Mackie 1642VLZ4 User manual

Brand: Mackie

Model: 1642VLZ4

Category: Audio mixers

Type: User manual

This manual is also suitable for

1642VLZ4

OWNER’S MANUAL

16-Channel 4-Bus Compact Mixer

CONTROL ROOM

PHONES

SOLO

0 dB=0 dBu

AUX MASTERS

STEREO RETURNS

PWR

48V

TAPE IN

TO LR

SOLO

CR / PH

ONLY

RETURNS

SOLO

MAIN

MIX

RIGHT

LEFT

RIGHT

LEFT

RIGHT

LEFT

RIGHT

LEFT

TO LR

TO SUBS

ASSIGN OPTIONS

1-2

3-4

MODE

TO AUX

RUDE SOLO

LEVEL

SET

LEFT RIGHT

MAIN MIX

SUBS 3-4

SUBS 1-2

TAPE

PFL

AFL

12V

0.5A

R R

TAPE

OUT

UNBAL UNBAL

EQ EQ EQ EQ

GAIN

LINE IN 9 -10

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

L R

-15 +15

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

MIC GAIN

60U

4020

60U

4020

SOLO

LINE IN 11-12

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

L R

-15 +15

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

MIC GAIN

SOLO

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

L R

-15 +15

-20 +20

-15 +15

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LINE GAIN

SOLO

LINE IN 13-14

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

L R

-15 +15

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LINE GAIN

SOLO

+10

+20

MAX

GAIN

INSERT

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

MID

L R

-15 +15

FREQ

200 2k

800

100 8k

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

SOLO

LINE IN 1

MIC 1

ONYX MIC PRE

INSERT

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

MID

L R

-15 +15

FREQ

200 2k

800

100 8k

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

SOLO

LINE IN 2

MIC 2

ONYX MIC PRE

INSERT

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

MID

L R

-15 +15

FREQ

200 2k

800

100 8k

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

SOLO

LINE IN 3

MIC 3

ONYX MIC PRE

INSERT

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

MID

L R

-15 +15

FREQ

200 2k

800

100 8k

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

SOLO

LINE IN 4

MIC 4

ONYX MIC PRE

INSERT

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

MID

L R

-15 +15

FREQ

200 2k

800

100 8k

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

SOLO

LINE IN 5

MIC 5

ONYX MIC PRE

INSERT

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

MID

L R

-15 +15

FREQ

200 2k

800

100 8k

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

SOLO

LINE IN 6

MIC 6

ONYX MIC PRE

INSERT

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

MID

L R

-15 +15

FREQ

200 2k

800

100 8k

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

SOLO

LINE IN 7

MIC 7

ONYX MIC PRE

INSERT

MONO

LINE IN 15-16 PHONES

3-4

L R

-20

LOW

80Hz

12k

MID

L R

-15 +15

FREQ

200 2k

800

100 8k

PRE

+15

AUX

+15

LOW CUT

75 Hz

MUTE

9-10

MUTE

11-12

MUTE

13-14

MUTE

15-16

MUTE

SOLO

LINE IN 8

MIC 8

ONYX MIC PRE

MIC 9-10

ONYX MIC PRE

MIC 11-12

ONYX MIC PRE

BAL /

UNBAL

MONO

PAN PAN

PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN BALBALBAL BAL

MID

2.5k

LOW

MID

400Hz

MID

2.5k

LOW

MID

400Hz

MID

2.5k

LOW

MID

400Hz

LOW

MID

400Hz

MID

2.5k

1 1

4321

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

4 2 3 4

AUX SENDS

BAL / UNBAL

DIRECT OUTS

BAL / UNBAL

STEREO RETURNS

BAL / UNBAL

SUBGROUP OUTS

BAL / UNBAL

CR OUT

BAL / UNBAL

MAIN

BAL / UNBAL

MONO

BAL / UNBAL

MAIN INSERT

TIP SEND

RING RETURN

LEVEL

MAIN RIGHT

BALANCED

MAIN LEFT

BALANCED

MIC

MAIN

OUT

LEVEL

100-120V: 1A/250 V SLO-BLO

220-240V: 0.5A/250 V SLO-BLO

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE REPLACE WITH CORRECT

TYPE FUSE. REMOVE POWER CORD BEFORE CHANGING VOLTAGE.

STEREO

PLUG

DIRECT OUT WITH SIGNAL

INTERRUPTION TO MASTER

FOR USE AS AN EFFECTS LOOP

(TIP= SEND, RING= RETURN)

INSERT ALL THE WAY IN TO

THE "SECOND CLICK"

TIP OUT TO EFFECTS DEVICE

RING RETURN FROM EFFECTS

MONO PLUG

DIRECT OUT WITH NO SIGNAL

INTERRUPTION TO MASTER

INSERT ONLY INTO THE

"FIRST CLICK"

MONO PLUG

POWER

PHANTOM

MONO

100VAC 120VAC 240VAC

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

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.

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

BAL /

UNBAL

-20dB +40dB

60U

4020

-20dB +40dB

60U

4020

-20dB +40dB

60U

4020

-20dB +40dB

60U

4020

-20dB +40dB

60U

4020

-20dB +40dB

60U

4020

-20dB +40dB

60U

4020

-20dB +40dB

60U

4020

1642VLZ4

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 (2002/96/EC) 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. SW0973 Rev. A 06/13

Are your teeth really so-brilliantly-white that you can't stand it?

Do all the popular kids giggle as you walk past on the beach? Me too.

Ever thought about a career as a technical writer?

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:

Contents

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

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

FEATURES / INTRODUCTION ................................... 4

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

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

PATCHBAY DESCRIPTION

EZ INTERFACE .......................................... 8

MIC AND LINE INPUT FLEXIBILITY ............. 8

1. MIC INS ................................................... 8

PHANTOM POWER .................................. 8

2. LINE INS .................................................. 9

3. GAIN ...................................................... 9

4. INSERT .................................................... 9

5. DIRECT OUTS (ON REAR PANEL) .............. 10

RECORDING ........................................... 10

DOUBLE BUSING .................................... 10

6. AUX SENDS ............................................ 11

EFFECTS: SERIAL OR PARALLEL? .............. 11

7. STEREO RETURN INPUTS ........................ 11

8. SUB OUTS ............................................. 11

9. CONTROL ROOM OUTPUTS ..................... 11

10. PHONES OUT ......................................... 11

11. TAPE OUT .............................................. 12

12. TAPE IN ................................................. 12

13. MAIN INSERT ......................................... 12

14. MAIN OUTS .......................................... 12

15. MONO OUT............................................ 12

16. MONO LEVEL ......................................... 13

17. VOLTAGE SELECTOR ................................ 13

18. POWER CONNECTION ............................. 13

19. FUSE ...................................................... 13

20. POWER SWITCH ..................................... 13

21. POWER LED ........................................... 13

22. PHANTOM SWITCH ................................ 13

23. 48V LED ................................................ 13

24. BNC LAMP SOCKET ................................. 13

CHANNEL STRIP DESCRIPTION

25. CHANNEL FADER .................................... 14

26. ASSIGN (1–2, 3–4, L/R) ........................ 14

27. SOLO ..................................................... 14

28. –20 (SOLO) LED ..................................... 15

29. OL (MUTE) LED ....................................... 15

30. MUTE .................................................... 15

31. PAN....................................................... 15

STEREO SOURCES ................................... 15

CONSTANT LOUDNESS ! ! ! ...................... 16

32. 3-BAND MID-SWEEP EQ ......................... 16

33. 4-BAND FIXED-FREQUENCY EQ ............... 17

34. LOW CUT .............................................. 17

35. AUX 1, 2, 3, & 4 .................................... 17

36. PRE ....................................................... 17

OUTPUT SECTION DESCRIPTION

37. MAIN MIX FADER ................................... 18

38. SUBGROUP FADERS ............................... 18

39. ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX ............................ 18

