Mixingdesks final test by John Crossley

11.)$Which$of$the$four$mixers$is$a$digital$mixing$desk?$$ 11.)b)What$advantages$does$a$digital$mixer$have$over$analogue$desks?$ $ 12.)$How$many$XLR$inputs$does$each$desk$have?$ a)$Mackie$1604VLZ$ b)Spirit$Studio$24J8J2$(Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll$give$you$the$answer$to$this,$it$has$24,$the$ document$doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t$say)$ c)$Mackie$1604$ d)$Presonus$Studiolive$24J4J2$ $

Mackie - VLZ Very Low Impedance

Mixer Technology Mix Amp Headroom VLZ® Very Low Impedance Quality Mic Preamps XDR Mic Preamps Practical EQ Log-Taper Faders Built-in Power Supplies Impact Resistance Mute / Alt 3-4 Control Room / Phones Balanced Ins & Outs Accurate Level Settings Low Cut Filter Speaker Technology Active vs. Passive

08/10/2013 10:14

VLZ® Very Low Impedance Noise happens. As with mix amp headroom, noise (or lack thereof) is a cumulative thing. One channel might sound quiet when you're demoing the mixer at a store and the published noise spec might seem OK. But how will your overall mix sound when you have 12, 16, or 32 channels going? This is when channel after channel of additive noise can combine to sabotage your sound. An incredibly high percentage of Mackie owners rave about how quiet our mixers are – even when all channels are wide open. We specifically set out to make our mixers that way, by using premium components and by adding Very Low Impedance (VLZ®) circuitry. Developed for our acclaimed 8•Bus console series. VLZ is a unique (and, frankly, expensive) circuit design that until now has been found only in money-is-no-object consoles in the $200,000-and-up price range. Now you can enjoy its benefits in all of our mixers. VLZ wouldn't be necessary if we did all our recording in outer space or other places where it's extremely cold. At absolute zero (-273° C), circuit components are noise-free because the atoms that comprise them are completely at rest. However, at over three hundred degrees hotter (room temperature), all the atoms in circuit components are agitated and constantly crash into each other. That causes little random voltage spikes that create thermal noise, or white noise (nonelectronic types call it hiss). Mackie deals a crushing blow to thermal noise by making internal impedances as low as practical, at as many places as possible within the mixer. Very Low Impedance is achieved by scaling down resistor values by a factor of three or four, resulting in a corresponding reduction in thermal noise. That alone isn't the expensive part. What's expensive is the high current necessary to achieve low impedance. You don't have to be an electrical engineer to realize that high current requires lotsa power – whether it's current for an amp, a motor, or a mixer circuit. And that's where our mixers excel. Our compact VLZ mixers, LM-3204, and SR24•4/SR32•4 have extremely robust internal power supplies. They deliver current levels that are impossible with wimpy external "wall warts." Our 8•Bus and SR40•8 consoles need more power, so they come with brawny external, rackmountable power supplies of their own. Either way, having enough power to do the job helps achieve Very Low impedance in critical circuit areas, which means astonishingly low noise levels – on tape or in your monitors. Another advantage of VLZ. Low impedance circuitry, by its very nature, is more immune to crosstalk problems. By designing with low impedance, crosstalk between channels is minimized throughout the mixer. Our VLZ approach isn't anything mysterious or proprietary. It's just straight-ahead, Mackie-style "over-engineering." We don't stop there, either. Although the mic preamps in all of our mixers benefit greatly from VLZ, they have their own unique low noise/high headroom story, too.

http://www.mackie.com/products/mackietechnology/VLZTechnology.html

Page 1 of 1

O wner’s Manual

Patchbay Description

1 At the risk of stating the obvious, this is where you plug everything in: microphones, line-level instruments and effects, headphones, and the ultimate 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 this “pod.” See Appendix B (page 27) for further details and some rather lovely drawings of the connectors you can use with the 1604-VLZ3.

E-Z INTERFACE Concerned about levels, balancing, impedances, polarity, or other interface goblins? Don’t be. On your 1604-VLZ3, 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 when phantom power is on).

•

Every input is designed to accept virtually any output impedance.

•

The main left and right mix outputs can deliver 28 dBu into as low as a 600 ohm load.

•

All the other outputs can deliver 22 dBu 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!

1. MIC INPUTS We use phantom-powered, balanced microphone inputs just like the big studio mega-consoles, for exactly the same reason: This kind of circuit is excellent at rejecting hum and noise. You can plug in almost any kind of mic that has a standard XLR-type male mic connector.

