Appendix A: Service Information - Mackie S500 Owner's Manual

Appendix A: Service Information

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) to get some
ideas or contact our technical support heroes. You may
find the answer to the problem without having to send
your Mackie product away.
Troubleshooting
No Sound
• Are the level controls on the mixer or amplifier
turned all the way down? Follow the procedures
in "Getting Started" section on page 4 to verify
that all of the volume controls in the system are
properly adjusted.
• Is the signal source working (and making union
scale)?
• Are all the connections good and sound? Make
sure all of the connecting cables are in good
repair and securely connected at both ends.
One side is way louder than the other!
• Are the level controls set the same for both
channels on the mixer and amplifier?
• Check the pan control on the signal source. It
may be turned too far to one side. If you're using
a stereo signal source, it may be delivering an
out-of-balance stereo signal.
• Try switching sides: Turn off the amp, swap
the speaker cables at the amp and turn the
amp back on. If the same side is still louder,
the problem is with your speaker cabling or
the loudspeakers. If the other side is louder
now, the problem is with the mixer, the
loudspeaker processor, the amp, or the
line-level cabling.
Poor bass performance
• Check the polarity of the connections between
the amplifier and the loudspeakers. You may have
your positive and negative connections reversed
at one end of one cable.
Bad Sound
• Is the input connector plugged completely into
the jack? Make sure it is plugged all the way in.
• Is it loud and distorted? Reduce the signal level at
the mixer.
• If possible, listen to the signal source with
headphones plugged into the preamp stage. If it
sounds bad there, it's not the loudspeaker.
• Too much bass or not enough bass? Move
around the room and see if the bass response
changes. It's possible your listening position
coincides with a room mode where the
low frequencies either become exaggerated or
nulled. If so, try moving the loudspeakers to a
different position, or moving your listening
position.
Care and Maintenance
Your Mackie loudspeakers will provide many years of
reliable service if you follow these simple guidelines:
• Avoid exposing the loudspeakers to moisture. If
they are set up outdoors, be sure they are under
cover if you expect rain.
• Avoid exposure to extreme cold (below freezing
temperatures). If you must operate the
loudspeakers in a cold environment, warm up
the voice coils slowly by sending a low-level signal
through them for about 15 minutes prior to
high-power operation.
• Use a damp cloth with a mild soap solution to
clean the cabinets. Avoid getting moisture into
any of the openings of the cabinet, particularly
where the drivers are located.
Owner's Manual
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