Mackie HR824 User Manual

HR824 MK2

High Resolution Active Studio Monitor

O W N E R ’ S M ANUAL



HR84 MK

HR824 MK2

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

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 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.

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 dry cloth. Use a non-scratch cloth to protect the finish.

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 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 shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing, and no

object filled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.

16.

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

be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing con

-

nection (the third grounding prong).

17.

Note that this apparatus is not completely disconnected from the AC

mains service when the power switch is in the OFF position.

18. 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 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.

19.

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 danger
ous exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recommended that all
persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high sound pres
sure 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 Hometheater(loudestpeaks)

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.

-

-

INTRODUCTION

Tweeter

Woofer

Passive Radiator

Power Amplifier/
Crossover Assembly

Owner’s Manual

Thank you for choosing the Mackie HR824 MK2 Studio
Monitors. We began producing the original HR824
Studio Monitors in 1997, and they quickly became the
standard by which near-field studio reference monitors
were compared for extremely flat frequency response at
a reasonable price. The HR824 MK2s have been rede­signed with modern components for improved accuracy
and an extended low-frequency response.

Investments in Excellence...

When we decided it was time to update the HR824s,
we turned to our expert loudspeaker and transducer de­sign engineering team at EAW to determine how to make
an already excellent studio monitor even better. The
first thing they noticed was that the front baffle could
be redesigned with a rounder aluminum construction
to further reduce edge diffraction for improved imag­ing. The volume of the cabinet was increased slightly to
improve the low-frequency response. The amplifiers have
been adjusted with all new ‘voicing’ to match the new
cabinets. However, the amplifiers’ design is fundamental­ly the same and has a very similar characteristic to the
original model. If you are upgrading from the original
HR824s, you won’t have to relearn the sound. The MK2s
still deliver the clarity, ultra-linear frequency response,
and broad stereo imaging of the originals.

An elegant piano-black gloss finish emphasizes that
these studio monitors are in a class by themselves,
pleasing to the most discerning eye as well as the most
discerning ear.

The result? The HR824 MK2 Studio Monitors are
extremely accurate and versatile, loaded with unique con­trols that allow you to fine-tune the sound to match your
individual environment precisely. You’re gonna love these!

What are they? The Advantages...

• The amplifiers are designed to provide maximum
acoustic output from the speakers, yet minimize
the danger of speaker damage due to overdriving.

• In addition, the amplifiers’ gain and frequency re
sponses are individually hand-trimmed to compen­sate for typical manufacturing tolerances between
the drivers and produce a smooth frequency
response from 35 Hz to 20 kHz.

• The connecting wires between the amplifier outputs
and the drivers are kept to an absolute minimum,
so the damping factor of the amplifier isn’t compro­mised by the resistance of long speaker cables.

• The acoustic sum of the outputs from the two driv
ers are optimized electronically, as well as physi­cally, so the amplitude response is unity and the
phase difference is minimal.

In short, all the complex interconnected components
in the system are designed to work in harmony with
each other to produce the best possible sound.

The Transducers...

The monitors feature an 8.75-inch high-precision, low­distortion
dome tweeter on the front, and a 6-inch x 12-inch ellipti­cal flat piston passive radiator in the back.

The high-frequency driver is mounted on a massive,
acoustically non-resonant die-cast aluminum exponential
waveguide, which results in wide, controlled dispersion
of high-frequency sounds. The unique passive radiator
design provides tight, articulate bass response down to
35 Hz — an astounding accomplishment for a cabinet
of this size! And since the radiator is producing most of
the sound at the lowest frequencies, there is very little
distortion from the woofer because its cone movement
is minimal at those frequencies.

woofer and a 1-inch ferrofluid cooled titanium

-

-

The HR824 MK2 Studio Monitors are high­resolution
tors employing a 6th-order Butterworth system
with a built-in rear-firing mass-loaded passive
radiator. Whew! There are many benefits to
integrating an active crossover, power amplifi­ers, and drivers into a single cabinet, and we’ve
taken full advantage of these benefits in the
design of the HR824 MK2.

• The crossover point is designed so that the

, two-way, bi-amplified, active moni-

high- and low-frequency drivers are fed
only the frequencies they are best able to
reproduce.

Figure 1. HR824 MK2 Cutaway side view

Owner’s Manual



4

HR84 MK

HR824 MK2

The Cabinet...

