Mackie ProDX8

We use the mixer as a marching band with about 35 musicians on a PA without acceptance of individual instruments. We amplify only 1 to 3 singers and, if necessary, the tuba.
The voices are, so to speak, the instruments 36, 37 and 38 in the "unplugged sound" of the wind instruments.

Equipment:
- 3x Shure SM58S (microclassics)
- Mackie ProDx8 Mixer
- 2x Bose F1 812er active boxes

With these two last mentioned innovative products from the last 2 years the perfect solution found!

For example, during concerts in rooms and outdoors, in churches as well as in medium-sized Dorffesten, we can almost do our performances with our own PA.
The ProDx8 stands on a box stand with a plug socket and a Manfrotto clamp "Brand Eigenbau". This means that no table or 19 "rack is required. The console and mixing console fit into a hardware store tool kit.
Compact in transport and construction is hardly possible!

I think it is with us like many brass bands. Modern pieces and singing bring fresh air into the wind music - but only a few have a professional at the mixing desk. In the normal case the mix had to take over one or even several musicians.
Level: Layie!

The colleagues from the brass band know the scenario. The mixing console, of course, is not on the stage without guarding, but on the stage.

Soundcheck: One Listens - One Rules On Call, While 35 Musicians Play The Devil One Off ;-)
Corrections during the performance are usually impossible, because the one who uses the mixing console sits somewhere in the middle of the marching band and of course not at the mixer.
The singers would have a pretty good position in the middle in front of the chapel to judge the sound, but are too far away from the mixing console. The only way to get there is to avoid the risk of feedback in the vicinity of the loudspeaker. How impractical!

Here the concept of the Mackie ProDx8 plays all the strengths ....

POSITIVES
+ Sound technology can be operated by the laity.
+ App and operation at the console super easy.
+ Compact design is a great advantage compared to the 19 "products.
+ Bluetooth connection stable and set up with App very simple (probably uncomplicated than with WLAN)
+ The mixing console can still be on the stage in the direct range of influence of the music band
+ LEVEL control can be applied quickly to the console without any app from any "stereo system operator".
+ SOUND and LEVEL control during the soundcheck in listener position by a single person!
+ Sound corrections from any position in the orchestra LIVE possible! An inadvertently still activated Mirko of a singer, solitary in the stand, can disturb in instrumental brass music sometimes times. MUTE switching is no longer a problem.
+ If the sound setting is found, the 3 memories are perfect. Restore


NEGATIVE:

+ The effects are actually not of the highest quality and do not sound natural. But if you do not have to compensate the sound of bad boxes with a lot of reverb / want they are subtly used they are usable.

Hello MACKIE!
Here would be a correction by Firmwareupdate still desirable!

+ When removing the protective film from the front, the rotary control must be removed. The rotary knob itself does its job. The fastening of the knob is mediocre as it is only staked. Depending on the production, it does not really sit firmly on the rod of the controller.


CONCLUSION:
Concept of digital mixer with Bluetooth remote control ideal for a marching band.
A missing panorama controller is not relevant for us.
Phantom power for our two rarely used condenser microphones can easily be retrofitted with a product from the Thomann DI-Box range.
The many advantages in the application outweigh the few impractical weaknesses for our clearly.