Mackie 800R User Manual
PREMIUM EIGHT CHANNEL
MICROPHONE PREAMP
w/192 kHz DIGITAL OUTPUT
OWNER’S MANUAL
Important Safety Instructions
1. Read these instuctions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with dry cloth.
ONYX 800R
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 amplifi ers) 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 fi t 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 specifi ed by the manufacturer.
12.
Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specifi ed 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.
PORTABLE CART WARNING
Carts and stands - The
Component should be used
only with a cart or stand
that is recommended by
the manufacturer.
A Component and cart
combination should be
moved with care. Quick
stops, excessive force, and
uneven surfaces may cause
the Component and cart
combination to overturn.
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 PAS 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 clair avec point de fl che l’int rieur d’un triangle
quilat ral est utilis pour alerter l’utilisateur de la pr sence
l’int rieur du coffret de "voltage dangereux" non isol d’ampleur
suffisante pour constituer un risque d’ l ctrocution.
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 l’int rieur d’un triangle quilat ral est
employ pour alerter les utilisateurs de la pr sence d’instructions
importantes pour le fonctionnement et l’entretien (service) dans le
livret d’instruction accompagnant l’appareil.
13.
Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long
periods of time.
14.
Refer all servicing to qualifi ed service personnel. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as powersupply 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 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).
16.
This apparatus has been equipped with a single-pole, rocker-style AC
mains power switch. This switch is located on the front panel and
should remain readily accessible to the user.
17.
This apparatus does not exceed the Class A/Class B (whichever is
applicable)
set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian Department
limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as
of Com mu ni ca tions.
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 com mu ni ca tions du Canada.
18.
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
suffi ciently intense noise for a period of time. The U.S. Government’s
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specifi ed
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 Sound Level dBA, Typical
In Hours Slow Response 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 Tami screaming at Adrian about deadlines
0.5 110
0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert
WARNING — To reduce the risk of fi re or
electric shock, do not expose this apparatus
to rain or moisture.
2
ONYX 800R
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................4
Getting Started ..........................................................................................................5
Zero the Controls.......................................................................................................................................5
Connections.................................................................................................................................................5
Set the Levels ..............................................................................................................................................5
Start Recording...........................................................................................................................................5
Hookup Diagrams......................................................................................................6
Onyx 800R Features ...............................................................................................10
Front Panel.................................................................................................................................................10
Rear Panel...................................................................................................................................................12
Appendix A: Service Information........................................................................16
Warranty Service...................................................................................................................................... 16
Owner’s Manual
Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................................16
Repair ..........................................................................................................................................................17
Appendix B: Connections ......................................................................................18
Appendix C: Technical Info .................................................................................. 20
Onyx 800R Specifi cations ....................................................................................................................20
Onyx 800R Block Diagram....................................................................................................................22
Onyx 800R Limited Warranty .............................................................................23
Please write your serial number here for future
reference (i.e., insurance claims, tech support,
return authorization, etc.)
Purchased at:
Date of purchase:
Don’t forget to visit our website at www.mackie.com for more
information about this and other Mackie products.
Part No. 0008666 Rev. A 4/04
©2004 LOUD Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Owner’s Manual
3
Introduction
Thank you for choosing a Mackie Onyx 800R eightchannel professional microphone preamplifi er. The Onyx
Series of mixers and microphone preamps are designed
for the digital era and offer the newest features and latest
technologies for live sound reinforcement and analog or
digital studio recording in a durable, road-worthy package.
ONYX 800R
The Onyx 800R is equipped with eight of our new
premium precision-engineered studio-grade Onyx mic
preamps. Mackie is renowned for the high-quality mic
preamps used in our mixers, and the Onyx mic pre’s
are better than ever, with specifi cations rivaling other
stand-alone mic preamplifi ers at twice the price.
The Onyx 800R is designed to be a transparent audio
interface for direct tracking to MDM, HDR, or DAW recording applications. Its selection of analog and digital
output options provides the fl exibility to connect in
almost any application.