40. TAPE IN (LEVEL) ..................................... 19

41. TAPE TO MAIN MIX ................................ 19

42. CONTROL ROOM SOURCE ...................... 19

43. CONTROL ROOM AND PHONES ............... 19

44. MODE (SOLO AFL/PFL) ........................... 20

45. LEVEL SET LED ........................................ 20

46. SOLO (LEVEL) ......................................... 20

47. RUDE SOLO LIGHT .................................. 20

48. METERS ................................................. 20

METERS VS. REALITY .............................. 21

AUX DISCUSSION ................................... 21

49. AUX SENDS (MASTER) ............................ 21

50. AUX SENDS SOLO AND LED..................... 22

51. STEREO RETURNS (LEVEL) ....................... 22

52. TO AUX 1 AND TO AUX 2 ....................... 22

53. MAIN MIX TO SUBS (FOR RETURN 3) ...... 22

54. 1–2/3–4 (FOR RETURN 3) ..................... 22

55. CR/PH ONLY (FOR RETURN 4) ................ 23

56. RETURNS SOLO AND LED ........................ 23

APPENDIX A: SERVICE INFORMATION .................... 24

APPENDIX B: CONNECTIONS.................................. 24

APPENDIX C: TECHNICAL INFORMATION ................ 28

SPECIFICATIONS ............................................. 28

BLOCK DIAGRAM ............................................ 29

TRACK SHEET.................................................. 30

1642VLZ4 LIMITED WARRANTY ............................ 31

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1642VLZ4

Features

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

high-headroom,low-noisedesign

• 10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

• 16high-headroomlineinputswith

+4/–10operationcontrol

• 3-bandEQ(80Hz,2.5kHz,12kHz)

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

channels

• Fourauxsends,level,panandPFLsolo

on each channel

• Fourstereoreturnsforconnecting

FXprocessororotherstereosource

• 60mmlong-wearinglog-taperfaders

• 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optional

rack ear kit

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

Introduction

The16-channel1642VLZ4deliverstheproven

performanceofOnyxpreampsinacompact4-bus

mixerdesign,perfectforbands,clubsandmore.

Fromeveryinputtoeveryoutput,the1642VLZ4is

designedtoprovidethehighestheadroomandlowest

noisepossibleformaximumsignalintegrity.

Plus,itistruly“Built-Like-A-Tank”witharidiculously

rugged solid-steel chasis that includes high-contrast

controlsforultimatetactilecontrol.

Andwithfeatureslikeanexpandedreturnsectionfor

no-hasslesystemintegration,plusadedicatedcontrol

roomsection,the1642VLZ4isthego-tomixerchoice

foranyapplicationthatdemandsexibilityand

professionalperformance.

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: t[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andfaders

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13).

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. Channels1-8haveinsertjacksthatcanbeused

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

processor into the signal chain.

6. ConnecttheXLRorTRS1/4"mainoutputs

ofthemixer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

CR/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.

3. Engagethemodeswitchinthemaster

section. A green level set light will turn on.

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

levels.

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

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

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

than“+7.”

6. Disengage the channel's solo switch.

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

8. Turnupthechannelfadertothe“U”mark.

9. Slowlyturnupthemainmixfaderuntilyou

hear the signals in the headphones.

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

11.Adjustthechannelfaderstogetthebestmix.

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

on unused channels.

12.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mainmixfaderand

controlroom/phonesknobdown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!

1642VLZ4

Hookup Diagrams

Recording System

Drum microphones

Vocal

mics

Headphone amp

Stereo Compressor

and Stereo EQ

Stereo Tape Deck

MR8mk3

studio monitors

Headphones

Stereo Guitar Effects

Synth

Stereo Compressor

Digital Reverb

Digital Delay

Multi-track

Digital Recorder

Laptop

The rhythm and lead guitars play through stereo effects processors plugged into the line inputs

of channels 1 and 2. Microphones are connected to the mic inputs of channels 3-10 with a vocal

compressor connected to the channel 3-4 insert jacks. [Drums are mic'd on channels 5-10].

A bass guitar is connected to the line input of channel 15, while a synth is connected to the stereo

line inputs of channels 15-16.

A stereo compressor and stereo graphic EQ are connected to the L/R main inserts. Digital reverb and

delay processors are connected to aux sends 1 and 2, with the aux sends set to post-level. Effects are

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

There are a multitude of recording possibilities geared for both analog purists and digital hounds.

There are three examples listed here, but feel free to experiment! (1) the RCA tape inputs and outputs

are connected to a stereo tape deck. It's an easy way to get a stereo recording of the entire band,

as well as listening to playback (over tape), (2) the eight direct outputs are connected to the eight

inputs of a multi-track digital recorder, and (3) the eight subgroup outs are connected to the laptop.

Again, there are many choices for recording. Do what works for you and your setup!

A pair of MR8mk3 studio monitors are connected to the control room outputs to listen to playback

of your latest masterpiece.

Owner’s Manual

Live Stereo PA System

Drum microphones

Vocal

mics

Stereo Compressor

and Stereo EQ

Headphones

Stereo Guitar Effects

Synth

Stereo Compressor

Digital Reverb

Digital Delay

Laptop

DLM12S subwoofers

DLM8 Stage Monitors

DLM8 loudspeakers

Stereo EQ

The rhythm and lead guitars play through stereo effects processors plugged into the line inputs

of channels 1 and 2. Microphones are connected to the mic inputs of channels 3-10 with a vocal

compressor connected to the channel 3-4 insert jacks. [Drums are mic'd on channels 5-10].

A bass guitar is connected to the line input of channel 15, while a synth is connected to the stereo

line inputs of channels 15-16.

A stereo compressor and stereo graphic EQ are connected to the L/R main inserts. The XLR L/R main

outs connect 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.

Digital reverb and delay processors are connected to aux sends 1 and 2, with the aux sends set to

post-level. Effects are added to the main mix via the stereo return inputs, and adjusted with the stereo

return level control. Aux sends 3 and 4 are connected to DLM8 powered loudspeakers, used as stage

monitors to please the band.

The RCA tape inputs and outputs are connected to a laptop. It's an easy way to get a stereo recording

of the live show for posterity and crank your featured playlist over the PA between bands.

1642VLZ4

Patchbay Description

Attheriskofstatingtheobvious,thisiswhereyou

plugeverythingin:microphones,line-levelinstruments

andeffects,andtheultimatedestinationforyoursound:

PAsystem,DAW,etc.Manyofthefeaturesdescribedin

thissectionareontopofthemixer,butsomeareonthe

rear panel.

