Mackie M2600 User Manual

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Page 1

–3

–6

–9

–20

–3

–6

–9

–20

SIG

2719

1.23v (+4dBu)

SENSITIVITY

GAIN/dB

PROTECT

COLD HOT

SHORT

TEMP STATUS

INTERNAL STATUS

1&2

POWER

1.23v (+4dBu)

SENSITIVITY

GAIN/dB

PROFESSIONAL POWER AMPLIFIER

FULL SYMMETRY DUAL DIFFERENT IAL HIGH CURRENT DESIGN

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

THRU

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDG

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

––

–

M•2600 OWNER’S MANUAL

™

HIGH-CURRENT POWER AMPLIFIER

Page 2

CAUTION AVIS

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

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.

DO NOT OPEN

NE PAS OUVRIR

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)

A LA PLUIE OU A L'HUMIDITE

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read Instructions — All the safety and operation instructions should be read before this Mackie product is operated.

2. Retain Instructions — The safety and operating instructions should be kept for future reference.

3. Heed Warnings — All warnings on this Mackie product and in these operating instructions should be followed.

4. Follow Instructions — All operating and other instructions should be followed.

5. Water and Moisture — This Mackie product should not be used 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. Cleaning — Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Ventilation — This Mackie product should be situated so that its

location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, the Component should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block any ventilation openings, or placed in a built-in installation such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through ventilation openings.

8. Heat — This Mackie product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, or other devices which produce heat.

9. Power Sources — This Mackie product should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in these operation instructions or as marked on this Mackie product.

10 . Power Cord Protection — Power supply cords should be routed 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 this Mackie product.

11 . Object and Liquid Entry — Care should be taken so that objects do not fall on, and liquids are not spilled into, this Mackie product.

12 . Damage Requiring Service — This Mackie product should be serviced only by qualified service personnel when:

A. The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or

B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into this Mackie product; or

C. This Mackie product has been exposed to rain; or

D. This Mackie product does not appear to operate normally or exhibits

a marked change in performance; or

E. This Mackie product has been dropped, or its chassis damaged.

13 . Servicing — The user should not attempt to service this Mackie product

beyond those means described in this operating manual. All other servicing should be referred to the Mackie Service Department.

14 . To prevent electric shock, do not use this polarized plug with an extension cord, receptacle or other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure.

Pour prévenir 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.

15 . Grounding or Polarization — Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of this Mackie product is not defeated.

16 . Power Precaution — Unplug this Mackie product during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

Note that this Mackie product is not completely disconnected from the AC mains service when the power switch is in the OFF position.

17 . 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.

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.

WARNING — To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.

Page 3

Lend Me Your Ears

Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing loss. Individuals vary considerably

in susceptibility to noiseinduced 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 this chart.

Duration in Sound level dBA Typical example hours per day (slow response)

8 90 Duo in small club 692 4 95 Subway Train 397 2 100 Very loud classical music

1.5 102 1 105 Lori screaming at Ron

0.5 110

0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for choosing a Mackie Designs power amplifier! The M•2600 is designed to fulfill the amplification needs of almost any type of application, with solid design features such as:

• 2600 watts into 4 ohms, bridged

• 1700 watts into 8 ohms, bridged

• 1300 watts x 2 into 2 ohms, stereo

• 850 watts x 2 into 4 ohms, stereo

• 500 watts x 2 into 8 ohms, stereo

• Easily handles 2 ohm loads all night long

• Two low-cut filters, 2nd-order Bessel, 12dB/octave, variable from Off to 170Hz

• Two superior design active crossovers, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley, 24dB/octave, selectable crossover point at 60, 90 or 120Hz

• Switchable limiter

• Automatic soft turn-on and multiple protection circuits

• Balanced/unbalanced 1/4" and XLR inputs

• XLR thru outputs, selectable to full-range, high pass or low pass

• Speakon® or binding post outputs

• Superior T-Design fan cooling

• Ultra low noise and distortion

• Fast Recovery design

• Five year warranty

At Mackie, we know what it takes to be roadworthy. After all, our mixers have traveled all over the world under the worst of conditions, and we’ve applied what we’ve learned to the mechanical design of our amplifiers.

Reliability is paramount to sound reinforcement. That’s why we use double-sided thru-holeplated fiberglass printed circuit boards. That’s why our engineers have subjected the amplifier to the most rigorous and fiendish tests imaginable to fine-tune the design and extend its limits beyond those of ordinary amplifiers.

