Mackie 1402-VLZ PRO, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...4 ALT 3 4 5 MUTE 6 MUTE LEVEL 4 10 10 10 10 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 4 ALT 3 4 ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX SOURCE TAPE SOLO MODE MAIN MIX TRIM dB 30 20 10 O O 40 50 5 5 U 60 10 dB 30 20 10 O O 40 50 5 5 U 60 10 dB 30 20 10 O O 40 50 5 5 U 60 10 dB 30 20 10 O O 40 50 5 5 U 60 10 dB 30 20 10 O O 40 50 5 5 U 60 10 dB 30 20 10 O O 40 50 5 5 U 60 10 dB 30 20 10 O O 40 50 5 5 U 60 10 dB 30 20 10 O O 40 50 5 5 U 60 ...

Page 2: ... be connected to a power supply only of the type described in these operation instructions or as marked on this Mackie product 8 Power Cord Protection Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked upon or pinched by items placed upon or against them paying particular attention to cords at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit this Mackie product...

Page 3: ...se If it isn t you might have to readjust these levels during the middle of the set 7 Adjust the channel s TRIM control so that the display on the LED meters stays around 0 and never goes higher than 7 8 If you d like to apply some EQ do so now and return to step 7 9 Disengage that channel s SOLO switch 10 Repeat for each of Channels 1 6 Other Nuggets of Wisdom For optimum sonic performance the ch...

Page 4: ...es of microphones fixed installations grounding and balanced versus unbalanced lines It s a goldmine for the neo phyte and even the seasoned pro might learn a thing or two INTRODUCTION AFL L MONO L MONO L MONO L MONO LINE IN 7 8 R R R R LINE IN 9 10 LINE IN 11 12 LINE IN 13 14 BAL OR UNBAL BAL OR UNBAL BAL OR UNBAL BAL OR UNBAL LINE IN 3 LINE IN 4 L R 1 2 1 2 RIGHT AUXSEND STEREO AUX RETURNS MAIN ...

Page 5: ...ESCRIPTION 18 U LIKE UNITY GAIN 18 FADER 18 SOLO 18 MUTE ALT 3 4 18 PAN 19 CONSTANT LOUDNESS 19 3 BAND EQ 19 AUX SEND 20 OUTPUT SECTION DESCRIPTION 21 MAIN MIX 21 VLZ MIX ARCHITECTURE 21 SOURCE MATRIX 21 CONTROL ROOM PHONES 22 SOLO MODE SIP PFL 22 RUDE SOLO LED 22 ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX 23 METERS 23 AUX TALK 24 AUX 1 SELECT 24 AUX 1 MASTER 24 AUX RETURNS 24 EFX TO MONITOR 25 JACK NORMALLING 25 MODIFIC...

Page 6: ...no in stereo out Reverb Digital Delay out play in record Keyboard or other line level input 4 track Recorder in record out play in in out out IMPORTANT ALL Channel Insert plugs are inserted to the SECOND click Mono Processor out in Guitar Effects 2 track Mixdown Deck 2 track Mixdown Deck 2 track Mixdown Deck Power Amplifier Stereo Compressor CH 1 CH 2 FULL SYMMETRY DUAL DIFFERENTIAL HIGH CURRENT D...

Page 7: ...h time code Interface optional Keyboard or other line level input out in 5 6 4 14 13 12 11 10 9 6 5 4 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 L R L R L R CHANNEL INSERTS AUX RETURNS ALT 3 4 OUT PHONES OUT INPUTS L MONO R R R R L MONO L MONO L MONO AUX OUT L 7 1 2 8 CHANNEL R L R IN TAPE OUT MAIN OUT CNTRL ROOM OUTPUTS MAIN OUT L R Time code DAT CD Player SMPTE Control Power Amplifier CH 1 CH 2 FULL SYMMETRY DUAL DIFFER...

Page 8: ...on the floor 4 3 1 1 2 L R L R L R CHANNEL INSERTS AUX RETURNS ALT 3 4 OUT PHONES OUT INPUTS L MONO R R R R L MONO L MONO L MONO AUX OUT L 1 2 CHANNEL R L R IN TAPE OUT MAIN OUT CNTRL ROOM OUTPUTS MAIN OUT L R CD Player CD Player Sampler Turntable Phono Preamps out in out in out in out in out out out out out in in in L R L R L R RIAA RIAA 5 6 4 14 13 12 11 10 9 5 6 4 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 7 8 Power Amplif...