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

theconnectorsyoucanusewiththe1642VLZ4.Alsosee

thechannelstripdescriptiononpage14fordetailsof

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

EZ Interface

Concernedaboutlevels,balancing,impedances,

polarity,orotherinterfacegoblins?Don’tbe.Onthe

1642VLZ4,youcanpatchanythingalmostanywhere,

withnaryacare.Here’swhy:

• Everyinputandoutputisbalanced(except

inserts,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

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pro-

cedureonpage5,everytimeyoupatchinanewsound

source.Sostopworryingandstartmixing!

Mic And Line Input Flexibility

Channels1-8aremonochannelswithmic[1]

andline[2]inputs,featuringourOnyxmicpreamps.

Channels9-10and11-12arestereopairswithleftand

rightlineinputsandasinglemicinputfeedingeach

pair.Channels13-14and15-16arestereopairswith

line inputs only.

1. Mic Ins

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.

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1642VLZ4’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.)

Owner’s Manual

1. Mic Ins

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.

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1642VLZ4’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.)

TheGAINcontrolsforstereochannels9-10and11-12

areonlyusedtoadjusttheMicinputs.Thelineinputs

are set to unity gain.

TheGAINcontrolsforchannels13-14and15-16only

adjusttheline-levelinputs,astheyhavenoMicinputs.

4. Insert

Foundonlyonchannels1–8,theseunbalanced1/4"

jacksareforconnectingserialeffectsprocessorssuch

ascompressors,equalizers,

de-essers,orlters.Theinsertpointisafterthegain

[3]control,butbeforethechannel’sEQ[32],lowcut

[34],fader[25]andmute[30]controls.Insertcables

mustbewiredthusly:

 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 27 showing three ways to use

insert cables.

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)

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

microphones,orribbonmicsintothemic

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

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dBto

operatinglevelsof–10dBVto+4dBu,asthereis45dB

ofgainavailableviathegain[3]knob.Notethat

channels1-8lineinputsareintiallyattenuatedby

15dB.Alwaysmakesuretoperformthelevelsetting

procedureonpage5.

Tolearnhowsignalsareroutedfromtheseinputs,

see the details lovingly described in the channel strip

section.

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

3. Gain

Thesecontrolsarenotinthepatchbay,but

theyarethetoprowofknobsinthechannelstrip

section.(Theyaresovitallylinkedwiththeinputs,

thisseemedlikeagoodplacetodescribethem.)

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.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.

1642VLZ4

5. Direct Outs

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[34],

post-fader[25],andpost-mute[30].Usethesefor

recording,makingthe1642VLZ4perfectforan8-track

studio.

Recording

Whenrecording,youusethersttwo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any

ofyour8multitrackinputs.Thisallowsrecordingof

twotracksatatime.Byreconnectingthedirectouts

tothedifferenttapeinputs,youcanrecordtoallof

the8tracks.

Oncethetrackingiscompleted,theoutputsofthe

multitrackarethenpatchedtochannels3-12line[2]

inputsonthe1642VLZ4(multitrackout1tolineinput

3,2to4,3to5,etc.).Thesechannels(3–12)willbe

assignedtothemixer’soutputsection,deliveringthe

signalstotheirultimatedestination,whichmaybea

mixdown2-track,controlroomsystem,orheadphones.

Butlet’snotforgetthatthe1642VLZ4isa4-busmixer.

Thesebusesleadtothesubouts[8],andaredesigned

toaccomplishthetaskofgettingchannelstothe

multitrackwithoutusingthedirectoutputs.

Forexample,achannelisassignedtosubout1.

Subout1’soutputispatchedtomultitrackinput1.

Fromthere,themultitrackoutputgoestothemixer’s

channel3lineinput,aswejustdiscussed.

Double Busing

Howonearthdoyougetfourjackstofeedeight

tracks?Tofeedan8-trackdeckwithonlyfoursubouts,

simplyusefourY-cords:

• SubOut1feedstracks1and5

• SubOut2feedstracks2and6

• SubOut3feedstracks3and7

• SubOut4feedstracks4and8

Tracksinrecordmodewillacceptthesignal,and

tracksinsafemodewillignorethesignal.It’sthateasy.

Thismethodisexactlythesameasthe

double-busingfeaturefoundinothermixers.

Built-indouble-busingisnothingmorethan

Y-cordslivinginsidethemixerinsteadofhangingout

theback.Sonically,thereisnodifference.

Theadvantages:Youcanassignanychanneltoany

track,withoutrepatching.Youcanassignmultiplechan-

nelstoonetrackandcontroltheoveralllevelofthat

subgroup.Youcan’tbouncetrackswithoutthisfeature.

Byreturningtheoutputsoftheeffectsprocessorsto

13/14(EFXA)and15/16(EFXB),youcanchooseto

recordormonitorwitheffects.

Perhapsthebestrecordingmethodisacombination

ofbothapproaches:Usethesuboutstofeed

multichannelsubmixes(likeadrumkit)tosome

ofthetracks,andthedirectoutjackstofeedsingle-

channelsignals(likebassguitar)totheothertracks.

The point is that you never listen directly to the

sourcechannels.Youlistentothemonitorchannels

(3–12)andthey’relisteningtothemultitrackthatis

listeningtothesourcechannels.Themainadvantage

isthatyouwon’tbeforcedtoconstantlyrepatchyour

multitrack—justsetitupandforgetit.You’llalso

knowforcertainthatthesignalsareindeedgettingto

themultitrack,sinceyou’reconstantlylisteningtoit.

Anothermethodofinterfacingamultitrackiscalled

in-linemonitoringwhichrequiresadedicatedmixing

console.Eachofitschannelsisactuallytwochannels:

onecarryingthemic/linesoundsourceandtheother

carryingthemultitrackoutput.

7 89

5 6

Owner’s Manual

8. Sub Outs

Thesefour1/4"jacksareusuallypatchedto

theinputsofamultitrackdeck,ortosecondary

ampliersinacomplexinstallation.Tolearnhow

signalsareroutedtotheseoutputs,seesubgroup

faders[38],page18.(Seealsothediscussionondouble

busingonthepreviouspage.)

9. CR Outs (Control Room Outputs)

These1/4"jacksareusuallypatchedtotheinputsof

acontrolroomamplieroraheadphonedistribution

amplier.Tolearnhowsignalsareroutedtothese

outputs,seectlroom/phones[43].

10. Phones Out (On Front Panel)

The1642VLZ4’sstereo1/4"phonesjackwill

drive any standard headphone to very loud levels.

Tolearnhowsignalsareroutedtotheseoutputs,see

CR/phones[43]onpage19.Ifyou’rewiringyourown

cableforthephonesoutput:

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CR/phones[43]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them-

selveswithshortcareers.”

11. Tape Out

TheseunbalancedRCAjackstapthemainmix

outputstomakesimultaneousrecordingandPAwork

moreconvenient.Connectthesetoyour2-track

recorder’s inputs. To learn how signals are routed

totheseoutputs,seemainmix[37]faderdetails

onpage18.

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

deckorotherdevice,simplyusethe1/4"mono[15]

outputjack.

