RØDE Microphones LLC has today announced the acquisition of iconic American pro audio leader Mackie. The acquisition represents a new chapter in the evolution of RØDE and establishes The Freedman Group – parent company of RØDE – as one of the most well-rounded pro audio companies in the world, with an enviable catalogue of products spanning a wide range of audio solutions for content creation, home and studio recording, broadcast, and live sound production.

“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Mackie to The Freedman Group’s roster of iconic audio brands,” says Founder and Chairman Peter Freedman AM. “They are true legends, with a pedigree of live sound expertise that is simply unmatched. Today, RØDE and Mackie are both leaders in audio, and we share the same passion for creating innovative, high-quality products with a strong customer focus. With this acquisition, The Freedman Group is now a premier audio technology company offering world-class products to an even wider range of customers, from up-and-coming content creators to professionals working in live production and everyone in-between.”

Since 1989, Mackie has been a leading designer and manufacturer of pro audio products, including mixers and loudspeakers for home, studio and stage use. An integral player in the home recording revolution in the 1990s, Mackie quickly made a name for itself as a highly innovative brand with a focus on ‘built-like-a-tank’ quality and affordability. Groundbreaking products like the 1602 and D8B mixers and SRM450 loudspeaker were instant classics and, combined with a unique approach to marketing, established Mackie as a go-to brand in the recording and live sound industries – a status they uphold today with leading products like the ProFX series of compact mixers, the Thump series of powered loudspeakers, and the popular CR series of desktop production monitors.

“Mackie is one of the great success stories in pro audio and I have admired them for a long time,” says Mr Freedman. “My background is in live sound production. It’s something I have always been passionate about, ever since I saw Tom Jones at the Chevron Hotel in Sydney as a kid back in ’69 – my father Henry installed the sound system there, as well as many other venues across the city. Live sound is where I cut my teeth in audio, so this very much feels like that part of my career coming full circle.”

He continues: “Having met Greg Mackie before I even started RØDE, I found his passion for audio and approach to business inspiring. Their origin story is uncannily similar to ours. Both brands helped fuel the democratisation of DIY recording in their own way, Mackie with their mixers and speakers and RØDE with our microphones. We shared a similar path and today both brands are leaders in what we do, so I am incredibly excited to bring these two audio icons together.”

Speaking about the acquisition, Alex Nelson, CEO of Mackie says: “The entire Mackie team is excited to be joining forces with Peter, Damien and their incredible crew. Having worked in the audio industry for many years, I have always held RØDE in high esteem. Their manufacturing capability and technology leadership is second-to-none in pro audio and I think they are the perfect partner to help Mackie expand as we enter an exciting new chapter in our history. Also, the timing could not be better. We have an incredible product roadmap ahead of us, which we’ll be making some big announcements for leading up to NAMM ’24. This is an extremely exciting time for Mackie, and we couldn’t be happier doing all of this alongside the RØDE team.”

Greg Mackie, founder of Mackie and audio industry legend, shares a similar sentiment, saying: “I can’t think of a better company for Mackie to be associated with than RØDE”.

“RØDE and Mackie are incredibly harmonious brands,” says Freedman Group CEO Damien Wilson. “This acquisition diversifies our product offering in a very complementary way. We now offer end-to-end audio solutions for everyone from musicians setting up a home studio to professional live sound engineers. Whilst Mackie’s brand, manufacturing and operations will remain unchanged, there are incredible opportunities to combine the complementary IP, infrastructure and resources of both brands in powerful ways. I am very excited about the potential this offers RØDE and Mackie.”

Commenting for RØDE Microphones LLC, Joe Hockey says: “This acquisition offers powerful growth opportunities for RØDE and is a significant milestone in their global expansion. It is exciting to see RØDE continue to invest in their future, and I am looking forward seeing the ongoing success of these two legendary brands.”

Legal counsel for RØDE was provided by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Gilbert + Tobin, with financial advisory from PwC. Funding was provided by Amicaa & Carlyle, with legal counsel from Baker McKenzie. Seller Transom Capital Group received legal counsel from Kirkland & Ellis and financial advisory from Lincoln International.

“It has been our pleasure to work with the Mackie leadership team over the past several years,” says Russ Roenick, Managing Partner for Transom. “Their spirit of innovation, customer-facing approach, and overall drive for excellence has built a company culture that is unparalleled. I wish the team continued success as it takes the next step in its journey alongside the outstanding team from RØDE.”

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Babelson Audio’s catalogue of highly acclaimed dynamics and FX processing plug-ins for Digital Audio Workstations is to join Mackie’s product offerings.

