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6

AUX

U

1

2

3

4

5

6

U

U

U

+15

00

+15

00

+15

00

+15

00

5/6

SHIFT

+15

–15

0

HI

+15

–15

0

MID

+12

–12

0

LO

EQ

0

R

L

PAN

SOLO

MUTE

ALT 3/4

OL

+20

U

00

1

MON

formation is contained in this range, a little
midrange EQ goes a long way. It can increase
presence of a mix, enhance intelligibility of a
vocal or back off a strident instrument.

EQ LO

15dB boost or cut at 80Hz. This control

affects the lower frequencies of your input sig-
nal. It can be used to put punch in bass drums,
bass guitar, fatten synth patches and add bot-
tom end to male vocals. Cutting the LO EQ
slightly can do wonders for muddy tracks and
boomy room acoustics as well as helping fix
poppy microphones.

PAN

This control positions a signal within the

stereo sound field. Also a way to “assign” a
channel to just left or right for sub-grouping
to the mono or ALT-3/4 outputs.

The Mackie CR-1604 incorporates constant-

power pan pots which maintain constant
acoustic power as you move the channel’s sig-
nal to left or right. This is a way cool feature
which is explained in detail on the next page.

We recommend going into a stereo reverb
in mono and returning in stereo. We have
found that most “stereo” reverbs’ second
input just ties up an extra AUX send and
adds little or nothing to the sound.

All send buses are isolated from each other
and have separate mix amps.

Equalization Controls

These three controls offer you a surprising

amount of control over the sonic personality
of your mix (although they are not intended
to take the place of a parametric or 

1

/

3

-octave

graphic equalizer).

Through the creative use of the CR-1604’s

EQ controls, samplers and other instruments
can be contoured to better reflect the real
world sound signature they are trying to emu-
late, mixes can be punched up, vocalists
rescued from obscurity, etc.

We’ve carefully selected different points for

our equalization and have used circuity which
provides an extremely “musical” effect. Some
heavy-duty pros have complemented us on
how useful they are. So before you immedi-
ately plug in an outboard equalizer, give the
controls a chance. If all you’ve used are con-
ventional small mixers, you’re in for a
pleasant surprise.

EQ HI

15dB boost or cut at 12kHz. There is no effect

at the center detent position. This shelving con-
trol will affect the higher frequencies of the
incoming signal. By shelving, we mean that the
circuitry boosts or cuts all frequencies past the
specified point, instead of just creating a bump
or dip in response the way a graphic equalizer
would. Use this control to add sizzle to cymbals
and vocals and give a sense of transparency or
edge to keyboards and guitars. It can also be
turned down a little to reduce sssssibilance.

EQ MID

12dB boost or cut at 2.5 kHz with a 3.3

octave bandwidth (this is NOT a shelving
control). Because the majority of musical in-

A CL
OSER L
OOK

AUX SENDS AND LIVE MIXING

When using microphones in a

live performance, we recommend
that AUX 1 be set to MONITOR
position.

In MONITOR mode, the signal

is taken ahead of the EQ and Fader circuitry.
When in AUX mode the signal will be taken down-
stream of the EQ and Fader circuitry. Remember
that this means that the signal will reflect any
changes brought about by settings made to EQ and
channel fader controls, but still can be used.

2

LECTURE TIME:

CONCERNING EQUALIZATION

MODERATION

: Proper EQ

can focus a mix. Improper EQ
can cause distortion. Too much
EQ results in mix mush.

The best EQ is none at all. In other words, in

live recording situations, you should start by se-
lecting the right mic, positioning it correctly and
recording in the right acoustic environment.
When mixing direct inputs, time spent on tweak-
ing with the synth patch, boldly going where the
tone module preset hasn’t been before or adjust-
ing the instrument’s own tone controls beats the
heck out of “saving it in the mix.”

Save the CR-1604’s EQ for solving problems

you can’t work out in advance — particularly in
live PA situations (where anything can happen
and probably will) or final mix where you’re going
for a particular overall sound.

EQ POINTS:

 Some of you may have probably no-

ticed that theCR-1604 does not have it’s EQ points in
the usual (Yawn) “standard” frequency locations.

Why

? You may ask.

Well, the story goes that sometime in the Sixties,

“Zoltan” (Bureaucratic High Moron from the Drumless
planet of Vocal Frustration) descended upon the mix-
ing board designers in Countries to the East and
proclaimed the proper EQ points for mixers:

“10kHz for HF and 100Hz for LF”

We can’t figure out why. 100Hz is too high and

10kHz is too low. They might be holdovers from re-
ally ancient mixing boards or radio equipment
back in the days when recording bandwidth was a
lot narrower. It’s irrational and not founded on
any particular acoustic or musical principle...but
then, Zoltan never visited us.

Being musicians ourselves (and having cursed

Zoltanesque EQ in other boards for years), we de-
cided to start from scratch and determine the
points which sounded best from a musical stand-
point. It goes without saying that Zoltan was not
pleased with the Rebels From The Rainforest.

But we trust that you will be.