The cabinet is made of MDF with a high-gloss piano­black finish. Internal bracing increases the strength and
rigidity (stiffness) of the box. An open-cell adiabatic
foam material fills the inside of the box to absorb inter­nal reflections and dampen standing waves. Mounting
hardware is installed on the bottom of the cabinet that
fits the 60.0 WB OmniMount wall-mount bracket (see
“Placement” on page 6 for more info).

FR Series Power Ampliers...

What better way to power the loudspeakers than with
our acclaimed FR Series “Fast Recovery” power amplifi­ers. Our Fast Recovery design uses low negative feed­back, yet allows the amplifiers to maintain low distor­tion and stability even when driven into clipping.

The low-frequency amplifier produces up to 150 watts
continuous (350 watts peak) before clipping, while
the high-frequency amplifier produces up to 100 watts
continuous (210 watts peak).

1. Connect the line-level monitor signal from your mixer,
preamp, or other signal source to the SIGNAL INPUT
[1] jack on the HR824 MK2 Studio Monitor (1⁄4-inch
PHONE, XLR, or RCA).

2. Connect the supplied AC power cord to the IEC socket
[7] on the back of the monitor. Plug the other end into
an AC outlet properly configured with the correct volt­age for your particular model.

3. Set the POWER MODE [6] switch on the rear panel to
the ON position. With the front panel power switch [9]
out, the power amplifier is in Standby mode.

4. Start your signal source (tape deck, CD, DAW, or
whatever), but leave the master volume control on your
mixer or preamp down.

5. Push in the power switch [9] on the front of the HR824
MK2. The power ring [10] around the switch will illumi­nate.

6. Slowly turn up the INPUT SENSITIVITY [2] control on
the back of the monitor to its fully clockwise position
(NORMAL).

7. Adjust the master volume on your mixer to a comfort
ably loud listening level. Enjoy the silky smooth highs
and authoritative, commanding lows of the HR824 MK2.
Then read the rest of this manual.

-

QUICK START

We realize that you can’t wait to hook
up your new Mackie HR824 MK2 High
Resolution Studio Monitors and try
them out. Nevertheless, please take
the time to read this page NOW, and

the rest can wait until you’re good and ready.

Each of the HR824 MK2 cabinets has its own built­in power amplifiers. That’s right, two amplifiers per
speaker cabinet; one for the high-frequency tweeter
and one for the low-frequency woofer. You should turn
the INPUT SENSITIVITY [2] control on the back of the
cabinet down (fully counterclockwise) before turning
on the Studio Monitors for the first time. Also be sure
to set the power switch [9] on the front panel to its
standby position (out). This will prevent you from acci­dentally connecting a hot signal source to the monitors
and getting a rude surprise.

There are a number of other settings you can make
on the back of the HR824 MK2, and you can look at the
graphic instructions relating to each of them on the
back of the cabinet (or wait until you read about them
later on in this manual so you really know what they
do). For now, just leave them at the factory default
settings (ACOUSTIC SPACE = WHOLE; LOW FREQ =
49Hz; HIGH FREQ = 0), except for the POWER MODE
[6] switch. Be sure it is set to the STANDBY position.

AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOTE
ON HR824 MK2 BASS RESPONSE
AND YOUR CONTROL ROOM.

Your new HR824 MK2s achieve their
best bass response in a room that’s
optimized for bass reproduction. A
lot of factors can conspire to thwart

the HR824 MK2s’ extended low
frequency — including room shape, room volume and
acoustical treatment.

This is not a cop-out or an apology. It’s plain old
physics in action. Luckily we’ve armed you with some
compensating controls that you can use to optimize the
frequency response of the speakers in your particular
room. Consider the following:

The ACOUSTIC SPACE switch
must be set correctly.

When you put your HR824 MK2s in a corner or up
against walls, their bass characteristics change. Adjust
the ACOUSTIC SPACE [3] switch setting accordingly to
avoid muddy or exaggerated low frequency response.