Part No. 0003364 Rev. A 05/02

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 these levels (such as the M•2600) use hearing protectors while this unit is in operation. Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals

or over the ears must be worn when operating this amplification system in order to prevent a permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth here.

Our Fast Recovery (FR) amplifiers perform better than conventional designs when presented with adverse conditions such as clipping. Conventional designs use lots of negative feedback to provide stability and lower distortion. When clipping occurs, this “feedback” causes highfrequency sticking, keeping the amplifier “latched” in the clipping state longer than necessary. This results in painfully audible distortion. The Fast Recovery design eliminates this high-frequency sticking and allows the amplifier to remain stable when powering highly reactive loads at high volume levels.

Carefully read and follow all the safety instructions explained on page 2 and throughout the manual. The Quick Start guide on page 4 gives an overview of the amplifier, and the rest of the manual explains the wealth of features and operating instructions in loving detail.

Please write your serial number here for future reference (i.e., insurance claims, tech support, return authorization, etc.):

Purchased at:

Date of purchase:

Page 4

READ THIS PAGE!

QUICK START

I got ants in my pants and I got to dance!

INSTALLATION

The M•2600 amplifier must only be installed in a rack. See page 29 for special details regarding rack mounting and thermal

considerations. DO NOT BLOCK THE VENTILATION PORTS The M•2600 draws its ventilation air in from the front and out through the side panels. It needs plenty of fresh air to stay cool.

CONNECTIONS AND SETTINGS

1. The output terminals

are capable of high voltage

output, so for your safety,

POWER

the

must be off before making

any connections.

GAIN

2. Turn the

controls fully down

(counterclockwise) for now.

3. Set both

their

4. Set the

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

marks (35Hz).

LIMITER

switch on.

Note: If you’re using the M•2600 to power a subwoofer, you probably do not need an external crossover. Please see page 28 for details.

switch

controls to

5. Determine which

AMP MODE

is best

for your application:

STEREO

•

mode (separate left and right inputs, separate left and right outputs) is the typical setup for amplifying stereo signals.

MONO

•

mode (sometimes called DualMono mode — one or two inputs, two mono outputs) is for sending a mono signal to two different speaker sets, with separatelyadjustable level controls.

BRIDGED

•

mode (sometimes called Bridged-Mono — one or two inputs, one mono output) uses both sides of the amp to triple the power going to one speaker. An M•2600 in

BRIDGED

mode, delivers 2600

watts (into 4 ohms). Garsh!

Note: In

BRIDGED

mode, 4 ohms is the minimum speaker impedance you should connect to the amplifier. If you connect a lower impedance load, the amplifier may go into mode and the

SHORT

LEDs will turn on.

PROTECT

Then the audience will turn on you.

6. In

STEREO

mode, connect line-level cables

from your signal source to the M•2600’s

INPUT

jacks, either XLR or TRS:

• The XLR and TRS inputs for each channel are wired in parallel.

• The balanced XLR inputs are wired pin 2 = hot (+), pin 3 = cold (–), and pin 1 = shield (ground).

• The 1/4" TRS inputs are wired tip = hot (+), ring = cold (–), and sleeve = shield (ground), and can accept either balanced (TRS) or unbalanced (TS) cables.

FULL S YMMETRY DUAL DIFFERENTI AL HIGH CUR RENT DESIGN

GAIN/dB

SENSITIVITY

–3

2719

–6

–9

–20

1.23v (+4dBu)

SIGOLSIG

GAIN/dB

SENSITIVITY

2719

1.23v (+4dBu)

–3

–6

–9

–20

INTERNAL STATUS

PROTECT

SHORT

TEMP STATUS

CH 1&2

COLD HOT

PROFESSIONAL POWER AMPLIFIER

POWER

Page 5

7. In

BRIDGED

CHANNEL 1

mode, connect an input cable

’s

INPUT

CHANNEL 2

you want to use both inputs, the two input signals are summed internally to produce a mono signal.

STEREO

8. In speaker cables to the

and

MONO

modes, connect

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

, using either the binding post or

Speakon® connectors.

• The binding post connectors are wired red = hot (+) and black = cold (–).

• See page 35 for Speakon wiring details.

