642-VLZ3 16-Channel Mic/Line Mixer OWNER’S MANUAL
1642-VLZ3 Important Safety Instructions 1. Read these instructions. 2. Keep these instructions. 3. Heed all warnings. 4. Follow all instructions. 5. Do not use this apparatus near water. 6. Clean only with a dry cloth. 7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. 8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. 9.
We realize that you must have a powerful hankerin’ to try out your new 1642-VLZ3. Or you might be one of those people who never reads manuals. All we ask is that you read this page NOW, and read the rest later— you’ll be glad you did. WARNING: Before you plug the AC power cord into the mixer, make sure the VOLTAGE SELECTOR switch is set to the same voltage as your local AC mains supply (see page 13).
1642-VLZ3 Introduction Thank you for choosing a Mackie professional compact mixer. The 1642-VLZ3 is equipped with our precision-engineered XDR2TM Extended Dynamic Range premium studio-grade mic preamps This icon marks information that is critically important or unique to the 1642-VLZ3. For your own good, read them and remember them. They will be on the final test. Now that you have your 1642-VLZ3, find out how to get the most from it. That’s where this manual comes in.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS......................... 2 INTRODUCTION....................................................... 4 HOOKUP DIAGRAMS............................................... 6 PATCHBAY DESCRIPTION E-Z INTERFACING...................................... 8 MIC AND LINE INPUT FLEXIBILITY.............. 8 1. MIC INPUTS . ........................................... 8 PHANTOM POWER . ................................. 8 2. LINE INPUTS............................................. 9 3. GAIN ...
OUT PHONES BAL/UNBAL SUB OUTS MONO Stereo Processor Cassette Recorder Powered Monitors 1642-VLZ3 L R BAL/UNBAL DIRECT OUT CHANNEL INSERTS CHANNEL INPUTS Out BAL/UNBAL In AUX SENDS BAL/UNBAL R MAIN OUT L From Mics, Keys, Drum machines etc.
Mono Effects Guitar BAL/UNBAL Drum Machine Stereo Compressors DIRECT OUT Keyboard CHANNEL INSERTS Guitar CHANNEL INPUTS Bass Owner’s Manual Mic 1-5 Stereo Effects Turntable Mono EQs, M-1400i Amps, and (C300) Passive Stage Monitors Stereo Processor BAL/UNBAL AUX SENDS BAL/UNBAL SUB OUTS CD Player Processor STEREO RETURNS L C/R OUT TAPE TAPE BAL/UNBAL OUT IN MAIN INSERT MONO L R Active PA Speaker/ Subwoofer combination (Pole-mounted SRM450s and SRS1500 active Subwoofers pictured)
1642-VLZ3 Patchbay Description 1 2 4 At the risk of stating the obvious, this is where you plug everything in: microphones, line-level instruments and effects, and the ultimate destination for your sound: a tape recorder, PA system, etc. Many of the features described in this section are on top of the mixer, but some are on the rear panel. See Appendix B for further details and drawings of the connectors you can use with the 1642-VLZ3.
2. 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 –50 dB to operating levels of –10 dBV to +4 dBu, as there is 45 dB of gain available via the GAIN [3] knob. Note that channels 1-8 line inputs are intially attenuated by 15 dB. Always be sure to perform the Level-Setting Procedure (page 3) when you connect a new input.
1642-VLZ3 6 5 9 8 7 5. DIRECT OUT Double Busing Only on channels 1–8, these 1/4" balanced jacks deliver the signal from the very end of the channel path; post-GAIN [3], post-EQ [32], post-LOW CUT [34], postFADER [25], and post-MUTE [30]. Use these for recording, making the 1642-VLZ3 perfect for an 8-track studio.
