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Mackie 1604-VLZ PRO Owner's Manual

Manual is about: 16-CHANNEL MIC/LINE MIXER

Summary of 1604-VLZ PRO

  • Page 1

    1604-vlz pro 16-channel mic/line mixer owner’s manual 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 pan aux 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 eq 5 4 6 5/6 shift pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre trim 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 solo l...

  • Page 2

    2 caution avis risk of electric shock do not open risque de choc electrique ne pas ouvrir caution: to reduce the risk of electric shock do not remove cover (or back) no user-serviceable parts inside refer servicing to qualified personnel attention: pour eviter les risques de choc electrique, ne pas ...

  • Page 3: Read This Page!!!

    3 part no. 0006982-90 rev. A1 06/03 ©2003 mackie designs inc. All rights reserved. We realize that you must have a powerful hankerin’ to try out your new 1604-vlz pro. Or you might be one of those people who never reads manuals. Either way, all we ask is that you read this page now, and the rest can...

  • Page 4: Introduction

    4 pan aux 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 eq 5 4 6 5/6 shift pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre trim 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 so...

  • Page 5: Contents

    5 contents pre ........................................................ 21 5/6 shift .............................................. 21 output section description ..................... 22 main mix fader .................................... 22 vlz mix architecture ......................... 22 sub fade...

  • Page 6: Hookup Diagrams

    6 1604-vlz pro 8-track tracking 8 7 6 5 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 21 1 2 3 4 r l r r l r l r l r l r 1 2 3 4 5 6 direct out bal/unbal channel inserts aux returns main insert c/r out bal/unbal main out bal/unbal mono stereo phones out aux sends bal/unbal 12 3 4 sub outs bal/unbal channel i...

  • Page 7

    7 1604-vlz pro stereo p.A. 8 7 6 5 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 21 1 2 3 4 r l r r l r l r l r l r 1 2 3 4 5 6 channel inserts aux returns main insert mono stereo phones out 12 3 4 channel inputs l l l r l r tape out tape in 16 15 1 4 1 3 12 1 1 10 987654321 3 2 1 direct out bal/unbal c/r ou...

  • Page 8

    8 1604-vlz pro video setup 8 7 6 5 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 21 1 2 3 4 r l r r l r l r l r l r 1 2 3 4 5 6 channel inserts aux returns main insert mono stereo phones out 12 3 4 channel inputs l l l r l r tape out tape in 16 15 1 4 1 3 12 1 1 10 987654321 3 2 1 direct out bal/unbal c/r ou...

  • Page 9: Converting to Rackmount Mode

    9 converting to rackmount mode not only is the new 1604-vlz pro a compact, professional-quality tabletop mixer, it’s rack- mountable! Its unique rotating input pod makes this possible. One of the things that revolutionized the compact mixer industry was the “convertible pod” found on the original, c...

  • Page 10: Patchbay Description

    10 utilise un fusible de rechange de mÊme type. Debrancher avant de remplacer le fusible 4 3 2 1 insert insert insert line insert mic 4 mic 3 mic 2 mic 1 bal un- bal bal un- bal bal un- bal bal un- bal line line line o o +6 phantom on power on 120 vac 50/60 hz 20w 1a/250v slo-blo 16 15 14 13 12 11 1...

  • Page 11

    11 line inputs these 1 / 4 " jacks share circuitry (but not phantom power) with the mic preamps. You can use these inputs for virtually any signal you’ll come across, from instrument levels as low as –50db to operating levels of –10dbv to +4dbu, as there is 60db of gain available via the trim knob ....

  • Page 12

    12 split monitoring with split monitoring, you use the first eight channels for your sound sources: vocal mics, drum mics, keyboard/synth outputs, guitar effects outputs, that sort of thing. From there, the channels manipulate the sound, but are not assigned to the output section. Instead, they’re p...

  • Page 13

    13 utilise un fusible de rechange de mÊme type. Debrancher avant de remplacer le fusible 4 3 2 1 insert insert insert line insert mic 4 mic 3 mic 2 mic 1 bal un- bal bal un- bal bal un- bal bal un- bal line line line o o +6 phantom on power on 120 vac 50/60 hz 20w 1a/250v slo-blo 16 15 14 13 12 11 1...

