Mackie 1202VLZ4 Stereo Mixer User manual

1202VLZ4

OWNER’S MANUAL

12-Channel Compact Mixer

POWER ON

PHANTOM ON

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE

REPLACE WITH CORRECT TYPE FUSE. REMOVE

POWER CORD BEFORE CHANGING VOLTAGE.

100VAC 120VAC 240VAC

MIC

+ 4

4 3

4 / R 3 / L

CHANNEL INSERT

BAL / UNBAL

R L

CONTROL

ROOM

BAL / UNBAL

ALT

OUT

2 1

PRE-FADER / PRE EQ TIP SEND / RING RETURN

100-120V: 500mA/250 V SLO-BLO

220-240V: 250mA/250 V SLO-BLO

REPLACE WITH THE SAME TYPE FUSE AND RATING.

DISCONNECT SUPPLY CORD BEFORE CHANGING FUSE

UTILISE UN FUSIBLE DE RECHANGE DE MÊME TYPE.

DEBRANCHER AVANT DE REMPLACER LE FUSIBLE

MAIN

OUT LEVEL

MAIN

RIGHT

BALANCED

MAIN

LEFT

BALANCED

REVISION

SERIAL NUMBER

WARNING:

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC

SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR

MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER SERVICEABLE

PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

AVIS:

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE — NE PAS OUVRIR

THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE FCC RULES FOR THE U.S. AND THE ICES-003 FOR CANADA.

OPERATION IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TWO CONDITIONS: (1) THIS DEVICE MAY NOT CAUSE HARMFUL

INTERFERENCE, AND (2) THIS DEVICE MUST ACCEPT ANY INTERFERENCE RECEIVED, INCLUDING INTERFERENCE

THAT MAY CAUSE UNDESIRED OPERATION.

1202VLZ4

Important Safety Instructions

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the

manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,

stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁers) that produce heat.

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type

plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other.

A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.

The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the

provided plug does not ﬁt into your outlet, consult an electrician for

replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10.

Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at

plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the

apparatus.

11.

Only use attachments/accessories speciﬁed by the manufacturer.

12.

Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or

table speciﬁed by the manufacturer, or sold with

the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution

when moving the cart/apparatus combination to

avoid injury from tip-over.

13.

Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or

when unused for long periods of time.

14.

Refer all servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel. Servicing is required

when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-

supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have

fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or

moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

15.

This apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing, and no

object ﬁlled with liquids, such as vases or beer glasses, shall be placed

on the apparatus.

16.

Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a

risk of ﬁre or electric shock.

17.

This apparatus has been designed with Class-I construction and must

be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing

connection (the third grounding prong).

18.

This apparatus has been equipped with a rocker-style AC mains power

switch. This switch is located on the rear panel and should remain

readily accessible to the user.

19.

The MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is used as the disconnect

device, so the disconnect device shall remain readily operable.

PORTABLE CART

WARNING

CAUTION AVIS

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE. NE PAS OUVRIR

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL

ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE.

AUCUN ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L'USAGER.

CONFIER L'ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.

AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D'INCENDIE OU D'ELECTROCUTION, N'EXPOSEZ PA S CET ARTICLE

A LA PLUIE OU A L'HUMIDITE

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is

intended to alert the 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 éclair avec point de flèche à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral

est utilisé pour alerter l'utilisateur de la présence à l'intérieur du coffret de

"voltage dangereux" non isolé d'ampleur suffisante pour constituer un risque

d'éléctrocution.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the

user of the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)

instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

Le point d'exclamation à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral est employé

pour alerter les utilisateurs de la présence d'instructions importantes pour le

fonctionnement et l'entretien (service) dans le livret d'instruction

accompagnant l'appareil.

20. NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply

with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15

of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable

protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency

energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the

instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur

in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful

interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined

by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to

correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorientorrelocatethereceivingantenna.

• Increasetheseparationbetweentheequipmentandthe

receiver.

• Connecttheequipmentintoanoutletonacircuitdifferentfrom

that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consultthedealeroranexperiencedradio/TVtechnicianfor

help.

CAUTION: Changes or modiﬁcations to this device not expressly

approved by LOUD Technologies Inc. could void the user's authority to

operate the equipment under FCC rules.

21.

This apparatus does not exceed the Class A/Class B (whichever is

applicable)

limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as

set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian Department

of Communications.

ATTENTION — Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits

radioélectriques dépassant las limites applicables aux appareils

numériques de class A/de class B (selon le cas) prescrites dans le

réglement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par les ministere des

communications du Canada.

22.

Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing

loss. Individuals vary considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced

hearing loss, but nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed to

sufﬁciently intense noise for a period of time. The U.S. Government’s

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has speciﬁed

the permissible noise level exposures shown in the following chart.

According to OSHA, any exposure in excess of these permissible limits

could result in some hearing loss. To ensure against potentially

dangerous exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recommended

that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high

sound pressure levels use hearing protectors while the equipment

is in operation. Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or over the

ears must be worn when operating the equipment in order to prevent

permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth

here:

Duration,

per day in

hours

Sound Level

dBA, Slow

Response

Typical Example

8 90 Duo in small club

6 92

4 95 Subway Train

3 97

2 100 Veryloudclassicalmusic

1.5 102

1 105 Matt screaming at Troy about

deadlines

0.5 110

0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert

WARNING — To reduce the risk of ﬁre or electric shock, do not

expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.

Correct disposal of this product. This symbol indicates that this product should not be disposed of with your household waste, according to the WEEE Directive (2012/19/EU) and your national law. This product

should be handed over to an authorized collection site for recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Improper handling of this type of waste could have a possible negative impact on the environment and

human health due to potentially hazardous substances that are generally associated with EEE. At the same time, your cooperatio

n in the correct disposal of this product will contribute to the effective usage of natural

resources. For more information about where you can drop off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact your local city ofﬁce, waste authority, or your household waste disposal service.

Owner’s Manual

Part No. SW0970 Rev. B 08/14

Contents

CHANNEL STRIP DESCRIPTION ............................... 13

“U” LIKE UNITY GAIN ............................. 13

23. LEVEL .................................................... 13

24. PRE-FADER SOLO ................................... 13

25. MUTE/ALT 3–4 ...................................... 13

26. PAN....................................................... 14

CONSTANT LOUDNESS ! ! ! ...................... 14

3-BAND EQ ............................................ 14

27. LOW EQ ................................................. 14

28. MID EQ .................................................. 14

29. HI EQ ..................................................... 15

MODERATION DURING EQ ...................... 15

30. AUX 2 SEND .......................................... 15

31. AUX 1 SEND .......................................... 15

OUTPUT SECTION .................................................. 16

32. MAIN MIX ............................................. 16

33. CONTROL ROOM SOURCE MATRIX .......... 16

34. CONTROL ROOM/SUBMIX ..................... 16

A WORD ABOUT PRE-FADER SOLO (PFL) 17

35. RUDE SOLO LIGHT .................................. 17

36. ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX ............................ 17

37. METERS – MANY DISPLAYS IN ONE! ....... 17

38. PRE OR POST (AUX 1) ........................... 18

39. AUX 1 MASTER ...................................... 18

40. STEREO RETURNS ................................... 18

41. RETURN TO AUX 1 ................................. 19

JACK NORMALLING ................................ 19

APPENDIX A: SERVICE INFORMATION .................... 20

APPENDIX B: CONNECTIONS.................................. 20

APPENDIX C: TECHNICAL INFORMATION ................ 24

SPECIFICATIONS ............................................. 24

BLOCK DIAGRAM ............................................ 25

TRACK SHEET.................................................. 26

1202VLZ4 LIMITED WARRANTY ............................ 27

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ........................ 2

CONTENTS .............................................................. 3

FEATURES ............................................................... 4

INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 4

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL .................................... 4

GETTING STARTED ................................................... 5

HOOKUP DIAGRAMS............................................... 6

PATCHBAY DESCRIPTION ......................................... 8

1. MIC INS (CHANNELS 1–4) ........................ 8

2. LINE INS (CHANNELS 1–4) ........................ 8

3. LOW CUT (CHANNELS 1–4) ....................... 9

4. GAIN (CHANNELS 1–4) ............................ 9

5. STEREO LINE INS ...................................... 9

6. IMAGINARY CONTROL ............................ 9

EFFECTS: SERIAL OR PARALLEL? ................ 9

7. STEREO RETURNS ................................... 10

8. AUX SEND 1&2 ...................................... 10

9. TAPE IN ................................................. 10

10. TAPE OUT .............................................. 10

11. 1/4" MAIN OUTS ................................... 10

12. PHONES ................................................ 11

13. XLR MAIN OUTS ................................... 11

14. XLR MAIN OUT LEVEL SWITCH ................ 11

15. CONTROL ROOM OUTS ........................... 11

16. ALT 3–4 OUTS ........................................ 11

17. CHANNEL INSERT (CHANNELS 1–4 ) ........ 11

18. POWER CONNECTION ............................. 12

19. FUSE ...................................................... 12

20. VOLTAGE SELECTOR ................................ 12

21. POWER SWITCH ..................................... 12

22. PHANTOM SWITCH ................................ 12

Please write your serial number here for future

reference (i.e., insurance claims, tech support,

return authorization, make dad proud, etc.)

