M•1400i owner’s manual and warranty registration ol –3 –6 –9 –2 0 –3 –6 –9 –2 0 sig ol sig ch 1 30 28 26 20 22 18 24 16 14 8 0 0 1.23v (+4dbu) sensitivity gain /db ch 2 protect cold hot short temp status internal status ch 1 ch 2 ch 1& 2 on off power 3v 2v 1v 30 28 26 20 22 18 24 16 14 8 0 0 1.23v (...
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 en...
3 part no. 820-062-10 rev. 1 4/98 ©1998 mackie designs, all rights reserved. Printed in the u.S.A. Lend me your ears exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause per- manent hearing loss. Individuals vary considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, but nearly everyone will los...
4 read this page! 6. Determine which amp mode is best for your application: • stereo mode (separate left and right inputs, separate left and right outputs) is the typical setup for amplifying stereo signals. • mono mode (sometimes called dual- mono mode – one mono input, two mono outputs) is for sen...
5 • the 1/4" trs inputs are wired tip = hot (+), ring = cold (–) and sleeve = shield (ground), and can accept either balanced (trs) or unbalanced (ts) cables. 8. In mono and bridge modes, connect an input cable to channel 1’s input only, and nothing into channel 2’s input. (you could plug into chann...
6 how to use this manual the glossary: a haven of non- techiness for the neophyte just in case you’re new to the audio world, we’ve included a fairly comprehensive dictio- nary of pro audio terms. If terms like “clipping,” “noise floor,” or “unbalanced” leave you blank, flip to the glossary at the b...
7 contents quick start .......................................................... 4 application diagrams ......................................... 8 feature descriptions .............................................. 11 gain ............................................................. 11 meters ......
8 application diagrams channel 2 1 channel ch 2 speaker outputs + – – + 63hz 125hz constant directiv it y horn eq /air eq constant directiv it y horn eq /air eq input thru thru input amp mode frequency 4.5 k hz on 6k hz 2k hz mono br id g e limiter (ch1 & ch2) off full range sub woofer low cut filte...
9 m•1400i: main speakers and stage monitors with one amplifier channel 2 1 channel ch 2 speaker outputs + – – + 63hz 125hz constant directivity horn eq /air eq constant directivity horn eq /air eq input thru thru input amp mode frequency 4.5 k hz on 6k hz 2k hz mono bridge limiter (ch1 & ch2) off fu...
10 m•1400i: stereo system with cd horns channel 2 1 channel ch 2 speaker outputs + – – + 63hz 125hz constant directivity horn eq /air eq constant directivity horn eq /air eq input thru thru input amp mode frequency 4.5 k hz on 6k hz 2k hz mono bridge limiter (ch1 & ch2) off full range sub woofer low...
11 feature descriptions gain these giant knobs control the levels to the output section of the m•1400i amplifier. You’ll notice that their travel is detented, meaning there are 40 built-in “resting points” so you can easily set both controls to the same level. Usu- ally, these controls are set all t...
12 you may wonder why we didn’t use just one stereo control to control both sides. That’s in case your applica- tion requires a left/right imbalance (due to an irregularly shaped room) or if you’re using the two sides for completely different purposes (monitor in channel 1 and side-fill in channel 2...
13 short if this led comes on, the m•1400i has de- tected a short circuit in either of the outputs, meaning that the hot (+) and cold (–) speaker wires are touching, or a speaker itself is shorted out. Such a condition causes the m•1400i to engage its protect mode (when a signal is present), muting ...
14 ch 2 speaker outputs + – – + + – ch 1 120 vac 60 hz 1500 watts (mono bridge) 1400 watts 4 ohm load min. 700 watts ch 2 ohm load min. Conceived, designed, and manufactured by mackie designs inc • woodinville • wa • 98072 • usa • made in usa • fabrique au usa • patents pending copyright © 1997 • th...
15 when you power up the m•1400i, a built-in delay circuit prevents any pops or thumps from being transmitted to the speakers due to turn- on instability in the system. Be sure the signal driving the amplifier is turned down when you first power up the system. There are few things as rude as 3 secon...
16 in fact, you can use both the 1/4" jacks and the binding posts simultaneously. Just remem- ber that doing so creates two parallel loads. Please see “do the math: ohms, loads and such” in appendix e to learn about speaker loads. Be aware: should you choose to terminate your speaker cables with the...
17 when connecting a balanced signal using the xlr or 1/4" jacks, they’re wired thusly, per aes (audio engineering society) standards: xlr trs hot (+) pin 2 tip cold (–) pin 3 ring shield (ground) pin 1 shield unbalanced ts (tip-sleeve) lines can be ac- commodated via the trs jack. Make sure the cor...
18 thru someday you’ll do a show at carnegie hall and realize that one m•1400i amplifier is just not going to do the job — you’ll need a six-foot- high rack full of ’em. That’s what the thru jack is for. Simply plug the signal source out- puts into the first amp’s inputs , patch from that amp’s thru...
19 cd frequency your compression drivers’ spec sheet should have a suggested frequency for compensation boost. If so, just turn the constant direc- tivity switch on and set its knob to match that frequency. If your spec sheet doesn’t have that information, you can simply adjust the frequency knob by...
20 the amp mode switch determines the in- put signal routing within the m•1400i amplifier. Shipped from the factory, the switch is set to stereo. This is correct for about 90% of the applications using an amp like this (hence the typical indicator near it). But you may be in the 10% bracket, requiri...
21 longer linearly follows the input voltage and simply stops. This causes a sine wave to “square off,” and the average power going into the speaker is roughly double that of a sine wave. Square waves sound awful, and could possibly damage your speakers and/or your reputation. The limiter is especia...