Page 9: ...ouldfeedthe leftmonosideofchannelinputonly B Paneachchannelhardleft C ConnectMonoPAsystemto Leftmainoutput Mono EQ Bass Preamp 5 6 4 14 13 12 11 10 9 6 4 5 4 5 1 3 3 2 1 1 2 1 2 L R L R L R AUX RETURNS PHONES OUT INPUTS L MONO R R R R L MONO L MONO L MONO AUX OUT L 7 1 2 8 CHANNEL R L R IN TAPE OUT MAIN OUT CNTRL ROOM OUTPUTS MAIN OUT L R out in out in out out out out in in in in CHANNEL INSERTS A...

Page 10: ... exactly the same reason This kind of circuit is excellent at rejecting hum and noise You can plug in almost any kind of mic that has a standard XLR type male mic connector To learn how signals are routed from these inputs If you wire your own connect them like this 2 2 3 1 1 SHIELD COLD HOT SHIELD COLD HOT 3 SHIELD COLD HOT 3 2 1 Pin 1 Ground or shield Pin 2 Positive or hot Pin 3 Negative or cold...

Page 11: ...If the sound source is a 10 device engage this switch If you are unsure leave the switch up and per form the Level Setting Procedure substituting this switch for the TRIM knob and then setting the switch to the appropriate gain setting LINE INPUTS Channels 1 6 These six line inputs share circuitry but not phantom power with the mic preamps and can be driven by balanced or unbalanced sources at alm...

Page 12: ...receives the left signal For example you would feed the MS1402 VLZ s line inputs 7 8 a stereo signal by inserting the device s left output plug into the Channel 7 jack and its right output plug into the Chan nel 8 jack When connecting a mono device just one cord always use the Left MONO input and plug nothing into the Right input this way the signal will appear on both sides This trick is called j...

Page 13: ...all three sleeves Besides being used for inserting external devices these jacks can also be used as chan nel direct outputs post TRIM post LOW CUT and pre EQ Check out the 4 track hookup dia gram Here s three ways you can use the INSERT jacks Directoutwithnosignalinterruptiontomaster Insertonlytofirst click ChannelInsertjack ChannelInsertjack ChannelInsertjack Directoutwithsignalinterruptiontomast...

Page 14: ...our tape recorder s outputs here using standard hi fi RCA cables To learn how signals are routed from these inputs see TIP SLEEVE TIP SLEEVE Use these jacks for convenient tape play back of your mixes You ll be able to review a mix and then rewind and try another pass without repatching or disturbing the mixer levels You can also use these jacks with a por table tape or CD player to feed music to ...

Page 15: ... acceptable To use these outputs to drive un balanced inputs connect 1 4 TS Tip Sleeve phone plugs like this Tip hot Sleeve Ground TAPE OUTPUT These unbalanced RCA connections tap the MAIN OUTPUTS to make simultaneous record ing and PA work more convenient Connect these to your recorder s inputs To learn how signals are routed to these outputs MONO OUT If you want to feed a mono signal to your tap...

Page 16: ... your own cables CONTROL ROOM These 1 4 jacks are balanced outputs ca pable of delivering 22dBu into a 600 ohm balanced or unbalanced load To learn how signals are routed to these outputs To wire your own cables AUX SEND 1 2 These 1 4 jacks are also balanced outputs capable of delivering 22dBu into a 600 ohm balanced or unbalanced load To learn how signals are routed to these outputs To wire your ...

Page 17: ...gned so heat buildup isn t a problem even in 24 hour a day operation There s nothing that will burn out or get used up Or just plug everything into a good quality power strip for one button turn on You may notice that the MS1402 VLZ feels quite warm in the upper right corner This is perfectly normal Perfectly normal Is that redundant In the output section there is a PWR LED If the power is on so i...

Page 18: ...edure Your MS1402 VLZ has Dual Mode Solo A switch in the master section determines which mode you ll be hearing With the switch up you ll get SIP Solo In Place which is post FADER and post PAN making it ideal for mixdown soloing With the switch down you re in PFL pre fader listen mode This is the required mode for the Level Setting Procedure Soloed channels are sent to the SOURCE mix which ultimat...