Purchased at:

Date of purchase:

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1202VLZ4

Features

• 12-channelmixerfeaturingoursignature

high-headroom,low-noisedesign

• 4boutique-qualityOnyxmicpreamps

•Ultra-wide60dBgainrange

•128.5dBdynamicrange

•+22dBulineinputhandling

•Extendedfrequencyresponse

•Distortionunder0.0007%(20Hz-50kHz)

• ImprovedRFrejection,perfectforbroadcast

applications

• Phantompowerforcondensermics

• 12high-headroomlineinputs

• 3-bandEQ(80Hz,2.5kHz,12kHz)

• 18dB/oct75Hzlow-cutlteronmicinput

channels

• Auxsend,level,panandPFLsolooneach

channel

• StereoreturnforconnectingFXprocessor

orotherstereosource

• ALT3/4stereobusforaddedroutingexibility

• Controlroom/phonessourcematrix

• High-resolution12-segmentstereometers

• Sealedrotarycontrolresistdustandgrime

• “Built-Like-A-Tank”ruggedsteelchassiswith

powder-coatnish

• High-visibility,high-contrastcontrolsdeliver

convenient“at-a-glance”visualfeedback

• Rack-mountabledesignusinganoptionalrack

earkit

• Multi-voltagepowersupplyforworldwideuse

Introduction

The12-channel1202VLZ4deliverstheoutstanding

qualityofouragshipOnyxpreampsinacompactmixer

designwiththehigh-headroom/low-noiseperformance

yourprofessionalapplicationdemands.

Fromeveryinputtoeveryoutput,youcancounton

theindustry-provenperformanceyouexpectfroma

VLZmixer.Plus,itistruly“Built-Like-A-Tank”witha

ridiculouslyruggedsolid-steelchasisplushigh-contrast

controlsforultimatetactilecontrol.

Andwithfeatureslikeadedicatedcontrolroom

section,the1202VLZ4offersatruestepupinexibility

andperformancethat'sidealforyourprofessional

application.

How To Use This Manual

Aftertheintroduction,agettingstartedguidewill

helpyougetthingssetupfast.Thesearefollowedby

hookupdiagramswhichshowsometypicalsetups.

Nextisadetailedtouroftheentiremixer.

Thedescriptionsaredividedintosections,just

asyourmixerisorganizedintodistinctzones:

• Patchbay

• ChannelStrip

• OutputSection

Throughoutthesesectionsyou’llndillustrations

witheachfeaturenumberedanddescribedinnearby

paragraphs.

Thisiconmarksinformationthatiscritically

importantoruniquetothemixer.Foryourown

good,readthemandrememberthem.

Thisiconwillleadyoutosomeexplanations

offeaturesandpracticaltips.Theyusually

havesomevaluablenuggetsofinformation.

Need help with your mixer?

• Visit www.720trees.com and click Support to ﬁnd: FAQs, manuals and other useful information.

• Email us at: [email protected].

• Telephone 1-800-898-3211 to speak with one of our splendid technical support chaps

(Monday through Friday, normal business hours, Paciﬁc Time).

Owner’s Manual

Getting Started

Werealizethatyoumustbereallykeentotryout

themixer.Pleasereadthesafetyinstructionsonpage

2,thenhavealookthroughsomeofthefeaturesand

detailsinthismanual.

Setup

Usethemixerinanicecleananddryenvironment,

freefromdryerlintanddustbunnies.

Zero the controls

1. Fullyturndownalltheknobstominimum,

exceptforthechannelEQandpancontrols,

whichshouldbecentered.

2. Makesureallbuttonsareintheoutposition.

Connections

1. MakesuretheACpowerswitchisoffbefore

makinganyconnections.

WARNING:BeforepluggingtheACpower

cordintothemixer,makesuretheVOLTAGE

SELECTORswitchissettothesamevoltage

asthelocalACmainssupply(seepage12).

2. PushthelinecordsecurelyintotheIEC

connectorontherearpanel,andplugitintoa

3-prongACoutlet.Themixermayaccept

any

ACvoltagerangingfrom100VACto240VAC.

3. Plugabalancedmicrophoneintooneofthemic

XLR(3-pin)connectors.Orconnectany 

line-levelsignal(keyboard,orguitarpreamp)

toalineinputjackusingaTSoraTRS 

1/4"plug.

4. Ifyourmicrophonerequiresphantompower,

turnonthe48Vphantompowerbutton.

5. Allmonochannelshaveinsertjacksthatcanbe

usedtoconnectanexternaleffectsordynamics

processorintothesignalchain.

6. Connectthemainoutputsofthemixer(either

XLRorTRS1/4")tothelinelevelinputsofyour

amplier(withspeakersalreadyattached)or

tothelinelevelinputsofpoweredspeakers.

Set the levels

It’snotevennecessarytohearwhatyou’redoingto

setoptimallevels.Butifyou’dliketo:Plugheadphones

intothephonesoutputjack,thenturnupthephones

knobjustalittle.

1. Turnonthemixerbypressingthetopedgeof

thepowerswitch.

2. Foronechannel,pressthesoloswitchin,and

therudesololightwillturnon.

3. Playsomethingintothatinputatreal-world

levels.

4. Adjustthatchannel'sgaincontroluntilthe

rightmainmeterstaysaroundthe0dBLED

(marked“levelset”)andnevergoeshigher

than“+7.”

5. Disengagethechannel'ssoloswitch.

6. Repeatsteps2to5fortheremainingchannels.

7. Turnupthechannellevelknobtothe“U”mark.

8. Slowlyturnupthemainmixknobuntilyou

hearthesignalsintheheadphones.

9. Ifneeded,applysomechannelEQwisely.

10.Adjustthechannellevelstogetthebestmix.

Keepthegaincontrolsandlevelsfullydownon

unusedchannels.

11.Duringtheperformance,ifyounoticeachannel

OLLEDturningonduringpeaks,carefullyturn

downthatchannel'sgaincontroluntilOLdoes

notturnon.

Things to Remember

• Neverlistentoloudmusicforprolonged

periods.PleaseseetheSafetyInstructionson

page2forinformationonhearingprotection.

• Alwaysturndownthephoneslevelwhen

makingconnections,pressingsolo,ordoing

anythingthatmaycauseloudnessinthe

headphones.Thiswillhelpprotectyour

hearing.

• Alwaysturndownthemainmixleveland

controlroom/submixlevelswhenmaking

connections

tothemixer.Betteryet,turnoffthepower.

• Whenshuttingdown,turnoffanypower

ampliersorpoweredspeakersrst.When

poweringup,turnthemonlast.Thiswill

reducethechanceofturn-onorturn-off

thumps.

• Savetheshippingbox!

1202VLZ4

Hookup Diagrams

Condenser

microphones

Direct

Boxes

MR8mk3

studio monitors

Headphones

Headphone amp

Electronic Drum Kit

Stereo

Guitar

Effects

Synth

Stereo Compressor

Mono Compressor

Multi Effects Processor

Digital Delay

Laptop

Recording System

This diagram shows microphones connected to the mic inputs of channels 1 and 2, and a vocal

compressor connected to the channel 1 insert jack. Bass and electric guitars are attached to channels

3 and 4 via DI boxes with a stereo compressor on the insert. The lead guitar plays through a stereo

effects processor plugged into channels 5 and 6. An electronic drum kit is connected to channels 7

and 8, while a synth is connected to the line inputs of channels 9 and 10.

The audio outputs from a laptop computer are connected to the RCA tape inputs. This allows you to

playback your recordings made using the DAW of your choice. The Alt 3-4 outputs are used to feed the

inputs to your computer's sound card. By pressing a mute/alt 3-4 switch, it is easy to set up a channel to

record onto your computer.

