Was gigging in South Sound between 90-93. Mackie already had a reputation. Remember reading about them and talking to our sound dude about them and he wanted one because of their price and reviews. Very glad that Mackie has survived as a business and still has their old DNA going strong. Congratulations Mackie! Best Regards and Best Wishes!
I think I've found my next PA! I've been super-stoked for this since NAMM, thank you for the thorough demo and Sundae Crush teaser, as well as the walkthrough of Mackie HQ.
@12:04 The OUTDOOR MODE had np effect on THROWING the HIGHS a little bit FURTHER. That option only makes the display on the mixer BRIGHTER to see easier in sunlight.
Great sound/video editing and loved your playing! Definitely one to consider for busking, especially for the breakaway mixer/charger and the swappable battery.
Used to live super close to Bothell, had no idea Mackie was *right there*! This is an awesome speaker system. Love that breakout box. They really thought of everything.
It's probably the single best option for busking and it's not even close. Especially for those who live stream their busking (which is a lot of people)
Very cool piece of gear. The first thing I thought of was the use for practicing and small rehearsals, which is what you ultimately mentioned at the end. My only concern would be battery life (which I don't think was mentioned), but of course you could just plug it in. honestly really sounded good Emily! I know you said you didn't like your guitar sound, but honestly I think it sounded great! we are always our own worst critics!
Battery life apparently depends on how hard you're running it, but it's up to 12 hours (and should be close to that with just microphones) from my understanding.
i just purchased one from Amazon at discounted price. Well !! what i got it for it is useless, i wanted to use on a Beat buddy drum machine..it can not take it's bass more than 10-15 % of volume.. Really have to get used to that 1-3 is mic 2-4 is instrument 5-6 stereo.input..loudness: JBL boombox 3 is louder than than machine... it is good for someone who does not need BASS to play..if you turn up the volume it has very severe "hissing" sound..
Quality control seems to be lacking in their battery powered speakers. I had to return the first Thump Go i bought. The second was better, but i still had problems with the bass frequency of my low drum! Couldn't get the volume to an acceptable level, even when adjusting the gain. I use the boost function in my eq pedal to help with the volume issue, but shouldn't need an extra piece of gear to get an acceptable volume level on one or two drum pads. C'mon Mackie!
Fun to watch, also thanks to cool vibe of your duo tunes. What most interests me about the ShowBox, though, is how it sounds in real life, i.e. not just with SD card recordings (which are a brilliant feature, to be sure!). As a solo performer that sings and plays mostly acoustic and now some electric (Jazzmaster), too, I‘m using (and loving) an Everse 8 with an acoustic/electric pedalboard, but could well imagine using the ShowBox, instead, for greater simplicity. But it all comes down to the sound, so will no doubt order one at some point and hear for myself. Oh, and about a great amp/cab sim to use for busking and quick-and-dirty performances of any kind, I‘ve settled on the brilliant-sounding and highly flexible Boss Katana Go, plus the compatible Boss wireless footswitch. For all practical purposes, I don‘t miss my ToneX or any of the other gadgets I could be using instead of the Katana Go. And if you don‘t feel like having it dangling from your guitar with a flimsy cable, just plug your guitar into another pedal (tuner?) and stick the Go into that, running an adapter to your mixer/speaker. P.S. I also tried the Line 6 Express and the Boss IR-2, but the Katana kicks them big time in terms of both sound and versatility.
Thanks for the nice review. :) I bought one and it is really great Box nd I like it´s versatility . One thing that I really think is not well written or said. It is not an interface that you would use in a Software as shown in other channels... It is only giving a Stereo Main Bus via the USB C bus and in my Software like " AUM and Logic I got such a bad feedback when I tried to use it as stated audio interface. Nevermind I am not complaining about that. I would say that a lot more people would love to use it by just pluging it to the phone and make use of all the mega power setup it would be when having a separate stereo return to set as main out to the speaker. It is OK to not multitrack all input but just a simple real 2 in 2 out would make that possible. Hopefully that there is one day a firmware upgrade coming. :). For now i need to hoock up things to a separate interface that uses the aux output from the box into the Ipad and then goes back into the showbox and nothing is hocked up on the box and it plays only audio from an IRig device. Its only an improvement suugestion that i want to share. Not a complain :)
It's a great speaker with all the features you need for busking, but unfortunately the sound quality is not good. The speaker sound is very stuffy. It feels like some part of the EQ is missing. It feels like one of the treble speakers is missing.
