[Harp-L] Mackie SRM-350

[George Brooks <gbrooks1@xxxxxxxxx>]

Like Joe, who posted about the Mackie SRM 350s, I have a SJ2 that I use 
less as time goes on.  I have been moving more and more toward a clean 
sound.   These active speakers with a 10" woofer are a product I had 
been waiting for.  I have two Mackie SRM 450s which are the mains for 
my PA.  They're great, but bulky and somewhat heavy (52 lbs.).  For a 
duo gig where there is no PA, or as main PA speakers on gigs where bass 
(either from a bass or keyboard) won't be going through the PA, these 
new 10" active speakers cannot be beat.  Ooops!  IMNSHO.

These active speakers are compact, weigh in the neighborhood of 30 
lbs., and, for clarity, intelligibility, and overall good sound, 
decisively kick the a** of any keyboard amp I have ever heard (sorry, 
Richard).  (But a keyboard amp will be louder and probably have better 
bass extension, the latter a non-issue for harp).

Mackies are far from the only product in this category.  I did some 
research and ended up buying an FBT Maxx 2A.  As with the Mackie, you 
can plug a mic right into it on a combo jack that accepts both XLR and 
1/4".  Some say it has better drivers and better sound than the Mackie 
SRM 350.  I do know one thing it has for sure over the Mackie: onboard 
three band EQ!  Mine sounds wonderful, but I have not A-B'd it against 
a Mackie SRM 350.  I have A-B'd it against one of my Mackie SRM 450s, 
however, and the FBT sounds better to my ears.

JBL also makes a similar product, the EON 10G2.  Interestingly, the 
Italian company RCF makes a similar product, the ART-310-A.  RCF was 
acquired a few years ago by Mackie, and made the drivers for the SRM 
350 and SRM 450 (I remember it being a huge bragging point on the 
Mackie website).  I read that Mackie has since moved production to 
China, with unfortunate results.  I read it here:

http://www.rmcaudio.com/rcf/rcf-speakers.htm

This was written by a retailer selling the new RCF speakers, so its 
objectivity might legitimately be called into question.

Here's the link to FBT's website:

http://www.fbt.it/Inglese/index.asp

and to RCF's:

http://www.rcfaudio.com/

Both Full Compass and Northern Sound And Light carry the FBT line.  I 
owe a debt of gratitude to Ben Nathanson, a true hero of the List, for 
turning me on to NSL.  They have exceptional prices (e.g. $93.52 for a 
Shure Beta 57) and carry some very good lines of gear.  A couple of 
months ago, when I bought my speaker, the FBT Maxx 2A was $536.99 at 
NSL and the Mackie SRM 350 was $471.32.

http://www.northernsound.net/Sales/salesframe.html
http://www.fullcompass.com/

George