A headphone ampliﬁer is connected to the headphones output, and feeds four pairs of headphones

while a pair of MR8mk3 powered studio monitors are connected to the control room outputs.

You can use this setup to record overdub style:

1. For the track being recorded, route it to the alt 3-4 output, which feeds the computer input.

2. Monitor just the previously-recorded tracks through the tape input, which will feed the control

room/phones.

3. Since only the currently-recorded track is feeding the computer (through alt 3-4), you will hear the

previous tracks you are overdubbing to, but they will not be recorded to each new track.

4. The control room/phones is fed by a mixture of alt 3-4 (currently recorded track) and tape in

(output of your DAW playing back previously-recorded tracks).

Owner’s Manual

Condenser

microphones

Direct

Boxes

DLM12S subwoofers

Headphones

Electronic Drum Kit

Stereo

Guitar

Effects

Synth

Stereo Compressor

Mono Compressor

Multi Effects Processor

Mono Power Amplifier

Stereo

Mono EQ

DLM8 Stage Monitors

iPod

Docking Station

DLM8 loudspeakers

Live Stereo PA System

This diagram shows microphones connected to the mic inputs of channels 1 and 2, and a vocal

compressor connected to the channel 1 insert jack. Bass and electric guitars are attached to channels

3 and 4 via DI boxes with a stereo compressor on the insert. The lead guitar plays through a stereo

effects processor plugged into channels 5 and 6. An electronic drum kit is connected to channels 7

and 8, while a synth is connected to the line inputs of channels 9 and 10. An iPod

docking station

is connected to the tape RCA inputs, so you can play pre-recorded music during the breaks.

A multi-effects processor is connected to aux send 1, with the aux send set to post-level. Effects are

added to the main mix via the stereo return inputs, and adjusted with the stereo return level control.

To use the aux send for stage monitors instead of an effects processor, set the aux to pre-level so the

monitor volume level can be adjusted independently from the main loudspeakers. This setup may easily

be conﬁgured to become a mono PA setup: (A) Stereo sources should feed the left mono side of the

channel input only, (B) pan each channel hard left, (C) connect the mono PA system to the left main out.

The main mix output connects to a stereo graphic EQ before connecting to a pair of DLM12S powered

subwoofers which are connected to a pair of DLM8 powered loudspeakers to please your audience.

1202VLZ4

Patchbay Description

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:PAsystem,DAW,etc.

SeeAppendixBforfurtherdetailsanddrawingsof

theconnectorsyoucanusewiththe1202VLZ4.Alsosee

thechannelstripdescriptiononpage13fordetailsof

thesignalroutingfromtheXLRandlineinputs.

1. Mic Ins (Channels 1–4)

ThisisafemaleXLRconnectorthatacceptsa

balancedmicorlinelevelinputfromalmostanytype

ofsource.TheseOnyxmicpreampsfeaturehigher

delityandheadroomrivalinganystandalonemic

preamponthemarkettoday.Thesecircuitsare

excellentatrejectinghumandnoise.

TheXLRinputsarewiredasfollows:

 Pin1=Shieldorground

 Pin2=Positive(+orhot)

 Pin3=Negative(–orcold)

Professionalribbon,dynamic,andcondensermicsall

soundexcellentthroughtheseinputs.Themic/line

inputswillhandleanykindoflevelyoucantossat

them,withoutoverloading.

Microphone-levelsignalsarepassedthroughthe

mixer'ssplendidmicrophonepreamplierstobecome

line-levelsignals.

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and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1202VLZ4’sphantompowerisgloballycontrolled

bythephantom[22]switchontherearpanel.(This

meansthephantompowerforchannels1-4isturnedon

andofftogether.)

Neverplugsingle-ended(unbalanced)

microphonesorinstrumentsintothemic[1]

inputjacksifthe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.

2. Line Ins (Channels 1–4)

Thesefourline-inputssharecircuitry(butnot

phantompower)withthemicpreamps,andcanbe

drivenbybalancedorunbalancedsourcesatalmost

anylevel.

Toconnectbalancedlinestotheseinputs,usea1⁄4"

Tip-Ring-Sleeve(TRS)plug,wiredasfollows:

 Tip=Positive(+orhot)

 Ring=Negative(–orcold)

 Sleeve=Shieldorground

Toconnectunbalancedlinestotheseinputs,usea

1⁄4"mono(TS)phoneplug,wiredasfollows:

 Tip=Positive(+orhot)

 Sleeve=Shieldorground

Thelineininputs1–4areagoodplacetoconnect

olderinstrumentsthatneedmoregain.Youcancorrect

weaklevelsbyadjustingthecorrespondingchannel’s

gain control.

Owner’s Manual

5. Stereo Line Ins

(Channels 5–6, 7–8, 9–10 And 11–12)

Thesefullybalancedinputsaredesignedforstereo

ormono,balancedorunbalancedsignals,from–10dBV

to+4dBu.Theycanbeusedwithjustaboutany

professionalorsemi-proinstrument,effectorCDplayer.

Inthestereoaudioworld,anodd-numbered

channelusuallyreceivesthe“leftsignal.”Forexample,

youwouldfeedthe1202VLZ4’slineinputs5-6astereo

signalbyinsertingthedevice’sleftoutputpluginto

thechannel5jack,anditsrightoutputplugintothe

channel6jack.

Whenconnectingamonodevice(justonecord),

alwaysusetheleft(mono)input(jacks5,7,9or11)

andplugnothingintotherightinput(jacks6,8,10or

12)—thiswaythesignalwillappearonbothsides.This

trickiscalled“jacknormalling.”

6. Imaginary Control

Thiscontrolispurelyagmentofourimagination.It

willcomeinhandyafterlonghoursofmixing,whenyou

reallywouldlikeanicecupoftea,avacationinHawaii,

oratriptotheouterreachesoftheSolarSystem.Thisis

thecontrolforyou.Bethankfulyouboughta1202VLZ4.

Weloveyou,man!

Effects: Serial Or Parallel?

Thenexttwosectionstosstheterms“serial”and

“parallel”aroundlikehackysacks.Here’swhatwemean

bythem:

“Serial”meansthattheentiresignalisroutedthrough

theeffectsdevice.Examples:compressor/limiters,

graphicequalizers.Line-levelsourcescanbepatched

throughaserialeffectsdevicebeforeorafterthemixer,

orpreferablythroughtheinsertjackslocatedonthe

rearpanel(channelinsert[17]send/return).

“Parallel”meansthataportionofthesignalinthe

mixeristappedofftothedevice(auxsend),processed

andreturnedtothemixer(stereoreturn)tobemixed

withtheoriginal“dry”signal.Thisway,multiple

channelscanallmakeuseofthesameeffectsdevice.

Examples:reverb,digitaldelay.

Dry Signal

Processed

Signal

Insert

Send

Insert

Return

Dry Signal(s)

Aux

Send

Aux

Return

Wet Signal

Channel Path

Mix

Stage

Output

Section

Processed

Signal

Signal Processor

(e.g., Compressor)

Signal Processor

(e.g., Reverb)

Dry Signal

Processed

Signal

Insert

Send

Insert

Return

Dry Signal(s)

Aux

Send

Aux

Return

Wet Signal

Channel Path

Mix

Stage

Output

Section

Processed

Signal

Signal Processor

(e.g., Compressor)

Signal Processor

(e.g., Reverb)

3. Low Cut (Channels 1–4)

Eachlowcutswitch,oftenreferredtoasahighpass

lter(alldependsonhowyoulookatit),cutsbass

frequenciesbelow75Hzatarateof18dBperoctave.

Werecommendthatyouuselow-cutonevery

microphoneapplicationexceptkickdrum,bassguitar,

orbassysynthpatches.Theseaside,thereisn’tmuch

downtherethatyouwanttohear,andlteringitout

makesthelowstuffyoudowantmuchmorecrispand

tasty.Notonlythat,butlow-cutcanhelpreducethe

possibilityoffeedbackinlivesituations,andithelps

toconserveamplierpower.

Anotherwaytoconsiderlow-cut’sfunction

isthatitactuallyaddsexibilityduringlive

performances.Withtheadditionoflow-cut,

youcansafelyuselowequalizationonvocals.

Manytimes,bassshelvingEQcanreallybenet

voices.Troubleis,addinglowEQalsoboostsstage

rumble,michandlingclunksandbreathpops.