Y-cordadvice:Donotusethestereo“headphone-to-

left/right”splitteradapters.Usethetypethatsendthe

samesignaltotwoplaces;thetipofthesourceplug

feedsthetipsofbothdestinationplugs.

6. Aux Send Outs

These1/4"jacksusuallypatchtotheinputsof

aparalleleffectsdevicesortotheinputsofstage

monitoramps.

To learn how signals are routed to

theseoutputs,seetheAuxdiscussiononpage21.

Effects: Serial Or Parallel?

You’vehearduscarelesslytossaroundtheterms

“serial”and“parallel.”Here’swhatwemeanbythem:

“Serial”meansthattheentiresignalleavesthemixer

[insertsend],isroutedthroughtheeffectsdevice,and

returnstothemixer[insertreturn].Examples:com-

pressor/limiters,graphicequalizers.Line-levelsources

canalsobepatchedthroughaserialeffectsdevice

beforeorafterthemixer.

“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.

7. Stereo Returns

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

effectsdevices(orextraaudiosources).Thereare

fourstereoreturns.They’llacceptjustaboutanypro

orsemiproeffectsdeviceonthemarket.Tolearnhow

signalsareroutedfromtheseinputs,seestereoreturn

level[51]onpage22.

Mono:Ifyouhaveaneffectsdevicewithamono

output(onecord),plugthatintotheleftinputof

a stereo return and leave the right input unplugged.

Thatway,thesignalwillbesenttobothsides,

magicallyappearinginthecenterasamonosignal.

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)

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)

1642VLZ4

12. Tape In

TheseunbalancedRCAjacksaredesignedtowork

withsemiproaswellasprorecorders.Connectyour

2-tracktaperecorder’soutputshere,usingstandardhi-

RCAcables.Tolearnhowsignalsareroutedfromthese

inputs,seetapein(level)[40]onpage19.

Usethesejacksforconvenientplaybackof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CDplayer

tofeedmusictoaPAsystembetweensets.

WARNING:Pushingtapetomainmix[41]

intheoutputsection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thisswitch,

ormakesurethetapeinlevelknobisfullycounter-

clockwise(off).

13. Main Insert

These1/4"jacksareforconnectingserialeffectssuch

ascompressors,equalizers,de-essers,orlters.The

insertpointisafterthemixamps,butbeforethemain

mixfader.Insertcablesmustbewiredthusly:

Tip = send(outputtoeffectsdevice)

Ring = return(inputfromeffectsdevice)

Sleeve = commonground

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)

14. Main Outs

Twosetsofjacksareprovidedforthemainoutputs:

1/4"TRSjacksandXLRjacks.Theseareusuallypatched

totheinputsofyour2-trackmixdowndeck(unless

you’vechosentousethetapeoutput[11]RCAjacks),

ortothehouseamplierduringlivesoundsessions.

Inaddition,theXLRmainoutshaveaswitch

tomatchthesignalleveltotheinputofthedevice

you'reconnectingthemto.Pushtheswitchintoreduce

theoutputby40dB,soyoucanfeedthemicinput

ofanothermixer,forexample.Leavetheswitchout

toconnecttoprofessional+4dBudevices.Tolearn

howsignalsareroutedtotheseoutputs,seepage18,

mainmixfader[37].

Tousetheseoutputstodrivebalancedinputs,

connect1/4"TRS(Tip-Ring-Sleeve)phoneplugs

likethis:

 Tip=Positive(+orhot)

 Ring=Negative(–orcold)

Sleeve = Shield or ground

Tousetheseoutputstodriveunbalancedinputs,

connect1/4"TS(Tip-Sleeve)phoneplugslikethis:

 Tip=Positive(+orhot)

Sleeve = Shield or ground

15. Mono Out

Ithappenstoeverybodysoonerorlater:Theforces

thatgovernyourworldwilldemandamonaural

outputfromyourpainstakingly-createdstereo

panorama.Thelastthingyouwanttodoisstart

twirlingallyourcarefully-placedpansettingstoone

side.Whattodo?Stickacordinthis1/4"jack,hand

theotherendtoMr.Mono,andyou’redone.He’sgot

hismonomixandyou’vestillgotyourstereomix.

Themonooutputisnothingmorethanamixof

theleftandrightmainmix.

1314

20 22

Owner’s Manual

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thespeakers.

21. Power LED

You’ve probably already

guredthisout,butifthe

power[20]switchison,this

LED(light-emittingdiode),

locatedintheoutputsection,

willlight.Iftheswitchisoff,

well,yougettheidea.Ifthe

power switch is on and the

LEDdoesnotglow,oneof

threethingshashappened:

Somebodytrippedoverthe

power cord and yanked

itfromtheoutlet,your

electricity has been turned

offduetononpayment,or

thefusehasblown.

22. Phantom Switch

Thisswitchcontrolsthephantompowersupply

forallthemicinputs,asdiscussedonpage8.

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

takesafewmomentsforvoltagetorampup(ordown).

Thisisperfectlynormal.Makesurethatyoupulldown

themasterfader,andheadphone/controlroomvolume

beforeengagingthephantomswitch.

23. 48V LED

Thisisjusttoletyouknowwhichwayyouhavethe

phantom[22]switchset.Ifyourdynamicmicswork

andyourcondensersdon’t,chancesarethisLEDisoff,

soturnthephantomswitchon.

You’llnoticethatwhenyouturnthephantom

poweroff,theLEDstaysonforawhile.Thisis

anaturalphenomenon—theLEDisactuallya

voltmetertellingyouthatthephantompowertakes

timetorampitselfdowntozerovolts.So,ifyou’ve

turnedphantompowerofftoconnectsomethingto

themicinputs,waituntiltheLEDstopsglowingand

thenmakeyourconnectionssafely.

24. BNC Lamp Socket

Locatedinthetoprightcorneroftheoutput

section,this12Vsocketwilldriveanystandard

BNC-typelamp(aLittlite®#12Gor#12G-HI

(high-intensity),forinstance).

23 21

16. Mono Level

IfMr.Mono'smainmonomixismaxed,justreachfor

thisknobandturnitdownabit.Justthethingforsend-

ingmonosignalstomicinputslikecamcorders,tele-

phoneinterfaceboxes,evenansweringmachines.With

thepotallthewayup(fullyclockwise),you’llhave6dB

ofextragain,andunitygainisatthe12o'clockposition.

17. Voltage Selector

WARNING: BeforeyouplugtheACpower

cordintothe1642VLZ4,youmustmakesure

thatthis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.

18. Power Connection

Just in case you lose the cord provided with the

1642VLZ4,itspowerjackacceptsastandard3-prong

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

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

WARNING:BeforeyouplugtheACpower

cordintothe1642VLZ4,youmustmakesure

thatthevoltageselector[17]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1642VLZ4isfusedforyour(anditsown)

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

thepowercord,popoutthefusedrawerwithasmall

atscrewdriver,andreplacethefusewitha1ASLO

BLO,5x20mm,availableatelectronicsstoresor

yourdealer(ora500mASLOBLO5x20mmif

your1642VLZ4issetto220V-240V).

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callthedistributorinyourcountry)

andndoutwhattodo.