A CL
OSER L
OOK

3

3

2

Summary of Contents for CR-1604

Page 1: ...MID 0 LO EQ 0 R L PAN SOLO MUTE ALT 3 4 OL 20 U 00 12 MON AUX U 1 2 3 4 5 6 U U U 15 00 15 00 15 00 15 00 5 6 SHIFT 15 15 0 HI 0 MID 0 LO EQ 0 R L PAN SOLO MUTE ALT 3 4 OL 20 U 00 13 MON AUX U 1 2 3 4...

Page 2: ...he user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons Le symbole clair avec poin...

Page 3: ...T icons next to them However we ve found that truly expe rienced engineers usually read their owner s manuals cover to cover anyway so they can continue to make those big bucks The following chapters...

Page 4: ...d as the King of Sends because of its varied functions IMPORTANT SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE To fully achieve the CR 1604 s impressive noise and headroom specs you should tune chan nel sensitivit...

Page 5: ...EQ 0 R L PAN SOLO MUTE ALT 3 4 OL 20 U 00 2 MON AUX U 1 2 3 4 5 6 U U U 15 00 15 00 15 00 15 00 5 6 SHIFT 15 15 0 HI 0 MID 0 LO EQ 0 R L PAN SOLO MUTE ALT 3 4 OL 20 U 00 3 MON AUX U 1 2 3 4 5 6 U U U...

Page 6: ...nse the way a graphic equalizer would Use this control to add sizzle to cymbals and vocals and give a sense of transparency or edge to keyboards and guitars It can also be turned down a little to redu...

Page 7: ...lications for ALT 3 4 is for creating submixes from various combinations of channels By panning one set of channels hard left and another hard right you can create two submixes one from the LEFT ALT a...

Page 8: ...ETURN SOLO This button is used to solo the four Aux Re turns for more detailed scrutiny This function is the same as that of the Solo control on the individual channel strips except that it solos all...

Page 9: ...then just before the down beat UN mute the CR 1604 For live performance intermissions use the MAIN OUTPUT MUTE to kill hum and noise from the room and prevent drunken head bangers from mounting the s...

Page 10: ...w the Unity gain level LEVEL This 10 segment meter reflects the unbal anced output signal strength at the left and right main outputs When the meter shows 0 the unbalanced output level is 0dBu 0 775 V...

Page 11: ...ichletsthe mixer send DC power tothemic selectronics overthesamewires thatcarry audio hence phantom sincetheDCvoltageis unseen bydy namicandribbonmicswhichdon tneedexternal powerandareunaffectedbyitan...

Page 12: ...adaptors and then turn on the PHANTOM switch If you do the microphone will be toast Also don t connect electronically balanced com ponents such as CD players or the output of a tape deck to the XLR i...

Page 13: ...invariesthefunctionof CHANNELACCESSjacksForexample a monopluginsertedonlytothefirstclickdoes notinterruptthemaster mainoutputs headphoneoutput ALT 3 4outputs Plugged allthewayin itbecomesadirectoutand...

Page 14: ...yway ALT 3 4 OUT This is where the outputs appear from the channels that have been assigned via the MUTE ALT switch The post EQ post fader post panpot pre aux send signals from all of the muted channe...

Page 15: ...ationinstructionsstartonpage20 Ifyouwant everythinginyo face i e jacksonthesameplane asthecontrols getourRotoPodbracket see detailsonpage20 Instead of being included in this manual we have provided an...

Page 16: ...oftheCR 1604 forexample Channels15and16 Thesetwo channelsbecomeyoursub mixlevelcontrols 3 PanChannel15HARDLEFTandChannel16 HARDRIGHT respectively sothatthe panningofChannels1 5willbereflectedin yourst...

Page 17: ...NPUT ADDS 8dB ADDITIONAL GAIN 13 ALT 3 4 OUT Press AUX SOLO to solo sub mix ALT 3 4 OUT AUX RETURNS TO MASTER MIC or line inputs for submix 0 R L PAN SOLO MUTE ALT 3 4 OL 20 U 00 0 R L PAN SOLO MUTE A...

Page 18: ...n power amp with plenty of dynamic headroom These two components are indispensable if you are to achieve the album quality product that many of our professional users achieve with their CR 1604 s one...

Page 19: ...as you would normally If you re adjusting the level for a channel connected to a microphone have the performer s sing blow strike play at the level they re going to record or perform at 8 If you ve s...

Page 20: ...lace the slotted plate but install it turned around 180 with the ribbon cables in the slot 6 Lower the pod back onto the slots 7 Reinstall two 8 screws on each side to secure the pod DO NOT press hard...

Page 21: ...he right it s not the mixer Noise Turn all faders and AUX returns down If the noise goes away bring levels back up one at a time checking for noise at each step Unplug everything except the output whe...

Page 22: ...put it at the head of the line and ship the unit back U P S RED Next Day Air This policy doesn t not apply to non warranty service SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Response 20Hz 40kHz 1dB Distortion less tha...

Page 23: ...od rack rail places mixer flush with bottom rack space allows gap at top for cables 0 5 0 5 Remote Fader XLR 10 CR 1604 with pod to back pod to back FLUSH rack mount with XLR10 pod to back RECESS rack...

