I wrote this Mackie DL32R review after a successful experience with the unit. Before I was entrusted with the task, I didn’t know that organizing a huge event at a church would be so nerve-wrecking. This event was going to be attended by thousands of people and I knew I had to get hold of my nerves and get started on the preparations. I wasn’t managing the event entirely but I was part of the team that was responsible for the socials. This included a couple of live music performances. The management wanted this particular section to be the most appealing.
They were even willing to install as much new musical equipment as possible, so the budgeting wasn’t much of an issue. There were two major tasks that I had to complete. The first was finding a band that would be willing to perform at this charity event and the second was to buy a new audio channel mixer for the church. Since the church was expecting this event to happen on a quarterly basis, it was only sensible to buy a unit entirely for the purpose rather than rent one every single time.
The event was going to be attended by some of the top ministers so it was imperative that everything went as smoothly as possible. The stakes for us were very high, but I was ready to come through and get my church the best possible model they could imagine. My main concern was to find a unit that offered greater number of channels without being too heavy. This was to ensure good portability and efficiency.
I also wanted to invest in a model that looked and felt modern, so wireless connectivity was something I wasn’t ready to compromise on. A feature I could compromise on was the app compatibility; however, I knew that controlling the sounds through the app would be a very beneficial point. Moreover, I was also looking for a good EQ band that allowed for greater diversity.
So before I made any decisions, I decided to delve deeper into my mind and find out the main concerns that I had
This list only contains the questions that really troubled me. Almost all the models I saw, except for Mackie DL32R failed to convince me on all these fronts. Some models were durable but they came with a poor interface or vice versa. If a model had all these features, it would usually not allow for good acoustics.
Equipped with 32 channels of powerful digital mixing, this model is really revolutionizing the way audio mixing channels are viewed. With Mackie DL32R, you get convenience and ease of usage. The entire working can be done from an app which means that you won’t have to manually adjust the sounds and go through all the hassle. Moreover, there is a direct to drive multi track system that ensures easy recording and playback performance. The model is also fully loaded with a powerful DSP system and 28 buses that provide greater efficiency with a number of applications. On top of that, the master Fader control app is both easy and allows for intuitive control.
There were many journalists at our event and they all praised the excellent performance of the unit. The credit of this goes to Mackie who incorporated so many extraordinary features into the design. Here is a short description of all these features.
This was one of the biggest concerns I had and I was happy to find out that this unit came with full fireless control. For all the iPod and iPhone users, there is a special master Fader app that allows musicians to have greater control over their mixer. Any device that allows for 10Ios or less can control the DL32R easily.
We wanted to surprise the audience but we also wanted a chance to reminisce over these memories sometime later. This is why I was looking for a unit that could record live performances. This multi-functional mixer allows you to connect to a computer via a USB 2.0 port or use a special user interface. Both of these things help ensure good recording capability.
Mackie comes with 32 Onyx and a mic press that also features a 14 fully assignable XLR output. This, along with an I/0 patch window gives your unit the required flexibility it needs. Moreover, this also makes the unit suitable for use by beginners and professionals. To top all that, there is also an A/B source per channel that allows for a variety of linkable outputs and inputs.
Behind any functional unit, there is always an advanced technology that allows for powerful DSP processing. This is a 4 band EQ that ensures good compression for every channel. Moreover, there are also 32 different channels that allowed for the perfect mix and match of sources.
The DL Dante card is expandable and provides you with 32 channels of network audio I/0. This allows you to connect your unit to any AV network that is Dante powered. Moreover, there is a virtual soundcard application that can connect to either your PC or your Mac and ensure an even better functionality for your device.
This powerful channel mixer was everything fans wanted in their unit. I realized that when I read some of the most honest reviews on the internet. People were happy to pay the slightly higher cost if they were sure they were getting the most durable and efficient model. Another feature that everyone liked was the excellent compatibility that was ensured. This mixer could be used with a plethora of devices which ensured greater diversity and versatility. Even after some thorough probing, I still didn’t find any review that highlighted any major drawbacks of the unit.
and,
Any model that is within your price range and offers you control over 32 different channels is hard to beat. However, I still wanted to give it a go and hence I decided to compare my preferred model with some other units. For the sake of this, I chose other models that also offered a similar number of channels or units that were in the same price range.
This was to ensure that I wasn’t being blinded by grand marketing skills. I knew the company’s tendencies to make huge promises which they don’t deliver on later. Since this event meant so much to all of us, I was in no position to take any chances. This comparison overview proved fruitful for me because, at the end of my research, I was convinced Mackie DL32R would prove to be a unit worth everyone’s while.
Here is how I reached that conclusion.
| Mackie DL Series | BEHRINGER, 40, Black |
| 14 pounds | 18 Pounds |
| Better audio interface | Lacks a good interface |
| 32 input channel | 40 input channel |
| Mackie DL Series | Allen & Heath |
| Better low light visibility | Lacks visibility |
| Suitable for diverse gigs | Less diverse |
| Expensive | Cheaper |
| Mackie DL Series | Rane DJ Seventy-Two |
| Diverse channel mixers | Only 2 channel mixers |
| Cheaper | Expensive |
| Less ease of usage | Better touch screen |
From the first moment I looked at this design, I knew there was something special about it. The more I looked into its features, the more convinced I was that my earlier intuition was right. The event was going to change our Church’s face value and I knew a good music performance would make the task much easier.
And luckily, it did. The mixer not only delivered on all its promises but also allowed us to use a plethora of different audio sources and generate a unique output. Everyone in the audience was mesmerized by the powerful acoustics, but we were surprised. When your unit is this great, you already anticipate such a reaction.
