Mackie 1642VLZ4 Owner's Manual page 25

Balanced XLR Output Connector
The male XLR connectors provide a balanced line-
level signal that represents the end of the mixer, where
the fully mixed stereo signal enters the real world.
Connect these to the left and right line-level inputs
of powered speakers or to the left and right line-level
inputs of an amplifier (with speakers already attached).
Be sure the cables are wired per AES (Audio
Engineering Society) standards:
Balanced XLR Output Connector
Pin 1 – Shield (Ground)
Pin 2 – Positive (+ or hot)
Pin 3 – Negative (– or cold)
Balanced XLR Output Connector
Balanced 1/4" TRS Connector
TRS stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, the three connections
available on a stereo 1/4" cable. This allows for a direct
connection to the channel input jacks. Be sure the
cables are wired per AES (Audio Engineering Society)
standards:
Balanced 1/4" TRS Connector
Sleeve – Shield (Ground)
Tip – Positive (+ or hot)
Ring – Negative (– or cold)
Balanced 1/4" TRS Connector
TRS jacks and plugs are used in several different
applications:
• 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
signal low (cold), and sleeve to ground (earth).
• Stereo Headphones, and rarely, stereo
microphones and stereo line connections.
When wired for stereo, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug
is connected tip to left, ring to right and sleeve
to ground (earth). VLZ4 mixers do not directly
1
SHIELD
3
COLD 2
HOT
SHIELD
1
3 COLD
2
HOT
RING SLEEVE SLEEVE RING TIP
TIP
RING
TIP
SLEEVE
accept 1-plug-type stereo microphones. They
must be separated into a left cord and a right
cord, which are plugged into the two mic
preamps.
You can cook up your own adapter for a stereo
microphone. "Y" two cables out of a female 1⁄4"
TRS jack to two male XLR plugs, one for the
right signal and one for the left.
• Unbalanced send/return circuits. When wired
as a send/return "Y" connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack
or plug is connected tip to signal send (output
from mixer), ring to signal return (input back
into mixer), and sleeve to ground (earth).
Unbalanced 1/4" TS Connector
TS stands for Tip-Sleeve, the two connections
available on a mono 1⁄4" cable. This allows for a direct
conection to the channel input jacks. Be sure the cables
are wired per AES (Audio Engineering Society)
standards:
Unbalanced 1/4" TS Connector
Sleeve – Shield (Ground)
Tip – Positive (+ or hot)
Unbalanced 1/4" TS Connector
TS jacks and plugs are used in many different
applications, always unbalanced. The tip is connected
to the audio signal and the sleeve to ground (earth).
Some examples:
• Unbalanced microphones
• Electric guitars and electronic instruments
• Unbalanced line-level connections
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.
The 1642VLZ4 uses switches in the channel insert and
bus insert jacks, input jacks and stereo returns. It also
uses these switches to ground the line-level inputs when
nothing is plugged into them.
In most cases, the plug must be inserted fully to
activate the switch. The 1642VLZ4 takes advantage of
this in some circuits, specifying circumstances where
you are to insert the plug only partially. See "Special
Connections", on the next page.
SLEEVE SLEEVE TIP
TIP
TIP
SLEEVE
Owner's Manual
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