First of all, Emily do you just have an EDC box opener in your pocket?? 😂 Second of all, I do think this is cool, its a good offering, but I think I'd still go for Spark's product. I think the daisy chaining is the big highlight of the showbox
wow, there's so much going on in this thing. if i did the busking kinda thing, i'd totally be interested in something like this. or like, places like coffee shops or restaurants that do some live music but dont want or are unable to install a fancy shmancy sound system., having this on hand might be a good option. cool.
I appreciate that it may be impossible haha but it's a damn shame the inputs aren't to the mixer rather than the speaker itself. Would make for a much much cleaner setup. Other than that, im seriously considering this for my travel PA
Well unfortunately, you can't plug condenser mics (Sure Beta 87) into it as it has no phantom power. Kinda strange that it has so many feature but not something so basic.
There really hasn't been anything quite like this! I've seen (and demoed) a few battery-powered PAs, but most of them just have a few inputs, might have Bluetooth/USB, and if there are effects, I think you can only use one at a time (and they're all reverb or simple modulation). Those features are plenty to get by, sure, but this is the same price as some of them with WAY more features and handier control.
I currently own a Bose S1. Since I'm a singer, I have two questions for you. First, is it as loud as my Bose, and which sounds better for vocals, the Mackie or the Bose?? Thanks!
I tried the Mackie Showbox because I would like to have 5 inputs and the detachable mixer. BUT... I sent it back because I found no way to make it sound good. The effects sound tinny and cheap and the box itself sounds weird (muddy bass and boxy in the mids) at best. My JBL compacts (rated 120W) are smaller, lighter and have more headroom, despite the Mackie is advertised with 400 watts. I don't own the Bose, but I've heard it multiple times and the Showbox can't hold a candle to the S1.
@@latinumbavariae You're the 10th reviewer who has said the same thing about the horrendous sound. Not a very good indicator of it's quality in any regard. I don't care how many "goodies" it may have, if the sound is bad, then what's the use??
@@latinumbavariae Thanks for your honesty, I was about to blow some hefty cash on these things! I own three Bose S1's and they have been the backbone of my performing career for over 20-years without a single problem or glitch. They're tough as nails, have plenty of volume, and sound great. I also tried the new wireless ones, but in a side by side comparison the wired version sounds better, and I don't like the single control because I can't make instant level adjustments on the fly, as in a live performance.
@@tiffsaver What was the motivation for your interest in the Showbox if you own three S1? If you are looking for more power give the JBL EON One Mk2 a try. This is plenty of power in a package with a 5-channel mixer (4 + AUX) and a boatload of features and good sounding effects. But it's expensive and weights 20kg but you really get your moneys worth. For busking with the whole band we use a stereo-setup with an Allen&Heath CQ18t into two EON compacts., with a Fishman mini charge for a monitor. For langer gardenparties, when we need the power and better sounddistribution of the linearray,.we replace one of the compacts with the Mk2. And when I'm alone I just take my Fishman, but I wanted to replace the Fishman with something that could work as a minimalistic rig for two singer/songwriter + bass.
@@latinumbavariae Great question, thank you for asking. As a performer I've always been on the search for the "Holy Grail," you know?? Something that will make me be able to deliver more bang for my hire's buck, easy to use, and most of all, *to simply make me sound better.* That's why I appreciated your review regarding the poor sound quality of this new speaker so much. For example, I've actually purchased virtually every brand of vocal microphone on the market, from the super expensive Sennheisers, to my current workhorse the Shure SM58, which like my continuing appreciation of my trusty S1s has never been successfully improved upon. For vocals, I have simply never seen anything on the market that has the full compliment of qualities that I'm looking for, and it's incredibly low price is just another reason to love it. Here are my three personal criteria for the best portable gear for my needs: 1) Compact size and light weight. 2) Reliability and build quality. 3) Sound reproduction. My Bose speakers have withstood the rigors of domestic and international air travel, distant and local gigs, harsh weather, and even the indignity of being dropped directly on the street several times (not recommended, but it happens). Hope this answered your question, my friend.