Applyinglow-cutremovesallthoseproblems,so

youcanaddlowEQwithoutblowingyoursubwoofers.

Here’swhatthecombinationoflowEQandlow-cut

lookslikeintermsoffrequencycurves:

4. Gain (Channels 1–4)

Ifyouhaven’talready,pleasereadthelevel-setting

procedureonpage5.

Gainadjuststheinputsensitivityof

themicandlineinputsconnected

tochannels1through4.Thisallows

signalsfromtheoutsideworldtobe

adjustedtooptimalinternaloperating

levels.

IfthesignaloriginatesthroughtheXLRjack,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,thereis20dBofattenuation

fullydownand40dBofgainfullyup,witha“U”(unity

gain)markat10:00.This20dBofattenuationcanbe

veryhandywhenyouareinsertingaveryhotsignal,or

whenyouwanttoaddalotofEQgain,orboth.Without

this“virtualpad,”thisscenariomightleadtochannel

clipping.

Low Cut with Low EQ

100

10k

20k

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

100

10k

20k

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

Low Cut

1202VLZ4

7. Stereo Returns

Thisiswheretoconnecttheoutputsofparallel

effectsdevices(orextraaudiosources).These

balancedinputsaresimilartothestereolinein[2]

inputs(withoutEQ,auxsends,pan,mute,andsolo).

Thecircuitswillhandlestereoormono,balancedor

unbalancedsignals,eitherinstrumentlevel,–10dBV

or+4dBu.Theycanbeusedwithjustaboutanypro

orsemiproeffectsdeviceonthemarket.Thesignals

comingintotheseinputscanbeadjustedusingthe

stereoreturn[40]knobsbeforepassingontothe

mainmixbus,seepage19.

Onedevice:ifyouhavejustoneparalleleffectsdevice

(twocords),usestereoreturn1andleavestereoreturn

2unplugged.thatway,theunusedstereoreturn2level

controlcanbeusedtofeedstereoreturn1toyourstage

monitors,viathereturntoaux1[41]switch.

Monodevice:ifyouhaveaneffectsdevicewitha

monooutput(onecord),plugthatintostereoreturn1,

l/mono,andleavestereoreturn1,right,unplugged.

Thiswaythesignalwillbesenttobothsides,magically

appearinginthecenterasamonosignal.Thiswon’t

workwithstereoreturn2—you’llneedaY-cord.

8. Aux Send 1&2

Theauxsend[31]knobstapaportionofeach

channel'ssignaltoprovideanoutputheretofeed

externalparalleleffectsprocessorsorstagemonitoring.

Seetheauxsenddetailsonpage15.

These1⁄4"jacksarebalancedoutputscapable

ofdelivering22dBuintoa600ohmbalancedor

unbalancedload.

9. Tape In

TheseRCAjacksaredesignedtoworkwithsemipro

aswellasprorecorders.Tocompensatefortypically

lowlevels,signalscominginherewillbeautomatically

boostedby6dB.

Connectyourtaperecorder’soutputshere,using

standardhi-(RCA)cables.

Usethesejacksforconvenienttapeplaybackofyour

mixes.You’llbeabletoreviewamixandthenrewind

andtryanotherpasswithoutrepatchingordisturbing

themixerlevels.Youcanalsousethesejackswith

aportableCDplayertofeedmusictoaPAsystem

betweensets.

WARNING:Engagingboththetapeandassign

tomainmixbuttonsinthecontrolroom

source[33]matrixcancreateafeedback

pathbetweentapeinputandtapeoutput.Makesure

yourtapedeckisnotinrecord,record-pause,orinput

monitormode,whenyouengagetheseswitches,or

makesurethecontrolroom/submix[34]levelknob

isfullycounterclockwise(off).

10. Tape Out

TheseunbalancedRCAconnectionstapthemain

mixoutputtomakesimultaneousrecordingandPA

workmoreconvenient.Connectthesetoyourrecorder’s

inputs.(Seealsomainmix[32]onpage16.)

Monoout:Ifyouwanttofeedamonosignaltoyour

tapedeckorotherdevice,simplyuseanRCAY-cordto

combinetheseoutputs.Donotattemptthiswithany

otheroutputsonthe1202VLZ4.

11. 1/4" Main Outs

The1/4"TRSoutputconnectorsprovidebalancedor

unbalancedline-levelsignals.Connectthesetothenext

deviceinthesignalchainlikeanexternalprocessor

(compressor/limiter),ordirectlytotheinputsofthe

mainamplier.Thesearethesamesignalthatappears

attheXLRmainoutputs[13],but6dBlowerwhenthe

XLRisusedbalanced.

Toconnectbalancedlinestotheseinputs,usea1⁄4"

Tip-Ring-Sleeve(TRS)plug,wiredasfollows:

 Tip=Positive(+orhot)

 Ring=Negative(–orcold)

 Sleeve=Shieldorground

Toconnectunbalancedlinestotheseinputs,usea

1⁄4"mono(TS)phoneplug,wiredasfollows:

 Tip=Positive(+orhot)

 Sleeve=Shieldorground

9 10 11

Owner’s Manual

Thesebalancedoutputsarecapableofdelivering22

dBuintoa600ohmbalancedorunbalancedload.

16. Alt 3–4 Outs

These1⁄4"outputsarethesumofanychannelsthat

havethemute/alt3-4[25]switchpressedin(seepage

13forthetenderdetails).

Thesebalancedoutputsarecapableofdelivering

22dBuintoabalancedorunbalancedload.

17. Channel Insert (Channels 1–4)

Theserear-paneljacksarewhereyouconnectserial

effectssuchascompressors,equalizers,de-essers,

orlters.Sincemostpeopledon’thavemorethana

fewofthesegadgets,we’veincludedinsertsforjust

therstfourchannels.Ifyouwanttousethiskind

ofprocessingonchannels5through12,simplypatch

throughtheprocessorbeforeyoupluginto

the1202VLZ4.

Thechannelinsertpointsareafterthegain[4]

andlowcut[3]controls,butbeforethechannel’s

EQ[27]andlevel[23]controls.Thesend(tip)is

low-impedance(120ohms),capableofdrivingany

line-leveldevice.Thereturn(ring)ishigh-impedance

(over2.5kohms)andcanbedrivenbyalmostany

device.

SeeAppendixBfordetailsanddrawingsaboutinsert

cables,andadiagramshowingthreewaystousethe

jacks.

Besidesbeingusedforinsertingexternaldevices,

thesejackscanalsobeusedaschanneldirectoutputs;

post-gain,post-lowcut,andpreEQ.Infact,ourOnyx

micpreampshavebecomesofamous,thatpeoplebuy

thesemixersjusttohavefouroftheseintheirarsenal.

tip

This plug connects to one of the

mixer’s Channel Insert jacks.

ring

tip

ring

sleeve

SEND to processor

RETURN from processor

(TRS plug)

12. Headphones Out

Thisstereojackwilldriveanystandardheadphone

toveryloudlevels.Tolearnhowsignalsarerouted

totheseoutputs,seesourcematrix[33]onpage16.

Ifyou’rewiringyourowncableforthephonesoutput,

followstandardconventions:

 Tip=Leftchannel

Ring = Right channel

 Sleeve=Commonground

WARNING:Whenwesaytheheadphone

ampisloud,we’renotkidding.Itcancause

permanenteardamage.Evenintermediate

levelsmaybepainfullyloudwithsomeearphones.

BE CAREFUL! Alwaysturnthectlroom/submix[34]

knoballthewaydownbeforeconnectingheadphones.

Keepitdownuntilyou’veputthephoneson.Thenturn

itupslowly.Why?“Engineerswhofrytheirearsnd

themselveswithshortcareers.”

13. XLR Main Outs

Usethesetosendthemainmixoutintotheline-level

balancedinputsofyouramplierorpoweredspeakers.

Theselow-impedanceoutputsarefullybalanced

andcapableofdriving+4dBulineswithupto28dB

ofheadroom.Thisoutputis6dBhotterthanother

outputs.

14. XLR Main Out Level Switch

Engagingthisswitchreducesthelevelofthe

balancedXLRmainoutputsby40dB,soyoucan

feedthemicrophoneinputof,say,anothermixer.

(YoucansafelyconnecttheXLRoutputsintoan

inputthatprovides48Vphantompower.)

