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Want to use the Mackie FreePlay as a floor wedge? Add the optional Kickstand ($25). Need FreePlay to perch on a speaker stand? The Kickstand does that, too.
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In addition to mic and line-level inputs, Freeplay offers both 1/8-inch aux input jack, plus a Bluetooth input.
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Freeplay offers two one-inch compression drivers flanking an eight-inch woofer. Stated frequency response is 65 Hz - 20 kHz (-10 dB).
When the first word that pops into one's head when trying to describe a product is “solution”, its manufacturer is likely onto something good. Such it is with the new Mackie FreePlay ($500 list), an unorthodox little mixer/speaker combo that aims to solve a thousand sound problems.
Mackie FreePlay is a compact speaker that looks like a mutant boom box, with two one-inch compression drivers flanking an eight-inch woofer. FreePlay's compression drivers are in stereo, though imaging will likely be nil at normal listening distances. Combined peak power of 300 watts (150 watts to the woofer, 75 watts to each horn) gives FreePlay a maximum output of around 114 dB before protective limiting kicks in. Dispersion is 90 degrees, a very usable spread for speakers of this type. Stated frequency response is 65 Hz - 20 kHz (-10 dB).
When it comes to flexibility, FreePlay's input side is where things get interesting. Two main analog inputs use combined XLR and 1/4-inch jacks to handle microphone or line-level signals. There's no variable mic preamp in FreePlay; instead, mic signals get a fixed 20 dB boost. FreePlay has no phantom power, so condenser mics will need to be battery powered or have an external phantom power supply. Too bad.
In a world brimming with portable audio devices and smartphones, these days no respectable sound product omits an 1/8-inch input. FreePlay indeed has such an aux input jack, then goes a step beyond to include a Bluetooth input (though both share the same mixer channel). Pair up your Bluetooth audio device, and you can stream audio wirelessly to FreePlay. How the device will handle pairing (and potential hacking by mischievous audience members) remains to be seen. The Freeplay is supposed to start shipping within a few months. We hope to be among the first to get our hands on a review unit.
Where might you use a speaker if you didn’t need AC power?
Unlike speakers that will blend a few analog inputs, FreePlay boasts a full-blown digital mixer with effects, EQ and more. Each input has a main level control, effects send level and a three-band equalizer. Effects include reverb, delay and chorus—16 programs in total. Effects return level to the main mix is fixed, which means all effects balancing happens on the input side of the processor.
Channel inputs and effects, once combined, go to an active feedback suppression system called “Feedback Destroyer”. It will be interesting to see how effective this circuit is with no user controls beyond on/off. The next step in the signal chain is a four-preset EQ that changes the overall voicing of the speaker; programs include flat, DJ, voice and solo. A 1/4-inch monitor output off the main stereo bus is a nice touch.
FreePlay's back panel offers control over some—but not all—of the speaker's parameters. One main level knob and LED ladder control a handful of parameters, depending on which button you push. These levels include overall volume, main and effects send levels for inputs one and two, and aux/Bluetooth level. Two buttons cycle through four effects and voicing EQ presets, while a third button turns the feedback suppression on and off. This is an interesting approach to the user interface, one we look forward to trying out.
This interface leaves a few mixer parameters outside hardware control, which is where the FreePlay iOS app comes in. Using the Bluetooth link, this app opens up additional control over the three-band input channel EQ, all 16 effects programs, and more. No Android control app is currently available, which is unfortunate for the majority of people who do not have an iPhone. Hopefully, Mackie will develop an Android FreePlay control app. Will FreePlay's Bluetooth range be adequate for most applications? We'll see.
All this adds up to impressive flexibility, but Mackie didn't stop there in their effort to make FreePlay a bona-fide solution. Where might you use a speaker if you didn't need AC power? FreePlay's optional Lithium-ion battery pack ($70) will power the speaker for up to 10 hours of off-the-grid sound. Don't want the battery pack? FreePlay will run for up to 20 hours on eight D-cells. Want to use FreePlay as a floor wedge? Pick up the optional Kickstand ($25). Need FreePlay to perch on a speaker stand? The Kickstand does that, too.
At just 18 inches wide and 15 pounds, FreePlay is small enough to be pressed into service in many diverse applications. Because there are many settings where a speaker should not be making a bold statement visually, I wish Mackie had toned down the looks of FreePlay—starting by ditching the green woofer cone. Thankfully, you can defeat the bright green “running man” power indicator on the front of the speaker.
With as much power and flexibility as FreePlay offers, its potential applications are innumerable. We look forward to testing FreePlay soon to see if it's truly up to the challenge.
