Mackie LM-3204 User Manual 2
10
22
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STEREO AUX RETURNS
AUX RETURN
TO CONTROL
ROOM ONLY
SOURCE
ALT 3-4
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MONITOR
LEVEL
POWER
LM-3204 STEREO LINE MIXER
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LEFT RIGHT CONTROL R M
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BALANCE
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SHIFT
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4
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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BALANCE
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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L
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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BALANCE
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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+30dB
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BALANCE
L
–15 +15
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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BALANCE
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
U
+30dB
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BALANCE
L
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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BALANCE
L
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SHIFT
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
U
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L
–15 +15
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SHIFT
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
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MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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MONO
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80
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EQ
SOLO
AUX
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SHIFT
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STEREO
MONO
HI
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MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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SHIFT
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12k
STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
U
+30dB
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BALANCE
L
–15 +15
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SHIFT
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STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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L
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SHIFT
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STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
U
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BALANCE
L
–15 +15
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STEREO
MONO
HI
80
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MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
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L
–15 +15
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STEREO
MONO
HI
80
LO
2.5k
MID
EQ
SOLO
AUX
LR
1
CHANNEL
2
CHANNEL
3
CHANNEL
4
CHANNEL
5
CHANNEL
6
CHANNEL
7
CHANNEL
8
CHANNEL
9
CHANNEL
10
CHANNEL
11
CHANNEL
12
CHANNEL
13
CHANNEL
14
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15
CHANNEL
16
CHANNEL
MUTE
ALT 3-4
MUTE
ALT 3-4
MUTE
ALT 3-4
MUTE
ALT 3-4
MUTE
ALT 3-4
MUTE
ALT 3-4
MUTE
ALT 3-4
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MUTE
ALT 3-4
MUTE
ALT 3-4
GAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAIN
®
LM-3 204 O WNER ’S MANU AL
CAUTION AVIS
RISK OF ELECTRIC
DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE
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
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.
CHOC
NE PAS OUVRIR
A LA PLUIE OU A L'HUMIDITE
SHOCK
ELECTRIQUE
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read Instructions — Read all the safety and operation
instructions before operating the LM-3204 Console.
2. Retain Instructions — Keep the safety and operating
instructions for future reference.
3. Heed Warnings — Follow all warnings on the LM-3204
Console and in these operating instructions.
4. Follow Instructions — Follow all operating and other
instructions.
5. Water and Moisture — Do not use the LM-3204 Console
near water - for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen
sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, near a swimming pool,
swamp or salivating St. Bernard dog, etc.
6. Heat — Locate the LM-3204 Console away from heat
sources such as radiators, compost pits or other devices that
produce heat.
7. Power Sources — Connect the LM-3204 Console only to
a power supply of the type described in these operation
instructions or as marked on the LM-3204 Console.
8. Power Cord Protection — Route power supply cords so
that they are not likely to be walked upon or pinched by
items placed upon or against them, paying particular
attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the
point where they exit the LM-3204 Console.
9. Object and Liquid Entry — Do not drop objects or spill
liquids into the inside of the LM-3204 Console.
10. Damage Requiring Service — The LM-3204 Console
should be serviced only by qualified service personnel when:
A. LM-3204 Console power-supply cord or the plug has
been damaged; or
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into the LM3204 Console; or
C. The LM-3204 Console has been exposed to rain; or
D. The LM-3204 Console does not appear to operate or
exhibits a marked change in performance; or
E. The LM-3204 Console has been dropped, or its chassis
damaged.
11. Servicing — Do not attempt to service the LM-3204
Console beyond those means described in this operating
manual. All other servicing should be referred to the Mackie
Tech SupportDepartment.
13. To prevent electric shock, do not use the LM-3204
Console polarized plug with an extension cord, receptacle or
other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent
blade exposure.
Pour préevenir les chocs électriques ne pas utiliser cette fiche
polariseé avec un prolongateur, un prise de courant ou une
autre sortie de courant, sauf si les lames peuvent être
insérées à fond sans laisser aucune pariie à découvert.
14. Grounding or Polarization — Do not defeat the
grounding or polarization of the LM-3204 Console.
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 règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique
édicté par les ministere des communications du Canada.
WARNING — To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do
not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.
v1.1–10/94
2
©1994, Mackie Designs, All Rights Reserved.
Printed in the USA.
PLEASE! SAVE THE
SHIPPING BOX!
T op Ten Reasons for
saving your shipping box:
10. It’s here.
9. It’s yours.
8. It’s paid for .
7. It’s strong and sturdy.
6. It fits your mixer perfectly.
5. You will need it if you ever ship your mixer.
4. We may have to sell you another one if you
need to ship your mixer and you don’t have
it.
3. It will impress your friends who have no
lives when they see it in your basement.