sounded good to me you were over critical of it i thought - this is the best buskers amp i ever saw and the record and streaming ability sells it to me
She wasn't overly critical at all. She took full ownership of the fact that she knows the Showbox is tuned to a specific acoustic guitar amplifier but she used it with her electric guitar anyway so it wasn't the sound she preferred. She admits that she should have brought along an acoustic simulator. She wasn't blaming the Showbox at all. She was actually pretty positive about it. I'd love a Showbox.
I watched this for the demo of the bluetooth, thank you.. "Wow this thing is light". The actual weight would be nice because what feels light to you may be different than what feels light to someone else. It's difficult to say anything critical or even neutral when you're being hosted by the person who designed it. I understand this is a demo and not a review though.
Was gigging in South Sound between 90-93. Mackie already had a reputation. Remember reading about them and talking to our sound dude about them and he wanted one because of their price and reviews. Very glad that Mackie has survived as a business and still has their old DNA going strong. Congratulations Mackie! Best Regards and Best Wishes!
Very cool, it’s on my list of busking gear.
That Starcaster is gorgeous
I think I've found my next PA! I've been super-stoked for this since NAMM, thank you for the thorough demo and Sundae Crush teaser, as well as the walkthrough of Mackie HQ.
@12:04 The OUTDOOR MODE had np effect on THROWING the HIGHS a little bit FURTHER. That option only makes the display on the mixer BRIGHTER to see easier in sunlight.
Cool demo and performance. Nice. 🤘 ❤
Thanks a lot!
@@GetOffset YW
Great sound/video editing and loved your playing! Definitely one to consider for busking, especially for the breakaway mixer/charger and the swappable battery.
Used to live super close to Bothell, had no idea Mackie was *right there*!
This is an awesome speaker system. Love that breakout box. They really thought of everything.
That is really neat, if I were busking I'd definitely buy one! 😺👍
It's probably the single best option for busking and it's not even close. Especially for those who live stream their busking (which is a lot of people)
Very cool piece of gear. The first thing I thought of was the use for practicing and small rehearsals, which is what you ultimately mentioned at the end. My only concern would be battery life (which I don't think was mentioned), but of course you could just plug it in. honestly really sounded good Emily! I know you said you didn't like your guitar sound, but honestly I think it sounded great! we are always our own worst critics!
Battery life apparently depends on how hard you're running it, but it's up to 12 hours (and should be close to that with just microphones) from my understanding.
@@GetOffset very cool! Thank you for letting me know.
Man that demo caught me off guard. 11/10
Wow, this thing has everything.
It really does.
i just purchased one from Amazon at discounted price. Well !! what i got it for it is useless, i wanted to use on a Beat buddy drum machine..it can not take it's bass more than 10-15 % of volume.. Really have to get used to that 1-3 is mic 2-4 is instrument 5-6 stereo.input..loudness: JBL boombox 3 is louder than than machine... it is good for someone who does not need BASS to play..if you turn up the volume it has very severe "hissing" sound..
Have you adjusted the gain setting on the channel you use for Beatbuddy? The gain is adjustable when you click the volume pot
Thanks for this comment man, I’m planning to buy this unit together with a beatbuddy but my mind is now changed 🙏🏻
Quality control seems to be lacking in their battery powered speakers. I had to return the first Thump Go i bought. The second was better, but i still had problems with the bass frequency of my low drum! Couldn't get the volume to an acceptable level, even when adjusting the gain. I use the boost function in my eq pedal to help with the volume issue, but shouldn't need an extra piece of gear to get an acceptable volume level on one or two drum pads. C'mon Mackie!