With an large range of products including vintage tube EQ and saturation, multiband compression, reverbs, harmonizers, analogue delay, and dozens more, Babelson has established a well-deserved reputation among audio professionals for their power, performance, versatility, and sonic signature. With strikingly accurate emulations of vintage tube circuitry, Babelson’s plug-ins have garnered enthusiastic reviews and dedicated fans and are compatible with all major DAW software.

From mixers, monitors, and headphones to software and interfaces, Mackie has always been a central part of the creative musician’s toolkit. With the addition of Babelson plug-ins to the Mackie family, we are excited to be able to offer our users some of the most powerful, versatile, and best sounding tools for their music production.

Also joining Mackie will be Babelson Founder Thomas Ceyhan, who will continue to update and produce new plug-ins as Mackie continues to further its software offerings.

All Babelson plug-ins will continue to be active as the migration and integration over to Mackie.com begins, ensuring existing Babelson plug-in users a seamless transition.

More on Babelson plug-ins can be found here: www.babelson.com

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Mackie has announced its new flagship DRM Series professional powered loudspeakers.

The DRM loudspeakers, with their 2300W of power, class D amplifiers and built-in full colour displays, are designed for a wide range of applications, particularly mobile DJs, bands, install, Houses of Worship, rental systems, and more.

Available in the 1600W 12" DRM212, 1600W 15" DRM215, 2300W 15" 3-Way DRM315, 2000W 12" DRM12A Array, and 2000W 18" DRM18S Subwoofer – plus all models are available in passive boxes. Universal power supplies (100-240V) feature Power Factor Correction technology that regulates incoming voltage for peak performance even with unstable AC power.

At the heart of every DRM Series loudspeaker, is Mackie’s Advanced Impulse DSP module. Precision crossovers, transducer time-alignment, and carefully tuned FIR filters overcome inherent physical attributes that can contribute to poor sound, especially at high SPL.

"Advanced Impulse DSP is the result of countless hours of testing, tuning, and comparing," said Matt Redmon, Mackie director of product marketing. "It’s almost like the speakers disappear and you get an incredibly immersive listening experience, even at wall-shaking levels."

The DRM Control Dashboard features a high-contrast, full-colour display on the back panel for quick setup. Full-range models offer 3-band parametric EQ, venue specific voicing modes, alignment delay, user presets, and system lock, while the subwoofer features a variable crossover, cardioid mode, and more.

Custom high-sensitivity woofers and titanium diaphragm compression drivers housed in braced plywood cabinets are designed for consistent performance, while the DRM Series is also equipped with M10 flypoints, dual angle pole mounts, and available line array configurations. Both the DRM212 and DRM215 feature angled cabinet designs to allow for use as floor monitors.Every DRM Series model is available as a passive version.

The Mackie DRM Series loudspeakers are available now. Sold individually, the US MSRP pricing is $999.99 for the DRM212, $1099.99 for the DRM215, $1499.99 for the DRM315, $2099.99 for the DRM12A, and $1499.99 for the DRM18S.

The Mackie DRM Series passive loudspeakers will be available worldwide from February. Sold individually, the US MSRP pricing is $629.99 for the DRM212-P, $699.99 for the DRM215-P, $1099.99 for the DRM315-P, $1499.99 for the DRM12A-P, and $799.99 for the DRM18S-P.

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Mackie has announced that its latest DL Series digital live sound mixers, the 16-channel DL16S and 32-channel DL32S, are now available.

The DL16S and DL32S offer a new ‘Built-Like-A-Tank’ stagebox form factor with built-in Wi-Fi for multi-platform control.

Both models offer Onyx+ mic preamps, fully loaded DSP on each input and output plus four FX processors, as well as a whole new suite of FX like chorus, flanger, rotary, auto-filter, and more. Like the company’s DL32R, the DL16S and DL32S both feature full multi-track recording and playback via USB.

Mackie has also unveiled the next major update to the control app for its DL Series digital mixers, Master Fader 5.0. In this update, a heavily requested feature by DL users, Android support, is now available. Master Fader 5.0 will be available for iOS and Android with support for DL16S and DL32S. Support for other DL Series models, as well as Mac and PC control, is coming in Master Fader 5.1.

The Mackie DL16S and DL32S are available worldwide now. Sold individually, the US MSRP pricing is $999.99 for the DL16S, and $1819.99 for the DL32S. The Master Fader 5.0 app is available as a free download on iOS and Android devices.

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Transom Capital Group-owned Loud Audio has sold the EAW business to the Italian Pro-Audio company RCF Group.

Transom states that the divestiture is "aimed at allowing Loud to narrow its focus to the Mackie brand".

"While I have truly enjoyed working with all of the brands in the LOUD legacy, now it’s time for us to turn the page and to be entirely focused on building the Mackie brand", said Alex Nelson, Mackie’s president. 