15. Control Room Outs

These1⁄4"outputsareprovidedsoyoucanlisten

tosomethingotherthanthemainmix.Thesource

isselectedusingthesourcematrix[33]switches

(seepage16).Youcanchoosetolistentothemainmix,

thealt3-4stereobus(seemute/alt3-4onpage13),

soloedchannels,orthetapeinput.Thevolumeis

adjustablewiththecontrolroom/submix[34]knob.

14 15 16 17

1202VLZ4

18. Power Connection

Justincaseyoulosethecordprovidedwiththe

1202VLZ4,itspowerjackacceptsastandard3-prong

IECcordlikethosefoundonmostprofessional

recorders,musicalinstruments,andcomputers.

WARNING:BeforepluggingtheACpower

cordintothe1202VLZ4,makesurethat

thevoltageselector[20]slideswitchis

settothesamevoltageasthelocalACmainssupply.

WARNING:Disconnectingtheplug’sground

pincanbedangerous.Don’tdoit.

19. Fuse

The1202VLZ4isfusedforyour(anditsown)

protection.Ifyoususpectablownfuse,disconnect

theACmainspowercord,pullthefusedrawerout

(locatedjustbelowthecordreceptacle)andreplace

thefusewitha500mA(0.5amps)SLOBLO5x20mm,

availableatelectronicsstoresoryourdealer.Usea

250mAfuseifthelocalvoltageis220-240VAC.

Iftwofusesblowinarow,somethingisverywrong.

Pleasecallourtoll-freenumber1-800-898-3211from

withintheU.S.(orthedistributorinyourcountry)and

ndoutwhattodo.

20. Voltage Selector

WARNING:BeforepluggingtheACpower

cordintothe1202VLZ4,makesurethatthe

voltageselector[20]slideswitchissettothe

samevoltageasthelocalACmainssupply.Onlyslide

thevoltageswitchwiththepowercordunplugged.

Useaatheadedscrewdrivertoslidetheswitch

ifneeded.Theswitchallowsyoutousethemixer

indifferentcountriesandvoltages,meetinteresting

peoplefromothercultures,andentertainthemwith

youruniqueblendofRockabillyFunkadeliaThrash

Metal.

21. Power Switch

Pressthetopofthisrockerswitchinwardstoturnon

themixer.ThepowerLEDonthetopsurfaceofthemix-

erwillglowwithhappiness,oratleastitwillifyouhave

themixerpluggedintoasuitableliveACmainssupply.

Pressthebottomofthisswitchtoputthemixerinto

standbymode.Itwillnotfunction,butthecircuitsare

stilllive.ToremoveACpower,eitherturnofftheACmains

supply,orunplugthepowercordfromthemixerandthe

ACmainssupply.

Asageneralguide,youshouldturnthemixeronrst,

beforethepoweramplierorpoweredspeakers,and

turnitofflast.Thiswillreducethepossibilitiesofany

turn-on,orturn-offthumpsinyourspeakers.

22. Phantom Switch

Thisglobalrockerswitchcontrolsthephantompower

supplyforcondensermicrophonespluggedintochannel

mic[1]inputs(seepage8).

Pressthetopoftheswitchinwardstoengage

phantompowertothefourmicinputs.Pressthe

bottomoftheswitchtoturnitoff.

Whenturnedon(oroff),thephantompower

circuitrytakesafewmomentsforvoltagetoramp

up(ordown).Thisisperfectlynormal.Justlikeme.

Oh,andmyimaginaryfriendLazlowhohelpsmewrite

allthemanuals.SayhellotothenicefolksLazlo.

21 22

Owner’s Manual

Channel Strip Description

checkoutwhataparticularchannelisuptoanytime

duringasession.Youcansoloasmanychannelsat

atimeasyoulike.

Soloisalsothekeyplayerinthelevel-setting

procedureonpage5.

Soloedchannelsaresenttothesourcemix,which

ultimatelyfeedsyourcontrolroom,phonesandmeter

display.Wheneversoloisengaged,allsourceselections

(mainmix,alt3-4andtape)aredefeated,toallowthe

soloedsignaltodojustthat—solo!

WARNING: Pre-fadersolotapsthe

channelsignalbeforethelevelknob.

Ifyouhaveachannel’slevelknobsetbelow

“U”(unitygain),solowon’tknowthatandwillsend

aunitygainsignaltothecontrolroom,phonesand

meterdisplay.Thatmayresultinastartlinglevelboost

attheseoutputs.

25. Mute/Alt 3–4

Thedual-purposemute/alt3–4busisoursignature.

WhenGregwasdesigningourrstproduct,hehadto

includeamuteswitchforeachchannel.Muteswitches

dojustwhattheysoundliketheydo.Theyturnoffthe

signalby“routing”itintooblivion.“Gee,whatawaste,”

Gregreasoned.“Whynothavethemutebuttonroutethe

signalsomewhereelseuseful…likeaseparatestereo

bus?”Somute/alt3–4reallyservestwofunctions—

muting(oftenusedduringamixdownorliveshow),and

signalrouting(formultitrackandlivework)whereit

actsasanextrastereobus.

Tousethisasamuteswitch,allyouhavetodois

notusethealt3–4[16]outputs.Then,wheneveryou

pressthisswitch,youwillassignachanneltothese

unusedoutputs,disconnectingitfromthemainmix,

andeffectivelymutingthechannel.

Tousethisasanalt3–4switch,allyouhavetodois

connectthealt3–4outputstowhateverdestinationyou

desire.Herearetwopopularexamples:

Whendoingmultitrackrecording,usethealt3–4

outputstofeedyourmultitrack.Withmostdecks,you

can"mult"thealt3–4[16]outputs,usingY-cordsor

mults,tofeedmultipletracks.So,takealtoutputLand

sendittotracks1,3,5and7,andaltoutputRandsend

ittotracks2,4,6and8.Now,tracksthatareinrecord

orinputmodeswillhearthealt3–4signals,andtracks

inplaybackorsafemodeswillignorethem.

Whendoinglivesoundormixdown,it’softenhandy

tocontrolthelevelofseveralchannelswithoneknob.

That’scalledsubgrouping.Simplyassignthesechannels

tothealt3–4mix,engagealt3–4inthesource[33]

matrix,andthesignalswillappearatthecontrolroom

Theeightchannelstripslookalike,andfunction

identically.Theonlydifferenceisthatthefouronthe

leftareforindividualmicsormonoinstrumentsand

havemoregainavailable,whilethenextfourarefor

eitherstereoormonoline-levelsources.(Eachofthe

stereochannelstripsisactuallytwocompletecircuits.

Thecontrolsarelinkedtogethertopreservestereo.)

We’llstartatthebottomandworkourwayup…

“U” Like Unity Gain

VLZ4mixershavea“U”symbolonalmosteverylevel

control.This“U”standsfor“unitygain,”meaningno

changeinsignallevel.Onceyouhaveadjustedtheinput

signaltoline-level,youcanseteverycontrolat“U”and

yoursignalswilltravelthroughthemixeratoptimal

levels.What’smore,allthelabelsonourlevelcontrols

aremeasuredindecibels(dB),soyou’llknowwhat

you’redoinglevel-wiseifyouchoosetochangea

control’ssettings.

Youwon’thavetocheckit

hereandcheckitthere,asyou

wouldwithsomeothermixers.

Infact,somedon’tevenhaveany

referencetoactualdBlevels

atall!Youweresmart—you're

usinga1202VLZ4.

23. Level

Thisadjuststhechannel’s

level…fromoff,tounitygain

atthedetent,onupto12dB

ofadditionalgain.

Thelevelknobisthe

equivalentofachannelfader,

sosometimeswelapseandsay

thewordfader.

Channels1through4usemono

controls,andchannels5through

12usestereocontrols,andso

theymayfeelslightlydifferent.

Notaproblem.

24. Pre-Fader Solo

Thislovableswitchallows

youtohearsignalsthrough

yourheadphonesorcontrol

roomwithouthavingtoroute

themtothemainmixoralt3-4

mix.Youdon’tevenhavetohave

thechannel’slevel[23]knob

turnedup.Folksusesoloinliveworktopreview

channelsbeforetheyareletintothemix,ortojust

1202VLZ4

[15]andphones[12]outputs.Ifyouwantthealt3–4

signalstogobackintothemainmix,engagetheassign

tomainmix[36]switch,andthecontrolroom/submix

[34]levelcontrolbecomestheoneknobtocontrolthe

levelsofallthechannelsassignedtoalt3–4.