2. It’s the ecologically sound thing to do.
1. It’s the Mackie sound thing to do.
Top Ten Reasons for
shipping box:
10. Your cat has alr eady used it.
9. You stole the mixer out of a Karaoke bar.
8. Your Mackie mixer will never br eak.
7. You will never move again.
6. You wrote a song on it and ar e considering
framing it.
5. You have cut off the top and ar e using it as
an equipment rack.
4. You r eally hate planning ahead because it
never works out anyway.
3. It fits some other manufacturer’s product,
which is broken, perfectly.
2. You have kept all the boxes of all the other
equipment you have ever bought and you
have never used one of them ever .
1. You ar e afraid of corrugated products.
not
saving your
P ANEL LA YOUT AND
FUNCTION
GENERAL
INFORMA TION
USING THE
LM-3204
CONNECTIONS, OPTIONS,
SPECS, AND SER VICE
T ABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1:
Introduction..................................................... 4
Sensitivity Adjustments.................................... 5
SECTION 2:
Panel Layout & Function.................................. 6
Input module (channel strip).................. 6
Master output section................................ 9
Rear Panel ................................................12
SECTION 3:
General Information........................................16
SECTION 4:
Using the LM-3204 ..........................................19
Instrument submixer, stage.....................19
Instrument submixer, studio...................20
Effects submixer, studio ...........................20
Main mixer, studio...................................20
Club sound reinforcement mixers...........20
Other applications....................................21
APPENDIX A:
Connections ....................................................30
APPENDIX B:
Options, Add-Ons and Extra Stuff ...................33
APPENDIX C:
Specifications, Tech Stuff................................34
APPENDIX D:
Service ............................................................38
LAYOUT
AND
FUNCTION
GENERAL
INFO
USING THE
LM-3204
APPENDICES
3
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
The Mackie LM-3204 is a 32-input, 2+2 Bus
line level sound mixer. Each of the 16 stereo input modules is fitted with gain, balance, EQ and
auxiliary send controls.
The LM-3204 is designed for applications requiring control of a number of stereo/mono line
level sources, while providing exceptional audio
performance in a small (and very affordable)
rack-mounted unit — it makes the ideal centerpiece of a MIDI project suite.
The LM-3204 is equally suited for use as a
synthesizer/sampler/effects submixer for stage,
sound reinforcement and studio applications.
The LM-3204 is also perfect for audio-visual
sound mixing in exhibit halls and in presentation rooms, for multiple-source architectural
sound distribution, and for simple audio and video
post-production suites.
IF YOU IGNORE MANUALS...
How did you find this section?
Because you’re secretly wondering if there
might actually be something worth your time in
a book like this. What can we say? We’ll give you
concise, accurate information that even relates
to the real world, some nice patching diagrams,
a bit of entertainment and a full year’s worth of
weather forecasts for 7 regions of the country.
Why, we’r e even thinking of drilling a hole in the
corner so you can hang it by the toilet.
If you’re moving too fast to review all this
great prose, try to check out Section 2 and the
system Block Diagram. There are a few handy
and/or unique features in the LM-3204 design
you should know about.
At the very least, look for this important icon:
It marks information that is absolutely critical or
is unique to the LM-3204.
In addition, sections tagged with this icon:
include both in-depth information and our own
deeply felt but never biased opinions.
Note: one of the icons in the manual is actually a scratch-off icon, which, if you rub long
enough with the edge of a coin, will make a hole
in the page. If you succeed in finding a secret
message under a Mackie icon, please write us
and tell us about it. (W e wer e going to make another industry first and put a scratch-and-sniff
icon in this manual, but our Odors and Pheromones Department could not find a smell
related to sound mixing that was not in some
way offensive.)
4
IMPOR T ANT SENSITIVITY
ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE!
So important we put it first, before anything
else.
To fully achieve the LM-3204 Mixer’s
impressive headroom and specs, you should
always “tune” the input sensitivity for each
channel.
FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE FOR EACH
CHANNEL IN USE
1. Set the Control Room, Phones, Left and Right
Master Fader and Solo controls all the way
off. (As you are working through the steps,
you can bring these controls up a bit to hear
what you are doing, but be careful. Ther e’s a
lotta level in this mixer .)
2. Apply signal to channel input.
Insert a stereo line input into the corresponding Left and Right Input jacks at the rear of
the mixer .
or
Insert a mono line input into the corresponding Left Input jack on the rear of the mixer.
3. Set channel strip controls as follows:
Gain control at “U” detent.
Solo switch down.
Mute switch up.
Balance control at “U” detent.
EQ controls at “U” detent.
Aux controls fully counterclockwise (off).
4. Apply an audio signal to the input. The
material and level you use to set up the mixer
should be vaguely representative of what you
will really be doing when you really do it. If
you’re connected to a tape deck or a CD
player , put some music on and push the
button! If you’re hooked up to a synthesizer ,
tickle those plastic ivories!
