Katie Ferrara FreePlays with Mackie
Published: ASIA
NEW ZEALAND: Winner of Toyota’s ‘Feeling the Street’ competition, Katie Ferrara has recently toured New Zealand. Performing in cafes and clubs, at parties and on street corners, the artist made use of Mackie’s FreePlay personal PA system.
‘As a performer, it's all about being flexible,’ explained Ms Ferrara. ‘Often there’s no stage, sometimes there’s not a power outlet nearby. With the FreePlay, it doesn’t matter. It’s easy to setup and doesn't take up much space.’
The device’s portability is key for the singer, who states that when busking, she can sling her guitar onto her back, bring a mic stand and carry the FreePlay in her hand. The rechargeable battery meanwhile, reportedly lasts for a whole day of gigging. ‘A few times, I've been really busy and forgotten to charge it overnight,’ the Californian continued. ‘What’s great about the FreePlay is that if the battery runs down, you can just stick some D-cell batteries in and you’ve got a backup.’
The Mackie Connect app is another feature of the FreePlay that Katie Ferrara champions, as it enables her to control her mix from a smartphone. ‘I can set it up and adjust my levels on the fly,’ said the singer/songwriter. ‘I can add reverb or effects to my guitar or my vocal. I can choose the type of sound I want and don’t have to rely on a sound engineer.’