For today's performing musician, the term “portable” is a staple part of any vocabulary. When venue specs, loading areas, and event needs vary from one night to the next, having a system that is not only compact but versatile is a necessity. As technology continues to enable manufacturers to provide portability and solid features that support these applications, new products are able to meet the demand, and the Mackie Reach PA System fits right into the discussion.
Nuts & Bolts
At 33 inches high, 12.2 inches wide and weighing just over 37 pounds, the Mackie Reach is a small package that’s sturdy in design. Featuring dual 6.5-inch high output mid/low drivers and three, one-inch dome high frequency compression drivers, the powered system provides 150 degrees of horizontal coverage. Mackie makes use of its Amplified Radial Curve (ARC) Array technology, which utilizes angled waveguides for greater coverage. Also built into the cabinet is the company’s EarShot personal monitoring system. Separate speakers on each side allow for independent or dual control monitoring; they also give the system extended coverage up to 250 degrees.
On the back panel, the Reach system features a strong lineup of input and output connections. Four XLR ¼-inch combo jacks provide plenty of flexibility for vocals and instrument combinations. A 1/8-inch aux input allows for external music play, in addition to a ¼-inch headphone jack intended for silent practice. A foot switch jack for control over effects mute, along with jacks to link additional Reach systems for additional coverage and inputs, round out the panel.
The side control panel features a simple but intuitive design. A master control knob in conjunction with selection buttons allows for system, side monitor, effects, and individual channel level adjustments. Channel selectors also give the user control over effects send levels. The Reach system also comes with four built-in overall EQ curves, giving more specific control for applications such as a main PA, DJ, soloist, or spoken word. Rounding out the control panel is a one-button feedback destroyer and effects selector featuring two reverb and two delay programs.
While the side control panel allows for most mixing features, unlocking full control comes by using the Mackie Connect app, available for both Android and iOS platforms, and pairing your wireless device via Bluetooth. The app gives each channel input, aux, and effects return a three-band EQ. It also reveals 16 effect programs, ranging from room, hall, and plate reverbs, chorus, and various delay presets. Users are also able to save up to three global presets, allowing for quick recall of all system settings for a particular application or venue.
First Inspection & Set Up
The layout of the app’s controls are simple and easy to read, cleverly laid out with EQ icons and full metering for each channel’s input signal.
Upon opening the box, I found the Mackie Reach to be ergonomically designed, with comfortable handles on the top and rear for transport. The enclosure is constructed from high-strength molded thermoplastic with 18-gauge, powder-coated metal grills covering the entire front and side monitors. The speaker can be pole-mounted (not included) or self-supported, with rubber bumper pads on the bottom. While sturdy, I would advise users to get a pole mount since the slim construction of the box lends itself to tipping over if bumped into when unsecured. Compact from top to bottom, the system is constructed with ample protection for all external connections, knobs and switches.
Real-world Testing
With any all-in-one system, the intuitiveness and ease of use will reveal itself to any user fairly quickly. Plugging in my laptop to the 1/8-inch auxiliary input, I was able to get music up and running with little hassle. The on-board control panel features easy selection buttons for either the main speakers or side monitors, which are then adjustable by the large multi-function control knob. I did discover that there is not an input level control for the auxiliary jack. So I found myself having to lower the output volume on my computer to prevent clipping the channel.
After an initial setup to get music going, I downloaded the Mackie Connect app for my iPhone. The process to pair the app with the speaker was fairly simple. With Bluetooth connectivity active on my phone, I held the Bluetooth button on the speaker, which, once illuminated, made the speaker available on the phone for pairing. After opening up the Connect app, the Reach system then popped up. The layout of the app’s controls are simple and easy to read, cleverly laid out with EQ icons and full metering for each channel’s input signal. Every option except for input level is accessible through the app. [Editor’s note: Mackie reports that the inputs on Reach do not have input gain control. They are preset internally to a general input gain setting that works well for just about everything you can plug into it.]
Getting a thorough review of any PA system typically entails putting the system through a combination of recorded music and live performance. First up in my testing was a live vocalist and acoustic guitar. As stated before, channel input levels must be set using the physical control knobs on the speaker itself. Once my input levels were set, I reverted to the app for control. As the performer cycled through several songs, it gave me a chance to step through multiple settings.
Using a Shure SM58 on the vocal, I found myself needing to boost the high end EQ to get desired presence. Although I switched the main system EQ between the PA and Solo settings—which would add some high-end response—I still needed the channel EQ for help. The acoustic sounded full, crisp and controlled, with little adjustment needed. Walking the room, I found the wide coverage to be fairly consistent. There was some low-mid loss on the far sides, but nothing monumental. Trying out several of the reverb and delay programs, it’s mostly what you would expect from built-in presets: a good selection, but high levels of reflections and density. While each channel on the app gives individual control on effects send levels along with the master effects return, the reverbs jumped out of control quite easily. Still, they will come in handy for performers needing a small amount of ambiance depending on the acoustics of a room. Using a live performer, this also gave me the chance to fire up the personal monitoring side speakers. While adding level did help with clarity for the performer, standing just to the side of the system, their frequency response was a bit harsh. In this case, the musician felt a bit more comfortable standing within range of the main PA speakers, with a small amount of side fill as needed.
Moving on from a live performer, I picked several recorded tracks of varying styles to put the Reach system through its paces. First up was Guns ’N Roses, and a track from the group’s latest release, Chinese Democracy. I found the vocals to be clear with a solid, full-frequency sound from the drums and guitars. I noticed a small amount of low-mid muddiness at times when pushing the system, along with not as much high-end sizzle as I prefer, but overall—great punch from the drums and a solid feel.
Next up was the fantastic London Symphony and its original recording of the Star Wars Main Theme from 1977. If there’s any type of recorded music that will push and expose a PA system, a full orchestra will do just that. At lower volumes, I found the response to be much more accurate. As with Guns ’N Roses, pushing the volume brought back the low-mid congestion. In the higher range, there is a bit of a hot spot facing the speaker head on. Although the coverage is wide, small pockets of high-end response fluctuated from side to side. Again, [I found] nothing that would discourage any potential buyer, but [this] did expose itself when pushing the system.
The final track was from EDM duo Knife Party; a bass-thumping track titled “404.” Listening to the track in both the PA and DJ main EQ settings, the Reach system handled the low end quite well. While only having dual, 6.5-inch woofers, the low end response was clean and free from distortion. Obviously, you are not going to get the lower sub extension and feel, but there was plenty of thump to be relevant and, again, [I] did not notice any distortion or overextension from the woofers.
Final Take
Advancing technology has grown the portable, all-in-one PA market extensively in recent years. For any musician, easy setup and intuitive features are a large selling point. The Mackie Reach system deserves strong consideration from solo and small ensemble performers, DJs, and others in portable applications. While at the upper end of its range it does present a few limitations—which, at that point, you’re probably in the market for a larger system with additional control—the overall features and sonic response offer a big punch within a compact package.
List Price: $1,249.99