5. The channel’s –20dB LED should light. The
L/R main meters will show the actual
internal operating level of soloed signals.
Now you will optimize levels.
For a meter reading of 0d Bu w ith + 4dBu
input (line level) signals, the settings in step 3
should be just about right. Adjust the channel
Gain control slightly so that you get peaks that
regularly hit 0dB on the Left and Right meters.
For –10dBV signals, you may have to turn
the channel Gain control clockwise to
boost the signal to r ead 0d B on
the Left and Right meters.
On the other hand, you might have to deviate
from this approach on certain channels. For
example, you don’t want to set the hi-hat cymbal
channel at 0dB. Use your judgement on this.
The Long Arm Exercise: For Microphone
signals (using an onboard Mackie mic
preamp), leave the channel Gain setting at
the “U” detent and instead adjust the Mic
Trim pot on the r ear of the mixer until you
get peak levels of around 0dB on the Left and
Right meters. Remember , the sound coming
in the microphone should be typical of what
you will really be using. For patching instructions, see page 11, “Microphone
Preamplifiers.”
6. If desired (optional):
Adjust the channel strip’s EQ to about what
you will be using during the session.
Repeat Step 5.
7. Return the channel strip’s Solo button to the
up position.
8. Repeat steps 1–7 on the next channel that is
being used.
9. As you un-solo the channel strips to listen to
your mix, ease up the Left and Right master
faders to set a good mix level on the meters,
with occasional peaks of 0dB.
5
1
E
N
OO
STEREO
2
OO
MONO
AUX
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
CHANNEL
16
OO
GAIN
SECTION 2: P ANEL LA YOUT & FUNCTION
16
U
3
+15
U
4
+15
SHIFT
ON THE LEFT SIDE
Most of the LM-3204 front panel (four-fifths,
precisely) is occupied by the 16 stereo, line
level input modules or channel strips. Each
strip sports identical features, functions, knobs
and buttons, so we’ll take a close look at one
HI
U
12k
and leave it to you to extrapolate. Still with us?
ON THE RIGHT SIDE
U
MID
2.5k
The rightmost one-fifth of the LM-3204 is
the Master Output section, featuring auxiliary
U
GAIN
EQ
returns, master level controls, meters, lights
LO
80
and a few other tricks.
THE OFFICIAL GUIDED TOUR OF A
TYPICAL LM-3204 INPUT MODULE
(CHANNEL STRIP)
Pretty straightforward. But remember,
these are all stereo input modules, so even
though there is only one volume control and
one EQ section per channel strip, there are
OL
actually two audio channels, Left and Right,
-20
routed through each strip…so each control
U
+30dB
on an input module is a dual control, working
on both sides of the stereo signal.
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
1
U
3
OO
+15
U
4
OO
+15
SHIFT
HI
U
12k
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
2
U
U
3
1
OO
+15
U
STEREO
OO
U
4
2
OO
+15
U
SHIFT
OO
MONO
AUX
HI
U
12k
+15
+15
THE GAIN CONTROL
At the bottom of each strip is the white Gain
knob, which is a stereo gain control for that
channel’s signal. In the time-honored Mackie
tradition, the Gain control has a tremendous
range, from off at the
or loss of gain) to a 30dB increase in signal level
when fully clockwise providing 15dB of gain
above unity. This range allows the LM-3204 to
easily handle a wide range of “line level” inputs,
from professional +4dBu and +8dBu levels all
the way down to consumer and semi-pro-type –
10dBV levels and lower .
to or subtracted from the input signal. With
the input Gain control and Left/Right master
gain controls set at “U,” a –10dBV signal at
the input jacks of the LM-3204 is still –10 at
the output jacks. Likewise, a +4dBu signal
comes in at +4 and goes out at +4.
