Mackie SRM450 v2

For those of you who already own the active Mackie SRM450s, here is the information that you need: the SRM 450v2s are a different color (midnight blue) and they weigh less (by almost five kilos), but do they actually sound better? You didn't think I was going to give that away in the introduction did you? Whether you are a Mackie virgin or veteran, read on to find out if they've managed to improve on an already great active PA speaker.

Mackie developed their active range of SRM speakers (Sound Reinforcement Monitors) over 10 years ago, with the aim of supplying a system that could deliver studio-quality sound in a live environment. They followed the route of many companies by producing a powered speaker housed in an injection-molded polypropylene cabinet, making the unit as sturdy as possible but light enough to be carried in one hand. The advent of their v2 range of speakers now means the drivers have changed, the electronics have been upgraded and the overall portability of the unit has been improved by making it lighter in weight.

The v2s contain a new lightweight neodymium woofer, an all-new compression driver and Class-D Fast Recovery amplification (300W LF, 100W HF). Their new Class-D Fast Recovery amplifier and switching power supply allow the units to stay remarkably cool even when driven hard for long periods of time. The transducers have been upgraded, along with the neodymium woofer, three-inch voice coil and heat-treated titanium compression driver. All of these improvements give these units more power, clarity and punch than their predecessors.

Apart from the color, the unit looks identical to its predecessor. They've been designed to be pole-mounted from the bottom, flown vertically or horizontally via integral M10 mounting points (two each located on the sides, top, bottom, and rear of the enclosure), or used as a wedge monitor. I've used the units in every way imaginable and as well as performing really well as FOH speakers, they work equally well as floor monitors and side fills with surprisingly good results — it takes a lot to make them feedback. There are handles on either side of the unit and one on the top, making them easy to carry and manoeuvre.

All of the connections and controls are on the rear panel. The Input and Thru output connections are made via a pair of three-pin XLR connectors. The input XLR will take either a line or microphone signal, which allows you to use the units purely as a simple vocal PA for speeches without the use of a mixer. The input level can be adjusted via a rotary control knob. The line level XLR Thru output allows daisy chaining of units, or taking a monitor feed from your front of house sound to a stage monitor such as the SRM150 (which we reviewed in the July issue). There is no adjustable EQ on the rear of the unit, which is the only drawback if you are using a microphone directly in to the system, however an SM58 plugged directly into the speaker gives a clear, crisp tone. It is possible to slacken off the mid frequencies by depressing the Contour button, which reduces the frequencies between 100Hz and 12kHz. It is also possible to roll off the bass frequencies below 75Hz via the Low Cut button. These are handy if you are performing in a room that has a lot of natural low end or mid frequencies, and saves you having to re-EQ every channel on your mixing desk. Finally there is a thermal cut-out indicator that activates if the unit has been driven too hard for too long a period of time. It will automatically switch the unit into protected mode until it has been given time to cool down. No matter how hard I drove these cabinets, however, I couldn't get them to cut out, which is an indication of their durability.

On the day that I took delivery of what I thought would be a pair of SRM450v2's, I was a little surprised on opening the door to find only one parcel containing only one cabinet. Resigned to the fact that they must have sent only one in error I decided that one would be enough for now, and this turned out to be somewhat of an advantage. I had a wedding gig that very night, in a medium-sized venue (around 200 guests) where I was singing to backing tracks and DJ-ing. I set up my normal rig with a pair of SRM450s per side, but in this instance I used a standard SRM450 on one side and the new SRM 450v2 on the other — this way I could be sure of hearing the difference between the speakers. Whereas the old SRM450s delivered a great sound, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the v2s gave a little more punch and certainly a significant increase in the high end of the frequencies, and overall they were brighter than their parents.

One thing to notice with the v2s is that the flared horns contain a 'multi-cell throat aperture', which basically means that the horn has been split up into a number of cells to allow a wider dispersion of the higher frequencies. This means that you don't have to be standing directly in front of the units to hear a well-balanced sound — they sound pretty good no matter where in the room the audience is listening. This has the advantage of allowing you to use them at a lower volume than some of their rivals, because you are not trying to fill a room with sound using brute force.

The original SRM450 has a good reputation for its ability to deliver a good low-end punch, and this has been beefed up by the v2's servo feedback technology, which locks the woofer in place with the positive and negative outputs of the amplifier. It's a nifty trick that makes the units sound a lot bigger than they actually are, and the new lightweight woofer's magnet also allows the bass driver to move quicker, giving more punch as well as cutting down on the overall weight of the cabinet.

However, there was the odd occasion with the new version where I had to EQ out quite a lot of the middle frequencies if my microphone was positioned with a wall too close behind me — yes, I know this is a phasing/feedback problem, but I don't get that with my old SRM450s. I presume this is a result of the upgrading of the drivers and the electronics, making the new units more sensitive to their environment. This is not a gripe, just an observation.

The next gig was with my band — a corporate event with around 600 guests, held in a marquee where extra low end and overall volume was needed. By now the second cabinet had arrived, and so the two SRM450v2s were paired up with a pair of Mackie SWA1501 active bass cabinets. Unfortunately, due to a power surge, one of the subs popped a fuse in its power board a few minutes before the gig, which did not give me enough time to make a running repair. However the new v2's performed handsomely connected to a single sub, and we managed to pump out a nice, clean overall sound with plenty of punch from the vocals, bass guitar, kick drum and snare with just the one sub running. I'm not sure the old SRM450s would have coped quite as well as the v2s.

In conclusion, the v2s give a great, punchy, clean sound, especially considering their sound-to-weight ratio. I wasn't considering replacing my existing PA, since it does a great job night after night (around 260 gigs per year), however I am seriously considering upgrading my old 450s to the new version — they definitely have the edge compared to anything in their price league. They might hurt your wallet, but they won't hurt your ears or break your back. 0

Mackie SRM450 v2

Active PA speakers