Mackie CR1604-VLZ Owner'S Manual Download

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At the risk of stating the obvious, this is

where you plug everything in: microphones,
line-level instruments and effects, and the ulti-
mate destination for your sound: a tape
recorder, PA system, etc. A few of the features
described in this section are on top of the
mixer, but most are out back on the “pod.”

E-Z INTERFACE

Concerned about levels,

balancing, impedances, po-
larity, or other interface
goblins? Don’t be. On your

CR1604-VLZ, you can patch anything almost
anywhere, with nary a care. Here’s why:

• Every input and output is balanced

(except insert, phones and RCA jacks).

• Every input and output will also accept

unbalanced lines (except XLR jacks).

• Every input is designed to accept virtually

any output impedance.

• The main left and right mix outputs can

deliver 28dBu into as low as a 600 ohm load.

• All the other outputs can deliver 22dBu

into as low as a 600 ohm load.

• All the outputs are in phase with the inputs.
All we ask is that you perform the

Level-Setting

Procedure

every time you patch in a new

sound source. So stop worrying and start mixing!

MIC/LINE INPUTS ON EVERY CHANNEL

The original CR-1604 had six mic/line chan-

nels and ten line-only channels. That was fine
for most applications, but live sound users
were forced to go out and buy the XLR-10 mic
input add-on module. No more. Each and every
channel on the New Improved CR1604-VLZ has
the legendary Mackie mic/line input circuit.
It’s like getting a free XLR-10 with your mixer!

MIC INPUTS

We use phantom-powered, balanced micro-

phone inputs just like the big studio mega-
consoles, for exactly the same reason: This
kind of circuit is excellent at rejecting hum

PATCHBAY DESCRIPTION

and noise. You can plug in almost any kind of
mic that has a standard XLR-type male mic
connector. Always be sure to perform the

Level-Setting Procedure

. To learn how sig-

nals are routed from these inputs:

. If you

wire your own, connect them like this:

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

Pin 1 = ground or shield
Pin 2 = positive (+ or hot)
Pin 3 = negative (– or cold)

Professional ribbon, dynamic, and con-

denser mics will all sound excellent through
these inputs. The CR1604-VLZ’s mic inputs
will handle almost any kind of mic level you
can toss at them, without overloading.

PHANTOM POWER

Most condenser mics require phantom power,

where the mixer sends low-current DC voltage to
the mic’s electronics through the same wires
that carry audio. The CR1604-VLZ’s phantom
power is globally controlled by the

PHANTOM

switch on the rear panel .

Semipro condenser mics often have batter-

ies to accomplish the same thing. “Phantom”
owes its name to an ability to be “unseen” by
dynamic mics (Shure

SM57/SM58, for in-

stance) that don’t need external power and
aren’t affected by it anyway.

Unless you know for cer-

tain it is safe to do so,
never plug single-ended
(unbalanced) micro-
phones, instruments or

electronic devices into the

MIC

input jacks if

the phantom power is on.