Anotherwaytodothesamethingisassignthe

channelstothealt3–4mix,thenpatchoutofthe

alt3–4output[16]backintoanunusedstereochannel

lineinput[2].Ifthat’syourchoice,don’teverengage

themute/alt3–4switchonthatstereochannel,oryou’ll

haveeverydogintheneighborhoodhowlingatyour

feedbackloop.

Anotherbenetofthealt3–4featureisthatitcan

actasa“SIP”(Solo-In-Place):justengageachannel's

mute/alt3–4switchandthealt3–4switchinthesource

matrixandyou’llgetthatchannel,allbyitself,inthe

controlroomandphones.

Mute/alt3–4isoneofthosecontrolsthatcan

bewildernewcomers,sotakeyourtimeandplay

aroundwithit.Onceyou’vegotitdown,you’ll

probablythinkofahundredusesforit!

26. Pan

Panadjuststheamountof

channelsignalsenttotheleft

versustherightoutputs.On

monochannels(ch.1–4or5–12

withconnectionstotheLinput

only)thesecontrolsactaspan

pots.Onstereochannels(5–12)

withstereoconnectionstoLand

Rinputs,thepanknobworkslike

thebalancecontrolonyourhome

stereo.

Pandeterminesthefateof

themainmixandalt3–4mix.

Withthepanknobhardleft,

thesignalwillfeedeithermain

outL(bus1)oraltoutputL

(bus3),dependingonthe

positionofthealt3–4switch.

Withtheknobhardright,the

signalfeedsmainoutR(bus2)

oraltoutputR(bus4).

Constant Loudness ! ! !

The1202VLZ4’spancontrolsemployadesigncalled

“ConstantLoudness.”Ithasnothingtodowithliving

nexttoanall-nightdisco.Asyouturnthepan[26]knob

fromlefttoright(therebycausingthesoundtomove

fromthelefttothecentertotheright),thesoundwill

appeartoremainatthesamevolume(orloudness).

Ifyouhaveachannelpannedhardleft(orright)and

reading0dB,itmustdipdownabout4dBontheleft

(orright)whenpannedcenter.Todootherwise(the

wayBrandXcompactmixersdo)wouldmakethesound

appearmuchlouderwhenpannedcenter.

3-Band EQ

The1202VLZ4has3-bandequalizationatcarefully

selectedpoints—lowshelvingat80Hz,midpeaking

at2.5kHz,andhishelvingat12kHz.“Shelving”means

thatthecircuitryboostsorcutsallfrequenciespastthe

speciedfrequency.Forexample,rotatingthelowEQ

knob15dBtotherightboostsbassstartingat80Hzand

continuingdowntothelowestnoteyouneverheard.

“Peaking”meansthatcertainfrequenciesforma“hill”

aroundthecenterfrequency—2.5kHzinthecaseof

themidEQ.

27. Low EQ

Thiscontrolgivesyou

upto15dBboostorcut

below80Hz.Thecircuitis

at(noboostorcut)atthe

centerdetentposition.This

frequencyrepresentsthe

punchinbassdrums,bass

guitar,fatsynthpatches,

andsomereallyserious

malesingers.

Usedinconjunctionwith

thelowcut[3]switch,

youcanboostthelowEQ

withoutinjectingatonof

subsonicdebrisintothe

mix.

28. Mid EQ

Shortfor“midrange,”

thisknobprovides15dB

ofboostorcut,centered

at2.5kHz,alsoatatthe

centerdetent.Midrange

EQisoftenthoughtofas

themostdynamic,because

thefrequenciesthatdene

anyparticularsoundarealmostalwaysfoundinthis

range.YoucancreatemanyinterestingandusefulEQ

changesbyturningthisknobdownaswellasup.

100

10k

20k

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

Low EQ with Low Cut

Low EQ

20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

Mid EQ

Owner’s Manual

29. Hi EQ

Thiscontrolgivesyouup

to15dBboostorcutabove

12kHz,anditisalsoat

at the detent. Use it to

addsizzletocymbals,

andanoverallsenseof

transparency,oredgeto

keyboards,vocals,guitar

andbaconfrying.Turnit

downalittletoreducesibilance,ortohidetapehiss.

Moderation During EQ

WithEQ,youcanalsoscrewthingsuproyally.

We’vedesignedalotofboostandcutintoeach

equalizercircuit,becauseweknoweveryonewill

occasionallyneedthat.ButifyoumaxtheEQson

everychannel,you’llgetmixmush.Equalizesubtly

andusetheleftsidesoftheknobs(cut),aswellas

theright(boost).Veryfewgold-record-albumengineers

everusemorethanabout3dBofEQ.Ifyouneedmore

thanthat,there’susuallyabetterwaytogetit,suchas

placingamicdifferently(orusingadifferentkindof

micentirely).

30. Aux 2 Send

31. Aux 1 Send

Theseknobsallowyoutotapaportionofeach

channelsignalouttoanothersourceforparallel

effectsprocessingorstagemonitoring.Auxsend

levelsarecontrolledbytheseknobsandbythe

aux1master[39].

Thesearemorethanjusteffectsandmonitorsends.

Theycanbeusedtogenerateseparatemixesfor

recordingor“mix-minuses”forbroadcast.Byusing

aux1inthepremode,thesemixlevelscanbeobtained

independentlyofthechannel’slevelcontrol.

Aux1inpostmodeandaux2arepost-lowcut,

post-EQandpost-level.Thatis,thesendsobeythe

settingsofthesecontrols.Aux1inpremodefollows

theEQandlowcutsettingsonly.Panandlevelhave

noeffectonthepresend(seediagrambelow).

100

10k

20k

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

High EQ

GAIN INSERTLO CUT EQ

LEVEL

PAN

MAIN / ALT

AUX 2 KNOB

"POST" SIGNAL

"PRE" SIGNAL

AUX 1 KNOB

"POST" SIGNAL OBEYS

MUTE STATUS

INPUT

AUX SEND 1 PRE/POST SWITCH

(IN MASTER SECTION)

TO AUX SEND 2 LEVEL

TO AUX SEND 1 LEVEL

Eachauxsendlevelrangesfromoffthroughunity

(thecenterdetentposition)onupto15dBofextragain

(whenturnedfullyclockwise).Chancesareyou’llnever

needthisextragain,butit’snicetoknowit’sthereif

youdo.

Channel5–12auxknobscontrolthemonosumofthe

channel’sstereosignalsforeachauxsend.Forinstance,

channel5(L)and6(R)mixtogethertofeedthat

channel’sauxsendknobs.

Werecommendgoingintoastereoreverbinmonoand

returninginstereo.Wehavefoundthatonmost“stereo”

reverbsthesecondinputjusttiesupanextraauxsend

andaddsnothingtothesound.Thereareexceptions,

sofeelfreetotryitbothways.Ifyoureffectsdeviceis

truestereoallthewaythrough,useaux1tofeeditsleft

inputandaux2tofeedtherightinput.

Stillwithus?Goodforyou.Herecomethetricky

parts,theoutputormastersectionwherethemixingis

reallydone.Wehaveevenstarteditonanewpage:

“Pre vs. Post”

Signal Flow Diagram

1202VLZ4

Output Section

33. Control Room Source Matrix

Typically,theengineersendsthemainmixtoan

audience(iflive)oramixdowndeck(ifrecording).But

whatiftheengineerinthecontrolroomneedstohear

somethingotherthanthemainmix?Withthe1202VLZ4,

theengineerhasseveralchoicesofwhattolistento.

Thisisoneofthosetrickyparts,sobraceyourself.

Viathesesourceswitches,youcanchoosetolisten

toanycombinationofmainmix,alt3-4andtape.

Bynow,youprobablyknowwhatthemainmixis.

Alt3-4isthatadditionalstereomixbus.Tapeisthe

stereosignalcominginfromthetapeinput[9]jacks.

Selectionsmadeinthesourcematrixdeliverstereo

signalstothecontrolroom,phonesandmeterdisplay.

Withnoswitchesengaged,therewillbenosignalat

theseoutputsandnometerindication.

Theexceptionisthesolofunction.Regardlessofthe

sourceselection,engagingachannel’ssolo[24]switch

willreplacethatselectionwiththesolosignal,alsosent

tothecontrolroom,phonesandrightmeter(theleft

meterbecomesinactive).Thisiswhatmakesthe

level-settingproceduresoeasytodo.

WARNING:Engagingboththetapeand

assigntomainmix[36]buttonscancreate

afeedbackpathbetweentapeinput[9]and

tapeoutput[10].Makesureyourtapedeckisnotin

record,record-pause,orinput-monitormodewhenyou

engagetheseswitches,ormakesurethecontrolroom/

submix[34]levelknobisfullycounterclockwise(off).