20. Power Switch

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

onthemixer.Thepowerled[21]onthetopsurface

ofthemixerwillglowwithhappiness,oratleastit

willifyouhavethemixerpluggedintoasuitable

liveACmainssupply.

1642VLZ4

Channel Strip Description

26. Assign (1–2, 3–4, L–R)

Alongsideeachchannelfaderarefourbuttons,

labeledsolo,1–2,3–4andL/R.Thelatterthreeare

collectivelyreferredtoaschannelassignmentswitches.

1,3andLaretheleftsidesofthesestereopairs,and

2,4andRaretherightsides.Usedinconjunctionwith

thechannel’span[31]knob,theseswitchesdetermine

thedestinationofachannel’ssignal:Withpansetat

thecenterdetent,theleftandrightsidesreceiveequal

signallevels.Tofeedonlyonesideortheother,justturn

the pan knob accordingly.

Ifyou’redoingamixdowntoa2-track,simplyengage

theL/Rswitchoneachchannelthatyouwanttohear,

andthey’llbesenttothemainmix.Ifyouwanttocreate

asubgroupofcertainchannels,engageeitherthe1–2

or3–4switchesinsteadoftheL/R,andthey’llbesent

totheappropriatesubgroupfaders.Fromthere,the

subgroupscanbesentbacktothemainmix,allowing

youtousethesubgroupfadersasamastercontrolfor

those channels.

Ifyou’reprintingnewtracksorbouncingexisting

ones,you’llalsousethe1–2and3–4switches,but

nottheL/Rswitch.Here,youdon’twantthesubgroups

sentbackintothemainmix,butsentout,viathe

subouts[8]jacks,toyourmultitrackinputs.

However,ifyou’reprintingtracksviathedirect

out[5]jacks,allthechannelassignmentswitches

shouldbedisengaged(up).

The1642VLZ4iswhatwecalla“true4-busmixer.”

Eachchannelmaybeassignedorunassignedtoanyof

thesubgroupswithoutaffectingtheothersubgroups

orsettingswithinthechannel,andeachsubgrouphas

itsownmasterfaderanddedicatedoutput.Infact,

sincethereare4subgroupsandthemainL/Rmix,

it’sactuallyatrue6-busmixer.

27. Solo

This lovable switch allows you to check signals in

thephonesorcontrolroomwithouthavingtoassign

themtotheL/R,1-2or3-4mixes.Youcansoloas

manychannelsasyoulike.Solodoesnotinterrupt

anyoftheotherchannels,busesoroutputs—that’s

called nondestructive solo.

Usingthemode[44]switch,the1642VLZ4’ssolo

systemcomesintwoavors:AFL(sometimescalledSIP,

orsolo-in-place)andPFL(pre-fader-listen).Themode

switch is described in tender loving detail on page 21.

Thereareeightmono,andfourstereochannelstrips.

Manyofthefunctionsareidenticalforthemonoand

stereochannels.We’llstartatthebottomandworkour

wayup,pointingoutthedifferencesaswegoalong.

“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performedthe

level-settingprocedure,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controlsare

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

doinglevel-wiseifyouchoosetochangeacontrol’sset-

tings.

25. Channel Fader

Thefaderisalmostthelastcontrol

in a channel’s signal path. It’s placed

aftertheEQ[32]andmute[30]

controls(post-EQ/post-mute)and

beforethepan[31]control(pre-pan).

The“U”mark,aboutthree-quartersof

thewayup,indicatesunitygain,

meaningnoincreaseordecreaseof

signal level. All the way up provides

anadditional10dB,shouldyouneed

toboostasectionofasong.Ifyou

ndthattheoveralllevelistooquiet

ortooloudwithafadernearunity,

you’llwanttoconrmthesettingby

performingthelevel-settingprocedure

onpage5.

A Clean Fade

Fadersarenotrocketscience—they

operatebydraggingametalpin(the

wiper)acrossacarbon-basedstrip

(thetrack).Itispossibleforairborne

crud to land on the track. Should

thathappen,youmayhearscratchy

noises or signal dropouts as the wiper

stumblesoverthecrud.Doallyou

cantokeepairbornecrudoutofyour

profession.Useairconditionedrooms

wheneverpossible,avoidsmokingnear

themixer,keepfoodanddrinkaway

fromthemixer,andforpity’ssake,

neverputthemixerinyourkitchen!

Wealsorecommend“exercising”the

faders—givethemawalkupand

downonceaweekorso,andthatwill

help scare the crud away. We do not

recommendspraycleaners.

Owner’s Manual

Levelset(PFL)tapsthechannelsignalbefore

thefader.Ifyouhaveachannel’sfadersetway

below“U”(unitygain),solowon’tknowthat

andwillsendaunitygainsignaltothecontrolroom,

headphones,andmeterdisplay.Thatmayresultin

astartlinglevelboostattheseoutputs,depending

onthepositionofthesolo[46]levelknob.

Inanutshell,soloedchannelsaresenttothesource

[42]mix,thatultimatelyfeedsyourcontrolroom,

headphonesandmeterdisplay.Wheneversolois

engaged,allsourceselections(mainmix,1–2,3–4,

andtape)aredefeated,toallowthesoloedchannel

todojustthat—solo!

28. –20 (Solo) LED

AnLEDthatdoestwocompletelydifferentthings!

Thissavesspace,butrequiressomeexplanation.

First,the“–20”part:Oftenreferredtoas“signal

activity,”thisLEDwillickerintimewiththesignal

presentinthatchannel.It’shandyforconrmingthat

achannelisindeedactive,andmayalsolendaclue

astowhatthesignalis.Forinstance,akickdrumwill

causetheLEDtopulseintimewiththedrum,and

asynthpadwillcauseittoglowabitmoresteadily.

Nowforthe“solo”part:Whenachannel’ssolo[27]

switchisengaged,thisLEDwillglowsteadily.Itwill

alsobebrighterthanitwouldbeasa–20indicator.

Inconjunctionwiththerudesololight[47],youcan

ndaroguesoloswitchveryquickly.

29. OL (Mute) LED

AnotherLEDthatdoestwodifferentthings!

First,the“OL”part:“OL”meansoverload,orclip.You

don’twantthattohappen.Ever.Clippingcanhappen

toanymixer—it’sthepointwherethesignal’svolt-

agetriestoexceedthesupplyvoltagesthatpowerthe

circuitry.ThisOLLEDwillcomeonjustbeforeclipping,

soifyouseeit,takeimmediateaction:Performthe

level-settingprocedure.Ifthatdoesn’thelp,checkfor

excessiveuseofEQboostorfadergain.Likethe–20

LED,itwillickerintimewiththatchannel’ssignal.

Nowforthe“mute”part.Assumingyourlevelsareset

correctly,theOLLEDwillnevercomeonasaresultof

clipping.That’sprettyboring.So,toliventhingsup,this

LEDwillglowsteadilywhenthatchannel’smuteswitch

is engaged.