  • Page 14

    14 this method is exactly the same as the double- busing feature found in other mixers. Built-in double busing is nothing more than y-cords living inside the mixer instead of hanging out the back. If we had room for the extra jacks, we would have thrown them in, but we don’t, so we didn’t. Sonically...

  • Page 15

    15 utilise un fusible de rechange de mÊme type. Debrancher avant de remplacer le fusible o o +6 phantom on power on 120 vac 50/60 hz 20w 1a/250v slo-blo 16 15 14 13 12 11 1 mic 16 insert insert insert insert insert insert insert mic 15 mic 14 mic 13 mic 12 mic 11 mic 10 c-r out main insert (tip send...

  • Page 16

    16 utilise un fusible de rechange de mÊme type. Debrancher avant de remplacer le fusible 4 3 2 1 insert insert insert line insert mic 4 mic 3 mic 2 mic 1 bal un- bal bal un- bal bal un- bal bal un- bal line line line o o +6 phantom on power on 120 vac 50/60 hz 20w 1a/250v slo-blo 16 15 14 13 12 11 1...

  • Page 17: Channel Strip Description

    17 channel strip description a clean fade faders are not rocket science — they operate by dragging a metal pin (the wiper) across a carbon-based strip (the track). It is possible for airborne crud to land on the track. Should that happen, you may hear scratchy noises or signal drop- outs as the wipe...

  • Page 18

    18 if you’re printing new tracks or bouncing ex- isting ones, you’ll also use the 1–2 and 3–4 switches, but not the l–r switch. Here, you don’t want the subgroups sent back into the main mix, but sent out, via the sub outs jacks, to your multitrack inputs . However, if you’re printing tracks via the...

  • Page 19

    19 constant loudness ! ! ! The 1604-vlz pro’s pan controls employ a de- sign called “constant loudness.” it has nothing to do with living next to a freeway. As you turn the pan knob from left to right (thereby caus- ing the sound to move from the left to the center to the right), the sound will appe...

  • Page 20

    20 20 hz 100 hz 1k hz 10k hz 20k hz –15 –10 –5 0 +5 +10 +15 20 hz 100 hz 1k hz 10k hz 20k hz –15 –10 –5 0 +5 +10 +15 most of the root and lower harmonics that define a sound are located in the 100hz–8khz frequency range, and you can create drastic changes with these two knobs. Many engineers use mid...

  • Page 21

    21 we recommend going into a stereo reverb in mono and returning in stereo. We have found that on most “stereo” reverbs, the second input just ties up an extra aux send and adds nothing to the sound. There are exceptions, so feel free to try it both ways. Should you choose to use two aux sends, use ...

  • Page 22: Output Section Description

    22 aux send stereo aux return effects to monitors to aux send 2 to aux send 1 1 2 pwr phan solo solo 1 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 c-r / phns only returns solo main mix to subs assign options 1–2 3–4 u o o +20 u o o +20 u o o +15 u o o +15 u o o +20 u o o +20 u o o +10 u o o +10 left right phones lamp 12v 0.5a ta...

  • Page 23

    23 now you know how to select the signals you want to send to the engineer’s control room and/or phones. From there, these signals all pass through the same level control, aptly named: ctl room/phones as you might expect, this knob controls the levels of both the stereo c-r outs and phones output . ...

  • Page 24

    24 mode (normal (afl)/level set (pfl)) you may have already seen this, but in case you missed it: the 1604-vlz pro’s solo system comes in two flavors: normal (afl) (sometimes called sip, or solo-in-place) and level set (pfl) (sometimes called pfl, or pre-fader-listen). In normal (afl), the soloed ch...

  • Page 25

    25 meters the 1604-vlz pro’s peak metering system is made up of two columns of twelve leds. Decep- tively simple, considering the multitude of signals that can be monitored by it. If nothing is selected in the source matrix and no channels are in solo, the meter display will just sit there. To put t...

  • Page 26

    26 aux sends solo once again, in a live sound situations aux send 1 and 2 are likely to feed your stage monitors. You’ll want to check the mix you’re sending them, and that’s what these two but- tons are for. ( aux 3 through aux 6 have no such switch.) beside each switch is a green led that, just li...

  • Page 27

    27 ( main mix to subs switch up) and you did a drum fade-out using subgroup faders 1 and 2, the “dry” signals would fade out, but the “wet” signals would keep on singing. All you would hear is the drum reverb (the “wet”), and none of the original drum signals (the “dry”). That’s be- cause the reverb...