SHIFT
3
3
4
HI
12k
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
4
U
U
3
1
OO
+15
U
STEREO
OO
+15
U
4
2
OO
+15
U
SHIFT
OO
+15
MONO
AUX
HI
U
12k
“ ” mark to unity (no gain
The “U” mark at the top
center the Gain control’s
arc of travel stands for
“Unity Gain.” It’s the point
at which no level is added
SHIFT
5
3
4
HI
12k
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
6
U
3
OO
+15
U
4
OO
+15
SHIFT
HI
U
12k
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
7
U
3
OO
+15
U
4
OO
+15
SHIFT
HI
U
12k
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
8
U
3
OO
+15
U
4
OO
+15
SHIFT
HI
U
12k
9
U
U
3
1
STEREO
1
OO
+15
U
STEREO
OO
+15
U
4
2
MONO
AUX
2
OO
+15
U
SHIFT
OO
+15
MONO
AUX
HI
U
12k
–15 +15
U
–12 +12
U
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
CHANNEL2CHANNEL3CHANNEL4CHANNEL5CHANNEL6CHANNEL7CHANNEL8CHANNEL9CHANNEL10CHANNEL
1
OO
6
–15 +15
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
U
OO
+30dB
–15 +15
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
U
OO
+30dB
–15 +15
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
U
OO
+30dB
–15 +15
U
U
U
+30dB
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
OO
–15 +15
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
U
OO
+30dB
–15 +15
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
U
OO
+30dB
–15 +15
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
U
OO
+30dB
–15 +15
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
U
OO
+30dB
GAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAIN
–15 +15
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
–15 +15
EQ
L
L
BALANC
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
U
+30dB
U
OO
GAI
To make matters even easier, the crack Mackie
,
,
,
,,,,,,,
,
,
,
,
,
,
O
Detent Crew have put a little mechanical “pothole” or detent at the Unity Gain point on every
rotary control. Adding detents is a precise, tedious
and largely thankless job, so think of those guys
every now and then as you’re going about your
glamorous and exciting lives mixing and recording
and performing, while they work late into the
night in rainy W oodinville with their little bags of
punches and elf-sized ball-peen hammers.
THE LEDs
Above the Gain knob are two LED (light-emitting diode) indicator lights to help you monitor
the signal levels within each input module.
–20 LED
The green LED is marked –20. It will light
whenever there is a signal level of –20dBu (at
1kHz) or above at the input jacks of that channel strip. In practice, this LED will flicker or
light almost constantly when there is activity in
that channel, and it basically serves as a convenient indicator for you — a way of figuring out
who’s singing now or what’s plugged into wher e.
Whether it lights rarely or is on all the time
is not really important; it’s just a porch light to
10
U
3
+15
U
4
+15
SHIFT
X
HI
U
12k
5+15
U
MID
2.5k
+12
U
LO
80
+15
EQ
R
LANCE
E
-4
O
OL
NNEL11CHANNEL12CHANNEL13CHANNEL14CHANNEL15CHANNEL16CHANNEL
-20
0
U
+30dB
1
OO
STEREO
2
OO
MONO
AUX
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OO
11
U
3
+15
U
4
+15
SHIFT
HI
U
12k
U
MID
2.5k
U
LO
80
EQ
OL
-20
U
+30dB
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OO
U
OO
+15
U
OO
+15
U
U
U
EQ
LR
L
U
SHIFT
+30dB
12
3
4
HI
12k
MID
2.5k
LO
80
OL
-20
1
OO
STEREO
2
OO
MONO
AUX
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
LR
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OO
13
U
3
+15
U
4
+15
SHIFT
HI
U
12k
U
MID
2.5k
U
LO
80
EQ
L
OL
-20
U
+30dB
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OO
U
OO
+15
U
OO
+15
U
U
U
EQ
LR
L
U
SHIFT
+30dB
14
3
4
HI
12k
MID
2.5k
LO
80
OL
-20
1
STEREO
2
MONO
AUX
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OO
U
OO
+15
U
OO
+15
U
U
U
EQ
LR
L
U
SHIFT
+30dB
15
3
1
STEREO
4
2
MONO
AUX
HI
12k
MID
2.5k
LO
80
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
-20
OO
OO
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
OO
GAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAINGAIN
show you somebody’s home. We designed it to
be ultra-responsive, so, with a little practice,
you can probably tell what’s on the channel (or
at least the difference between the kick drum
channel and a keyboard channel). However, it’s
not the way to determine levels. There is a
much more accurate way to measure your input strip levels: see the section on Setting
Levels in Solo further down the pike here.
Note: The –20 LED shows
signal activity on the right
side of each channel. If you
had a stereo source (two
cords, two plugs) or a mono
source (one plug into the left MONO jack), the
–20 LED will reflect that signal. However, if you
have a stereo source with no signal happening
on the right side, the –20 LED will be as unresponsive as a hybernating hippo on Sominex
OL LED
The red LED is marked OL, and that stands
for OverLoad. The channel strip OverLoad circuits constantly check at two critical points in
the input module: after the line input’s first gain
amplifier and after the EQ and gain circuits. If
either circuit is driven too hard (into overload),
16
U
U
3
1
OO
+15
U
+20
U
4
2
OO
+15
U
U
U
U
+30dB
+20
SHIFT
LEVEL
HI
12k
LM-3204 STEREO LINE MIXER
22
+
MID
OL
-20
10
2.5k
LO
80
–
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
7
4
2
0
2
4
7
10
20
30
40
STEREO AUX RETURNS
,,,,,
,,,,,
,,,,,
LEFT RIGHT CONTROL R M
CLIP
AUX RETURN
TO CONTROL
ROOM ONLY
dB
10
5
U
5
10
15
20
30
40
OO
SOURCE
ALT 3-4
PHONES
dB
10
5
U
5
10
15
20
30
40
OO
U
OO
+20
U
OO
LEVEL
POWER
U
OO
+20
SOLO
OO
LEVEL
TAPE
MONITOR
,,,,,
,,,,,
,,,,,
3
4
+20
LA YOUT
AND
FUNCTION
16
U
3
1
OO
+15
STEREO
U
4
2
OO
+15
MONO
SHIFT
AUX
HI
U
12k
™
.
