Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)If you intend to record via USB using the ProFX8, beware that USB recording introduces a low-level, high-pitch tone (1kHz + harmonics) on the monitor send, main out, and headphones. You and your audience will hear this buzz during quiet passages and between songs. After receiving mine in February, 2009, I called the support people at Loud Technologies (maker of Mackie) and talked with Tom M. who claimed Loud is aware of this issue and there is no fix. That's a shame because the ProFX8 is otherwise worth 5 Amazon Stars and is noticeably quieter than my Behringer Xenyx mixer.
The ProFX8 is currently out of production while Loud engages another manufacturer - the original manufacturer apparently went out of business. Tom from Loud hinted that the USB-induced noise may be fixed in the next production run, but he admitted it was pure speculation on his part. I'll be interested to hear from other Amazon reviewers who purchase a ProFX from this second production run. Chime in folks!
My ProFX8 arrived with a defective effects unit. Getting Tom to issue the paperwork for the repair was a little dicey because I bought my unit on Ebay (at the time, none were available anywhere else). Apparently, there is a black market for these Chinese-manufactured units, and Loud doesn't want to warranty any they didn't sell to an authorized dealer. Getting a receipt from the Ebay seller was the most uncertain step in this process. When I finally sent the ProFX8 in for repair, I also listed the USB noise issue on the paperwork. When the ProFX8 was returned, the effects unit was fixed and mentioned on the repair ticket, while the USB noise issue was ignored. The repair turnaround was a reasonable two or three weeks using ground shipping.
Some other facts/tips about the ProFX8:
-As soon as you connect the ProFX8 to a computer via the USB cable, you may notice some (other) digital noise in the mixer. Fix this by adding a ground-lift adapter to the end of the power plug of the ProFX8.
-The 1kHz tone does not enter the USB recording itself unless the USB Thru feature is used. The noise is obviously coming from the USB playback path (again, only while recording via USB).
-The USB Thru feature can be used to achieve zero-latency multi-track recordings. This is done by engaging the feature for a second or so before performing a new track and recording a bit of the playback (like a test click). Afterwards, line up the playback audio with the portion that was recorded with the USB Thru.
Update (April 17, 2009):
I sold the ProFX8 via the Mackie forum (and this review) to a professional musician with a decent breadth of mixer experience. He had this to say about my ProFX8:
"The basic reverbs are noticeably better than in most other compact mixers (Behringer, Yamaha) at this price point. Not the equal of Soundcraft, Allen Heath or Dynacord mixers, but still as you commented, it is amazing how much Mackie put in this thing for $200. I'm curious to see how it holds up over time. Hopefully their re-release model will take care of the USB noise issues."
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