9. In

BRIDGED

mode, connect the speaker

cable like this: the positive (+) wire goes in

CHANNEL 1 SPEAKER OUTPUT’s

the post and the negative (–) wire goes in

CHANNEL 2’

s red post. Plug nothing into the black posts. There is also a single Speakon connector for

BRIDGED

mode

(see page 35).

10. Connect the other ends of the speaker cables to your loudspeakers.

11. Plug the amp’s power cord

into a 3-prong AC outlet properly configured for the type of plug supplied with your amplifier, and capable of delivering at least 20 amps (for the 120V model). See page 29.

NEMA 5-20P

(Plug supplied with

120 VAC models)

NEMA 5-20R

(120 VAC, 20Amp

Receptacle)

12. Make sure your signal source (feeding the M•2600’s inputs) is powered up and delivering signal to the amp.

13. Turn the M•2600’s and verify that the

POWER

SIG

switch on

LEDs are

showing an input signal is present.

14. Slowly turn both

. If

You should hear the music and see the

GAIN

controls up:

and meter LEDs flashing. If the topmost LEDs (named overload) are flashing, turn down either

GAIN

the

controls on the amp or the source signal’s output level controls (i.e., master faders). The point is: The should not light up.

15. For quieter listening, it is preferable to adjust the amp’s

GAIN

controls rather than the source signal’s output level (unless you have the source’s control all the way up!).

16. Start dancing, but don’t let the ants out of

red

your pants.

Things You Must Remember:

• Never plug amplifier outputs into anything except speakers (unless you have an outboard box specifically designed to handle high-power speaker-level signals).

• Before making connections to an amp or reconfiguring an amp’s routing, turn the

GAIN

amp’s level (

) controls down, turn the power off, make the changes, turn the power back on, and then turn the level controls back up.

• If you shut down your equipment, turn off the amplifiers first. When powering up, turn on the amplifiers last.

• Save the shipping boxes! You may need them someday, and you probably don’t want to have to pay for them again.

, for

SIG

LEDs

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

MANUFACTURING DATE

–

CAUTION

––

PIN 1+ CH2+ PIN 1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

SERIAL NUMBER

–

CH2

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

MONO BRIDGE

PIN 1+BRIDGE +

–

PIN 1

BRIDGE

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

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.

DO NOT OPEN

AVIS:

PIN 1+ CH1+ PIN 1

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE — NE PAS OUVRIR

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

MONO BRIDGE

–

CH1

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

CHANNEL

INPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

–

THRU

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

OFF

60Hz

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

THRU

SWITCHED OUTPUT

CROSSOVER

90Hz

LOW OUT

AMP MODE

STEREO

120Hz

TYPICAL

OUTPUT APPLICATION

FULL

RANGE

HIGH OUT

TYPICAL

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

MONO

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

(SUB WOOFER)

BRIDGED

LOW OUT

CROSSOVER

LOW CUT FILTER

120Hz

60Hz

90Hz

LOW

HIGH

THRU

OUT

SWITCHED OUTPUT

CHANNEL

INPUT

BALANCED

TYPICAL

35 Hz

OFF

UNBALANCED

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

170 Hz

THRU

Page 6

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

APPLICATION DIAGRAMS

Mackie’s chain gang of illustrators have created easy-to-understand diagrams of popular studio and live-sound setups. Your setup will probably be different in some way, but these diagrams will help you see the big picture so you can add your own finishing touches.

FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS: MIND-BOGGLING DETAILS

Each and every knob, switch, and connector on the M•2600 power amplifier is explained in depth here. Throughout this section you’ll find illustrations, with each feature numbered like

. If you’re curious about a feature, sim-

this ply locate it on the appropriate illustration, note the number attached to it, and find that number in the nearby paragraphs.

A PLUG FOR THE CONNECTORS SECTION

Also at the back of this manual is a section on connectors: XLR, TRS, binding post connectors, balanced connectors, unbalanced connectors, and Speakon ing your own cables, please visit this section before you start.

connectors. If you plan on wir-

ARCANE MYSTERIES ILLUMINATED

Almost last but not least, we’ve included an appendix entitled Arcane Mysteries Illumi- nated. This section discusses some of the down ’n’ dirty practical realities of signal transmission, balancing a sound system, grounding, and balanced versus unbalanced lines. It’s a gold mine for the neophyte, and even the seasoned pro might learn a thing or two.