Channels 1 and 2 feature an impedance select switch,
which lets you fi ne tune the mic pre for vintage tube and
ribbon microphones. Channels 1 and 2 also provide the
option of engaging a Mid/Side Decoder for M-S stereo
mic’ing. Adjusting the balance between channels 1 and 2
with their gain controls provides an effective way to vary
the width of the stereo image.
Channels 7 and 8 feature high-impedance instrument
inputs so you can connect an acoustic, electric, or bass
guitar directly to the mic preamp, eliminating the need
for an external direct box.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
We know that many of you can’t wait to get your new
microphone preamplifi er hooked up, and you’re probably
not going to read the manual fi rst (sigh!). So the fi rst section after this introduction is a Quick-Start Guide called
“Getting Started” to help you get the Onyx 800R set up
fast so you can start using it right away. Right after that
are the ever popular hook-up diagrams that show typical
setups for live sound and recording.
Then, when you have time, read the Features Description section. This describes every knob, button, and
connection point on the Onyx 800R.
Throughout this section you’ll fi nd illustrations with
each feature numbered. If you want to know more about
a feature, simply locate it on the appropriate illustration, notice the number attached to it, and fi nd that
number in the nearby paragraphs.
This icon marks information that is
critically important or unique to the
Onyx 800R. For your own good, read
them and remember them. They will
be on the fi nal test.
This icon leads you to in-depth
explanations of features and practical tips. While not mandatory, they
usually have some valuable nugget of
information.
Each channel has a mic/line switch, a polarity reverse
switch, individual phantom power switch, low-cut fi lter
switch, and a gain control.
A sample rate selector allows you to choose 32, 44.1,
48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, or 192 kHz sample rates, or to use
an external clock connected to the external word clock
input connector on the rear panel. You can also select
between 24-bit or 16-bit dithered word lengths at the
digital outputs.
The rear panel provides individual XLR balanced
mic input connectors for each channel, and balanced
line inputs on a DB25 connector. Analog balanced line
outputs are also provided on a DB25 connector. Digital
outputs are provided on two optical Toslink connectors
using the ADAT lightpipe digital audio format. AES/EBU
or S/PDIF formats are available on a DB25 connector,
with selection buttons for impedance, pro or consumer
status bits, and single-wire (two-channel) or dual-wire
(single-channel) operation.
A PLUG FOR THE CONNECTOR SECTION
Appendix B is a section on connectors: XLR connectors, balanced connectors, unbalanced connectors, and
the two types of DB25 connectors used on the Onyx 800R.
More resources on our website at www.mackie.com.
THE GLOSSARY: A Haven of Non-Techiness for
the Neophyte
The “Glossary of Terms” is a fairly comprehensive
dictionary of pro-audio terms. If terms like “clipping,”
“noise fl oor,” or “unbalanced” leave you blank, refer to
this glossary for a quick explanation.
ARCANE MYSTERIES ILLUMINATED
“Arcane Mysteries” discusses some of the down ‘n’
dirty practical realities of microphones, fi xed installations, grounding, and balanced versus unbalanced lines.
It’s a goldmine for the neophyte, and even the seasoned
pro might learn a thing or two.
4
ONYX 800R
Getting Started
Owner’s Manual
READ THIS PAGE!!
Even if you’re one of those people
who never reads manuals, all we ask
is that you read this page now before
you begin using the Onyx 800R. You’ll
be glad you did!
Zero the Controls
1. Turn down the channel GAIN controls.
2. Set all push button switches to their “out” positions.
3. Turn the POWER switch off.
Connections
If you already know how you want to connect the
Onyx 800R,
outputs the way you want them. If you just want to get
sound through the preamp, follow these steps:
1. Plug a microphone into channel 1’s MIC input.
2. Connect the analog line outputs to your MDM, HDR,
3.
4. You can connect the DB25 AES/EBU OR S/PDIF
5. Plug in the detachable linecord, connect it to an AC
6. If the microphone is a dynamic microphone, set the
go ahead and connect the inputs and
or audio interface for your DAW. This requires either a DB25-to-DB25 audio cable or a DB25 breakout cable to either eight male XLR plugs or eight
1/4" TRS plugs.
