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1642-VLZ3
16-Channel Mic/Line Mixer
O W N E R ’ S M A N U A L
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Important Safety Instructions 1. Read these instructions. 20.NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with 2. Keep these instructions. the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection 3. Heed all warnings. against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equip- 4. Follow all instructions. ment generates, uses,
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Owner’s Manual Other Nuggets of Wisdom Read This Page! For optimum sonic performance, the channel fad- We realize that you must have a powerful han- ers and the MAIN MIX fader should be set near the “U” kerin’ to try out your new 1642-VLZ3. Or you (unity gain) markings. might be one of those people who never reads manuals. All we ask is that you read this page Always turn down the MAIN MIX fader and CONTROL NOW, and read the rest later— you’ll be glad you did. ROOM and PHONES knobs before m
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Introduction Thank you for choosing a Mackie professional com- This icon marks information that is critically pact mixer. The 1642-VLZ3 is equipped with our i mportant or unique to the 1642-VLZ3. For your TM precision-engineered XDR2 Extended Dynamic Range own good, read them and remember them. They premium studio-grade mic preamps will be on the final test. Now that you have your 1642-VLZ3, find out how to get This icon will lead you to in-depth explana- the most from it. That’s where this
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Owner’s Manual Contents IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ........................ 2 CHANNEL STRIP DESCRIPTION INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 4 25. CHANNEL FADER .................................... 14 HOOKUP DIAGRAMS............................................... 6 26. ASSIGN (1–2, 3–4, L/R) ........................ 14 27. SOLO ..................................................... 14 PATCHBAY DESCRIPTION 28. –20 (SOLO) LED .....................................
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HOOKUP DIAGRAMS From Mics, Keys, Drum machines etc. Stereo Compressor In Out 8 Track Recorder EFX A EFX B Stereo Processor Cassette Recorder Powered Monitors Headphones Recording System 6 164-VLZ3 1642-VLZ3 MONO L R L R PHONES SUB OUTS C/R OUT TAPE TAPE MAIN MAIN OUT BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL OUT OUT IN INSERT BAL/UNBAL CHANNEL INPUTS STEREO RETURNS AUX SENDS DIRECT OUT CHANNEL INSERTS BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL
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Owner’s Manual Mic 1-5 Guitar Bass Stereo Compressors Mono Effects Guitar Keyboard Drum Machine Stereo Effects Turntable Phono preamp Mono EQs, M-1400i Amps, Additional and (C300) Passive Stage Monitors stereo source Active PA Speaker/ Subwoofer Processor combination (Pole-mounted SRM450s and SRS1500 active Processor Subwoofers pictured) Stereo Processor CD Player Digital Multitrack Recorder Headphones Live Stereo PA System Owner’s Manual SUB OUTS MONO L R L R PHONES C/R OUT TAPE TAPE MAIN
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Patchbay Description 1 2 4 At the risk of stating the obvious, this is where you 1. MIC INPUTS plug everything in: microphones, line-level instruments We use phantom-powered, balanced microphone and effects, and the ultimate destination for your sound: inputs just like the big studio mega- consoles, for a tape recorder, PA system, etc. Many of the features de- exactly the same reason: This kind of circuit is excel- scribed in this section are on top of the mixer, but some lent at rejectin
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Owner’s Manual Unless you know for certain it is safe to do This 15 dB of attenuation can be very handy when you so, never plug single-ended (unbalanced) are inserting a signal that is very hot, or you want to add microphones, instruments, ribbon mics, or a lot of EQ gain, or both. Without this “virtual pad,” a electronic devices into the MIC [1] input jacks if the scenario like this might lead to channel clipping. phantom power is on. The GAIN controls for stereo channels 9-10 and 11-12 are
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6 5 9 8 7 5. DIRECT OUT Double Busing Only on channels 1–8, these 1/4" balanced jacks How on earth do you get four buses to feed deliver the signal from the very end of the channel path; eight tracks? Double busing! post-GAIN [3], post-EQ [32], post-LOW CUT [34], post- • Bus 1 feeds SUB OUT 1 and SUB OUT 5, which FADER [25], and post-MUTE [30]. Use these for record- in turn feed tracks 1 and 5 ing, making the 1642-VLZ3 perfect for an 8-track studio. • Bus 2 feeds SUB OUT 2 and SUB OUT 6, w
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Owner’s Manual Another method of interfacing a multitrack is called 8. SUB OUTS in-line monitoring, and requires a mixing console These 1/4" jacks are usually patched to the inputs of a dedicated to that, like the Mackie 8•Bus. Each of its multitrack deck, or to secondary amplifiers in a complex channels is actually two channels: one carrying the mic/ installation. See page 18 for details of the SUBGROUP line sound source and the other carrying the multitrack FADERS [38]. (See also the