22 3. Set the low cut filter frequency control to either 63hz or 125hz, depending on the cutoff frequency selected in the subwoofer amplifier . Since these exact frequencies are not la- beled on the amplifier, you can guesstimate the position of the knob. 63hz is located at about 1 o’clock and 125hz...
23 general precautions and considerations ac power considerations be sure the m•1400i is plugged into an out- let that is able to supply 120vac at high current. If the voltage should drop below 116vac, the m•1400i will no longer be able to supply rated power. (it will continue to operate down to 50%...
24 the extension cord used to supply power to the “amp rack” should have a third wire safety ground to avoid presenting a safety hazard. We also recommend using a cord that has conduc- tors large enough to avoid severely limiting the amplifier’s ability to supply high currents on transients. With th...
25 the thickness of wire is rated in gauges. Use the chart below to determine the correct gauge of wire to use according to the distance between the speakers and the amplifier, and the impedance of the load the amplifier is driv- ing. This ensures that the power lost across the speaker wire is less ...
26 appendix a: service info • if the output application switch is set to subwoofer , make sure the low cut filter frequency control is set to off or nearly off. If it is turned up above the subwoofer cutoff frequency, the output from the amplifier will be diminished. • is the short led lit? Turn the...
27 as soon as the music gets loud, the amp shuts down! • check the m•1400i’s meters . Be sure that ol is not lighting up frequently or continuously. • can the amp breathe? The m•1400i amps draw their ventilation air in from the front and out through the side panels. They need plenty of fresh air to ...
28 appendix b: glossary clipping a cause of severe audio distortion that is the result of excessive gain requiring the peaks of the audio signal to rise above the capabilities of the amplifier circuit. Seen on an oscillo- scope, the audio peaks appear clipped off. To avoid distortion, reduce the sys...
29 referenced to 1 vrms across any impedance. Commonly used to describe signal levels in consumer equipment. To convert dbv to dbu, add 2.2 db. Decibel (db) the db is a ratio of quantities measured in similar terms using a logarithmic scale. Many audio system parameters measure over such a large ran...
30 (also called a high-pass filter) reduces or eliminates frequencies below its cutoff fre- quency. There are also high-cut (low-pass) filters, bandpass filters (which cut both high and low frequencies but leave a band of fre- quencies in the middle untouched), and notch filters (which remove a narr...
31 maintaining proper circuit impedance rela- tionships is important to avoid distortion and minimize added noise. Mackie input and out- put impedances are designed to work well with the vast majority of audio equipment. Knee a knee is a sharp bend in an eq response curve not unlike the sharp bend i...
32 q a way of stating the bandwidth of a filter or equalizer section. An eq with a q of .75 is broad and smooth, while a q of 10 gives a nar- row, pointed response curve. To calculate the value of q, you must know the center frequency of the eq section and the frequencies at which the upper and lowe...
33 appendix c: connectors (output from mixer), ring to signal return (input back into mixer), and sleeve to ground (earth). • balanced mono circuits. When wired as a balanced connector, a 1⁄4" trs jack or plug is connected tip to signal high (hot), ring to sig- nal low (cold), and sleeve to ground (...
34 • when connecting an unbalanced output to a balanced input, be sure that the signal high (hot) connections are wired to each other. The unbalanced ground (earth) connec- tion should be wired to the low and the ground connections of the balanced input. If there are ground-loop problems, try connec...
35 appendix d: arcane mysteries illuminated sleeving on the drain wire (the one that connects to pin 1) to prevent it from contacting the connector shell. 2. Don’t connect the xlr connector shell to pin 1 of the xlr connector (unless necessary for rfi shielding). Doing so is an invitation for a grou...
36 of rf interference and plan for them before you begin construction. Know the frequency, transmitter power, etc. You can get this information by calling the station. Remember that many broadcast stations change the antenna coverage pattern and transmitter power at night. 11. Don’t use hardware-sto...
37 the best way to accomplish this goal is to optimize the input and output levels for each component in the system. It is best to start at the beginning of the chain (the microphone) and work your way to the end (the speakers). The following procedure details how to opti- mize a sound system with 1...
38 biamplified and triamplified systems use separate power amplifiers to power each indi- vidual low-frequency and high-frequency driver. An electronic crossover (a.K.A. Active crossover) is located between the signal source and the power amplifier. The advantages of this method include 1) increased...
39 appendix e: technical info “parallel” means that the positive amp out- put connects to the positive terminals of all the speakers, and the negative amp output con- nects to the negative terminals of all the speakers. If one speaker fails in a parallel con- figuration, the others will still work, ...
40 specifications m•1400i continuous sine wave average output power, both channels driven: 250 watts per channel into 8 ohms from 20hz to 20khz, with no more than 0.012% thd 425 watts per channel into 4 ohms from 20hz to 20khz, with no more than 0.025% thd 630 watts per channel into 2 ohms from 20hz...
41 ol –3 –6 –9 –20 –3 –6 –9 –20 sig ol sig ch 1 30 28 26 20 22 18 24 16 14 8 0 0 1.23v (+4dbu) sensitivity gain/db ch 2 protect cold hot short temp status internal status ch 1 ch 2 ch 1& 2 on off power 3v 2v 1v 30 28 26 20 22 18 24 16 14 8 0 0 1.23v (+4dbu) sensitivity gain/db 3v 2v 1v professional ...
42 colophon manual written by jeff gilbert and dave franzwa, with tidbits borrowed from almost everywhere, includ- ing huge chunks of technic- ally baffling text contributed by rick chinn. Manual then defaced with proofreading pens in the hands of mackie’s legendary tech support staff (paul larson),...
43 a. Mackie warrants all materials, workmanship and proper operation of this fr series product for a period of three years from the original date of purchase. If you complete the optional question- naire portion of the product registration card, the warranty will be extended for an additional two y...