HereisaquickreferencetotheseLEDs:

30. Mute

Engagingthisswitchprovidesthesameresults

asturningthechannel'sfaderallthewaydown:

AnychannelassignmenttoL-R,1-2or3-4willbe

interrupted.Allthepostauxsendswillbesilenced,

aswillthedirectoutsignalsonchannels1through8,

andtheOL(mute)LEDwillglow.Thepreauxsends,

channelinsertsend,andsolo(inlevelset(PFL)mode)

willcontinuetofunctionduringmute.

Dependingontheaudiocontentinachannel,

engagingitsmuteswitchmaycauseaslightpopping

sound.Thisisnotaproblemwithinthemixer,andit

canbeavoided:Simplyengagethelowcut[34]switch

oneachchannel(unlessitslowfrequencycontentis

vitallyimportant,suchasakickdrumorbassguitar).

Lowcuteliminatessubsonicdebris,whichcausesthe

pop,anditseffectisusuallytransparent.

31. Pan

Panadjuststheamountofchannelsignalsent

totheleftversustherightoutputs.Pandetermines

thefateoftheL/Rassignment,subgroups1–2and3–4,

andthesolo[27](inAFLmode).

Withthepanknobhardleft,thechannelsignalwill

feedtheleftmainmix,subgroup1,subgroup3andleft

(AFL)solomode(assumingtheirassignmentswitches

areengaged).

Withtheknobhardright,thechannelsignalfeeds

therightmainmix,subgroup2,subgroup4andright

(AFL)solomode.

Withthepanknobsetsomewherein-betweenleft

andright,thesignalwillbedividedbetweentheleft

and right buses.

Thepanknobbehavesalittledifferentlyforthe

stereochannelstrips.Sincethereisaleftandright

inputonthesechannels,thepanknobcontrolsthe

relativebalancebetweentheleftandrightsides,just

likethebalancecontrolonyourstereosystemathome.

Stereo Sources

Use channels 9-16 to connect stereo sound sources.

Ifyoumustusethemonochannelstrips(1-8)forstereo

sources,followthisstandardconvention:Alwaysplug

theleftsignalintoan“odd”channel(1,3,5,etc.)and

therightsignalintotheadjacent“even”channel(2,4,6,

etc.).Thenpantheoddchannelhardleftandtheeven

channel hard right.

26. Assign (1–2, 3–4, L–R)

Alongsideeachchannelfaderarefourbuttons,

labeledsolo,1–2,3–4andL/R.Thelatterthreeare

collectivelyreferredtoaschannelassignmentswitches.

1,3andLaretheleftsidesofthesestereopairs,and

2,4andRaretherightsides.Usedinconjunctionwith

thechannel’span[31]knob,theseswitchesdetermine

thedestinationofachannel’ssignal:Withpansetat

thecenterdetent,theleftandrightsidesreceiveequal

signallevels.Tofeedonlyonesideortheother,justturn

the pan knob accordingly.

Ifyou’redoingamixdowntoa2-track,simplyengage

theL/Rswitchoneachchannelthatyouwanttohear,

andthey’llbesenttothemainmix.Ifyouwanttocreate

asubgroupofcertainchannels,engageeitherthe1–2

or3–4switchesinsteadoftheL/R,andthey’llbesent

totheappropriatesubgroupfaders.Fromthere,the

subgroupscanbesentbacktothemainmix,allowing

youtousethesubgroupfadersasamastercontrolfor

those channels.

Ifyou’reprintingnewtracksorbouncingexisting

ones,you’llalsousethe1–2and3–4switches,but

nottheL/Rswitch.Here,youdon’twantthesubgroups

sentbackintothemainmix,butsentout,viathe

subouts[8]jacks,toyourmultitrackinputs.

However,ifyou’reprintingtracksviathedirect

out[5]jacks,allthechannelassignmentswitches

shouldbedisengaged(up).

The1642VLZ4iswhatwecalla“true4-busmixer.”

Eachchannelmaybeassignedorunassignedtoanyof

thesubgroupswithoutaffectingtheothersubgroups

orsettingswithinthechannel,andeachsubgrouphas

itsownmasterfaderanddedicatedoutput.Infact,

sincethereare4subgroupsandthemainL/Rmix,

it’sactuallyatrue6-busmixer.

27. Solo

This lovable switch allows you to check signals in

thephonesorcontrolroomwithouthavingtoassign

themtotheL/R,1-2or3-4mixes.Youcansoloas

manychannelsasyoulike.Solodoesnotinterrupt

anyoftheotherchannels,busesoroutputs—that’s

called nondestructive solo.

Usingthemode[44]switch,the1642VLZ4’ssolo

systemcomesintwoavors:AFL(sometimescalledSIP,

orsolo-in-place)andPFL(pre-fader-listen).Themode

switch is described in tender loving detail on page 21.

Name Color Flickering Glowing

–20(SOLO) green signal present channel soloed

OL(MUTE) red channel clipping channelmuted

1642VLZ4

Constant Loudness ! ! !

The1642VLZ4’spancontrolsemployadesign

called“ConstantLoudness.”Ithasnothingto

dowithlivingnexttoafreeway.Asyouturn

thepan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,like

thoseBrandXmixers,wouldmakethesoundappear

muchlouderwhenpannedcenter.

32. 3-Band Mid-Sweep EQ

Theeightmonochannelshavea3-band,

mid-sweepequalization:lowshelvingat80

Hz,midsweeppeakingfrom100Hzto8kHz,

andhishelvingat12kHz.It’sprobablyallthe

EQyou’lleverneed!(Shelvingmeansthatthe

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

thespeciedfrequency.Forexample,the

1642VLZ4’slowEQboostsbassfrequencies

below80Hzandcontinuingdowntothe

lowestnoteyouneverheard.Peakingmeans

thatcertainfrequenciesforma“hill”around

thecenterfrequency.)

ThelowEQ

provides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whoeatbrokenglassfor

breakfast.

Usedinconjunctionwiththelowcut[34]

switch,youcanboostthelowEQwithout

injectingatonofsubsonicdebrisintothe

mix.Werecommendusingthelowcutfeature

onallchannels,exceptlowfrequencysignals,

likekickdrumsandbassguitars.

ThemidEQ,or“midrange,”hasaxedbandwidthof

1octave.Themidknobsetstheamountofboostorcut,

upto15dB,andiseffectivelybypassedatthecenter

detent.Thefrequencyknobsetsthecenterfrequency,

sweepablefrom100Hzto8kHz.

100

10k

20k

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

100

10k

20k

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

100

10k

20k

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

Mostoftherootandlowerharmonicsthatdenea

soundarelocatedinthe100Hz–8kHzfrequencyrange,

and you can create drastic changes with these two

knobs.ManyengineersusemidEQtocutmidrange

frequencies,notboostthem.Onepopulartrickisto

setthemidfullyup,turnthefrequencyknobuntil

youndapointwhereitsoundsjustterrible,then

backthemiddownintothecutrange,causingthose

terriblefrequenciestodisappear.Soundssilly,but

itworks.Sometimes.

ThehiEQprovides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,anoverall

senseoftransparency,oran

edgetokeyboards,vocals,

guitarandbaconfrying.Turnitdownalittletoreduce

sibilanceortomasktapehiss.

WithtoomuchEQ,youcanscrewthingsuproyally.