  • Page 28: 1604-Vlz

    28 1604-vlz pro block diagram main l sub 3 main r sub 2 sub 1 sub 4 aux 1 aux 2 aux 3 aux 4 aux 5 aux 6 sip l sip r pfl logic 75hz hpf mid h i 80 100–8k 12k lo l r 1 2 3 4 sip l sip r pfl phantom power (global switch trim mic in line in direct out (ch's 1–8 only) insert low cut –20 (flicker) solo (g...

  • Page 29: Gain Structure Diagram

    29 gain structure diagram +22dbu max in 15db loss, trim down 45db gain, trim up line in, all channels mic in, all channels 60db gain, trim up 0db gain, trim down +22dbu max in +15db up – 15db down – 15db down – 15db down low +15db up mid +15db up high +10db up fader pan – 4db center eq mix 0db 1/4" ...

  • Page 30: Specifications

    30 specifications main mix noise 20hz–20khz bandwidth, 1 ⁄ 4 " main out, channel trims @ unity gain, channel eqs flat, all channels assigned to main mix, odd channels panned left, even channels panned right main mix fader unity, channel faders down: –86.5dbu (90db signal to noise ratio, ref +4dbu) m...

  • Page 31: Service Info

    31 service info details concerning warranty service are spelled out on the warranty card included with your mixer (if it’s missing, let us know and we’ll rush one to you). If you think your 1604-vlz pro has a problem, please do everything you can to confirm it before call- ing for service. Doing so ...

  • Page 32: Appendix A: Connections

    32 appendix a: connections “xlr” connectors mackie mixers use 3-pin female “xlr” con- nectors on all microphone inputs, with pin 1 wired to the grounded (earthed) shield, pin 2 wired to the “high” (”hot” or positive polarity) side of the audio signal and pin 3 wired to the “low” (“cold” or negative ...

  • Page 33

    33 special mackie connections the balanced-to-unbalanced connection has been anticipated in the wiring of mackie jacks. A 1 ⁄ 4 " ts plug inserted into a 1 ⁄ 4 " trs balanced input, for example, will automatically unbalance the input and make all the right connections. Con- versely, a 1 ⁄ 4 " trs pl...

  • Page 34

    34 using the send only on an insert jack if you insert a ts (mono) 1 ⁄ 4 " plug only partially (to the first click) into a mackie insert jack, the plug will not activate the jack switch and will not open the insert loop in the circuit (thereby allow- ing the channel signal to continue on its merry w...

  • Page 35

    35 tip (send) ring (in) tip (out) ring (return) to mixer channel insert ring (return) tip (send) to processor input from processor output y-cord insert cable y-cord splitter cable mults and “y”s a mult or “y” connector allows you to route one output to two or more inputs by simply providing parallel...

  • Page 36

    36 pan aux 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 eq 5 4 6 5/6 shift pre pre pre pre pre pre pre pre trim 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 solo l - r 3–4 1–2 ol -20 ol -20 ol -20 ol -20...

  • Page 37

    37 utilise un fusible de rechange de mÊme type. Debrancher avant de remplacer le fusible 4 3 2 1 insert insert insert line insert mic 4 mic 3 mic 2 mic 1 bal un- bal bal un- bal bal un- bal bal un- bal line line line o o +6 phantom on power on 120 vac 50/60 hz 20w 1a/250v slo-blo 16 15 14 13 12 11 1...

  • Page 38

    38 colophon (roll credits please) manual written by jeff gilbert, based on a vignette by ron koliha, with tidbits borrowed from almost everywhere. Manual then defaced with proofreading pens in the hands of mackie’s legendary tech support staff. Manual composed on a rinky-dink pc using a low-budget w...

  • Page 39

    39 1604-vlz pro limited warranty 3. Make sure that the problem can be dupli- cated. If you bring your product to an authorized service center and they can’t find anything wrong with it, you may be charged a service fee. 4. If the mackie authorized service center is located in another city, pack the ...

  • Page 40: Mackie Designs Inc.

    Mackie designs inc. 16220 wood-red road ne • woodinville, wa 98071 • usa us and canada: 800.898.3211 europe, asia, central and south america: 425.487.4333 middle east and africa: 31.20.654.4000 fax: 425.487.4337 • www.Mackie.Com e-mail: sales@mackie.Com.