PROS
Great sound, light weight, intuitive controls.
CONS
F E AT U R E S
Might be too much for the average band.
A lot of artists don’t put enough thought into their stage gear beyond their amps, mics and pedals. One of the most criminally overlooked aspects of your gig is what your audience is actually hearing, and that’s where powerful, clear speakers are your best friends. Meet your newest besties, the DLM series from Mackie. We tested out the DLM12 and the DLM12s sub, and they come with our highest recommendation. 2,000 watts of clean power at your fingertips, are you kidding me? In action, the 12-inch model and sub we tested quite nearly (literally) blew us away. And the best part? You’re not just booming out volume at the cost of clean audio. All those watts ensure that no matter what the venue, you can crank the speakers to 11 and still get undistorted, pure sound from your stage mix. More watts mean more clean headroom, and that’s a great thing. The speakers themselves are surprisingly lightweight considering all the technology that’s packed in there, which can save you quite a few trips to the chiropractor down the road. We especially dig the integrated digital mixer built right in, which features some handy on-board fx, EQ, delay and feedback-destroying settings. The bright OLED screen is easy-to-read even in darker venues, and the memory settings may come in super-handy when returning to problematic venues in the future. Just dial in your settings, save, and call them up any time. So they sound amazing, you’re not sacrificing quality for volume, and there are even built-in system controls via an on-board screen. Are there any downsides? Well, as amazing as the DLM system is, and as killer as it becomes when you add the DL1608 iPad-controlled mixer, for some bands it might just be overkill, especially considering piecing together an entire system can set you back a few bucks. We’re recommending this for working touring bands or artists that need to provide their own sound setups at non-traditional venues, or even as an installation upgrade for venues, churches and other institutional settings. Touring bands will get great use out of the system, just be sure to make room in the bus. -Benjamin Ricci
AKG D12VR Cardioid Dynamic Kick Drum Mic - $499
PROS
Tight bass drum response, solid EQ selection.
CONS
May be pricey to some.
One thing that always separates a good studio from a great studio is the selection of microphones for drums - kick drums, specifically. They lay down the beat, and with a bad mic, even “fixing it in the mix” is tough. AKG’s D12VR Cardioid Dynamic Kick Drum Mic is the perfect solution for bad kick drum sounds. It looks like a typical drum mic, but on the edge is a 3-way selector, allowing for the option of three different active filters. Knowing which one is selected is easy: a color-coded LED light indicates the mode. Green is a low-end boost filter. Red is a mid-boost filter, and blue sports an increase in the high end, while still maintaining the tight low end necessary for the kick. Phantom power is required to use the selectable filters, but without phantom power it still works, just using its own natural sound. Some quick experimenting with the three different EQ selections, depending on the type of music being recorded, might be needed. They each all have their unique tone on their own. Starting with that, it’s one of those “hard to get a bad sound” items. When being used in an actual mix with compression and EQ, the mic expertly makes the bass drum come alive without sounding muddy or boomy. Your mileage may vary, depending on the sound that’s desired, but when you start with a microphone with a good “naked” sound, it’s hard to go wrong. Because it’s designed for low-end frequencies, it also works well on bass cabinets, and can provide extra low end thump to guitar cabs as well. A great sounding studio needs a great sounding kick drum mic, and the AKG is a great place to start. At a $499 street price, it might be a little expensive for some, but after giving it a good listen, it’s tough to not give the D12VR some serious consideration. -Chris Devine
Type: dynamic pressure gradient transducer
Power: 2,000W via ultra-efficient Class-D amplification
Polar pattern: cardioid
Driver: Mackie designed, vertically-aligned, common-magnet TruSource
Max. SPL: 164 dB SPL (for 0,5 % THD)
Controls: DL2 Integrated Digital Mixer Screen: OLED Inputs: Two channels with FX Addt’l Controls: 3-band EQ and FX control
F E AT U R E S
GEAR REVIEWS
MACKIE DLM Powered Loudspeakers - $850-999/pair
Impedance: <200 ohms (at 1000 Hz) Recommended load impedance: >1000 ohms Connector: three-pin male standard XLR Finish front grille: glossy galvanized nickel matte
FX: Include reverb, chorus and delay
Dimensions: 125 mm x 101 mm x 66 mm
Other: Smart Protect DSP dynamically protects amp/driver
Net weight: 500 g
54 MAY 2013 PERFORMER MAGAZINE