One of the largest islands in Washington’s Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island is a relaxing 35-minute ferry ride from Seattle. The island is renowned for its artistic community, with a long list of authors, actors, and musicians calling it home. So it makes sense that songwriter, artist, and guitarist Zach Fleury found his way to Bainbridge Island when he sought a place to focus on his songwriting.
Today, Fleury plays a wide variety of gigs, mostly on the island, where he has built a loyal following. He has released two albums since moving there, with a third in production. He also collaborates with other Bainbridge musicians, scores films for Lionsgate Films, and performs with his band The Winslow Way Wrecking Crew. But Fleury most loves to play solo, and for these shows, his Mackie FreePlay™ Personal PA has become an important part of his rig.
“The Mackie FreePlay is small and easy to carry – great for small events where you need to load in and out quickly,” Fleury begins. “I like it for popup shows, house concerts, busking, even small coffeehouse gigs where you want to sound really good without getting too loud. And it does sound really good-nice and clean!”
FreePlay’s features go beyond just portability, Fleury explains. “It’s battery powered, so it’s perfect for gigs where power outlets aren’t close by. And the rechargeable lithium battery lasts for hours – more than enough to get through almost any gig.”
Fleury also gives high marks to the Mackie Connect™ control app, which enables him to control the FreePlay from his phone. “The app is awesome,” he insists. “I have my phone clipped to my mic stand, and I can mix my levels, add reverb and effects, and even add a backing track if I want to. And the Bluetooth connectivity is really handy for playing break music between sets, as well; I just stream the music from my phone to the FreePlay.”
Now that he has the FreePlay, Fleury is looking for cool new things he can do with it. There’s a long tradition of live music on the Puget Sound ferries, and he wants to try the compact PA system there. “I know I can absolutely rely on it because it works great and sounds great every time,” he confides. “It’s the perfect portable PA system.”