The Mackie Thump Go is all about flexibility – this portable battery-powered speaker can handle anything from balanced venue sound to monitor duties on stage. No menus, no fuss: Just hit the buttons and the smart features will kick in. There's a feedback eliminator to kill any nasty humming or howling, and a ducking function that automatically drops the music's levels when someone starts speaking into an attached microphone. For the music and the mic, there's find a neat little input section with a channel for vocals, plus Bluetooth and a mini-jack input. It can even link wirelessly with other speakers, and there's an app for iOS and Android to keep control simple. Whether it's being used for music or speech – or perhaps the setup needs to include a sub for extra low-end – the Mackie Thump Go is capable of delivering the right sound at the push of a button. As for setup, it's happy standing on the floor, laid flat as a monitor, or mounted on a stand thanks to its built-in pole socket.
Once the Mackie Thump Go gets a signal hooked up its two XLR/jack combo inputs – or entirely wirelessly, via Bluetooth – all the DJ needs to do is tweak the gain dials and hit the sound buttons to lock in the right tone. One battery charge – and the battery is even swappable – keeps the music going for up to twelve hours. Presets (which Mackie calls voicing modes) for music or speech are ready at the push of a button. There's also a Monitor mode for stage presence, and Sub mode, which shifts all the energy to mids and highs when the low end is being handled by an external sub like the Mackie Thump Sub GO. Alongside the second combo input, there's a mini-jack option too. Bluetooth connectivity and an XLR output also come as standard. The 8" woofer and 1" compression driver deliver up to 115dB SPL from the 200W amp output. As befits a speaker designed for portability and flexibility, the Mackie Thump GO weighs just 8kg (under 18lbs) and includes a pole mount and a handy carry handle.
Beginners and anyone looking for easy-to-use amplification will love the Mackie Thump GO's one-touch sound presets. For singer-songwriters or two-piece bands – anyone with vocals and an instrument or backing tracks, really – the input section is the perfect size. And battery power means quick setup, a clean look, and complete flexibility. Presenters and hosts can drop the music volume automatically in Ducking mode as soon as they grab the mic. Solo performers and entertainers can control the speaker's levels right from the stage with the Thump Go Connect app. And because the app also allows custom presets, any artist's signature sound can be quickly made ready to go in any venue.
In 1988 Greg Mackie, already a successful co-founder of a pro audio company, founded Mackie Designs Inc. with the goal of producing affordable, high-quality mixers. The company's first official product, the LM-1602 line mixer, was initially produced within the four walls of his home. As sales figures were encouraging, its successor model CR-1604 soon followed - and in 1991 the company finally moved into its first proper production facility. The combination of reliable quality and low prices quickly brought the company enormous success, so that by 1995 Mackie had already sold 100,000 products. In 2003, the company was renamed LOUD Audio, LLC so that there is no longer any confusion between the Mackie brand and its former parent company of the same name.
In smaller venues, the Mackie Thump GO is ideal as a versatile FOH or monitor speaker. Since feedback can be a real issue in these spaces, the built-in eliminator kicks in with six filters when needed. For weddings, parties, and the like, the GO can go on an optional stand; Mackie recommends setting at a height where the compression driver sits about 90cm above the guests' heads. Outdoors, the battery keeps things completely off-grid, with a dedicated Outdoor mode keeping the lows good and punchy and the highs nice and punchy. But the flexiblity of a battery-powered speakers is handy for many other uses, too, in unusual venues or locations where mains power isn't guaranteed. The Mackie Thump GO also offers wireless signal linking to connect up additional speakers for even larger spaces, and the option to turn off the green front LED for a completely clean look.