Professional ribbon, dynamic, and condenser mics will all sound excellent through these inputs. The 1604-VLZ3’s mic inputs will handle any kind of mic level you can toss at them, without overloading. Be sure to perform the Level-Setting Procedure on page 3. Not every instrument is made to connect directly to a mixer. Guitars commonly need a Direct Injection (DI) box to connect to the mixer's MIC inputs. These boxes convert unbalanced line-level signals from your guitar, into balanced mic-level outputs, and provide signal and impedance matching. They also let you send your gifted guitar renditions over long cables or audio snakes, with minimum interference or high-frequency signal loss. Ask your dealer or guitar maker about their recommendations for a good DI box.

PHANTOM POWER Most modern professional condenser mics are equipped for Phantom Power, which lets the mixer send low-current DC voltage to the mic’s electronics through the same wires that carry audio. (Semi-pro condenser mics often have batteries to accomplish the same thing.) “Phantom” owes its name to an ability to be “unseen” by dynamic mics (Shure SM57/SM58, for instance), which don’t need external power and aren’t affected by it anyway. The 1604-VLZ3’s phantom power is globally controlled by the PHANTOM [22] switch on the rear panel. (This means the phantom power for all channels is turned on and off together.) Never plug single-ended (unbalanced) microphones, or ribbon mics into the MIC input jacks if phantom power is on. Do not plug instrument outputs into the MIC input jacks with phantom power on unless you know for certain it is safe to do so.

Owner’s Manual

1604-VLZ3

6 4 2

2. LINE INPUTS

4. INSERT

These 1/4" jacks share circuitry (but not phantom power) with the mic preamps, and can be driven by balanced or unbalanced sources at almost any level. You can use these inputs for virtually any signal you’ll come across, from instrument levels as low as –50 dBu, to operating levels of –10 dBV to +4 dBu, since there is –15 to +45 dB of gain (60 dB range) available for line inputs via the GAIN [3] knob. Always make sure to perform the Level-Setting Procedure on page 3.

These unbalanced 1/4" jacks are for connecting serial effects processors such as compressors, equalizers, de-essers, or filters. The insert point is after the GAIN [3] control, but before the channel’s EQ [32], LOW CUT [33], FADER [25] and MUTE [30] controls. Insert cables must be wired thusly:

To connect balanced lines to these inputs, use a 1⁄4" Tip-Ring-Sleeve (TRS) plug, the type found on stereo headphones: To connect unbalanced lines to these inputs, use a 1⁄4" mono (TS) phone plug or instrument cable:

3. GAIN

Yes it’s true, these controls are not in the patchbay section at all. They’re found along the top row of knobs in the channel strip section. But their purpose is so closely linked with the MIC [1] and LINE [2] input jacks that we couldn’t bear to separate them. Here’s why: Every time you plug something into a MIC or LINE input jack, you should perform the LevelSetting Procedure, and that procedure is basically “how to use the GAIN knob.” GAIN adjusts the input sensitivity of the MIC and LINE inputs. This allows signals from the outside world to be adjusted to optimal internal operating levels. Through the XLR jack (MIC), there will be 0 dB of gain with the knob fully down, ramping to 60 dB of gain fully up. Through the 1/4" input (LINE), there is 15 dB of attenuation fully down and 45 dB of gain fully up, with a “U” (unity gain) mark at 10:00. This 15 dB of attenuation can be very handy when you are inserting a signal that is very hot, or you want to add a lot of EQ gain, or both. Without this “virtual pad,” this scenario might lead to channel clipping.

1604-VLZ3

tip

ring

SEND to processor sleeve

(TRS plug)

This plug connects to one of the mixer’s Channel Insert jacks.

“tip”

“ring” RETURN from processor

Tip = send (output to effects device) Ring = return (input from effects device) Sleeve = common ground Even though channels 1–8 already have DIRECT OUT [5] jacks , INSERT jacks can also be used as channel direct outputs; post-GAIN, pre-LOW CUT, and pre-EQ. See the connector section on page 29 (figure F) showing three ways to use insert cables.

5. DIRECT OUT Found only on channels 1–8, these balanced 1/4" jacks deliver the signal from the very end of the channel path; post-GAIN [3], post-EQ [32], post-LOW CUT [33], post-FADER [25], and post-MUTE [30]. They are the key player in “split monitoring,” making the 1604-VLZ3 perfect for an 8-track studio.

SPLIT MONITORING With split monitoring, you use the first eight channels for your sound sources: vocal mics, drum mics, keyboard/synth outputs, guitar effects outputs, that sort of thing. From there, the channels manipulate the sound, but are not assigned to the output section. Instead, they’re patched from the channel’s DIRECT OUT [5] jacks to the corresponding multitrack input (DIRECT OUT 1 to multitrack input 1, 2 to 2, 3 to 3, etc.). The signals will now be recorded or pass directly through the multitrack, depending on each track’s record-ready status.