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

circuitbecauseweloveyou,andknowthateveryone

willoccasionallyneedthat.ButifyoumaxtheEQ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).Ifyoundyourselfrepeatedlyusingfullboost

orcut,consideralteringthesoundsource,such

asplacingamicdifferently,tryingadifferentkindof

mic,changingthestrings,orgargling.

33. 4-Band Fixed-Frequency EQ

Thestereochannels(9-16)havea4-band,

xed-frequencyequalization:lowshelvingat80Hz,

lowmidpeakingat400Hz,himidpeakingat2.5kHz,

andhishelvingat12kHz.

Eachoftheseltersprovidesupto15dBofboost

orcut.Aswiththemonochannels,thecircuitisat

(noboostorcut)atthecenterdetentpositions.

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Owner’s Manual

34. Low Cut

Thelowcutswitch(notpresentonchannels13-16),

oftenreferredtoasahighpasslter,cutsbassfrequen-

ciesbelow75Hzatarateof18dBperoctave.Thisain’t

nothrown-indime-storelter—an18dBperoctave

curverequiresanelaboratecircuit.Nothingbutthebest

foryou.

Werecommendthatyouusethisoneverysound

source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.

Withlowcut,youcansafelyboostlowEQ.Many

times,bassshelvingEQcanreallybenetvoices.

Troubleis,addinglowEQalsobooststhesubsonic

debris:Stagerumble,michandlingclunks,windnoise

andbreathpops.Lowcutremovesallthatdebrissoyou

canboostthelowEQwithoutblowingyoursubwoofers.

Here’safrequencycurveoflowEQcombinedwith

lowcut:

35. Aux 1, 2, 3, & 4

Thesefourknobstapaportionofeachchannel’s

signal,mixthemtogetherandsendthemtotheaux

send[6]outputs.Theyareoffwhenturnedfullydown,

deliverunitygainatthecenterdetent,andcanprovide

upto15dBofgainturnedfullyup.Chancesareyou’ll

neverneedthisextragain,butit’snicetoknowit’s

thereifyoudo.

Theauxsendoutputsarethenpatchedtoparallel

effectsprocessorinputsorstagemonitorampinputs.

Auxsends1and2levelsarecontrollednotonlybythe

channel’sauxknobs,butalsobytheauxsend[49]

masterknobs.

100

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Auxsendscanalsobeusedto

generateseparatemixesforrecording

or“mix-minuses”forbroadcast.

Byusingaux1or2inthepre[35]

mode,thesemixlevelscanbeobtained

independentlyofachannel’sfader[25]

settings.

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. Should you choose to use

twoauxsends,usethe“odd”aux(1or

3)tofeeditsleftinputandthe“even”

aux(2or4)tofeedtherightinput.

Remember,ifyou’realsodealingwith

astereosourcesignal,you’llwantto

followthesides—usetheoddauxon

thechannelcarryingtheleftsideand

theevenauxonthechannelcarryingtheright.

36. Pre

Thisswitchdeterminesthetappointofaux1and2.

Generally,“post”sendsareusedtofeedeffectsdevices,

and“pre”sendsareusedtofeedyourstagemonitors.

Seethe“Prevs.Post”diagrambelow.Aux3and4are

alwaysinpostmode.

Inpostmode(switchup),aux1and2willfollow

theEQ[32],lowcut[34],fader[25],andmute[30]

settings.Ifyoufadethechannel,youfadethesend.

Thisisamustforeffectssends,sinceyouwant

thelevelsofyour“wet”signalstofollowthelevel

ofthe“dry.”

Inpremode(switchdown),aux1and2followthe

gainandlowcutsettingsonly.EQ,pan,fader,andmute

settingshavenoeffectonthepresends.Thisisthe

preferredmethodforsettingupstagemonitorfeeds

—they’llbecontrolledindependentlyofthefaderand

mutemoves.

INPUT TRIM INSERT

LOW

CUT

PAN ASSIGN

MUTE

FADER

'POST' SIGNAL

'PRE' SIGNAL

PRE SWITCH

AUX 1

AUX 2

1642VLZ4

Output Section Description

You’vejustlearnedabouttheinputchannelsandhow

thesignalsgetinandout.Thesignalscomeinviamic

[1]andline[2]inputjacks,aremanipulatedbythe

channels,andthensenttotheoutputsection.Inthe

outputsection,thingsgetabitmorecomplicated,soput

on your thinking caps.

37. Main Mix Fader

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

mainout[14]jacksandtapeoutput[11]RCAjacks.

All channels and stereo returns that are assigned to the

mainmix,notmutedandnotturnedfullydownwill

appearatthemainouts.Beforethemainmixgetsto

thisfader,thesignalspassthroughthemaininsert[13].

Themainmixsignalsareoffwiththefaderfullydown,

the“U”markingisunitygain,andfullyupprovides

10dBadditionalgain.Thisadditionalgainwilltypically

neverbeneeded,butonceagain,it’snicetoknow

it’sthere.Thefaderitselfisastereoversionofthe

channelandsubgroupfaders—samesupersmooth

customtaper,samedeadsilencewhenturnedfully

down.Thisisthefadertopulldownattheendofthe

songwhenyouwant“TheGreatFade-Out.”

38. Subgroup Faders

Asyoumightexpect,thesefaderscontrolthelevelsof

signalssenttothesubout[8]jacks.Allchannelsthat

areassignedtosubgroups,notmutedandnotturned

fullydown,willappearatthesubouts.Unlikethemain

outs[14],thesubgroupsignalsdonotpassthroughan

insertjackontheirwaytothesubgroupfaders.That’s

noproblem—shouldyouwanttosendthesesignals

throughaserialeffectsprocessor,simplypatchfrom

thesuboutstotheeffect’sinput,andfromtheeffect’s

outputtowhateverthenaldestinationis,usuallya

multitrackrecorder.

Thesubgroupsignalisoffwhenitsfaderisfullydown,

the“U”markingisunitygain,andfullyupprovides10

dBadditionalgain.Rememberthatifyou’retreating

twosubgroupsasastereopair,subgroup1and2for

example,makesurethatbothsubgroupfaders“ride”

together,tomaintaintheleft/rightbalance.

39. Assign To Main Mix

Onepopularuseofthesubgroupsistousethemas

masterfadersforagroupofchannelsontheirwayto

themainmix.Let’ssayyou’vegotadrumkithoggingup

sevenchannelsandyou’regoingtowanttofadethem

outatadifferentratethantheotherchannels.Youdon’t

wanttotrythatwithsevenhandsorsevenngers,so

justun-assignthesechannelsfromL/R,reassignthem

tosubgroup1–2,engagetheassigntomainmix,lefton

subgroup 1 and right on subgroup 2. Now you can ride

theentirestereodrummixwithtwofaders—1and2.

Ifyouengagejustoneoftheseswitchespersubgroup

(leftorright),thesignalsenttothemainmixwillbe

thesamelevelasthesubouts[8].Ifyouwantasub-

grouptoappearinthecenterofthemainmix,engage

bothleftandrightswitchesforthatsubgroup.The

signalwillbesenttobothsides,andwillbeattenuated

justenoughtopreserveconstantloudness,justlikethe

channelpan[31]knobswhensetinthecenter.