"Our companies have long lived in a conglomeration of brands and I believe going forward all the brands are going to benefit from new found focus, alignment and investment. This last divestiture marks a particularly exciting time for Mackie employees worldwide who are now about to embark on a journey of re-invention and re-vitalization!"

TJ Smith, President of EAW, added: "Having grown up with the EAW and Mackie brands, I can truly say that this is an exciting moment. Both brands are now in a significantly stronger position to support their unique partners and customers. I look forward to the continued development of Mackie and EAW under new and more focused ownership."

Ty Schultz, managing partner at Transom Capital Group, said: "Simplifying the LOUD business to focus on high quality audio delivery from consumers to professionals has always been the focus of our thesis. We are very happy to have found a great new owner for the EAW brand and wish everyone involved much success going forward."

EAW and LOUD say that they will be working together over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition for all customers, dealers, and distributors.

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LA-based private equity firm Transom Capital Group has acquired all brands from LOUD Technologies, Inc., including the Mackie, Ampeg, EAW, and Martin Audio brands.

A new company as been formed called LOUD Audio, LLC (“LOUD”) and will be led by the executives of LOUD Technologies, which will "ensure continuity with product development, distribution and the supply chain but with new capital to enable growth across all brands", according to a press release issued 16 October.

With operations in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and China, LOUD engineers, markets and distributes a wide range of professional audio and musical instrument products worldwide. Its product lines include sound reinforcement systems, analogue and digital mixers, studio products and guitar and bass amplifiers.

“This transaction presents a great opportunity to work with the LOUD team to achieve the next stage of growth for these iconic brands,” said Ty Schultz, managing partner of Transom Capital.

“These brands are positioned well with major retailers, installers and production companies and bring with them an outstanding legacy of innovation and category-defining product introductions. We have been working closely with LOUD’s leadership to ensure continuity of the supply chain, channel relationships and LOUD’s employee base. We look forward to realizing the compelling growth opportunities for these brands both in the retail and professional audio spaces.

Added LOUD CEO Mark Graham: “This transaction is the first step in a broader strategic plan to enable and grow each of our iconic brands. Our brand and product strategies are greatly enhanced going forward as each will be working from a vastly improved financial structure and with access to growth capital.

“Transom is an exciting partner as they have experience in our industry and a great track record of building brands. Further, they share a commitment to our core values of customer focus and product innovation, and we are looking forward to working together to make our brands even more valuable to our partners and customers.”

www.loudtechinc.com

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Mackie has unveiled its newly redesigned Thump Series of powered loudspeakers, which includes two brand new models.

The updated range incorporates the Thump12A, Thump15A, Thump12BST, Thump15BST and Thump18S, while the two new models are the “Thump Boosted” 12-inch Thump12BST and 15-inch Thump15BST.

Key features of the relaunched Thump Series include high-output woofers, 1.4-inch titanium dome compression drivers, a new amplifier design with proprietary Dynamic Bass Response technology, and ‘next-generation’ system protection.

The 1300-watt Thump12A and Thump15A now feature a built-in two-channel mixer equipped with Mackie’s Vita+ preamps and Wide-Z technology to handle mics, instruments and/or line level signals as well as four new application-specific speaker modes.

The two new models offer three-channel digital mixers with digitally-controlled Vita+ preamps, three-band EQ per channel with variable HPF on Vita+ inputs, wireless control, streaming and linking, rear panel high-resolution colour displays, and more.

With Bluetooth-enabled streaming and control, the “Thump Boosted” Thump12BST and Thump15BST models allow the Thump Connect app (iOS and Android OS) to access levels, EQ, meters, and configuration settings, while also offering three memory presets. The loudspeakers can wirelessly link directly to each other at up to 100 meters for music streaming applications and wireless control, providing both stereo or dual-zone system configurations.

The Thump12A, Thump15A, Thump12BST, Thump15BST, and Thump18S (priced at $419.99, $489.99, $559.99, $699.99 and $879.99 MSRP, respectively) will begin shipping next month.

http://mackie.com/

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LOUD Technologies (LOUD) has added two well-known industry figures, CJ Lewis and Parker Bradley, to its sales team in the US.

Lewis (pictured, right) becomes LOUD Retail Group’s new western regional sales manager, while Bradley (left) takes over as LOUD Retail Group’s new central regional sales manager.

A 24-year industry veteran from Aurora, Colorado, Lewis most recently served as principal and partner for the rep firm Marshank Group Rockies, where he represented the Mackie and Ampeg brands. Prior to that, he spent a decade as principal and president of Digital Revolution Marketing. His earlier career includes positions with Kurzweil Music Systems, Guitar Center/GC Pro, Ultimate Support Systems and Keyboards of Texas.