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CR-1604 OWNER’S MANUAL

–10 •

–10

• +4

MAINS

–25

–10

•

–40

–10

•

–40

SENSITIVITY ADD 10dB FOR MIC INPUTS

•

–40

PHANTOM +48V

MONO

AUX OUTPUTS

ALT 3/4 OUT BUSS INSERT

BALANCED/UNBALANCED LINE INPUTS

AUX RETURNS

CHANNEL ACCESS

TIP=OUT

LOW Z BALANCED MICROPHONE INPUTS

RING=IN

L LEFT

–10

•

–40

UNBALANCED LINE INPUTS BAL MAIN OUT

–10

•

–40

LEFT

RIGHT

R MONITOR

RIGHT

PHANTOM

MAINS

CR1604 16 CHANNEL MIC/LINE MIXER

LAMP 12 VAC

AUX

STEREO AUX RETURNS

AUX

00 +15 MON

2 00

+15 U

5 00

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

6 00

+15 0

5 00

6 00

+15 U

6 00

+15 0

5 00

4 5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

+15 0

5 00

6 00

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

6 00

+15

5/6 SHIFT

–15 +15

MID

MONO

4 L C

AUX SOLO

4 00

+20

BALANCE

–15 +15 MID

+20

LEVEL 0

+15

3 00

6 00

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+20 U

R C

2 00

+15 U

1 L

+15 U

+20 U

+15 U

1 00

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

+15 U

5/6 SHIFT

CR1604 16 CHANNEL MIC/LINE MIXER

MID

CLIP +8

–12 +12 0 LO

–15 +15

ALT PREVIEW

+4 +2 0

MAIN OUTPUT MUTE

-4

-8

SOLO TO MAIN

-12 -16 -20

PAN

SOLO

MUTE

ALT 3/4

POWER

PAN

SOLO

SOLO LEVEL

ALT 3/4

1/LEFT OL

+20

+ 20

+20

2/RIGHT

LEVEL SOLO/PHONES

+10

SPECIFICATIONS Main Mix Noise

Maximum Levels

20Hz–20kHz bandwidth, 1⁄4" Main Out, channel Trims @ unity gain, channel EQs flat, all channels assigned to Main Mix, odd channels panned left, even channels panned right

Mic in: All other inputs: Main Mix 1⁄4" TRS outputs: All other outputs:

Main Mix fader unity, channel faders down: –86.5dBu (90dB Signal to Noise Ratio, ref +4dBu) Main Mix fader @ unity, channel faders @ unity: –84.0dBu

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) 1kHz @ +14dBu: Mic in to Main out:

20Hz–20kHz below 0.005%

Attenuation (Crosstalk) –84dBu –84dBu

Frequency Response 20Hz to 60kHz: 20Hz to 100kHz:

+0dB/–1dB +0dB/–3dB

Equivalent Input Noise (EIN)

1.3 kilohms 2.5 kilohms 10 kilohms or greater 1.1 kilohms 120 ohms

High Shelving: Mid Peaking: Low Shelving: Low Cut Filter:

±15db @ 12kHz ±15dB, sweep 100Hz–8kHz ±15db @ 80Hz 18dB/octave, –3dB @ 75Hz 120VA.C., 50/60Hz, 50 watts

Fuse Ratings 120V: 220–240V:

Mic in to Insert Send out, max gain –129.5dBm unweighted

Common Mode Rejection (CMR)

1A Slo Blo, 5 x 20mm 0.5A Slo Blo, 5 x 20mm

Weight 20 lbs. (9.1kg)

Mic in to Insert Send out, max gain 1kHz:

Mic in: Channel Insert return: All other inputs: Tape out: All other outputs:

Power Consumption

Mic input to any output

150 ohm termination:

Impedances

1kHz relative to 0dBu, 20Hz–20kHz bandwidth, Line in, 1⁄4" Main Out, Trim @ unity Channel Mute switch engaged: Channel Gain knob down:

+14dBu +22dBu +28dBu +22dBu

better than 80dB

CR16 04-VLZ WEIGHT 20.0 lbs. (9.1 kg)

5.0" (127mm)

5.6" (142.2mm)

17.6" (447.0mm) 10 rack spaces

CR1604-VLZ with pod normal

19.0" (482.6mm) 17.3" (442.0mm) 8.7" (221.0mm)

9.3" (236.2mm)