TECHNICAL INFO

This section is for you tech-heads who like to use a calculator and read specifications. You’ll find it all here.

This icon marks information that is critically important or unique to the M•2600. For your own good, read the information carefully and remember it. We may call you someday and quiz you.

This icon leads you to in-depth explanations of features and practical tips. While not mandatory, these explanations contain some valuable information.

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

This section discusses important things to keep in mind when installing and using the M•2600, including rack mounting, AC power, and wiring.

Page 7

CONTENTS

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

INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 3

QUICK START ......................................................... 4

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL .......................................... 6

APPLICATION DIAGRAMS .............................................. 8

FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS .............................................. 17

GAIN............................................................. 17

METERS ......................................................... 18

SIG ............................................................... 19

PROTECT ........................................................ 19

SHORT........................................................... 19

TEMP STATUS ................................................. 20

POWER ......................................................... 21

POWER CORD ................................................ 21

SPEAKER OUTPUTS ......................................... 22

INPUT ........................................................... 23

THRU and THRU SWITCH ........................... 24

LOW CUT FILTER ............................................. 24

CROSSOVER SWITCH ...................................... 25

AMP MODE SWITCH ....................................... 25

STEREO ......................................................... 26

MONO .......................................................... 26

BRIDGED ....................................................... 26

OUTPUT APPLICATION SWITCH ........................ 27

LIMITER ON, LIMITER OFF ........................... 27

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER) ................................. 28

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS............. 29

RACK MOUNTING ................................................ 29

THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS .................................. 29

AC POWER CONSIDERATIONS ................................ 29

INPUT WIRING .................................................... 30

OUTPUT WIRING .................................................. 30

70V DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS ................................ 31

APPENDIX A: Service Info ............................................ 32

WARRANTY SERVICE ............................................ 32

TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................. 32

REPAIR ............................................................... 33

APPENDIX B: Connectors .............................................. 34

“XLR” CONNECTORS ............................................ 34

1⁄4" TRS PHONE PLUGS AND JACKS ....................... 34

1⁄4" TS PHONE PLUGS AND JACKS ......................... 34

UNBALANCING A LINE........................................... 34

BINDING POSTS ................................................... 35

SPEAKONS .......................................................... 35

APPENDIX C: Arcane Mysteries Illuminated ..................... 36

BALANCED LINES .................................................. 36

FIXED INSTALLATIONS ........................................... 36

GROUNDING ....................................................... 37

BI-AMPLIFIED AND TRI-AMPLIFIED SYSTEMS ........... 38

APPENDIX D: Technical Info .......................................... 39

DO THE MATH: OHMS, LOADS, AND SUCH............... 39

SPECIFICATIONS M•2600 ...................................... 40

BLOCK DIAGRAM ................................................. 42

Page 8

APPLICATION DIAGRAMS

The following pages show some of the more common uses for the M•2600, including stereo, mono, and bridged operation.

USING THE LOW CUT FILTER

The application diagrams include some small graphs of the frequency range going into and coming out of the amplifier. These graphs show the effect of the off the lower frequencies going to the speakers.

–5

Level, dB

–10

–15

Low Cut Filter

LOW CUT FILTER

100

Frequency, Hz

to roll

10kHz20k

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

35 Hz

OFF

THRU

60Hz

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

170 Hz

THRU

SWITCHED OUTPUT

CROSSOVER

90Hz

LOW

OUT

AMP MODE

STEREO

TYPICAL

SUMMED

OUTPUT APPLICAT ION

FULL

RANGE

TYPICAL

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

OFF

H T

CH's

LOW OUT

(SUBWOOFER)

HIGH PASS

The

LOW CUT FILTER

low the frequency setting of the rotary control. It affects the Speaker output and the output (if the

LOW OUT

Using the

THRU

LOW CUT FILTER

tailor the output to the speakers so they receive only the frequency range they can handle. For example, if your speakers can reproduce the frequency range down to 35Hz, set the

LOW CUT FILTER

your main speakers can reproduce the full range, then set it to

In the hookup diagrams on pages 9–12 and page 15, this small icon is used to indicate that the lows have been rolled off by using the

CUT FILTER

Note: Page 14 and 16 show the use of the in-

CROSSOVER.

ternal

rolls off the lows be-

switch is set to

allows you to

to 35Hz. If

OFF

HIGH OUT

THRU

LOW

FULL PASS

This icon indicates that the full frequency range is passed, either to the speakers or to the

THRU

outputs. In the pages that follow, this also indicates a full-range signal coming from your mixer or preamp.

