Output Section Description; Main Mix Fader; Vlz Mix Architecture; Sub Faders - Mackie 1604-VLZ PRO Owner's Manual

OUTPUT SECTION DESCRIPTION

1604-VLZ PRO
achieved by using Very Low Impedance (VLZ).
To implement VLZ in a mixer, the power supply
must be able to deliver plenty of current to the
circuitry. That's why those "wall wart" mixers are
often noisy — they can't power a VLZ circuit.
22
You've just learned about the
input channels and how the sig-
nals get in and out. The signals
come in via MIC and LINE input
jacks, are manipulated by the
channels, and then sent to the
output section. In the output
section, things get a bit more
complicated, so put on your
thinking caps.

MAIN MIX FADER

This fader controls the lev-
els of signals sent to the MAIN
OUT
1
/ " TRS jacks and
4
TAPE OUTPUT RCA jacks
All channels and AUX
RETURNs that are assigned to
the MAIN MIX, not muted and
not turned fully down will ap-
pear at the MAIN OUT. Before
the main mix gets to this fader,
the signals pass through the
MAIN INSERT
.
The MAIN MIX signals are
off with the fader fully down,
the "U" marking is unity gain,
and fully up provides 10dB ad-
ditional gain. This additional
gain will typically never be
needed, but once again, 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 si-
lence when turned fully down.
This is the fader to pull down
at the end of the song when
you want "The Great Fade-Out."
VLZ MIX
ARCHITECTURE
When designing a mixing
circuit, the lowest noise and
best crosstalk specs are
At Mackie, audio quality is much more im-
portant than the price of wall warts. All of our
mixers now employ VLZ and built-in power
supplies that deliver more than enough cur-
rent, resulting in sonic specifications that
rival consoles upwards of $50,000!
SUBGROUP FADERS
As you might expect, these faders control the
levels of signals sent to the SUB OUTS. All chan-
nels that are assigned to subgroups, not muted
and not turned fully down will appear at the
SUB OUTS. Unlike the MAIN OUT, the sub-
group signals do not pass through an insert jack
on their way to the subgroup faders. That's no
. problem — should you want to send these sig-
nals through a serial effects processor, simply
patch from the SUB OUTS to the effect's input,
and from the effect's output to whatever the fi-
nal destination is, usually a multitrack recorder.
The subgroup signals is off when its fader is
fully down, the "U" marking is unity gain, and
fully up provides 10dB additional gain. Re-
member that if you're treating two subgroups
as a stereo pair, subgroup 1 and 2 for example,
make sure that both subgroup faders "ride"
together, to maintain the left/right balance.

ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX

One popular use of the subgroups is to use
them as master faders for a group of channels
on their way to the MAIN MIX. Let's say you've
got a drum kit hogging up seven channels and
you're going to want to fade them out at a differ-
ent rate than the other channels. You don't want
to try that with seven hands or seven fingers, so
just un-assign these channels from L–R, reassign
them to subgroup 1–2, engage the ASSIGN TO
MAIN MIX, LEFT on subgroup 1 and the AS-
SIGN TO MAIN MIX, RIGHT on subgroup 2.
Now you can ride the entire stereo drum mix
with two faders — 1 and 2.
If you engage just one ASSIGN TO MAIN
MIX switch per subgroup (LEFT or RIGHT),
the signal sent to the MAIN MIX will be the
same level as the SUB OUTS. If you want the
subgroup to appear in the center of the main
mix, engage both the ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX,
LEFT and ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX, RIGHT
switches. The signal will be sent to both sides,
and will be attenuated just enough to pre-
serve constant loudness
channel PAN knobs when set center.
, just like the