"There are three words I live by," Lewis said, "and those are ‘integrity,’ ‘tenacity,’ and ‘relationship.’ I believe the team at LOUD shares that philosophy, and I’m excited to put my extensive professional network and passion for managing relationships at their service."

Bradley comes to LOUD from microphone and headphone manufacturer Beyerdynamic, where he served as national sales manager. Based in Austin, Teaxs, he also brings extensive retail experience, including positions as Guitar Center sales manager, store manager and district sales manager.

"I’m a problem solver, and I focus a lot on market analysis, business development, brand management, and product launches," Bradley remarked. "Having worked for a major retailer, I understand the strength and importance of LOUD’s brands. Working for LOUD, a long-established company with a wide range of high-quality products, is a sales manager’s dream."

"We feel we hit back-to-back home runs with CJ Lewis and Parker Bradley," offered LOUD’s VP of sales, Henri Cohen. "At Marshank, CJ represented our Mackie and Ampeg lines in the Rocky Mountain region, delivering excellent results, so we know his work well. Parker brings us a valuable combination of retail and national sales management experience, with impressive accomplishments, so adding him to our team was an easy decision. With CJ and Parker onboard, we’re in a great position to build upon our dealer relationships in 2017 and beyond."

http://loudtechinc.com

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Mackie has announced a complete refresh of its MR Series powered studio monitors.

Designed for home studios, content creators and multimedia, the MR Series is available in the 5-inch MR524, 6.5-inch MR624, and the 8-inch MR824 plus the 10-inch MRS10 companion powered subwoofer.

The MR Series features a logarithmic waveguide which provides an ultra-wide listening sweet spot and enhanced stereo imaging for higher fidelity and consistent sound over a wide listening area.

"With MR, we saw an opportunity to really take advantage of some of our best studio monitor technology," remarked Mackie product manager Jon Rundle. "By borrowing design elements from our flagship HR and XR Series, we can offer incredible fidelity and accuracy at prices that fit into even more conservative budgets."

Equipped with versatile Acoustic Space Control and HF filters, MR monitors can be easily optimised to their environment to ensure a flat response. There are three different acoustic space settings that adjust for monitor placements close to walls, in corners, etc. Plus, the high-frequency EQ control allows for further adjustment to ensure an accurate room response. Included is an acoustic isolation pad that decouples the monitor from the desk or stand for increased performance and accuracy.

"With more and more people turning their bedrooms and garages into studios, it is important to have monitors that can adapt," Rundle concluded. "When you dial in your monitors with the Acoustic Space Control, you can mix with confidence knowing that there won’t be any deceiving boosts or cuts across the frequency spectrum."

Sold individually, the US MSRP pricing is $209.99 for the MR524, $279.99 for the MR624, $349.99 for the MR824, and $559.99 for the MRS10.

http://mackie.com/

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Although many may refer to it as ‘Sin City’ for a number of reasons, Las Vegas is also one of the world’s leading centres for events of all kinds, from weddings to conventions, and the Treasure Island hotel and casino is one of the largest and busiest venues on the Las Vegas Strip to regularly host events such as these.

According to Carlos Elorza, its lead AV technician, Treasure Island is home to five large ballrooms and several meeting rooms, as well as mobile audio systems in each room that have to be set up and broken for every event, but over time it became clear that the equipment was getting increasingly outdated.

"These systems and the infrastructure is more than 25 years old, and tying all our different locations together has always been a challenge," said Elorza. "In order to keep up with the demands of our busy event calendars, we had to make some serious changes."

Central to those changes was the introduction of Mackie DL32R 32-channel digital mixers with iPad control. The DL32R’s matrixing capabilities and wireless mixing control opened up a range of new possibilities for Elorza and the rest of the crew, enabling full connectivity and total control from anywhere within the hotel’s meeting spaces.

"Rather than having to tie everything back to a central control room, the DL32R enabled us to matrix every single room, individually, via its own designated aux send," Elorza continued. "It enables us to create different zones for each room, and do room combining where we need it by just flipping an aux post-fader."

Using Mackie’s free Master Fader app, the crew can pull up each room’s dedicated faders and mix from anywhere in the room. "I have complete, individual control over every single output," Elorza explained. "And the onboard DSP enables us to handle everything from speaker delays to effects for live shows."

The DL32R’s Dante capabilities were another factor that led to this choice of mixer, added Elorza: "Right now, we’re connecting to the DL32Rs via our existing infrastructure, which is ageing and can be problematic. Our plan is to replace all that with Dante connections, which will give us even more functionality."

Elorza reports the DL32R has made a real difference in the hotel’s AV capabilities. "I have yet to find a task or a situation where the DL32R hasn’t been able to deliver what I need and then some," he concluded. "Once again, Mackie comes to the rescue."

http://www.mackie.com

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