Mackie for monitoring
/I’ve been using and enjoying the Mackie MP-460 in-ear monitors (earphones) as well as the Mackie MC-350 headphones. Without a doubt both are well made and can take a beating from the outdoor elements. The following are my personal opinions about these Mackie brand products.
Mackie MP-460 Earphones with Bluetooth Accessory
MP-460 Earphones:
First thing I noticed was how easy it was to put on these pro earphones. I’ve tried others in the past and they were cumbersome to put on and take off. The way I record sound effects, I frequently remove and put back on to listen to what I’m recording vs what the environment sounds like.
One of the benefits I like from these is being able to monitor a helicopter flying closely over me where headphones kept getting blown off my head by the violent rotor wind wash.
The second thing I noticed was how not so great some of the sounds were. This is actually good because I had to readjust my mic placements and recording levels for best sounds. Moreover, during post, I had to do more editing for a better mix. Many people buy headphones that make everything sound sweet. This is actually not a good thing to do because the colored inaccuracy will make for a bad mix.
During a recent contract work, I was tasked to capture various impact sounds. The quiet to loud impact sounds were clearly heard. I did some editing/mixing while traveling and was pleasantly surprise at how the good the sounds were when playbacks were done on various monitors and speakers. If you can make something sound good with these earphones, then most likely your mix will translate well on most other speaker systems.
The people who will benefit from using these are experienced veteran sound designers, recordists, and master engineers.
PROS
-Great deal for the price
-Great responses for all frequencies. Vocals really stand out.
-Bass response is accurate, not overly done like other headsets will artificially produce
-Easy to put on and to take off
-A must for hot weather usage
-Protected my ears while I was shooting and recording pistol caliber handguns
-Great for serious recording/editing/mixing
-Durable and comes with a pocket size protective hard case
-Includes multiple size foams etc accessories
-Separate Bluetooth accessory works very well for auditioning/listening and for clean mobile phone calls. The other party also clearly heard my voice from the Bluetooth mic. The included clip works much better than other brands I’ve tried.
-I can keep writing about the positives regarding the MP-460 earphones!
CONS
-Included foams sometimes comes loose
-Bluetooth doesn’t play well when paired to my my Mac’s DAW during editing (switching to cabled is recommended…this is typical for Bluetooth earphones/headphones)
-Bluetooth charging is Micro USB. Hope future version will be USB-C.
-Using these can be tiresome for novice editors (ear fatigue for inexperienced users)
Mackie MC-350 Headphones with a field recorder
MC-350 Headphones:
The Mackie MC-350 headphones are tight fitting but no overly so where my jaw feels terrible. The closed style is necessary to stop sounds from leaking into the recordings and good for playback, editing and designing sounds in noisy environments (coffee house, on the set, etc).
While recording Onboard sounds of a super Loud Ford Mustang muscle car, I was able to clearly hear each of the inputs between the Exhausts and the Cabin. This was done with the windows open and traveling at high speed.
The people who will benefit from using these are music and nature sound listeners, beginner to experienced veteran sound designers, recordists, master engineers, and video editors.
PROS
-Great deal for the price
-Comes with 3 separate detachable cables (short, medium, and long)
-Great responses for all frequencies. I heard incredible details in music and in sound design where they’re missed in other headphones.
-Bass response is also accurate, not overly done nor over sustained like other headphones will artificially produce
-I can use for many hours without feeling ear fatigue, even at higher listening levels
-Great for serious recording/editing/mixing
-Durable and comes with a nice case that holds all of the included accessories (detachable cables and 1/8” to 1/4” adapter)
CONS
-They are slightly too tight for my large odd sized head (presses down slightly too much on top of my head)
-They don’t fit into a sphere sort of shape that some people like but can be completely flat for slim fitting into backpacks etc bags
