A long-standing member of the Zac Brown Band, John Driskell Hopkins has lent his voice, bass playing and songwriting to the charismatic country music star since 2005. As a multi-instrumentalist, ‘Hop’ – as he is known – also records and performs with other acts, and formed Brighter Shade in 1996. Moving into record production led him to found Brighter Shade Studios, where the first two major Zac Brown Band albums were recorded.
I the studio environment, Hopkins has used Mackie equipment since the early years: ‘I used to mix on a Mackie CR-1604VLZ analogue desk back in the day, and the results were fantastic,’ he recalls. ‘Then I had a Mackie 8*Bus 32-channel board for a long time. That was killer too. I started using Mackie HR824 studio monitors as soon as they came out; I used those for a long time. Now I have the new XR824 studio monitors, and I just love them. They’re clean, accurate, powerful, and versatile. I can use them with or without a subwoofer and be equally happy with the result.’
Right now, Hopkins is building a new studio in the attic of his Atlanta home, with the Mackie XR824s as core pieces: ‘The new place will be 2,500sq-ft, and the live room will have 17ft ceilings,’ he says. ‘The XR824s will be right next to the console and I also will use Mackie speakers in the live room.
‘People don’t realise how versatile Mackie gear is,’ he continues. ‘You can modify the XR824s for the space you’re in. I’ve taken them to hotel suites, and I change the settings to make it work in each room. I can do a low cut, say, if the room overemphasizes lows. There’s a high-frequency filter so you can account for different rooms. If the speakers aren’t sitting the same way relative to the wall as they were at home, I adjust the acoustic space filters to keep the response flat. They’re like a Swiss Army Knife, in that they can be used for many applications. I’ve recorded dozens of independent and regional acts using the XR824s, and I intend to use them forever.’
As construction of the new recording facility nears completion, Hopkins is eager to start work: ‘The Mackie XR824s are exactly what I need to make my new attic studio sound it’s best,’ he says. ‘But then, Mackie has always been able to anticipate what musicians need and provide it. They’ve done it again with the XR824. They’re awesome.’
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