Page 19: ... the sound to move from the left to the center to the right the sound will appear to remain at the same volume or loudness If you have a channel panned hard left or right and reading 0dB it must dip down about 4dB on the left or right when panned center To do otherwise the way Brand X com pact mixers do would make the sound appear much louder when panned center 3 BAND EQ The MicroSeries 1402 VLZ h...

Page 20: ...ings up roy ally We ve designed a lot of boost and cut into each equalizer circuit because we know everyone will occasionally need that But if you max the EQs on every channel you ll get mix mush Equalize subtly and use the left sides of the knobs cut as well as the right boost Very few gold record album engineers ever use more than about 3dB of EQ If you need more than that there s usually a bett...

Page 21: ...than the price of wall warts All of our mixers employ VLZ and built in power supplies that deliver more than enough current result ing in sonic specifications that rival consoles upwards of 50 000 SOURCE MATRIX Typically the engineer sends the MAIN MIX to an audience if live or a mixdown deck if recording But what if the engineer needs to hear something other than the MAIN MIX With the MS1402 VLZ ...

Page 22: ...hould you do something like this be sure that you never engage a SOLO switch as that will interrupt your SOURCE selection SOLO MODE SIP PFL Engaging a channel s SOLO switch will cause this dramatic turn of events Any exist ing SOURCE matrix selections will be replaced by the SOLO signal appearing at the CONTROL ROOM OUTPUTS PHONES OUTPUTS and at the METERS The audible SOLO levels are then controll...

Page 23: ...peaks between 0 and 7 Remember audio meters are just tools to help assure you that your levels are in the ballpark You don t have to stare at them unless you want to ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX Let s say you re doing a live show Intermis sion is nearing and you ll want to play a soothing CD for the crowd to prevent them from becoming antsy Then you think But I have the CD player plugged into the TAPE in pu...

Page 24: ...se controls are designed to handle a wide range of signal levels from off to unity gain at the detent with 20dB gain fully clockwise to compensate for low level effects Typically these knobs can just live at the center detent and the effects device s output control should be set at whatever they call Unity gain check their manual If that turns out to be too loud or too quiet adjust the ef fects de...

Page 25: ... pins that connect to the signal pins but when something is plugged into the jack that con nection is broken These normalling pins can be used in all sorts of ways The ubiquitous phrase LEFT MONO means that if you plug a signal into the LEFT side and have nothing in the RIGHT side that signal is also fed to the right input courtesy of jack normalling As soon as you plug something in the RIGHT side...

Page 26: ...un their ends through holes in the circuit board Rather solder them flat against the desired pad the flat silver area possibly with a hole in the middle Make sure the ends of these flat wires do not extend beyond the pad For most folks the MS1402 VLZ works just fine the way it is But for special applications there are three signal routing changes that can be performed easily on the MS1402 VLZ Easy...

Page 27: ...ing surface 3 Remove the screws that attach the bottom cover Keep track of what screws go where Remove the bottom cover 4 Using a sharp X acto type knife cut the conductor at point A channels 1 6 or the conductors at points AL and AR channels 7 14 Be careful to cut all the way through the conductor and do not cut any nearby traces 5 Add a jumper from point B to the square pad at point A channels 1...

Page 28: ... bottom cover Keep track of what screws go where Remove the bottom cover 4 Using a sharp X acto type knife cut the conductor at point C channels 1 6 or the conductors at points CL and CR channels 7 14 Be careful to cut all the way through the conductor and do not cut any nearby traces 5 Locate the 12 pins that comprise the underside of each MUTE ALT 3 4 switch 6 Add jumpers as shown on the illustr...

Page 29: ...e the signal level at the MAIN OUTS but rather the signal level at the PHONES and CONTROL ROOM outputs when MAIN MIX SOURCE is selected 1 Remove all cords including the power cable from the MS1402 VLZ 2 Place the mixer upside down on a dry non marring surface 3 Remove the screws that attach the bottom cover Keep track of what screws go where Remove the bottom cover 4 Using a sharp X acto type knif...

Page 30: ...ANNEL 1 OF 6 2 1 3 STEREO CHANNEL 1 OF 4 LINE IN L LINE IN R 3 BAND EQ FADER PAN MUTE ALT AUX RETURN 1 L IN R IN AUX RETURN 2 L IN MONO R IN GAIN GAIN EFX TO MONITOR MACKIE MS1402 VLZ SIGNAL FLOW INPUTS M14 41697 VSD DF MID HI 80 2K5 12K LO MID HI 80 2K5 12K LO 75Hz HPF 4 10 SIP R LOGIC 1 2 3 4 SIP L SIP R POST LOGIC SOLO AUX SEND 2 AUX SEND 1 PRE PFL 1 2 3 4 SIP L SIP R LOGIC SOLO PFL POST AUX SE...