Fun to watch, also thanks to cool vibe of your duo tunes. What most interests me about the ShowBox, though, is how it sounds in real life, i.e. not just with SD card recordings (which are a brilliant feature, to be sure!). As a solo performer that sings and plays mostly acoustic and now some electric (Jazzmaster), too, I‘m using (and loving) an Everse 8 with an acoustic/electric pedalboard, but could well imagine using the ShowBox, instead, for greater simplicity. But it all comes down to the sound, so will no doubt order one at some point and hear for myself. Oh, and about a great amp/cab sim to use for busking and quick-and-dirty performances of any kind, I‘ve settled on the brilliant-sounding and highly flexible Boss Katana Go, plus the compatible Boss wireless footswitch. For all practical purposes, I don‘t miss my ToneX or any of the other gadgets I could be using instead of the Katana Go. And if you don‘t feel like having it dangling from your guitar with a flimsy cable, just plug your guitar into another pedal (tuner?) and stick the Go into that, running an adapter to your mixer/speaker. P.S. I also tried the Line 6 Express and the Boss IR-2, but the Katana kicks them big time in terms of both sound and versatility.
Thanks for the nice review. :) I bought one and it is really great Box nd I like it´s versatility . One thing that I really think is not well written or said. It is not an interface that you would use in a Software as shown in other channels... It is only giving a Stereo Main Bus via the USB C bus and in my Software like " AUM and Logic I got such a bad feedback when I tried to use it as stated audio interface. Nevermind I am not complaining about that. I would say that a lot more people would love to use it by just pluging it to the phone and make use of all the mega power setup it would be when having a separate stereo return to set as main out to the speaker. It is OK to not multitrack all input but just a simple real 2 in 2 out would make that possible. Hopefully that there is one day a firmware upgrade coming. :). For now i need to hoock up things to a separate interface that uses the aux output from the box into the Ipad and then goes back into the showbox and nothing is hocked up on the box and it plays only audio from an IRig device. Its only an improvement suugestion that i want to share. Not a complain :)
Great system, however it appears you still need an external power source for the pedal board? It would be nice if you had an ac out for that.
It can’t phantom power your microphone. Why not?
It's a great speaker with all the features you need for busking, but unfortunately the sound quality is not good. The speaker sound is very stuffy. It feels like some part of the EQ is missing. It feels like one of the treble speakers is missing.
First of all, Emily do you just have an EDC box opener in your pocket?? 😂 Second of all, I do think this is cool, its a good offering, but I think I'd still go for Spark's product. I think the daisy chaining is the big highlight of the showbox
I meant Positive Grid, but I'm sure you get it
They make lots of nice stuff. The Studio monitors kick ass for a good price
My jaw dropped when I saw the breakaway mixer could charge an iPad. They really thought of everything, didn’t they?
I know!!!!!
They thought of everything except the sound quality.😢
wow, there's so much going on in this thing. if i did the busking kinda thing, i'd totally be interested in something like this. or like, places like coffee shops or restaurants that do some live music but dont want or are unable to install a fancy shmancy sound system., having this on hand might be a good option. cool.
I appreciate that it may be impossible haha but it's a damn shame the inputs aren't to the mixer rather than the speaker itself. Would make for a much much cleaner setup. Other than that, im seriously considering this for my travel PA
Seems like it has a ton of great features but apparently sound quality is not there.
this and the new line 6 pod are meant to be!!
Oh man, I can't believe I didn't use the POD Express!!!!
Love that she’s using a delonge starcaster
Well unfortunately, you can't plug condenser mics (Sure Beta 87) into it as it has no phantom power. Kinda strange that it has so many feature but not something so basic.
I didn’t know that a battery powered option like this was available. I guess i don’t pay attention to gear properly. Mind blown. 🤯
There really hasn't been anything quite like this! I've seen (and demoed) a few battery-powered PAs, but most of them just have a few inputs, might have Bluetooth/USB, and if there are effects, I think you can only use one at a time (and they're all reverb or simple modulation).
Those features are plenty to get by, sure, but this is the same price as some of them with WAY more features and handier control.
great video thanks!!
Can I connect two mics and 2 guitars to this pa ? With that 6 channel mixer ?
We did
I currently own a Bose S1. Since I'm a singer, I have two questions for you. First, is it as loud as my Bose, and which sounds better for vocals, the Mackie or the Bose?? Thanks!