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
CHANNEL
16
OO
GAIN
U
MID
2.5k
U
LO
80
GAIN
EQ
OL
-20
U
+30dB
7
1
OO
STEREO
2
OO
MONO
AUX
–15 +15
–12 +12
–15 +15
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
CHANNEL
16
OO
GAIN
the red OL light will flash.
This is to be avoided. Overloading a mixer cir-
16
U
+15
U
+15
U
cuit forces the audio signal to clip and seriously
3
distort the sound. When the OL light flashes, it
means something is too loud. It could be the
level of the unit connected to the LM-3204 input
4
jacks or a device you plugged into the Insert
SHIFT
Jack; maybe you have the Gain control turned
too high or an extreme amount of EQ (which
HI
12k
lifts the gain in certain frequency ranges). You
need to find out what is too loud and turn it
U
MID
down until the OL LED no longer lights.
2.5k
Note: When a channel
strip is soloed, both the
U
LO
80
GAIN
EQ
channel LEDs light
steadily to indicate that
module’s solo status.
SOLO
A solo function on a mixer allows you to listen to (and on a Mackie mixer, to observe on
the meters) any input or combination of inputs without affecting the main or auxiliary
OL
outputs of the mixer. In other words, you can
-20
push a solo button to check something out
U
+30dB
just about any time without affecting your
recording or sound reinforcement feed.
The Solo switch on each LM-3204 channel
strip assigns the stereo signal in that channel
to the stereo solo buses. Both the channel –20
will also light that pulsating flambeau, that impudent alarm, that ruby pharos guarding the
Mackie shore, the Rude Solo Light.
MUTE/ALT 3–4
Next up is the Mute switch, which lives up to
its name by muting its channel strip. When the
Mute switch is depressed, the signal in that input module is removed from the main Left/Right
buses and from any selected Auxiliary buses.
Even though the channel is muted, there
can still be audio within the input module. The
–20 and OL lights will light, signal will still be
available at the Insert jack (channels 1–4),
and the channel Solo function will still work. In
regard to the main and auxiliary outputs,
though, the channel is effectively turned off.
But there is a twist.
IMPORTANT: Any and all muted channels
are routed to an additional pair of stereo outputs, called the Alt 3–4 outputs. If you have
nothing connected to Alt 3–4 outputs, the
Mute switch is simply a Mute switch. If you
use Alt 3–4, then the Mute switch acts like an
assignment button, switching the signal between two sets of stereo output buses: the
Main L–R and the Alt 3–4 buses. This feature
is fraught with potential. What appeared at
first as a two-bus mixer now is revealed to be,
for many purposes, a four-bus mixer. Yow!
LED and OL LED will light steadily to indicate
the module’s solo status. The solo signals are
tapped off after the Balance control, the Gain
control and the EQ circuits, and will be affected by all these settings.
IMPORTANT!! Setting Levels with Solo
BALANCE
What looks like a pan pot, acts like a pan pot but
is not a pan pot? It’s a Balance control! With a stereo input module, you are no longer dealing with a
mono signal to pan from left to right. Instead, you
have a stereo signal already spread across the
On the LM-3204, Solo has another impor-
tant function.
Each Solo switch also triggers circuitry
that disconnects the meters, the Control
Room monitors and the Phones from their
normal duties and reconnects them all to the
output of the solo buses. Not only can you listen to the soloed tracks but you can measure
them on the 13-segment main meters.
In fact, this is the recommended way to ad-
just input levels. As you are initially setting up
a stereo pair of inputs, push the Solo button. It
doesn’t matter if the channel strip is muted:
solo will function on a muted or unmuted
track. Now set the input level to the range you
want, simply by checking out the main meters.
Lastly, by means of extr emely expensive state-
soundstage, and you may have to only tweak the
balance between the two channels a bit.
That’s what the Balance control on the
LM-3204 does. It’s identical to the balance
control on your Aunt Agatha’s Unrealistic hi-fi
receiver. There is a detent at the top, where
the balance is even. As you shift the control
from one side to the other, the stereo balance
changes, with the extremes being left channel
only or right channel only.