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13. MAIN INSERT These 1/4" jacks are for connecting serial effects such as compressors, equalizers, de-essers, or filters. The IN- SERT point is after the mix amps, but before the MAIN 17 MIX fader. Insert cables must be wired thusly: SEND to processor 16 ring “tip” (TRS plug) tip sleeve 18 This plug connects to one of the “ring” mixer’s Channel Insert jacks. RETURN from processor 20 22 19 14 15 14 13 Tip = send (to effects device inputs) Ring = return (from effects device outputs) 11. TAPE
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Owner’s Manual standby mode. It will not function, but the circuits are 16. MONO LEVEL still live. To remove AC power, either turn off the AC If Mr. Mono's main mono mix is maxed, just reach for mains supply, or unplug the power cord from the mixer this knob and turn it down a bit. Just the thing for send- and the AC mains supply. ing mono signals to mic inputs like camcorders, tele- phone interface boxes, even answering machines. With As a general guide, you should turn on your mixer the
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Channel Strip Description There are eight mono, and four stereo channel strips. 26. ASSIGN (1–2, 3–4, L/R) Many of the functions are identical for the mono and Alongside each channel fader are four buttons, stereo channels. We’ll start at the bottom and work our labeled SOLO, 1–2, 3–4 and L/R. The bottom three are way up, pointing out the differences as we go along. collectively referred to as channel assignment switches. 1, 3 and L are the left sides of these stereo pairs, and “U” LIKE U
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Owner’s Manual LEVEL SET (PFL) taps the channel signal 30. MUTE before the fader. If you have a channel’s fader Engaging a channel’s MUTE switch provides the same set way below “U” (unity gain), SOLO won’t results as turning the fader all the way down: Any chan- know that and will send a unity gain signal to the con- nel assignment to L/R, 1-2 or 3-4 will be interrupted. All trol room, headphones, and meters. That may result in a the post AUX sends will be silenced, as will the DIRECT sta
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The MID EQ , or “midrange,” has a fixed bandwidth of CONSTANT LOUDNESS ! ! ! 1 octave. The MID knob sets the amount of boost or cut, The 1642-VLZ3’s PAN [31] up to 15 dB, and is effectively bypassed at the center controls employ a design detent. The frequency knob sets the center frequency, 34 called “Constant Loudness.” sweepable from 100 Hz to 8 kHz. It has nothing to do with living next to a freeway. As you turn the PAN knob +15 +15 +10 +10 from left to right (thereby causing +5 +5 t
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Owner’s Manual using AUX 1 or 2 in the PRE [36] mode, 33. 4-BAND FIXED-FREQUENCY EQ these mix levels can be obtained indepen- The stereo channels (9-16) have a 4-band, fixed-fre- dently of a channel’s fader settings. quency equalization: LOW shelving at 80 Hz, LOW MID 34 peaking at 400 Hz, HI MID peaking at 2.5 kHz, and HI We recommend going into a ste- shelving at 12 kHz. reo reverb in mono and return- ing in stereo. We have found Each of these filters provides up to 15 dB of boost or that
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Output Section Description The main mix signals are off with the fader fully down, the “U” marking is unity gain, and fully up provides 10 dB of additional gain. This additional gain will typically never be needed, but it’s nice to know it’s there. The fader itself is a stereo version of the channel and sub- group faders — same supersmooth custom taper, same dead silence when turned fully down. This is the fader to pull down at the end of the song when you want “The Great Fade-Out.” 38. S
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Owner’s Manual 42. CONTROL ROOM SOURCE Typically, the engineer sends the main mix to a live audience or to a mixdown deck (if recording). But what if the engineer needs to hear something other than the main mix? With the 1642-VLZ3, the engineer has several choices of what to listen to. Via these switches, you can choose to listen to any combination of MAIN MIX, SUBS 1-2, SUBS 3-4 and TAPE. Selections made here deliver stereo signals to the control room, headphones, and meter display. Th
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44. MODE (NORMAL (AFL)/LEVEL SET (PFL)) 46. SOLO (LEVEL) You may have already seen some of this in the SOLO This knob controls the level of the signals coming discussion, but in case you missed it: The 1642-VLZ3’s from the SOLO system. It’s range is off when fully down, solo system comes in two flavors: unity at the center detent, with 10 dB additional gain turned fully up. After the SOLO level is determined, the • NORMAL (AFL) (sometimes called SIP, or solo- SOLO signals will proceed to tak