13.0" (325.1mm) 8 rack spaces

CR1604-VLZ with pod to back

17.9" (454.7mm) 11 rack spaces

CR1604-VLZ with optional rotopod

6.0" (152.4mm)

6.6" (167.6mm)

Part 3 — INPUT/OUTPUT POD –10 •

–10 •

–10

• +4

U 16

MAINS

–25

U 15

–25

U 14

–25

U 13

–25

U 12

–25

U 11

–25

U 10

–25

–10

•

–40

AUX OUTPUTS

ALT 3/4 OUT BUSS INSERT

AUX RETURNS

–40

TIP=OUT

LEFT

RIGHT

OUTPUTS / SENDS

INPUTS

RETURNS / INSERTS

19 INPUT SENSITIVITY CONTROLS

• When using microphone XLR input jacks, you will get 10dB more gain than what the SENSITIVITY trim marking indicates.

The first set of items on our tour are the sensitivity controls for the 16 input channels. These knobs adjust the input sensitivity of the 21 PHANTOM POWER SWITCH mic and line inputs so signals from the outWhat is Phantom Power? No, it’s not the arch side world are brought into the mixer at enemy of Captain America or anything like that. optimum internal operating levels. INPUT Most modern professional condenser mics are SENSITIVITY controls for channels 1–6 have up to 40dB of gain for line inputs and 50dB for equipped for Phantom Power, which lets the mixer send DC power to the mic’s electronics XLR inputs; controls for channels 7–16 have 25dB of gain. Note that all SENSITIVITY con- over the same wires that carry audio (hence “phantom” since the DC voltage is “unseen” by dytrols are marked with a –10 setting. This is namic and ribbon mics which don’t need external the amount of gain needed to raise –10dBv power and are unaffected by it anyway). operating level equipment up to professional +4dB levels. –10 •

U 16

–10 •

–40

SENSITIVITY ADD 8dB FOR MIC INPUTS

–40

LOW Z BALANCED MICROPHONE INPUTS

RING=IN

R MONITOR

• +4

BALANCED/UNBALANCED LINE INPUTS CHANNEL ACCESS

RIGHT

–10

•

–40

PHANTOM +48V

MONO

LEFT

–10

•

–40

UNBALANCED LINE INPUTS BAL MAIN OUT

–10

•

–40

U 15

–10 •

–40

U 14

–10 •

–40

U 13

–10 •

–40

U 12

–10 •

–40

U 11

–10 •

–40

U 10

–10 •

–40

–10 •

–40

–10 •

–40

–10

•

–40

–10

•

–40

–10

•

–40

–10

• +4

–40

–10

• +4

–40

• +4

SENSITIVITY ADD 8dB FOR MIC INPUTS

–40

PHANTOM

UNBALANCED LINE INPUTS

BALANCED/UNBALANCED LINE INPUTS LOW Z BALANCED MICROPHONE INPUTS

20 MICROPHONE INPUTS (Channels1–6) We use true phantom-powered, balanced inputs just like the big, studio mega-consoles for the same reason they do: This kind of circuit is excellent at rejecting hum and noise. You can plug in any kind of professional microphone that has a standard “XLR-type male” mic connector, an impedance of between 50 ohms and 600 ohms. If you wire your own male XLR’s, connect them like this: Pin 2= Positive (+ or hot) Pin 3 = Negative ( – or cold) Pin 1 = Shield (ground) Basically, Inputs 1–6 will handle any kind of mic level you can toss at them. Professional ribbon, dynamic and condenser mics will all sound excellent through these inputs — especially if you follow the Level Setting instructions on page 19. Lower-cost electret-type, unbalanced mics should be plugged into Inputs 7–16 but will require additional gain and thus not be as quiet.

20 NEED MORE THAN SIX MIC INPUTS?

We have determined that six mic inputs takes care of most users’ needs. But if you’re miking a complex drum kit, lots of vocalists or a complete musical (our mixers have been used in several hit Broadway shows, by the way), you can add the XLR10 Mic Input Expander. It adds 10 more high quality discrete, balanced preamplifiers just like the ones on the CR-1604’s Channels 1–6. The unit installs in minutes and forms an integral, structural part of the mixer (in pod-to-back or tabletop configuration, it doesn’t take up any more rack space either). Plus, you can still use the line inputs on the CR-1604’s Channel’s 7–16! Such a deal. Ask your Mackie dealer for more details.

INPUT OUTPUT POD

StudioLive 24.4.2 and StudioLive 16.4.2 ™

™

Performance and Recording Digital Mixers

Owner’s Manual

® www.presonus.com

English