Note: It is possible to use a channel strip
on the LM-3204 as a mono input by plugging a
cord only into the Left (MONO) input. In this
case, the mono signal is applied equally to
both of the stereo signal paths. In this mode,
the Balance control acts just like a pan pot,
automatically! What a world we live in.
of-the-art highly obfuscated envelope-pushing
silicon technology, any Solo switch on the board
8
EQ
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
In keeping with the stereo theme of this entire
mixer , the engineers at Mackie have decided to
provide stereo equalization as well. Just like the
stereo Gain control, the EQ knobs have both left
and right EQ sections ganged on a single shaft.
The LM-3204 EQ has three sections, each
with a fixed knee or center frequency and
bandwidth. Frequency curves are shown below.
+15
+10
+5
0
–5
–10
–15
20
Hz
100
Hz
LM-3204 Lo shelving EQ ±15dB boost/cut.
+15
+10
+5
0
–5
–10
–15
20
Hz
100
Hz
LM-3204 Mid peaking EQ ±12dB boost/cut.
+15
+10
+5
0
–5
–10
–15
20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz
LM-3204 Hi shelving EQ ±15dB boost/cut.
The low-frequency equalizer
ing EQ with the knee of the shelf set at 80 Hz.
The Lo section offers a swing of ±15dB.
The mid-frequency EQ
featuring a bell-shaped peak/dip curve centered at 2.5 kHz with a smooth-sounding
2-octave bandwidth. The Mid section can cut
or boost over a range of ±12dB.
The high-frequency equalizer
ing EQ with the knee of the shelf set at 12
kHz. Like the Lo section, the Hi section offers
a swing of ±15dB at a very useful frequency.
When any of the EQ knobs are set at their
“Unity” detents, that section is effectively out
of the circuit.
1k
Hz
1k
Hz
10kHz20k
10kHz20k
is a peaking EQ,
Hz
Hz
is a shelv-
is a shelv-
AUX SENDS
The LM-3204 offers 4 separate sets of auxiliary sends from each input module. Two sets
of sends per module can be selected at any
one time. The Shift switch
allows you to
choose either sends 1 and 2, or sends 3 and 4
on any channel strip.
Sends 1 and 3
, selected alternately by
the Shift button, are true stereo sends with
left and right channels maintained separately
throughout the auxiliary send circuitry.
Sends 2 and 4
, also selected alternately
by the Shift switch, are mono sends. Within
each channel strip, the left and right input
signals are combined into a mono sum for
sends 2 and 4, which appear at their output
jacks as monaural signals.
All the sends on the LM-3204 are post-Gain
control, post-EQ, post-Mute switch. Unfortunately, due to the incredibly dense surface
mount circuitry inside this beast, modifications are not possible.
Each AUX send control has a “Unity” detent at the top of its travel, and, like the rest
of the mixer, will deliver a “level in = level
out” signal at the send outputs when set to
“U.” Setting the aux send controls fully clockwise delivers a whopping +15dB of gain.
THE MASTER OUTPUT SECTION —
THE TOUR CONTINUES
The Master Output section is that right-hand
one-fifth of the LM-3204 we promised we’d talk
about earlier in the manual. This section is
home to the Master Faders, Control Room,
Headphone and Solo level controls, the AUX Returns and, of course, the Rude Solo Light.
LEFT AND RIGHT MASTER FADERS
The mix level of the main Left and Right
buses is controlled by the Left and Right
Master Faders. The unity gain point for the
mix output circuits is marked with a “U,”
with 10dB of gain available beyond that
point. When both channel strip Gain and
the Left and Right Master Faders are set at
unity, the output level of the LM-3204 will
be the same as the input level.
LEFT AND RIGHT METERS
Above the Master Faders are the Left
and Right Meters. These are peak averaging meters, with zero (0)dB referenced to
16
U
3
1
OO
+15
STEREO
U
4
2
OO
+15
MONO
SHIFT
AUX
HI
U
12k
–15 +15
U
MID
2.5k
–12 +12
U
LO
80
GAIN
–15 +15
EQ
LR
L
BALANCE
MUTE
ALT 3-4
SOLO
OL
CHANNEL
-20
16
U
OO
+30dB
GAIN
U
1
OO
+20
U
2
OO
+20
LEVEL
LM-3204 STEREO LINE MIXER
22
+
10
7
4
2
0
2
4
7
10
20
30
–
40
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
SOURCE
ALT 3-4
AUX RETURN
TO CONTROL
ROOM ONLY
STEREO AUX RETURNS
CLIP
dB
10
5
,,,,,
U
,,,,,
,,,,,
5
10
15
20
30
40
OO
PHONES
MONITOR
dB
10
5
,,,,,
U
,,,,,
,,,,,
5
10
15
20
30
40
OO
OO
OO
LEVEL
POWER
OO
SOLO
OO
LEVEL
TAPE
LEFT RIGHT CONTROL R M
U
3
+20
U
4
+20
U
+20
9
U
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
1
OO
+20
U
2
OO
+20
LEVEL
LM-3204 STEREO LINE MIXER
22
+
10
7
4
2
0
2
4
7
10
20
30
–
40
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
LEFT RIGHT CONTROL R M
SOURCE
ALT 3-4
AUX RETURN
TO CONTROL
ROOM ONLY
STEREO AUX RETURNS
CLIP
dB
10
5
,,,,,
U
,,,,,
,,,,,
5
10
15
20
30
40
OO
PHONES
dB
10
5
U
5
10
15
20
30
40
OO
OO
OO
POWER
OO
OO
MONITOR
,,,,,
,,,,,
,,,,,
0dBu (.775 volts rms) at the rear output
jacks. The LM-3204’s main outputs are
0dBu=0dB Meter whether you are using
balanced or unbalanced cables.