Nowyouknowhowtoselectthesignalstosendtothe

engineer’scontrolroomorphones.Fromthere,these

signalsallpassthroughthesamelevelcontrol:

34. Control Room/Submix

Thisknobcontrolsthelevelsofboththestereo

controlroom[15]andphones[12]outputs.Thecontrol

rangeisfromoffthroughunitygainatthedetent,with

10dBofextragain(whenturnedfullyclockwise).

Whenmainmixisyourcontrolroomsourceselection,

thosesignalswillnowpassthroughtwolevelcontrols

onthewaytoyourcontrolroomampandphones—the

mainmix[32]knobandthiscontrolroom/submix

knob.Thisway,youcansendanicehealthyleveltothe

mainoutput(mainmixknobat“U”),andaquietlevel

tothecontrolroomorphones(controlroom/submix

knobwhereveryoulikeit).

Whenalt3-4ortapeisselected,orsolo[24]is

engaged,thecontrolroom/submixknobwillbethe

onlyonecontrollingtheselevels(channelcontrols

notwithstanding).

32. Main Mix

Thisknobcontrolsthelevelsofsignalssenttothe

mainoutputs:XLR[13]and1⁄4"[11]andRCAtape

output[10].Allchannelsandstereoreturns[7]that

arenotmutedorturnedfullydownwillwindupinthe

mainmix.

Fullycounterclockwiseisoff,thecenterdetent

isunitygain,andfullyclockwiseprovides12dBof

additionalgain.Thisadditionalgainwilltypicallynever

beneeded,butonceagain,it’snicetoknowit’sthere.

Thisistheknobtoturndownattheendofthesong

whenyouwantTheGreatFade-Out.

Owner’s Manual

Whateveryourselection,youcanalsousethecontrol

room[15]outputsforotherapplications.Itssound

qualityisjustasimpeccableasthemainouts[11and

13].Itcanbeusedasadditionalmainmixoutput,which

maysoundsillysincetherearealreadythree,butthis

onehasitsownlevelcontrol.However,shouldyoudo

somethinglikethis,besurethatyoudonotengagea

soloswitch,asthatwillinterruptyoursourceselection.

A Word About Pre-Fader Solo (PFL)

Engagingachannel’ssolo[24]switchwillcause

thisdramaticturnofevents:Anyexistingcontrolroom

sourceselectionswillbereplacedbythesolosignal,

appearinginthecontrolroom,headphones,andinthe

rightmeter.Theaudiblesololevelsarethencontrolled

bythecontrolroom/submix[34]knob.Thesololevels

appearingontherightmeterdisplayarenotcontrolled

byanything—youwouldn’twantthat.Youwanttosee

theactualchannellevelonthemeterdisplayregardless

ofhowloudyou’relistening.

“Pre-fader”solomeansthatthechannelsignalis

beingtappedbeforethechannel’slevel[23]knob

(notreallyafaderinthiscase,butwewereafraid

you’dlaughifwecalleditpre-knobsolo).Itdoes,

however,obeygain[4],lowcut[3]andEQ[27]

settings,makingittheperfecttoolforquickinspections

ofsuspectchannels.Thechannel’span[26]andmute/

alt3-4[25]settingshavenoeffectonthesolosignal.

Note:Forstereochannels5-12,thesolosignalis

themonosumoftheleft(odd-numbered)andright

(even-numbered)signalsforthatchannelstrip.

WARNING:Pre-fadersolo[24]taps

thechannelsignalbeforethelevelknob.

Ifyouhaveachannel’slevelknobsetbelow

“U”(unitygain),solowon’tknowthat,andwillsend

aunitygainsignaltothecontrolroom,phonesand

meterdisplay,thatmayresultinastartlinglevelboost

attheseoutputs.

35. Rude Solo Light

ThisashingLightEmittingDiodeservestwo

purposes—toremindyouthatatleastonechannel

isinsolo,andtoletyouknowthatyou’remixingon

a1202VLZ4.Noothercompanyissoconcernedabout

yourlevelofsoloawareness.Ifyouworkonamixer

thathasasolofunctionwithnoindicatorlights,and

youhappentoforgetyou’reinsolo,youcaneasilybe

trickedintothinkingthatsomethingiswrongwithyour

mixer.Hencetherudesololight.It’sespeciallyhandy

atabout3a.m.whennosoundiscomingoutofyour

monitorsbutyourmultitrackisplayingbacklikemad.

36. Assign To Main Mix

Let’ssayyou’redoingaliveshow.Intermissionis

nearingandyou’llwanttoplayasoothingCDforthe

crowdtopreventthemfromeatingthefurniture.

Thenyouthink,“ButIhavetheCDplayerpluggedinto

thetapeinputs,andthatnevergetstothemainouts!”

Oh,butitdoes.Simplyengagethisswitchandyour

controlroomsourceselection,aftergoingthrough

thecontrolroom/submix[34]knob,willfeedinto

themainmix,justasifitwereanotherstereochannel.

Anotherhandyuseforthisswitchistoenablethe

alt3-4mixtobecomeasubmixofthemainmix,using

thecontrolroom/submixknobasitslevelcontrol.

Sideeffects:(1)Engagingthisswitchwillalsofeed

anysoloedchannelsintothemainmix,whichmaybe

thelastthingyouwant.(2)Ifyouhavemainmixas

yourcontrolroomsourceselectionandthenengage

assigntomainmix,themainmixlinestothecontrol

roomwillbeinterruptedtopreventfeedback.Then

again,whywouldanyonewanttoassignthemainmix

tothemainmix?

37. Meters – Many Displays In One!

The1202VLZ4’speakmeteringsystemismadeup

oftwocolumnsoftwelveLEDs.Deceptivelysimple,

consideringthemultitudeofsignalsthatcanbe

monitoredbyit.

Ifnothingisselectedinthesourcematrixand

nochannelsareinsolo,themeterswilljustsitthere

anddonothing.Toputthemtowork,youmustmakea

selectioninthesourcematrix(orengageasoloswitch).

Why?Youwantthemeterdisplaytoreectwhatthe

engineerislisteningto,andaswe’vecovered,the

engineerislisteningeithertothecontrolroom[15]

outputsorthephones[12]outputs.Theonlydifference

isthatwhilethelisteninglevelsarecontrolledbythe

controlroom/submix[34]knob,themetersreadthe

sourcemixbeforethatcontrol,givingyoutherealfacts

atalltimes,evenifyou’renotlisteningatall.

Thankstothe1202VLZ4’swidedynamicrange,

youcangetagoodmixwithpeaksashinganywhere

between–20and+10dBonthemeters.Most

ampliersclipatabout+10dB,andsomerecorders

aren’tsoforgivingeither.Forbestreal-worldresults,

trytokeepyourpeaksbetween“0”and“+7”.

Youmayalreadybeanexpertattheworldof“+4”(+4

dBu=1.23V)and“–10”(–10dBV=0.32V)operating

levels.Basically,whatmakesamixeroneortheother

istherelative0dBVU(or0VU)chosenforthemeters.

A“+4”mixer,witha+4dBusignalpouringouttheback

willactuallyread0VUonitsmeters.A“–10”mixer,

witha–10dBVsignaltricklingout,willread0VUonits

meters.Sowhenis0VUactually0dBu?Rightnow!

1202VLZ4

Attheriskofcreatinganotherstandard,1202VLZ4

mixersaddresstheneedofbothcrowdsbycallingthings

astheyare—0dBu(0.775V)attheoutputshowsas

0dBVUonthemeters.Whatcouldbeeasier?Bythe

way,themostwonderfulthingaboutstandardsisthat

therearesomanytochoosefrom.

Remember,audiometersarejusttoolstohelpassure

youthatyourlevelsare“intheballpark.”Youdon’thave

tostareatthem(unlessyouwantto).

A Word About Aux

Firstofall,thereisnoparticularalliancebetween

auxsend1(or2)andstereoreturn1(or2).They’re

justnumbers.They’reliketwocompletestrangers.

Sendsareoutputs,returnsareinputs.Thechannel

aux[30and31]knobstapthesignaloffthechannel

andsendsittotheauxsend[8]outputs.Aux1signalis

senttotheaux1master[39]knobbeforegoingtothe

auxsend1[8]outputandtheaux2signalgoesdirectly

totheauxsend2[8]output.

