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Author Topic: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801  (Read 62706 times)

Justin Childers

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #30 on: October 27, 2010, 08:02:00 PM »

I recently had a chance to do a show for Evan with his new Mackie HD 1531s and 1801s. Have to say, for only 2 18” drivers, the subs really didn’t disappoint. I was pushing them a little, but I still had enough low end for the room which was about a 300 cap. The tops were little bigger than I’m used to and needed two people to get them on the sticks, however that’s the only beef I had with them. That and I wish there were halfway stops on the output and eq knobs.

They looked awesome and got plenty loud with no feedback issues through the entire show. Didn’t need to use too much eq. I had a 2 db cut at 2.5k and cut 3db at 4k and 190hz. I split the subs between the stage. Probably would have gotten some more balls out of it if I stacked them, but I liked how they looked split and was curious how loud they would be.

It was a basic local rock show with loud drums and guitars. The vocals really cut and sounded sweet through the mix with plenty of headroom. By the second band, I had the rig cranking and was barely hitting the limit on the tops. Hitting limit on the subs a little more, but still sounded plenty beefy. Evan’s getting a couple more which will really round out the system.

Unfortunately, there was no budget for a helper on this show so I thought unloading would be a bitch, but even at midnight, unloading the rig from the truck by myself wasn’t bad at all. Being someone with about a 2” bicep, I generally can’t unload a full rig alone, but it was a snap. Not unloading a heavy amp case was a big plus.

Overall, I think this rig is awesome for any small-midsized show. Crisp, tight highs, deep powerful lows, and smooth mids. Great addition to the Harford Sound arsenal.

--Justin
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Steve Sagerson

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #31 on: October 27, 2010, 09:23:57 PM »

Quote:

I listened to the JBL and QSC offerings, as well as a few other powered boxes. The Mackie was the only powered speaker at Guitar Center that wasn't a toy.


Evan, per you comment you obviously didn't feel the same love for the comparable speakers from JBL and QSC's.  I assume you were listening to the new PRX600 series and QSC KW's?  If so what didn't you like about the other two brands?  I'm actually hearing good things so far about the new PRX's but almost no reviews on the KW's.

I'll be getting some new powered tops soon so I'm curious.

Steve

Jeff Babcock

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #32 on: October 28, 2010, 09:59:30 AM »

Justin Childers wrote on Wed, 27 October 2010 20:02

The tops were little bigger than I’m used to and needed two people to get them on the sticks
--Justin


Lay the cab face down and insert the speaker stand into the pole cup while it is laying on the ground.  (legs of tripod already expanded)  Then grab the cab and simply walk it and the stand to an upright position.  

Just make sure that the floor is not such that it would allow the tripod feet to slide.  Move slowly and you'll have no problem.

Use the same process to take it down.

Jordan Wolf

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #33 on: October 28, 2010, 02:32:28 PM »

Jeff Babcock wrote on Thu, 28 October 2010 09:59

Justin Childers wrote on Wed, 27 October 2010 20:02

The tops were little bigger than I’m used to and needed two people to get them on the sticks
--Justin


Lay the cab face down and insert the speaker stand into the pole cup while it is laying on the ground.  (legs of tripod already expanded)  Then grab the cab and simply walk it and the stand to an upright position.  

Just make sure that the floor is not such that it would allow the tripod feet to slide.  Move slowly and you'll have no problem.

Use the same process to take it down.

+1 That's how I do it.
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Justin Childers

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #34 on: October 28, 2010, 02:37:09 PM »

Yeah I prolly would have had to had there not have been someone standing around. Pretty slippery floor tho. Maybe would need to do it against a wall.

--Justin
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Evan Kirkendall

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #35 on: October 28, 2010, 03:07:36 PM »

Steve Sagerson wrote on Wed, 27 October 2010 21:23

Quote:

I listened to the JBL and QSC offerings, as well as a few other powered boxes. The Mackie was the only powered speaker at Guitar Center that wasn't a toy.


Evan, per you comment you obviously didn't feel the same love for the comparable speakers from JBL and QSC's.  I assume you were listening to the new PRX600 series and QSC KW's?  If so what didn't you like about the other two brands?  I'm actually hearing good things so far about the new PRX's but almost no reviews on the KW's.

I'll be getting some new powered tops soon so I'm curious.

Steve



I was only able to compare the PRX500 and QSC HPR stuff. I did hear the 2 way PRX600, but not the 3 way. The Mackie box was smaller then the QSC offering, sounded better and got louder. The JBL just sounded like shit to my ears.



Evan
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Phil Lewandowski

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #36 on: October 28, 2010, 04:25:27 PM »

Justin Childers wrote on Thu, 28 October 2010 14:37

Yeah I prolly would have had to had there not have been someone standing around. Pretty slippery floor tho. Maybe would need to do it against a wall.

--Justin



I actually have used this trick with my U15's for several years now and using the Ultimate TS-90 speaker stands have never had a floor were the stand slipped as I pushed up the stand and speaker.

Probably has a good amount to do with the stand as well though, but it worked very well when putting up a speaker that weighted almost 75% as much as I do.


Take Care,
Phil
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Richard Stringer

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #37 on: October 30, 2010, 06:38:37 AM »

I'd love a pair of the Mackie HD1531 cabs for use as dj monitors but i'm turned off by the frankly horrendous amount of reports of their drivers breaking down, amplifiers breaking down etc...My friend has just a pair here in the uk and after 5 days he used them at a gig and one of the compression drivers failed in one of them and then yesterday the other one stopped working and although it turns on there's no sound coming through it. We here in the uk have 1 month to return a faulty product so the word was today from him that he's having them picked up by the shop and exchanged for JBL PRx635 cabs instead.

I've read a lot of things also about people waiting weeks and weeks for parts and a few of them waiting more than a month for parts when supposedly Loud Technologies definately have the parts in stock.
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Phil Lewandowski

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #38 on: October 30, 2010, 10:46:59 AM »

Richard Stringer wrote on Sat, 30 October 2010 06:38

I'd love a pair of the Mackie HD1531 cabs for use as dj monitors but i'm turned off by the frankly horrendous amount of reports of their drivers breaking down, amplifiers breaking down etc...My friend has just a pair here in the uk and after 5 days he used them at a gig and one of the compression drivers failed in one of them and then yesterday the other one stopped working and although it turns on there's no sound coming through it. We here in the uk have 1 month to return a faulty product so the word was today from him that he's having them picked up by the shop and exchanged for JBL PRx635 cabs instead.

I've read a lot of things also about people waiting weeks and weeks for parts and a few of them waiting more than a month for parts when supposedly Loud Technologies definately have the parts in stock.


Wow, that is unfortunate.  All other aspects were showing that this was a real winner.

Do you know if your friend was running the cab into the limiter at all?  Even just on peaks?


~Phil
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Richard Stringer

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Re: Mackie HD1531 & HD1801
« Reply #39 on: October 30, 2010, 01:11:46 PM »

No he wasn't, he was running them on nearly full but not quite, they weren't quite limiting. I had a look on the internet after that happened to see if it was an isolated case because I wanted a pair but I found a lot of problems of them by customers.

http://forums.mackie.com/scripts/forum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=ge t_topic;f=7;t=003452

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t21564/

http://www.zzounds.com/item--MACHD1531

There's many more problems too. I've heard from a friend who works in a pa shop that he's had a few HD1531 back in for repair because of them failing as well and all this is looking bad for Mackie. I just wish they'd start manufacturing in the USA because when Greg Mackie owned the conpany in the 1990's, it was a brilliant company who made equipment with a good track record but now.....well..damn.
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