6. AUX SEND OUTPUTS These 1/4" jacks usually patch to the inputs of your parallel effects devices or to the inputs of your stage monitor amps. To learn how signals are routed to these outputs, see the Aux discussion on page 21. EFFECTS: SERIAL OR PARALLEL? You’ve heard us carelessly toss around the terms “serial” and “parallel.” Here’s what we mean by them: “Serial” means that the entire signal leaves the mixer (INSERT send), is routed through the effects device, and returns to the mixer (INSERT return).
1642-VLZ3 13. MAIN INSERT These 1/4" jacks are for connecting serial effects such as compressors, equalizers, de-essers, or filters. The INSERT point is after the mix amps, but before the MAIN MIX fader. Insert cables must be wired thusly: 17 16 18 19 20 22 14 15 14 13 12 11 Mono: If you want to feed a mono signal to your tape deck or other device, use the 1/4" MONO [15] output jack instead. 12. TAPE INPUT These unbalanced RCA jacks are designed to work with semipro as well as pro recorders.
If Mr. Mono's main mono mix is maxed, just reach for this knob and turn it down a bit. Just the thing for sending mono signals to mic inputs like camcorders, telephone interface boxes, even answering machines. With the pot all the way up (fully clockwise), you’ll have 6 dB of extra gain, and unity gain is at the 12 o'clock position. 17.
1642-VLZ3 Channel Strip Description There are eight mono, and four stereo channel strips. Many of the functions are identical for the mono and stereo channels. We’ll start at the bottom and work our way up, pointing out the differences as we go along. “U” LIKE UNITY GAIN Mackie mixers have a “U” symbol on almost every level control. This “U” stands for “unity gain,” meaning no change in signal level.
In a nutshell, soloed channels are sent to the SOURCE [42] mix, that ultimately feeds your control room, headphones, and meters. Whenever SOLO is engaged, all SOURCE selections (MAIN MIX, 1–2, 3–4 and TAPE) are defeated, to allow the soloed channel to do just that — SOLO! 28. –20 (SOLO) LED An LED that does two completely different things! This saves space, but requires some explanation.
42-VLZ3 CONSTANT LOUDNESS ! ! ! The 1642-VLZ3’s PAN [31] controls employ a design 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 causing 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). 34 If you have a channel panned hard left (or right) and reading 0 dB, it must dip down about 4 dB on the left (or right) when panned center.
The stereo channels (9-16) have a 4-band, fixed-frequency equalization: LOW shelving at 80 Hz, LOW MID peaking at 400 Hz, HI MID peaking at 2.5 kHz, and HI shelving at 12 kHz. Each of these filters provides up to 15 dB of boost or cut. As with the mono channels, the circuit is flat (no boost or cut) at the center detent positions. 34. LOW CUT The LOW CUT switch (not present on channels 13-16), often referred to as a high pass filter, cuts bass frequencies below 75 Hz at a rate of 18 dB per octave.
1642-VLZ3 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 subgroup 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.
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.
1642-VLZ3 44. MODE (NORMAL (AFL)/LEVEL SET (PFL)) 46. SOLO (LEVEL) You may have already seen some of this in the SOLO discussion, but in case you missed it: The 1642-VLZ3’s solo system comes in two flavors: This knob controls the level of the signals coming from the SOLO system. It’s range is off when fully down, unity at the center detent, with 10 dB additional gain turned fully up.
49 49 50 51 Please remember: Audio meter displays 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). AUX DISCUSSION 51 SENDS are outputs, RETURNS are inputs. The AUX [35] knobs tap the signal off the channel and sends it to the AUX SEND [6] outputs: AUX 1 and 2 are sent to the AUX SENDS 1 and 2 [49] master knobs before the AUX SEND outputs, and AUX 3 through 6 are sent directly.
1642-VLZ3 50. AUX SENDS SOLO and LED 53. MAIN MIX TO SUBS (for RETURN 3) In live sound situations, AUX SEND [6] outputs 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 buttons are for. (AUX 3 and 4 have no such switch.) Beside each switch is a green LED that, just like the channel’s –20 LED, helps you find the rogue SOLO switch.