You can connect the Toslink OPTICAL OUT connectors to your recording equipment if they are equipped
with Toslink ADAT optical connectors. All eight channels are always present at the LINE LEVEL OUTPUTS
and the OPTICAL OUTs up to 96 kHz sampling (four
channels at the OPTICAL OUTs at 176.4/192 kHz).
OUT connector to your recording equipment if they
are so equipped, but we recommend that you fi rst
read the section on pages 14-15 that describes this
output and its associated buttons.
Note: When using the OPTICAL OUTs or the AES/EBU
OR S/PDIF OUT, make sure your MDM, HDR, or
audio interface is confi gured to clock off the incoming digital source. If you try to use their internal
clocks, it’s simply not going to work right.
outlet, and turn on the Onyx 800R’s POWER switch.
impedance switch on channel 1 to the “D” position
(2400 Ω). If it’s a condenser microphone, set the
impedance switch to the “D” position (or to the
manufacturers recommended impedance setting)
and push in the 48V phantom power button to turn
on the phantom power for channel 1.
other
Set the Levels
To set the channel GAIN controls, it’s not even necessary to hear what you’re doing at the outputs of the
preamplifi er. The following steps must be performed one
channel at a time.
1. Play something into the selected input. This could
be an instrument, a singing or speaking voice, or
a line input such as a CD player or tape recorder
output. Be sure that the volume of the input source
is the same as it would be during normal use. If it
isn’t, you might have to readjust these levels later.
2. Adjust the channel’s GAIN control so that the “–20”
and “0” LEDs light frequently or continuously, and
the “OL” LED doesn’t light at all (or only fl ashes
occasionally).
3. Repeat for each channel.
Start Recording
1. You should now see the signals from the Onyx 800R
appearing on the meters in your MDM, HDR, or
DAW. Start recording and hear the Onyx 800R in
stunning crystal clarity.
Other Nuggets of Wisdom
• You can connect the analog outputs from any line-
level source to the LINE LEVEL INPUTS on the
Onyx 800R and use its high-quality analog-to-digital
converters to get your analog signals to your digital
recorder(s).
• Always turn the Onyx 800R off before making or
changing connections.
• When you shut down your equipment, turn off the
amplifi ers fi rst. When powering up, turn on the
amplifi ers last.
• Never listen to loud music for prolonged periods.
Please see the Safety Instructions on page 2 for
information on hearing protection.
• Save the shipping box! You may need it someday,
and you don’t want to have to pay for another one.
That’s it for the “Getting Started” section. Next comes
the “Hookup” section that shows you some typical ways
that you might use the Onyx 800R in real applications.
After that, you can take the grand tour of the Onyx 800R,
with descriptions of every knob, button, input, and output.
We encourage you to take the time to read all of the
feature descriptions, but at least you know it’s there if
you have any questions.
Owner’s Manual
5
Hookup Diagrams
ONYX 800R
Mics
Keyboard or other
Electric Guitar
line-level input
Drum
Stereo Guitar
Machine
Stereo Synth
Effects
Input 8 Input 1
Module
ANALOG MICROPHONE PREAMP WITH 192kHz DIGITAL OUTPUT
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SIDE MID
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Digital I/O for Workstation
M
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MID/SIDE
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
DECODE
NORMAL
MID/SIDE
INPUT
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
OUTPUT
OPTICAL OUT
44.1/48kHz
88.2/
96kHz
1-8 1-81-4 5-8
1-2
176.4/
192kHz
OPTICAL or AES/EBU OR S/PDIF
To Desktop
or
Laptop Computer
DUAL WIRE
110Ω
PRO
75Ω
CONS
AES/EBU OR S/PDIF OUT
AES/EBU = 110Ω / PRO
SPDIF = 75Ω / CONSUMER
SINGLE WIRE
100-240 VAC
~
50-60Hz 105W
EXTERNAL
WORD
CLOCK IN
TERMINATION
OFF
ON (75Ω)
3-4
The OPTICAL OUTs or AES/EBU OR S/PDIF OUTs on the Onyx 800R can be connected directly to
a digital audio interface for a
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).
In this example, use the MIC/LINE switch for each channel to select between the
microphones and the line-level input instruments.