Owner’s Manual

40. Tape In (Level)

Thisknobcontrolsthelevelofthestereosignalcom-

ingfromthetapeinput[12]RCAjacks.Itsrangeisoff

whenfullydown,unityatthecenterdetent,with20

dBadditionalgainturnedfullyup,whichmaycomein

handyifyou’vepatchedinadevicewithwimpyoutput

levels.Afterthelevelisdetermined,thestereotape

signalcanbesenttoeitheroftwoplaces—themain

mixorthesource[42]matrix.

41. Tape To LR

EngagingthisswitchisjustlikeengagingtheL-R

switchonachannel—thesignal,stereointhiscase,is

senttothemainmix.Itdoesnotinterruptothersignals,

justaddsitselftothem.Thisswitchcanbeveryhandy

in a live sound situation when you want to play soothing

elevatormusictoananxiouscrowd.

WARNING:Engagingtapetomainmixcan

createafeedbackpathbetweentapeinput

[12]andtapeoutput[11].Makesureyour

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

monitormodewhenyouengagethisswitch,orthat

thetapein[40]levelknobisturnedfullydown.

42. Source

Typically,theengineersendsthemainmixtoalive

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

iftheengineerneedstohearsomethingotherthanthe

mainmix?Withthe1642VLZ4,theengineerhasseveral

choicesofwhattolistento.

Usingtheseswitches,youcanchoosetolistentoany

combinationofmainmix,subs1-2,subs3-4andtape.

Selectionsmadeheredeliverstereosignalstothe

controlroom,headphones,andmeterdisplay.These

signalsaretappedoffasfollows—post-mainmixfader,

postsubgroupfaders[38],andpost-tapein[40]knob.

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

attheseoutputsandnometerindication,withtwo

exceptions:soloandstereoreturn4.

Regardlessofthesourceselection,engagingasolo

switchwillreplacethatselectionwiththesolosignal,

alsosenttothecontrolroom,headphones,andmeter

display.Thisiswhatmakesthelevel-settingprocedure

so easy.

Now you know how to select the signals you want

tosendtotheengineer’scontrolroomand/orphones.

Onceselected,thesesignalsallpassthroughthesame

levelcontrol,aptlynamed:

43. Control Room And Phones

Theseknobscontrolthelevelofthestereo

CRouts[9]andphones[10]outputs.

Youcanusethecontrolroomoutputsforother

applications,suchasanadditionalmainmixoutput

withitsownlevelcontrol.However,shouldyoudo

this,beawarethatifyouengageasoloswitch,it

willinterruptthemix:

Onceagain,engagingasolo[27]switchwillcause

thisdramaticturnofevents:Anyexistingsource[42]

matrixselectionswillbereplacedbythesolosignals,

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

Theaudiblesololevelsarecontrolledbythesolo[46]

levelknob.Thesololevelsappearingonthe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.

1642VLZ4

44. Mode (AFL/PFL)

The1642VLZ4’ssolosystemcomesintwoavors:

AFL(sometimescalledSIP,orsolo-in-place)andPFL

(sometimescalledPFL,orpre-fader-listen).

InAFL,thesoloedchannel’ssignalissentdirectly

tothecontrolroom,headphonesandmeterdisplayjust

asitwouldsoundtothechannel’sassignmentswitches:

post-EQ[32],post-fader[25]andpost-pan[31].

Theonlydifferenceisthatsoloworksregardless

ofthechannel’sassignmentpositions,andthat

makesitreallyhandy—youcancheckouta

channelbeforeyouassignit.

AFListhepreferredmodeduringmixdown:

Ifthechannelhassomemidrangeboostat4.236kHz,

ispannedasmidgentotheleft,anditsfaderisat

–5.385dB,that’sexactlywhatyou’llhearifyousolo

duringAFLmode.It’sjustasifyoutookthetimeto

mutealltheotherchannels.

PFLsoloisthekeyplayerintheall-important

level-setting procedure . It’ll send the channel’s

actualinternallevelstothemeterssoyou’llknow

justwhat’sgoingon,level-wise.Thisprocedureshould

beperformedeverytimeanewsoundsourceispatched

intoachannel’smic[1]orline[2]inputjacks.

PFLisalsothepreferredmodeforSR(sound

reinforcement,orlivesound),topreviewchannels

beforetheyareletintothemix.Itwon’tgiveyoustereo

placement,butwillgiveyousignalevenifthefader

is turned down.

Remember,PFLtapsthechannelsignalbefore

thefader.Ifyouhaveachannel’sfadersetway

below“U”(unitygain),solowon’tknowthat

andwillsendaunitygainsignaltothecontrolroom,

headphones,andmeterdisplay.Thatmayresultina

startlinglevelboostattheseoutputs,dependingonthe

positionofthesolo[46]levelknob.

45. Level Set LED

Whenthemodeswitch[44]isengaged,it’sinPFL

mode,themodeyoumustbeintosetlevels.Now,when

youengageanysoloswitch,thisLEDwillbea“green

light”tosetlevels.IfyoutriedtosetlevelsduringAFL

mode,themeterdisplaywouldbeatthemercyofthe

channelfader,andthatwouldbeabigproblem.

46. Solo (Level)

Thisknobcontrolsthelevelofthesignalscoming

fromthesolosystem.Afterthesololevelisdetermined,

the solo signals will proceed to take over the control

room,headphones,andmeterdisplay.

Onceagain,PFLsolotapsthechannelsignal

beforethefader.Ifyouhaveachannel’sfader

setwaybelow“U”(unitygain),PFLsolo

won’t know that and will send a unity gain signal to

thecontrolroom,headphones,andmeterdisplay.This

mayresultinastartlinglevelboostattheseoutputs,

dependingonthepositionofthesololevelknob.

47. Rude Solo Light

ThisashingLED(lightemittingdiode)serves

twopurposes—toremindyouthatyou’reinsolo,

andtoletyouknowthatyou’remixingona1642VLZ4.

Noothercompanyissoconcernedaboutyourlevelof

soloawareness.Weevenforcethesoloedchannel’s–20

LEDtoplayalong,soyoucanndthatrogueswitchfast.

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3:00inthe

morning,whennosoundiscomingoutofyourmonitors,

eventhoughyourmultitrackisplayingbacklikemad.

48. Meters

The1642VLZ4’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[42]

matrix,andnochannelsareinsolo[27],themeter

displaywilljustsitthere.Toputthemtowork,

youmustmakeaselectioninthesourcematrix

(orengageachannel's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output

ortheheadphones.Theonlydifferenceisthatwhilethe

listeninglevelsarecontrolledbytheCR/phones[43]

knob,themeterdisplayreadsthesourcemixbefore

thatcontrol,givingyoutherealfactsatalltimes,

evenifyou’renotlisteningatall.

Whenthesolomode[44]switchissettoPFL(down),

allsoloedsignalswillbesenttotheleftmeteronly.

That,combinedwiththelevelsetled[45],arealong

thepathofenlightenmentknownasthelevel-setting

procedure(page5).DuringAFLmode,themeterswill

behavenormally.

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Mackie 1642VLZ4 User manual

Brand: Mackie

Model: 1642VLZ4

Category: Audio mixers

Type: User manual

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