56 Assume you want to solo the snare drum. Hit that channel’s SOLO switch, and you get the “dry” (no effects) snare only. That helps, but you want to hear it with the reverb you have patched into a STEREO RETURN. Leaving that channel’s SOLO switch engaged, also engage the RETURNS SOLO switch, and now you’ll get the dry snare and its reverb.
1642-VLZ3 Appendix A: Service Information Warranty Service Repair If you think your Mackie product has a problem, please check out the following troubleshooting tips and do your best to confirm the problem. Visit the Support section of our website (www.mackie.com/support) where you will find lots of useful information such as FAQs and documentation. You may find the answer to the problem without having to send your Mackie product away. For warranty service, refer to the warranty information on page 31.
“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 polarity) side of the audio signal and pin 3 wired to the “low” (“cold” or negative polarity) side of the signal. See Figure A. This is all totally aboveboard and in full accord with the hallowed standards dictated by the AES (Audio Engineering Society).
1642-VLZ3 RCA Plugs and Jacks Special Mackie Connections RCA-type plugs (also known as phono plugs) and jacks are often used in home stereo and video equipment and in many other applications (Figure D). They are unbalanced and electrically identical to a 1⁄4" TS phone plug or jack. See Figure C. Connect the signal to the center post and the ground (earth) or shield to the surrounding “basket.” The balanced-to-unbalanced connection has been anticipated in the wiring of Mackie jacks.
Channel Insert jack Direct out with no signal interruption to master. Insert only to first “click.” A mono signal connected to the RIGHT jack will show up in the right bus only. You probably will only want to use this sophisticated effect for special occasions. MONO PLUG Channel Insert jack Direct out with signal interruption to master. Insert all the way in to the second “click.” STEREO PLUG Channel Insert jack For use as an effects loop. (TIP = SEND to effect, RING = RETURN from effect.
1642-VLZ3 Appendix C: Technical Information Specifications Low Mid Peaking Main Mix Noise Low Cut Filter (Ch.9–12) (20 Hz–20 kHz bandwidth, 1/4" Main out, channel gains @ unity gain, channel EQs flat, all channels assigned to Main Mix, odd channels panned left, even channels panned right.) Power Consumption Main Mix fader unity, channel faders down: Fuse Ratings ±15 dB @ 400 Hz Low Shelving –86.
1 3 2 LOW CUT 75Hz HPF MACKIE 1642-VLZ 3 BLOCK DIAGRAM 9th Feb 2007 MIC TRIM MIC IN (Chs 9/10 & 11/12 only) 3 DIRECT OUT (CH'S 1-8 ONLY) 1 STEREO INPUT CHANNEL (1 OF 4) LINE IN R LINE IN L MONO INPUT CHANNEL (1 OF 8) LINE IN MIC IN 2 PHANTOM POWER (GLOBAL SWITCH) TRIM AUX RETURN 4 AUX RETURN 3 AUX RETURN 2 AUX RETURN 1 R L R L R L R L STEREO TRIM (Chs 13/14 & 15/16 only) MID MID 3K MID 12K HI 12K HI AUX 4 AUX 3 AUX 2 AUX 1 4-BAND STEREO EQ 80 800 LO 3K MID OL (
Notes: Date: Session: 1642-VLZ3 Track Sheet 1642-VLZ3
Please keep your sales receipt in a safe place. This Limited Product Warranty (“Product Warranty”) is provided by LOUD Technologies Inc. (“LOUD”) and is applicable to products purchased in the United States or Canada through a LOUD-authorized reseller or dealer. The Product Warranty will not extend to anyone other than the original purchaser of the product (hereinafter, “Customer,” “you” or “your”). For products purchased outside the U.S. or Canada, please visit www.mackie.
16220 Wood-Red Road NE • Woodinville, WA 98072 • USA United States 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.