41 40

Theseoutputscanbefedtotheinputsofareverbor

otherdevice.Fromthere,theoutputsofthisexternal

devicearefedbacktothemixer’sstereoreturn[7]

jacks.thenthesesignalsaresentthroughthestereo

return[40]levelcontrols,andnallydeliveredtothe

mainmix.

So,theoriginal“dry”signalsgofromthechannels

tothemainmixandtheaffected“wet”signalsgofrom

thestereoreturn[7]tothemainmix,andoncemixed

together,thedryandwetsignalscombinetocreate

aglorioussound.So,armedwiththisknowledge,

let’svisittheAuxiliaryWorld:

38. Pre Or Post (Aux 1)

Besidesbeingusedtoworkeffectsintoyourmix,aux

sendsserveanothercriticalrole—thatofdelivering

cuemixestostagemonitors,somusicianscanhearwhat

they’redoing.Onthe1202VLZ4,auxsend1canplay

eitherrole,dependingonthepositionofthisswitch.

Withthisswitchup(disengaged),auxsend1will

tapachannelpre-fader(level)andpre-mute/alt3-4,

meaningthatnomatterhowyoumanipulatethose

controlsastheyfeedthemainmix,theauxsendwill

continuetobeltoutthatchannel’ssignal.Thisisthe

preferredmethodforsettingupstagemonitorfeeds.

EQsettingswillaffectallauxsends.

Withtheswitchdown,theauxsend1becomes

anordinaryeffectssend—post-fader(level)and

post-mute/alt3-4.Thisisamustforeffectssends,

sinceyouwantthelevelsofyour“wet”signalsto

followthelevelofthe“dry.”

39. Aux 1 Master

Thisknobprovidesoveralllevelcontrolofauxsend1,

justbeforeit’sdeliveredtotheauxsend1[8]output.

(Auxsend2hasnosuchcontrol.)Thisknobgoesfrom

off(turnedfullydown),tounitygainatthecenter

detent,with10dBofextragain(turnedfullyup).

Aswithsomeotherlevelcontrols,youmayneverneed

theadditionalgain,butifyoueverdo,you’llbegladyou

boughta1202VLZ4.

Thisisusuallytheknobyouturnupwhenthelead

singerglaresatyou,pointsathisstagemonitor,and

stickshisthumbupintheair.(Itwouldfollowsuitthat

ifthesingerstuckhisthumbdown,you’dturntheknob

down…butthatneverhappens.)

40. Stereo Returns

Thesetwocontrolssettheoveralllevelofeffects

receivedfromstereoreturn[7]inputs1and2.These

controlsaredesignedtohandleawiderangeofsignal

levels,fromoff,tounitygainatthedetent,with20dB

gainfullyclockwise,tocompensateforlow-leveleffects.

Owner’s Manual

Typically,theseknobscanjustliveatthecenter

detent,andtheeffectsdevice’soutputcontrolshould

besetatwhatevertheycallunitygain(checktheir

manual).Ifthatturnsouttobetooloudortooquiet,

adjusttheeffectsdevice’soutputs,notthemixer.

Thatway,themixer’sknobsareeasytorelocate

at the center detent.

Signalspassingthroughthesecontrolswillproceed

directlytomainmix,withoneexception(seeparagraph

below).Thestereoreturnsdonothavemute/alt3-4

switches,soifyouwantthesesignalstogettothealt3-4

mix,you’llhavetopatchtheeffectsdevice’soutputsinto

oneofthestereochannels,andmute/altthosechannels.

41. Return To Aux 1

Ifyouwanttoaddreverbordelaytothestagemonitor

mixesofaux1,thisistheswitchforyou.

Withtheswitchup,stereoreturn1and2behave

normally—theydelivertheirsignalsintothemain

mix.Withtheswitchdown,stereoreturn1stillbehaves

normally,butstereoreturn2willfeedauxsend1

insteadofthemainmix.

Stillwithus?Good.Sofar,withtheswitchdown,we

havestereoreturn1feedingthemainmixandstereo

return2feedingauxsend1.Now,supposeyouonlyhave

oneeffectsdevice,andyouwantittofeedboththemain

mixandauxsend1.That’swhere“jacknormalling”

comesin:

Jack Normalling

Jacknormalling(nottobeconfusedwithJack

Normalling,ChicagoCubsutilityinelder,1952-61,

.267LBA)isafeaturefoundonalmosteverymixer,

keyboardandeffectsdevice.Thesejackshavespecial

spring-loadedpinsthatconnecttothesignalpins,

butwhensomethingispluggedintothejack,that

connectionisbroken.

Thesenormallingpinscanbeusedinallsortsof

ways.Theubiquitousphrase“left(mono)”meansthat

ifyouplugasignalintotheleftsideandhavenothing

intherightside,thatsignalisalsofedtotheright

input,courtesyofjacknormalling.Assoonasyouplug

somethingintherightside,thatnormalledconnection

isbroken.

Howdoesallthisrelatetothe

returntoaux1[41]switch?Stereo

return1’sinputsarenormalledto

stereoreturn2.Ifyouhaveone

effectsdevice,plugitintostereo

return1.Plugnothingintostereo

return2.Nowthesignalsfeeding

thestereoreturn1inputswillalsobesenttothestereo

return2inputs.

Engagethereturntoaux1switch,andnowthestereo

return2knobwillbecomeanadditionalauxsend1

knobforthesignalatauxreturn1.Saythattentimes

fast!Onceagain,auxreturn1willbehavenormally,as

always.

Congratulations!You’vejustreadaboutallthe

featuresofyour1202VLZ4.You’reprobablyreadyfor

acoldone.Goahead.Therestofthemanualcanwait.

1202VLZ4

Appendix A: Service Information

Ifyouthinkyour1202VLZ4hasaproblem,please

checkoutthefollowingtroubleshootingtipsanddo

yourbesttoconrmtheproblem.VisittheSupport

sectionofourwebsite(www.720trees.com)where

youwillndlotsofusefulinformationsuchasFAQs

andotherdocumentation.Youmayndtheanswer

totheproblemwithouthavingtosendyourmixeraway.

Troubleshooting

Bad Channel

• Isthemute/alt3–4switchinthecorrect

position?

• Isthelevelknobturnedup?

• Tryunplugginganyinsertdevices(channels

1–4only).

• Trythesamesourcesignalinanotherchannel,

setupexactlylikethesuspectchannel.

Bad Output

• Istheassociatedlevelknob(ifany)turnedup?

• Ifit’soneofthemainouts,tryunpluggingall

theothers.Forexample,ifit’sthe1⁄4"leftmain

out,unplugtheRCAandXLRLeftoutputs.If

theproblemgoesaway,itsnotthemixer.

• Ifit’sastereopair,tryswitchingthemaround.

Forexample,ifaleftoutputispresumeddead,

switchtheleftandrightcords,atthemixer

end.Iftheproblemswitchessides,it’snotthe

mixer.

Noise

• Turnthechannellevelandauxreturnknobs

down,onebyone.Ifthesounddisappears,it’s

eitherthatchannelorwhateverisplugged

intoit,sounplugwhateverthatis.Ifthenoise

disappears,it’sfromyourwhatever.

Power

• Unplugthepowercordandcheckthefuse.

Repair

Forwarrantyservice,refertothewarranty

informationonpage27.

Non-warrantyserviceisavailableatafactory-

authorizedservicecenter.Tolocatethenearest

servicecenter,visitwww.720trees.com,click“Contact

TechSupport”andselect“LocateaServiceCenter

orDistributor”[3].Servicefora1202VLZ4living

outsidetheUnitedStatesmaybeobtainedthrough

localdealersordistributors.

Ifyoudonothaveaccesstoourwebsite,youcan

callourTechSupportdepartmentat1-800-898-3211,

Monday-Friday,duringnormalbusinesshours,Pacic

Time,toexplaintheproblem.TechSupportwilltell

youwherethenearestfactory-authorizedservice

centerislocatedinyourarea.

Appendix B: Connections

Balanced XLR Input Connector

The1202VLZ4mixerhasfourfemaleXLR

inputs.BesurethecablesarewiredperAES

(AudioEngineeringSociety)standards:

Balanced XLR Input Connector

 Pin1–Shield(Ground)

 Pin2–Positive(+orhot)

 Pin3–Negative(–orcold)

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

Balanced XLR Input Connector

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Mackie 1202VLZ4 Stereo Mixer, 1202, 1202 VLZ4, 1202VLZ4 User manual

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