Page 31: ... CONTROL ROOM PHONES FADER METERING 0dBu 0VU CONTROL ROOM LEFT CONTROL ROOM RIGHT PHONES OUT AUX 1 MIX AUX 1 PRE POST AUX 2 OUT AUX 1 OUT TAPE IN L R CONTROL ROOM PHONES MIX 2 3 1 2 3 1 AUX 1 LEVEL TAPE OUT R 22 10 7 4 2 0 2 4 7 10 20 30 SIP L SIP R SOLO RELAY PFL LED RUDE SOLO LED SIP SOLO IN PLACE PFL PRE FADER LISTEN ASSIGN TO MAIN SIP L PFL SIP R AUX 2 MIX MACKIE MS1402 VLZ SIGNAL FLOW OUTPUTS...

Page 32: ...IX 0dB 1 4 Out and RCA Tape Out 30dB XLR OUT PAD engaged 6dB XLR OUT OUTPUTS CHANNEL MAIN MIX to A A to A to A to D MAIN MIX ALT 3 4 0dB 0dB 0dB TAPE IN 6dB Boost D 10dB up OUTPUT 0dB SOURCE Matrix C R PHONES MIX C R PHONES FADER CONTROL ROOM PHONES C B 0dB From B 12dB engaged 10dB up Channel AUX SEND AUX MIX Master AUX SEND 0dB OUTPUT AUX SEND INPUT 20dB up to C 0dB LEVEL AUX RETURN 22dBu max out...

Page 33: ... 0dBu 20Hz 20kHz bandwidth Line in 1 4 Main Out Trim unity Main fader down 85dBu Channel Alt Mute switch engaged 84dBu Channel fader down 83dBu Frequency Response Mic input to any output 20Hz to 60kHz 0dB 1dB 20Hz to 100kHz 0dB 3dB Equivalent Input Noise EIN Mic in to Insert Send out max gain 150 ohm termination 129 5dBm unweighted Common Mode Rejection CMR Mic in to Insert Send out max gain 1kHz ...

Page 34: ...wn one by one If the sound disappears it s either that chan nel or whatever is plugged into it so unplug whatever that is If the noise disappears it s from your whatever Power Our favorite question Is the POWER switch on Check the fuse REPAIR Service for the U S version of the MS1402 VLZ is available only from Mackie Designs located in sunny Woodinville Washington Service for mixers living outside...

Page 35: ... ground Balanced input circuits can offer excellent rejection of common mode noise induced into the line and also make proper no ground loops system grounding easier Usually terminated with 1 4 TRS or XLR connectors bandwidth The band of frequencies that pass through a device with a loss of less than 3dB expressed in Hertz or in musical octaves Also see Q bus An electrical connection common to thr...

Page 36: ...it is not equivalent dBV A unit of measurement of audio signal level in an electrical circuit expressed in decibels referenced to 1 VRMS across any impedance Commonly used to describe signal levels in consumer equipment To convert dBV to dBu add 2 2dB 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 larg...

Page 37: ...valent input noise voltage nec essary to obtain a given preamp s output noise Typically ranges from 125 to 129 5 dBm EQ See equalization EQ curve A graph of the response of an equalizer with frequency on the x horizontal axis and amplitude level on the y vertical axis Equalizer types and effects are often named af ter the shape of the graphed response curve such as peak dip shelf notch knee and so...

Page 38: ...quencies evenly spaced through the audio spectrum In a per fect world a line drawn through the centers of the control shafts would form a graph of the frequency response curve Get it Or the posi tions of the slide pots give a graphic representation of boost or cut levels across the frequency spectrum ground Also called earth Ground is defined as the point of zero voltage in a circuit or system the...

Page 39: ...hen the only way that real consoles were built was in modular fash ion one channel per module Seechannel strip knee A knee is a sharp bend in an EQ response curve not unlike the sharp bend in your leg Also used in describing dynamics processors level Another word for signal voltage power strength or volume Audio signals are some times classified according to their level Commonly used levels are mi...

