Author Topic: DL32R Discontinued???  (Read 2174 times)


Weogo

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2022, 12:36:08 AM »
Hi JMC,

    Thanks for bringing this to our attention!
The DL32S is a good mixer, but missing some of the functionality I use in the DL32R.
I installed DL32Rs in two venues, and two local companies are also using them.
I'll have to think about buying a spare...

Good health,  Weogo

WK154

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2022, 02:43:26 PM »
Well it took Mackie another year to kill their flagship product Axis. Without a DL32R there is no Axis. DPDAN if you still visit here you made the right choice. Just another nail in the coffin.
When in doubt KISS

JMC89

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2022, 04:44:45 PM »
Well, it also appears that Mackie has quietly discontinued the DC16:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1280794-REG/mackie_dc16_digital_mixing_control_surface.html

https://www.soundpro.com/item/11177

https://www.markertek.com/product/mck-dc16/mackie-dc16-digital-mixing-control-surface

https://www.acclaim-music.com/Mackie-Axis-Install-Package-Digital-Mixing-System-Install-Kit.html

This appears to have taken place around the time of the distribution of the 2022 price list and accompanying price hikes to the remainder of the digital mixer product line.

It’s anyone’s guess how long they are going to continue to support this product with Master Fader but the more worrying aspect will be the lack of repair parts in future.

16 months without a single Master Fader update is also pretty telling and their own “Roadmap” has come to an end.

Mackie should do the honorable thing by issuing a press release stating their commitment to support customers who paid thousands of dollars for these systems with no path forward except to switch to another manufacturer.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2022, 08:38:41 AM by JMC89 »

DigtheDL

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2022, 04:33:58 AM »
I don't think any of us should be surprised by this.  Its my opinion that these products were not a good fit in the market.  Better units were available at a cheaper price.  This may be the perfect time to mention I was hired several times this summer to mix an eight piece band (two vocalists and a horn section) who had just acquired a Midas M32C with a 32 channel stage box.  I was stunned how good it sounded, and remember I'm a guitar player so anytime I can hear anything at all it's a thrill for me.  Outclassed anything I've heard in its price range.  Unbelievable definition.  The software is great (same as the X32) with lots of options.  You have to get use to jumping from page to page, compared to MasterFader, but its a shallow learning curve.  If your looking to upgrade your system I would highly recommend it.  Best Regards, DigtheDL

JMC89

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2022, 08:20:26 AM »
Most spare parts in Europe are showing zero quantities:

https://www.loudtechnologies.eu/shop/en/mackie-mixing-desks/dl-series/dl32r/g-20000394

In US, DL32R spares do not appear to be stocked either and are special order, if possible?

https://www.fullcompass.com/searchresults.php?search_simple=true&txtAll=Dl32r
« Last Edit: January 10, 2022, 05:59:24 PM by JMC89 »

WK154

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2022, 08:19:12 PM »
It's sad to see competition disappear, unfortunately it will probably end like I predicted a while ago.  http://cacophony.aspinock.com/index.php?topic=1639.msg18857#msg18857
Cheers
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nedorama

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2022, 11:17:12 PM »
Can't support all products - they still have the DL16S and DL32S. I did like that the DL32R had standalone recording, and I would guess that having the DL32R and DL32S was splitting the vote too much and retailers were wondering "why do I need to carry both?"

Sticking with my DL1608 for now as it does what I need, but will go stage-box route when I upgrade; since trying out the 1608 at a show in September with the iPad on wireless, it was a game changer... just took me a while.
Regards,
Nedorama
DL1608

WK154

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2022, 12:39:24 AM »
Here's some 20-20 hindsight. Why would Mackie produce the DL16S when all they needed to do was re-lay out the DL1608 board to fit a stage box and add DCA's and better recording. Instead they removed some features. Same holds true for the DL32R. Why bring out a crippled version of the DL32R.  A little creative engineering would have gone a long way. For less or the same $ I would go with the XR18, MR18 or UI24.
Cheers
When in doubt KISS

JMC89

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Re: DL32R Discontinued???
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2022, 06:05:05 PM »
Here's some 20-20 hindsight. Why would Mackie produce the DL16S when all they needed to do was re-lay out the DL1608 board to fit a stage box and add DCA's and better recording. Instead they removed some features. Same holds true for the DL32R. Why bring out a crippled version of the DL32R.  A little creative engineering would have gone a long way. For less or the same $ I would go with the XR18, MR18 or UI24.

No one can tell whether or not they listen to customers. What’s clear is that there has been a decade long run of strategic mistakes:

2012: Mackie introduces their innovative DL1608 at Winter NAMM for $1000. Even though it took them until August of that year to get it into stores, it was nonetheless a big deal at the time and a game changer.

2013: The DL806 was a wasted effort and later discontinued for lack of sales. That energy should have gone into cost reducing the DL1608 instead of removing cheap parts like XLR connectors and crippling it. Mackie takes an entire year to add Lightning connector support leaving users stuck on old iPad models unless they use Apple’s adapter preventing you from locking your iPad in the dock.

2014: DL32R is announced and costs 2.5x the DL1608. Rack mounting made sense for a “headless” product line but now you’ve created a $1500 hole for the competition to fill…Mackie no doubt panics when Behringer releases their stage boxes this year with integrated WI-FI for as little as $300 and puts an end to their brief 2 year run as the market leader.

2015: Releases DANTE card for DL32R.

2016: Mackie releases the DC16 over a year after the DL32R release. It not only costs more than the DL32R you have to factor in the cost of the 2 extra iPads required to make full use of the design.

2016: Another mistake…the ProDX line of iPhone based mixers, again quietly discontinued.

2017: No hardware released in competitive market.

2018: It took Mackie NEARLY FOUR YEARS to clone the Behringer stage box form factor with the DL16S and DL32S with fewer features and a higher MSRP and NO RECORDING SUPPORT! How does that even happen??? Mackie publishes “roadmap” for Master Fader after failing to deliver on feature set and support promised at product launch.

2019: Mackie announces private MF Beta Program to mollify customers who are now either stuck with version 4 or are missing key features in version 5. Mackie later “gives up” when it announces that MF 5.1 won’t support DC16 and then supports it 8 months later in a subsequent 5.2 release after huge customer bashlash including losing Dan Kury as their biggest advocate.

2020: It takes Mackie 2 years to fix major bugs introduced with MF 5.

2021: DL32R is quietly discontinued. No other activity.

2022: Mackie DL raises prices by a large margin.

In hindsight they should have focused on making the best damn low-cost easiest to use, most powerful entry level digital mixer at an always attractive price point. That’s their forte but unlike Austin Powers, their mojo was stolen from them by Behringer and they never got it back, lost the girl and failed to saved the world.
« Last Edit: January 19, 2022, 10:07:14 PM by JMC89 »