wrong or what. I haven’t tried the sd card and matching up with the video yet but I guess that’s the only way to do what I was hoping the usb-c would do. Have you found a solution or still having the same problem dannydane2707?
@@benjaminmetz5845 You will need to use the camera connection kit when using a iPhone with lighting connector.
@@mackietv what’s the camera connection kit and where can one get one of these kits?
Can anyone confirm if you can manually adjust the EQ of each Chanel? I know it has separate presets or whatever you'd like to call them, but I always like the option to adjust manually
Yes. You can adjust the eq of each channel. As you press the button on the breakaway mixer for the channel all of the left hand side of the mixer is for that. So you have volume gain, eq,(low mid high) compression, 2 fx dials and fx loop. 👍 look at the manual on page 18
Would it still be best to use an acoustic pre amp with the showbox or does it do the job itself?
It does have effects and maybe you would get a good boosted sound with a pre amp but I found I didn’t have to. But just be aware that the effects would then be added on top. Look at page 25 of the manual that you can download here: mackie.com/img/file_resources/SHOWBOX_OM%20rev%20B.pdf
What kind of foot switch would I need to use the looper?
Any dual that is a TRS input. One button will operate the looper as a one button looper. The other button mutes and in mutes the fx.
Hope this helps.
Can you use the headphone jack to connect a wedge monitor speaker?
Technically no. It will switch off the main speaker.
How does an electric guitar sound through it?
Can you use two for stereo? Or a satellite speaker of unknown origin loo
Yes certainly. you would use the MIX OUT on the back of the speaker with an XLR to another one and best to use the same kind of speaker to get an even sound. 👍🏻
I can't figure out how to make the USB-C to my USB-A to iphone work.. It is not recording with the mix
If it’s an iPhone that is iPhone 14 or below, then you will need usb-C (from the Showbox) to Lightening cable and then you will need to get the Apple camera adapter. This gives the phone more power whilst doing it.
Then that will go into lightening (Apple’s proprietary connection). If it’s android then you will need to make sure the phone knows what the connection is. If it’s micro USB then it might not work on older devices (it should but not all phones are born equal)
If it’s in iPhone that’s 15 or 16 or an android with USBC then that’s the easiest. Just USBC to USBC cable and plug in. 👍
@@JohnPaulMusicUK Perfect! I appreciate the response, I ended up getting it to work. Do you know if I get a sony camera such as the ZV E10, can I plug my Mackie directly into the 3.5mm jag using a usbc to 3.5mm to usbc locking TRS cable?
Bought one love the amp but the battery is dying after 5 hours messed my day up twice
Don’t know what to do
Contact Mackie support. You can also buy extra batteries if your driving it hard (not saying you are but just in case).
Hi thank you for your help do you know we’re I could purchase a replacement battery
And what type of battery it is it doesn’t say on the battery
Call Mackie or Sweetwater or another mackie dealer. They will set you up!
This thing may have great features, BUT, the reviews I have been reading say the sound is awful. I don't hear much from you on the sound quality. Care to elaborate?
Check this out. Used it live.
Let me know what you think: th-cam.com/users/livehwjzGW1-gpA?si=Pugm8Lp4XoYnijAl
I had one and I thought the sound was shocking, it was a shame because such a good idea but let down by the sound. It was distorting on my vocals and wasn’t even that loud. Sent back and stuck to my everse
👍
Why does nobody demo this speaker‘s actual in-the-room sound?
It’s a very good question and the answer is that it’s difficult to showcase. TH-cam will compress the sound down and you’re also not in the room. I could certainly do that but you wouldn’t get a sense of the loudness.
But it’s again difficult to ‘feel’ and hear the loudness.
@@JohnPaulMusicUK I appreciate your response. Yes, points taken. But those of us who already have (or have played) other speakers (e.g. Everse 8, Bose S1 Pro - original or new version, JBL, etc.) can easily deduce fundamental differences in tone from a side-by-side comparison, no matter what the room. We know how one speaker sounds, and can hear basics such as whether the other speaker is perhaps stronger or weaker in the bass, clearer or muddier in the treble, etc. And even without comparing two directly, if you stand outside and place a halfway balanced mic at a distance of approximately where a busking audience might stand, we can hear the overall tonal makeup of the speaker. Hearing a recording direct to SD card tells us nothing at all, except that the feature (a great one, to be sure!) works. So far, I haven‘t found a single reviewer out there in YT Land that showed us anything but the SD-recorded sound. For a really good impression, some reviews (of other speakers), set up outside and move the mic progressively further backwards and then again forwards so we can get a relative impression of how the audience might experience the sound at various distances. Especially when directly compared with a well-established speaker, that can tell us a lot. I hate purchasing stuff and having to return it (despite Thomann‘s generous policy), so am always keen on doing my homework up front to the greatest extent possible. Saves back and forth and extra work on both sides. P.S. Best to demo a speaker with your own vocal and guitar playing, with no low- or high-cut filters engaged. Some folks demo with canned music, often with no vocals, and that really doesn‘t well represent a busking situation.
Is that the guitar or the speaker? the tone….yikes
pretty harsh
Sorry, but I've been burnt by Mackie too many times......products that started off with great potential, and then they abandon it. DL32R.....etc.
That’s a shame as I have nothing but good things to say about them. Used the Reach for years and SRM’s before that. Love their products.
This combo has all with except good sound..😅...Which is at music device pretty problem.....😆
Well it’s what I’m using now and sound great. Best all rounder for small venue to pub gigs. Perfect. 👌
👍