Onyx 800R Multitrack Recording with a DAW (Tracking)
6
ONYX 800R
Bass
Guitar
Electric
Guitar
Mics
Owner’s Manual
Drum
Machine
Keyboard or other
line-level input
HI-Z
INPUTS
(on front
panel)
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M
M
Portastudio
with ADAT Optical Inputs
ANALOG MICROPHONE PREAMP WITH 192kHz DIGITAL OUTPUT
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Input 5 Input 6
DUAL WIRE
110Ω
PRO
75Ω
CONS
AES/EBU OR S/PDIF OUT
AES/EBU = 110Ω / PRO
SPDIF = 75Ω / CONSUMER
SINGLE WIRE
100-240 VAC
~
50-60Hz 105W
OPTICAL OUT
SIDE MID
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MID/SIDE
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
DECODE
NORMAL
MID/SIDE
INPUT
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
OUTPUT
1-8 1-81-4 5-8
EXTERNAL
WORD
CLOCK IN
44.1/48kHz
88.2/
96kHz
1-2
176.4/
192kHz
TERMINATION
OFF
ON (75Ω)
3-4
The OPTICAL OUT on the Onyx 800R can be connected directly to a
tastudio with ADAT optical inputs.
Onyx 800R Multitrack Recording with a Portastudio (Tracking)
por-
Owner’s Manual
7
ONYX 800R
f
k
24-Channels
rom On-Stage
Mic Splitter
ANALOG MICROPHONE PREAMP WITH 192kHz DIGITAL OUTPUT
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ANALOG MICROPHONE PREAMP WITH 192kHz DIGITAL OUTPUT
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ANALOG MICROPHONE PREAMP WITH 192kHz DIGITAL OUTPUT
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SIDE MID
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SIDE MID
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SIDE MID
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Push In Termination Button
on Last Onyx 800R
DUAL WIRE
110Ω
PRO
75Ω
CONS
OPTICAL OUT
EXTERNAL
M
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P
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MID/SIDE
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
DECODE
INPUT
NORMAL
MID/SIDE
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
OUTPUT
M
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P
N
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MID/SIDE
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
DECODE
INPUT
NORMAL
MID/SIDE
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
OUTPUT
M
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P
N
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MID/SIDE
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
DECODE
INPUT
NORMAL
MID/SIDE
BALANCED LINE LEVEL
OUTPUT
1-8 1-81-4 5-8
1-2
OPTICAL OUT
1-8 1-81-4 5-8
1-2
OPTICAL OUT
1-8 1-81-4 5-8
1-2
WORD
CLOCK IN
44.1/48kHz
88.2/
TERMINATION
96kHz
3-4
176.4/
192kHz
EXTERNAL
WORD
CLOCK IN
44.1/48kHz
88.2/
TERMINATION
96kHz
3-4
176.4/
192kHz
EXTERNAL
WORD
CLOCK IN
44.1/48kHz
88.2/
TERMINATION
96kHz
3-4
176.4/
192kHz
OFF
ON (75Ω)
OFF
ON (75Ω)
OFF
ON (75Ω)
AES/EBU OR S/PDIF OUT
AES/EBU = 110Ω / PRO
SPDIF = 75Ω / CONSUMER
110Ω
PRO
75Ω
CONS
AES/EBU OR S/PDIF OUT
AES/EBU = 110Ω / PRO
SPDIF = 75Ω / CONSUMER
110Ω
PRO
75Ω
CONS
AES/EBU OR S/PDIF OUT
AES/EBU = 110Ω / PRO
SPDIF = 75Ω / CONSUMER
SINGLE WIRE
DUAL WIRE
SINGLE WIRE
DUAL WIRE
SINGLE WIRE
100-240 VAC
~
50-60Hz 105W
100-240 VAC
~
50-60Hz 105W
100-240 VAC
~
50-60Hz 105W
Word Cloc
Out
You can use mic splitters to route the signals from the stage to three
Onyx 800Rs in a rack, for 24-track live recording to a Mackie HDR.
Onyx 800R Live Multitrack Recording with an HDR
8
ONYX 800R
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