I tried the Mackie Showbox because I would like to have 5 inputs and the detachable mixer. BUT... I sent it back because I found no way to make it sound good. The effects sound tinny and cheap and the box itself sounds weird (muddy bass and boxy in the mids) at best. My JBL compacts (rated 120W) are smaller, lighter and have more headroom, despite the Mackie is advertised with 400 watts.
I don't own the Bose, but I've heard it multiple times and the Showbox can't hold a candle to the S1.
@@latinumbavariae
You're the 10th reviewer who has said the same thing about the horrendous sound. Not a very good indicator of it's quality in any regard. I don't care how many "goodies" it may have, if the sound is bad, then what's the use??
@@latinumbavariae
Thanks for your honesty, I was about to blow some hefty cash on these things! I own three Bose S1's and they have been the backbone of my performing career for over 20-years without a single problem or glitch. They're tough as nails, have plenty of volume, and sound great.
I also tried the new wireless ones, but in a side by side comparison the wired version sounds better, and I don't like the single control because I can't make instant level adjustments on the fly, as in a live performance.
@@tiffsaver What was the motivation for your interest in the Showbox if you own three S1?
If you are looking for more power give the JBL EON One Mk2 a try. This is plenty of power in a package with a 5-channel mixer (4 + AUX) and a boatload of features and good sounding effects. But it's expensive and weights 20kg but you really get your moneys worth.
For busking with the whole band we use a stereo-setup with an Allen&Heath CQ18t into two EON compacts., with a Fishman mini charge for a monitor. For langer gardenparties, when we need the power and better sounddistribution of the linearray,.we replace one of the compacts with the Mk2.
And when I'm alone I just take my Fishman, but I wanted to replace the Fishman with something that could work as a minimalistic rig for two singer/songwriter + bass.
@@latinumbavariae
Great question, thank you for asking.
As a performer I've always been on the search for the "Holy Grail," you know?? Something that will make me be able to deliver more bang for my hire's buck, easy to use, and most of all, *to simply make me sound better.* That's why I appreciated your review regarding the poor sound quality of this new speaker so much.
For example, I've actually purchased virtually every brand of vocal microphone on the market, from the super expensive Sennheisers, to my current workhorse the Shure SM58, which like my continuing appreciation of my trusty S1s has never been successfully improved upon. For vocals, I have simply never seen anything on the market that has the full compliment of qualities that I'm looking for, and it's incredibly low price is just another reason to love it. Here are my three personal criteria for the best portable gear for my needs:
1) Compact size and light weight.
2) Reliability and build quality.
3) Sound reproduction.
My Bose speakers have withstood the rigors of domestic and international air travel, distant and local gigs, harsh weather, and even the indignity of being dropped directly on the street several times (not recommended, but it happens). Hope this answered your question, my friend.
Happy Birthday from Wenatchee!
it is sold as an acoustic guitar amp so am unsure how well it actually works with electric ones, or bass guitars... anyone having any issue?
My singer and I run bass and electric guitar through it toward the end of the video. It sounds good.
What 6 string is she playing, its gorgeo😅
Here's a link: sweetwater.sjv.io/TomStarcasterGold
sounded good to me you were over critical of it i thought - this is the best buskers amp i ever saw and the record and streaming ability sells it to me
She wasn't overly critical at all. She took full ownership of the fact that she knows the Showbox is tuned to a specific acoustic guitar amplifier but she used it with her electric guitar anyway so it wasn't the sound she preferred. She admits that she should have brought along an acoustic simulator. She wasn't blaming the Showbox at all. She was actually pretty positive about it. I'd love a Showbox.
I watched this for the demo of the bluetooth, thank you.. "Wow this thing is light". The actual weight would be nice because what feels light to you may be different than what feels light to someone else. It's difficult to say anything critical or even neutral when you're being hosted by the person who designed it. I understand this is a demo and not a review though.
I'm pretty sure Mackie has the weight on their website.
I looked it up and it's 21 pounds.
God bless y’all!
☝️💀🖤🏴☠️
SOLI DEO GLORIA
(To The Glory Of God Alone)
Father, Son & Holy Spirit
-Ronnie
Two many additonal "pedals" and processors to showcase the amp itself!
It's not an amp but thanks for watching!