Mackie SRM 450 Brochure

TECH
Mackie SRM 450 Active
2-Way PA Speakers and
SR 1500 Active Subwoofer
B Y J A M I E R I O
Let's start with a look at the SRM450
speakers. These high-impact, plastic com-
posite enclosures house one 12" low-fre-
quency speaker with a 2.5" voice coil that can
handle 300-watts and has a frequency
response from 50Hz to 3,000Hz. There is also
one high-frequency driver and horn with a
S O U N D C H E C K
S O U N D C H E C K
The Gear:
Mackie SRM450 Two-Way, Active PA
Speakers and SR 1500 Active Sub-
woofer
The Gigs:
Mid-sized rock club gig with rio
deluxe (modern and classic rock
covers)
Who it's for:
Giggers playing small to medium
size clubs and casuals
How Much:
- SRM 450 $899 ea
- SR 1500 $1,199
Pros:
- Monitor-quality sound in a
small package
- Great sub-bass in a very
small package
- No hassle, plug and play
- Loud, clean sound
Cons:
- Subwoofers need better
protection for their corners
- The subs don't have feet
Mackie Designs
16220 Wood-Red Rd. NE
Woodinville, WA 98072
Tel.: (425) 487-4333
Fax: (425) 806-6383
www.mackie.com
4 8
GIG F E B R U A RY 2 0 0 2 •
1.75" titanium diaphragm that can han-
dle 150-watts and has a frequency
response of 1,000Hz to 20,000Hz. The
SRM450's horn design is a unique three-
piece assembly derived from high-end
studio monitor technology where wide dis-
persion and precise reproduction of voice
and high frequencies is critical.
Each enclosure incorporates two FR
series power amps (the low end gets 300-
watts and the high end gets 100-watts). Each
cabinet has a level control, a low cut filter for
frequencies below 75Hz and a Contour but-
ton that boosts low and highs. This button
seemed to give the vocals more clarity and
punch at lower volumes.
The molded cabinets can be pole
mounted and there is an assortment of rig-
ging points, in case you want to fly them. The
asymmetrical trapezoidal enclosures can be
used either as mains or stage monitors. Oh
yeah, there's a timer button that automati-
cally turns the power off if no signal is pres-
ent for more than three minutes. The
SRM450s also look very hip and high-tech.
Mackie jumped into the loudspeaker biz by
acquiring an Italian company, RCF, which is
one of the world's top producers of sound
reinforcement speakers and enclosures;
though these units are Mackie-designed and
carry a Mackie logo, they have obviously been
influenced by the RCF line.
A final note that may seem a bit silly, the light
that tells you the speakers are turned on is
blue instead of the usual boring red. It's a lit-
tle thing, but it's kinda cool.
Turning to the SR 1500, Mackie starts
with a small (24" x 18" x 24"), ported Baltic
birch box. It's loaded with a 15" low-fre-
quency transducer and driven with a 600-
watt FR Series power amp. Frequencies are
controlled by a built-in electronic
stereo/mono high-pass crossover network.
You also get a level control, a phase switch
and a thermal-protection amp shutdown cir-
cuit with auto reset. And these little puppies
(bull dogs) weigh in at 101 pounds.
Now that we know what we're working
with, how about that test?
gigmag.com
Reprinted with permission of United Entertainment Media, Inc. © Gig Magazine 2002.
The Gigs
I have a live band as well as a small live
sound company, which gives me a variety of
venues in which to test gear. I decided I would
test the SR1500 subs first. I have a pair of
SRM450 active two-way speakers, and the
subs are a perfect match for them. I was play-
ing a mid-sized club with my four-piece band,
which consists of drums, percussion, bass
and guitar. I ran the kick drum, percussion,