The meters are switched by the same circuits
that switch the Control Room and Phones monitors. So whatever you are hearing in the monitors
is what’s on the meters. Normally , that would be
the main Left and Right bus outputs. If the T ape
Monitor switch is pushed down, the meters (and
the monitors) are connected to the T ape In jacks.
(See the Tape Monitor switch note in the Monitor ing section a little farther on.)
NOTE: The Control
Room fader does not affect
meter levels.
And remember, whenever
any solo button is pressed,
the meters are not reading the main output bus
level. When a Solo button is pressed, the monitors and the meters are connected to the solo
buses for input level adjustment.
Y ou should set your L/R levels for a r eading in
the middle of the meters, with occasional peaks
reaching into the yellow +7 to +10 range. You
should never have the levels loud enough to light
the red OL LEDs, which are set at +20dBu, just
U
U
before clipping (+22dBu) to indicate
bus distortion.
3
+20
STEREO AUX RETURNS
The LM-3204 has 4 stereo Auxil-
4
+20
LEVEL
iary (AUX) returns for reverb, delay
and other effect returns. The returns
pass through ganged stereo level con-
U
trols and are routed into the main
Left and Right buses. Each level con-
+20
SOLO
trol has a “U” detent and plenty of
gain (+20dB) for any effect you use.
Just like a channel strip input, any
LEVEL
return can be used in mono by patching into the Left input only.
There are a
TAPE
couple of Mackie bonus switches in the
AUX Return circuits:
THE SOURCE ALT 3–4 SWITCH
This switch works on the AUX
Return 3. With the switch up, AUX
Return 3 is just what it’s advertised
to be: an AUX Return. When the
Source Alt 3–4 switch is down, AUX
Return 3 inputs are disconnected.
Instead, the outputs of the Alt 3–4
buses are routed into the AUX
Return 3 control and circuitry.
This allows you to use Alt 3–4 as a pair of
submix buses and then re-mix them back into
the main Left and Right buses.
AUX RETURN TO CONTROL ROOM ONLY
It has such a long name that it hardly
needs any explanation. When this switch is
up, AUX Return 4 functions normally. When
the switch is down, the AUX Return 4 is disconnected from the main Left and Right buses
and is re-connected to the control room monitor and headphone circuits (where it is mixed
back in with Left and Right signal on its way
to the Monitor section).
This allows you to use wet monitor, listen-
ing with echo or delay without actually using
the effect in the main Left and Right outputs,
or to “play along” to a cue or click feed without having it go onto tape.
SOLO
When a Solo button is pressed, the soloed
signals are sent to the meters and the solo
buses, which are fed to the control room
monitor and headphone circuits. The Solo
control
in the main Output section sets
solo monitoring level. It has no effect on the
levels on the meters or on any of the main, alternate or auxiliary buses.
Next to the Solo level control is the Rude
Solo Light, as nasty an indicator as our Indicator Department could find without
actually being dangerous. When it is blinking, something is soloed. Simplicity itself.
Furthermore, the –20 and OL LEDs on soloed
channel(s) glow steadily to indicate Solo-ed status.
MONITORING
The LM-3204 has both Control Room
and Phone monitoring outputs, each circuit with its own level control. Monitoring
controls consist of the stereo Control Rm
fader, the Phones level control (with a handy
Phones jack just below it), and the Tape
Monitor switch.
Control Rm and Phone monitor outputs
always share the same sources:
• The main Left and Right buses under
normal conditions;
• The output of your tape recorder (or some
other source patched into the Tape In jacks)
when the Tape Monitor switch is pushed, or;
• The stereo solo buses whenever any Solo
switch is pressed. The solo circuits override
the Tape Monitor switch.
10
Quick recap: In the up position, the Tape
Monitor switch selects the main Left and
Right bus outputs for the monitor circuits and
the meters. In the down position, the Tape
Monitor switch selects the Tape Inputs for the
monitor circuits and the meters.