Page 24: ...NSE PAN SOLO SW AUX AMP LEFT SOLO RIGHT LEFT MAIN ALT 3 4 LEFT RIGHT MAIN ALT 3 4 RIGHT AUX 1 AUX 2 AUX 3 5 AUX 4 6 AUX 1 MON 1 1 2 3 5 4 6 5 6 SHIFT OFF TO 20dB GAIN AUX SENDS AUX 1 AUX 1 MONITOR AUX...

Page 25: ...LANCED MAIN LEFT OUTPUT 28dBu MAX BALANCED 22dBu MAX UNBALANCED BALANCED MAIN RIGHT OUTPUT OUTPUT MAIN MONO BALANCED STEREO HEADPHONES OUTPUT PHONES AND SOLO LEVEL L R TIP RING NOTES 1 SWITCHES SHOWN...

Page 26: ...way and the individual channels are still sent to the effect the same way The only differ ence is how you are controlling the return level of the effect Using this configuration you must remem ber one...

Page 27: ...Q What modifications can be done to the mixer Auxiliaries Option 1 Pre EQ Pre Fader Pre Mute ALT Option 2 Post EQ Pre Fader Pre Mute ALT Option 3 PostEQ PostFader PreMute ALT STOCK PostEQ PostFader Po...

Page 28: ...4 to feed the amp and speakers for monitoring purposes by muting ALT 3 4 the multitrack returns When it is time to mix simply con nect the Main 1 2 Outputs to the amp for monitoring the mix 2 When usi...

Page 29: ...dify Sends 2 3 4 or any combination thereof Note Converting AUX 3 will also con vert AUX 5 converting AUX 4 will also convert AUX 6 See pg 31 3 CONVERT AUX SENDS TO IGNORE MUTE ALT STATUS Post EQ Post...

Page 30: ...ected AUX Sends c 7 Add jumper wires shown as grey lines d in illustration for those AUX Sends with cut traces Don t smash the wires down tight onto the circuit board Let them arch above if possible 8...

Page 31: ...se AUX Sends with cut traces Don t smash the wires down tight onto the circuit board Let them arch above if possible Modification 1 2 Modification 3 4 POD MAINCHASSIS MAINCHASSIS a b b POD POD Note Tr...

Page 32: ...Let it arch above if possible POD MAINCHASSIS MAINCHASSIS a b b POD POD Note Traces on different channels may vary slightly from the drawing Engineering sez channel strips are like snowflakes 8 Add 20...

Page 33: ...arch above 4 Add a 22 microfarad 25 volt electrolytic capacitor as shown f polarity doesn t matter You will need to solder a wire onto one or both ends 5 Follow steps 9 to 11 at the bottom of page 31...

Page 34: ...tic capacitor as shown f polarity doesn t matter You ll need to solder a wire onto one or both ends 5 Follow steps 9 to 11 at the bottom of page 31 POD MAINCHASSIS MAINCHASSIS a b b POD POD Modificati...

Page 35: ...11 at the bottom of page 31 POD MAINCHASSIS MAINCHASSIS a b b POD POD Modification 6 Main PCB solder side Any internal modification of the CR 1604 must be performed by a competent electronic technicia...

Page 36: ...Main Outputs ThemixershallbeaMackieDesignsCR 1604 What the heck You might run into an inquisitive musical architect or engineer some day 1 The mixing console shall have a 2 part main frame which accom...

Page 37: ...2 3 4 5 6 U U U 15 00 15 00 15 00 15 00 5 6 SHIFT 15 15 0 HI 0 MID 0 LO EQ 0 R L PAN SOLO MUTE ALT 3 4 OL 20 U 00 MON AUX U 1 2 3 4 5 6 U U U 15 00 15 00 15 00 15 00 5 6 SHIFT 15 15 0 HI 0 MID 0 LO E...

Page 38: ...38 This is the back of a master track sheet which came in the Mackie CR 1604 Manual If you find this sheet in a copy machine please return it to the engineer owner of the console...

Page 39: ...I T Y 4 40dB 3 U 10 SENSITIV I T Y 4 40dB 2 U 10 SENSITIV I T Y CR 1604 OUTPUT INPUTS TRIM LEVELS Session_______________ Date___ ___ ___ 4 8 3 7 2 6 1 5 4 3 2 1 LEFT 2 1 LEFT RIGHT RIGHT 6 5 4 MONITOR...

Page 40: ...40 This is the back of a master track sheet which came in the Mackie CR 1604 Manual If you find this sheet in a copy machine please return it to the engineer owner of the console...

Page 41: ...41 SEMIOFFICIALLASTPAGE...

Page 42: ...Adobe Illustrator 5 5 technical drawings by Bobby Hougham Bruce Yunker Ron Koliha Sara Drake and Gene Endicott Additional help from P D the Mackie Corporate Chihuahua who shredded several drawings at...

Page 43: ...43 16220 Wood Red Rd NE Woodinville WA 98072 USA Phone 800 258 6883 FAX 206 487 4337 Outside the U S call 206 487 4333 For literature requests only 800 898 3211...

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