Page 40: ...e removed noise floor The residual level of noise in any system In a well designed mixer the noise floor will be a quiet hiss which is the thermal noise generated by bouncing electrons in the tran sistor junctions The lower the noise floor and the higher the headroom the more usable dy namic range a system has pan pan pot Short for panoramic potentiometer A pan pot is used to position or even move...

Page 41: ...uate their bass response when the source to mic distance is small typically three inches or less Singers gener ally like this effect even more than singing in the shower 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 narrow pointed response curve To calculate the value of Q you must know the center fre quency of th...

Page 42: ... effects devices Mackie mixers call it an Aux Send shelving A term used to describe the shape of an equalizer s frequency response A shelving equalizer s response begins to rise or fall at some frequency and continues to fall or rise until it reaches the shelf frequency at which point the response curve flattens out and re mains flat to the limits of audibility If you were to graph the response it...

Page 43: ...nections re quire only two conductors signal hot and ground Unbalanced audio circuitry is less expensive to build but under certain circum stances is more susceptible to noise pickup unity gain A circuit or system that has its voltage gain adjusted to be one or unity A signal will leave a unity gain circuit at the same level at which it entered In Mackie mixers unity gain is achieved by setting al...

Page 44: ...ted to the audio signal and the sleeve to ground earth Some examples Unbalanced microphones Electric guitars and electronic instruments Unbalanced line level connections XLR CONNECTORS Mackie mixers use 3 pin female XLR connectors on all microphone inputs with pin 1 wired to the grounded earthed shield pin 2 wired to the high hot or positive po larity side of the audio signal and pin 3 wired to th...

Page 45: ...gnals The send from the mixer to the external unit is carried on the tip and the re turn from the unit to the mixer is on the ring SWITCHED 1 4 PHONE JACKS Switches can be incorporated into 1 4 phone jacks which are activated by inserting the plug These switches may open an insert loop in a circuit change the input routing of the signal or serve other functions Mackie uses switches in the channel ...

Page 46: ...he return circuit and will show up in the center of the stereo pair of buses it s as signed to or it can be panned with the Balance control A stereo signal having two plugs should be patched into the LEFT MONO and the RIGHT input or return jacks A jack switch in the RIGHT jack will disable the mono func tion and the signals will show up in stereo A mono signal connected to the RIGHT jack will show...

Page 47: ...round for both audio and power Balanced Lines Balanced lines offer increased immunity to external noise specifically hum and buzz Because a balanced system is able to minimize noise it is the preferred interconnect method especially in cases where very long lengths of cable are being used A long unbalanced cable carries with it more opportunity for noise to get into a system having balanced inputs...

Page 48: ...hones such as the AKG C12 Neumann U47 or U67 these microphones may be connected in a phantom powered system and will operate without regard to the presence or absence of phantom power They will always require their external power supply which must be plugged in and turned on What doesn t work The list is short 1 Microphones with unbalanced outputs 2 Microphones with grounded center tapped outputs ...

Page 49: ...t the electrician uses the star ground system for the safety grounds in your electrical system All of the audio system grounds should terminate at the same physical point No other grounds may come in contact with this ground system 9 Ensure that the AC power feeds are con nected to the same transformer and ideally the same circuit breaker 10 Walk outside look at the horizon see any radio towers Lo...

Page 50: ...rn lines to the stage should be balanced At a minimum they should be impedance balanced Remember that you can balance a line by inserting a piece of equip ment inline that has a balanced output 2 Run your own AC power wiring from the stage for the mixer and related equipment Don t use the conveniently located recep tacle thoughtfully provided by the management for your use You have no idea how it ...

Page 51: ...12 HI 12kHz MID 2 5kHz LOW 80Hz EQ AUX 1 2 AUX 1 MASTER MON EFX 1 MON EFX 1 MON EFX 1 MON EFX 1 MON EFX 1 MON EFX 1 MON EFX 1 MON EFX EFX AUX 2 EFX AUX 2 EFX AUX 2 EFX 1 MON EFX AUX 2 EFX 1 MON EFX AUX 2 EFX AUX 2 EFX AUX 2 EFX AUX 2 EFX AUX 2 EFX AUX RETURNS 1 2 TRIM TRIM TRIM TRIM NORMALLED EFX TO MONITOR TRIM TRIM PAN L R PAN L R PAN L R PAN L R PAN L R PAN L R PAN L R PAN L R PAN L R PAN L R S...