MICROPHONE PREAMPLIFIERS
Another Mackie bonus feature! How did
this come about? Was there just too much
blank space on the back panel? Did somebody say, “Well, what if you have a
microphone?” We’ll never know. But the
happy fact is, in addition to all the fabulous
stereo line input features you could possibly
want, there are two high-performance
Mackie microphone preamplifiers hidden
away on the rear panel, just in case you need
them.
The mic preamps each have a standard
XLR-3 input connector, a trim control, and
switchable phantom powering. However, they
don’t go anywhere (non-normalled). That’s up
to you.
To use a mic preamp, simply patch one of
1
the (unbalanced
one of the line input jacks of the mixer. Patch
’em in mono, patch ’em in stereo, patch ’em
anywhere your cord will reach.
⁄4") Mic Out jacks into any
NOTE: While dynamic
mics ignore phantom
power, ribbon mics don’t.
Make sure that the Phantom Power switch is off
before plugging in a ribbon mic. Wouldn’t
®
want to barbecue your Beyer
The
Long Arm Exercise
The mic Trim knob will add from +10dB
to +50dB of sensitivity to an LM-3204 input.
For proper level setting, put all the controls
in your signal path at the “U” detent and
solo the input module you are using for a
mic input. Then, while someone is making
appropriate noises in front of the microphone, adjust the mic trim so that the peak
levels read about 0dB on the meters.
If you are using condenser microphones,
don’t forget to engage the Phantom Power
switch, located between the two mic trim knobs.
…
revisited
LA YOUT
AND
FUNCTION
11
REAR-PANEL CONNECTIONS
M
E
O
V
With the exception of the handy Phones output jack, all of the connections to the LM-3204 are
made on the rear panel of the unit, back in your
equipment rack where all the cabling is lurking.
LINE INPUTS
There are 32 line inputs in the LM-3204, a leftright pair for each of the 16 input modules. The
channel inputs are each electronically balanced,
high impedance line inputs, accommodating a
range of signals from nominal levels of less than –
10dB to over +4dBu.
The input jacks will also accept unbalanced
line level inputs.
Each jack is wired as a TRS (Tip-Ring-
1
Sleeve)
“stereo” phone jack. The tip of the jack is wired
to the “high” (hot) side of the input circuitry , the
ring is wired to the “low” (cold) side, and the
sleeve is the circuit ground (earth) connection.
(often called “mono” plugs) may be used to
bring unbalanced signals into the LM-3204. The
sleeve of the TS plug will automatically connect
the low side of the input jack to ground and unbalance the input.
⁄4" phone jack, commonly called a
Standard TS (Tip-Sleeve)
1
⁄4" phone plugs
LM-3204 • STEREO • LINE • MIXER
CONCEIVED, DESIGNED, AND MANUFACTURED
BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE • WA
98072 • USA • MADE IN USA • FABRIQUE AU USA
STEREO AUX RETURNS
1234
(MONO)
L
R
AUX SENDS
1234
L
STEREO
R
EXPANDER IN
USE ONLY WITH LM-3204E EXPANDERS.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
REPLACE WITH THE SAME TYPE FUSE AND RATING.
DISCONNECT SUPPLY CORD BEFORE CHANGING FUSE
L
STEREO
R
WARNING:
EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE CO
NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED
AVIS:
(MONO)
MONO
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, D
RISC DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR
UTILISE UN FUSIBLE DE RECHANGE DE
DEBRANCHER AVANT DE REMPLACER L
16
L
R
CONTROL ROOM
OUTPUTS
ALT 3/4
OUTPUTS
15
RL
RL
MONO PATCHING
The stereo pair of input jacks connected to
each input module is wired so that an input signal plugged only into the LEFT (Mono) jack will
be applied to both the left and right input circuits. Inserting a plug into the RIGHT input jack
(with the LEFT input still plugged in) disables
the mono switching and returns the input module to the stereo mode.
INSERTS—CHANNELS 1–4 ONLY
Stereo input modules 1 through 4 have channel
insert jacks on the back panel. An insert jack allows
you to tap the signal out of the circuit for processing
in another piece of equipment and then return the
processed audio back into the LM-3204.
The channel inserts occur just before the
balance, gain and EQ circuits and controls.
Mackie inserts use 1⁄4" TRS
phone jacks, and can be used
in three different ways:
2. As a “direct output,” which also interrupts the
1
signal to the output section. Use a
⁄4" TS
(mono) plug, and push it in all the way to the
second click.
MONO PLUG
Direct out with no signal interruption to master.
Direct out with signal interruption to master.
(TIP = send to effect, RING = return from effects)
Insert only to first click
MONO PLUG
Insert all the way in to the "second click"
STEREO
PLUG
RING
For use as an effects loop.
TIP
1. As a “direct output,” with no interruption of
the signal to the output section. Use a
1
⁄4"
TS (mono) plug, but insert it only to the
first click.
12
ring
tip
shield
this plug connects to the CR-1604
SEND
RETURN
tip
"ring"
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