Los Angeles native Katie Ferrara is a talented artist, and she’s letting the world find out, one gig at a time. The 27-year-old singer/songwriter is a relentless performer, playing cafes, clubs, parties, and busking on street corners throughout Southern California and beyond. She’s traveled the world as a performer, released multiple albums and videos, and recently toured New Zealand as a winner of the Toyota “Feeling the Street” contest.
Performing in unconventional locations is pretty much a way of life for Ferrara, and she relies on her Mackie FreePlay to help her deliver a great sounding performance anytime, anywhere.
“I never know what to expect when I show up to a new gig,” she offers. “As a performer, it’s all about being flexible. Often there’s no stage, sometimes there’s not a power outlet nearby. With the FreePlay, it doesn’t matter a bit. It’s easy to set it up, and it doesn’t take up much space.”
Portability is key, especially when busking, says Ferrara.
“I can carry my guitar on my back, bring a mic stand, and I just have the FreePlay in my hand. I can move around easily, stay as long as I need to, and easily move to another spot.” For her solo performances, it’s more than enough sound. “If it’s just you and your guitar, you don’t really need a whole PA system,” she observes.
FreePlay’s long-lasting rechargeable battery delivers more than enough juice to get her through a whole day of gigging, but she says being able to use standard battery power is another plus.
“A few times, I’ve been really busy and forgotten to charge it overnight. What’s great about the FreePlay is that if the battery runs down, you can just stick some D cells in it and you’ve got a backup, and you can keep playing for longer.”
One of Ferrara’s favorite FreePlay features is the Mackie Connect app, allowing her to control her mix from her iPhone.
“As a solo performer, it’s hard to do your own sound,” she says. “With the FreePlay and Mackie Connect, I can set it up, step back, and adjust my levels on the fly. I can add reverb or effects to my guitar or my vocal, I can choose the type of sound I want, and I don’t have to rely on a sound engineer.”
Playing private parties and other events, Ferrara has made good use of the ability to stream music via Bluetooth from her iPhone through the FreePlay. “If I’m playing a few sets with breaks in between, I can be my own DJ and stream a playlist. I always stick a couple of my own songs in there, and lots of times people ask about it and end up buying my CD,” she enthuses.
Of course, the bottom line is the sound, and FreePlay delivers. “Being able to take control of my sound is helpful to being a good performer,” she explains. “If you don’t have good sound, people aren’t going to like what you play.”