AUTO

STANDBY

ON

MAINS INPUT

120VAC

60 Hz 150W

SIGNAL INPUTS BAL/UNBAL

ACOUSTIC SPACE

0

dB

–

2dB

–

3dB

–

4

dB

20 100Hz

LOW FREQ

LOW CUT
24dB/oct

LOW CUT

BUTTERWORTH

47Hz

80Hz

HIGH FREQ

0dB

–

2dB

10kHz

+

2dB

ACOUSTIC SPACE APPLICATIONS

C

SPEAKERS AGAINST WALLSPEAKERS IN CORNERS

B

CONSOLE

CONSOLE

A

HALF SPACE

QUARTER SPACE

37Hz

SPEAKERS AWAY FROM WALLS

CONSOLE

WHOLE SPACE

XLRPHONE

0dB

RCA

ON

ACOUSTIC SPACE LOW FREQ HIGH FREQ. POWER MODE

NORMALOFF

HALFQUARTER

WHOLE

(

NORMAL

)

37Hz80Hz

0

(

NORMAL

)

–

2dB+2dB

47Hz

INPUT

SENSITIVITY

LOW CUT

–

10dB

(

NORMAL

)

INTERNAL BI •AMPLIFICATION

150W. L. F. / 100W . H.F.

™

PATENT NO:
DES. 387,351

"THX PM3" AND "LUCASFILM" ARE TRADEMARKS OF LUCASFILM, LTD. USED BY PERMISSION

DESIGNED BY MACKOIDS IN WOODINVILLE, WA, USA • MANUFACTURED IN CHINA • FABRIQUE EN CHINE • COPYRIGHT ©2005
"MACKIE", "FR SERIES" AND THE RUNNING MAN FIGURE ARE TRADEMARKS OF LOUD TECHNOLOGIES, INC. • PATENT PENDING

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

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

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.
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.

ROHS

Owner’s Manual

Owner’s Manual





HR84 MK

HR824 MK2

Feel free to experiment.

Placement

In many respects, every room is unique in terms of its

acoustics.

Even after you’ve read about how to set the HR824
MK2’s rear panel switches, try other settings to see if
your particular room environment requires different
adjustments.

And, even after you’ve placed your monitors where you
think they’ll sound best, try moving them around. You
might be pleasantly surprised.

Finally, keep an open mind about
improving your room’s acoustics
and bass-handling ability.

Nobody likes to buy a new set of monitor speakers
and then be told that they should spend extra bucks on
bass traps or a remodeling job. But the simple fact is,
“standard” rooms, i.e., rectangular rooms in convention­al business or residential structures, are rarely if ever
conducive to optimal low bass reproduction without
some modifications.

Luckily, there are plenty of options short of building
a new control room, many of which are covered in this
manual.

Additional Tidbits of Wisdom

• When you shut down your equipment, turn off the

HR824 MK2 studio monitors first to prevent thumps
and other noises generated by any upstream equipment
from coming out the speakers. When powering up, turn
on the monitors last.

• Save the shipping box! You may need it someday, and

you don’t want to have to pay for another one.

• Save your sales receipt in a safe place.

• Also record all HR824 MK2 serial numbers in the space

provided on the next page, along with where and when
you bought them.

The HR824 MK2s were designed to be placed in a
vertical position. If you find it necessary to place the
speakers in a horizontal position (on their sides), place
them so that the woofers are toward the inside; that is,
so the woofers are closest to each other. This provides
the best low-frequency summing and overall imaging.

The HR824 MK2s can also be wall-mounted using the
mounting hardware located on the bottom of the cabi­net. This is designed to be used with the OmniMount

60.0 WB (Wall-to-Bottom) wall-mount bracket, which
provides a wide range of horizontal and vertical move­ment to meet your coverage requirements. Refer to the
OmniMount website for more details.

www.omnimount.com/pro/product.aspx?ProductId=1ec10a27­b84e-4ec8-9155-db5b646335bd&CurrentId=1.1.1.1

A Few Words About THX™ pm™
Certication

Nearly two decades ago, George Lucas turned a
passion for great sound into the world’s most accepted
and trusted solution for achieving it. The standard was
named THX (for Tomlinson Holman, who developed
the THX Sound System when he was the research and
technical director at Lucasfilm Ltd.™ in the early 80s),
and today, with hundreds of thousands of home theater
customers and more than 3000 THX Certified movie the­aters enjoying its benefits, the THX name has become
nothing short of legendary. Simply put: when it comes
to premium sound, no other name so closely defines
‘quality’ for millions of movie-goers and home theater
enthusiasts alike.

Today, a new landscape is emerging. A landscape com­prised of hundreds of small, professional multi-channel
facilities, whose need for differentiation, expert techni­cal and marketing support, and a true, multi-channel

Note: The Mackie logo can be rotated 90º so

that it is oriented correctly when placing the

speakers on their sides. Gently pull out on

the Mackie emblem, rotate it, and push it

back into place.