LOW PASS

This icon indicates that the highs have been rolled off. The low-pass range is available if you use the internal

CROSSOVER

more detail on page 13, with some application

diagrams on pages 14, 15, and 16.

, discussed in

Page 9

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

THRU

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

THRU

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

AUX 1 OUT

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

AUX 2 OUT

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

LEFT MAIN OUT

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

RIGHT MAIN OUT

STEREO

35Hz

STEREO

100Hz

LIMITER ON

STAGE MONITORS

(play above 100Hz in

this example).

MAIN SPEAKERS

(play above 35Hz

in this example).

These two examples

show how the LOW CUT

FILTER is used. Set it to

the lowest frequency

your speakers can

handle.

TWO M•260

0S: MAIN SPEAKERS AND STAGE MONITORS

Page 10

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

THRU

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

STEREO

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MONITOR OUT

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MAIN OUT

LIMITER ON

35Hz

100Hz

MAIN SPEAKERS

(play above 35Hz in

this example).

STAGE MONITORS

(play above 100Hz in

this example).

This example shows how each LOW CUT FILTER can

be adjusted so you can play a different type of

speaker on each channel.

M•2600: MAIN SPEAKERS AND STAGE MONITORS WITH ONE AMPLIFIER

Page 11

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MONITOR OUT

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

THRU

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

MONO MODE

STUDIO MONITORS

(play above 100Hz in this example).

LIMITER ON

NOTE: In MONO MODE, you can feed

Channel 2 as well, and the speakers will

play the sum of both inputs. Set both LOW

CUT FILTERS to the same frequency.

This example shows how you can use the

MONO MODE to play the same source in

both the left and right Speaker Outputs.

The TOTAL IMPEDANCE must

be greater than 2 ohms per

channel.

In this example, each speaker

must be 8 ohms or greater.

100Hz

M•2600: EIGHT MONITOR SPEAKERS-MONO MODE

Page 12

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

120Hz

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

IGH

OUT

THRU

120Hz

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

35Hz

BRIDGED

LIMITER ON

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

LEFT MAIN OUT

35Hz

BRIDGED

Use this MONO BRIDGE output instead if

your speaker wire has a SPEAKON connector.

LEFT SPEAKER

(above 35Hz in

this example)

RIGHT SPEAKER

(above 35Hz in

this example)

Each amplifier is set to BRIDGED

MODE by setting the AMP MODE

switch to BRIDGED. Each speaker will

then receive up to 2600 WATTS

(into 4 ohms).

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT

YOUR SPEAKERS ARE

4 OHMS OR GREATER

WHEN USING THE

BRIDGED MODE.

M•2600: STEREO SYSTEM WITH TWO AMPLIFIERS IN BRIDGED MODE

Page 13

USING THE CROSSOVER

The following three pages show how the internal crossover can be used to biamp your system. One amplifer plays the lower frequencies, while another plays the highs.

The electronic crossover inside the M•2600 splits the frequency band into two ranges, one below the crossover point ( one above (

HIGH OUT

). The

LOW OUT

) and

is available to the amplifier section for powering subwoofers. Both the

are switchable to the

OUT

LOW OUT

THRU

and the

HIGH

outputs, for sending line-level signals to the inputs of other amplifiers.

IT’S FREE!

The crossover has been carefully designed to give high quality, no-compromise performance, equal to external crossovers (without the extra cost). It uses a 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley design, with a slope of 24 dB/octave.

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

35 Hz

OFF

THRU

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

170 Hz

SWITCHED OUTPUT

CROSSOVER

60Hz

90Hz

LOW

THRU

OUT

AMP MODE

STEREO

TYPICAL

OUTPUT APPLICAT ION

FULL

RANGE

TYPICAL

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

LOW OUT

(SUBWOOFER)

LOUDER

OUTPUT LEVEL dB

QUIETER

LOUDER

OUTPUT LEVEL dB

QUIETER

FREQUENCY IN Hz

crossover point

FREQUENCY IN Hz

LOW OUT

The output level rolls off above the crossover point. By setting the switch to

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER)

OUTPUT APPLICATION

, any speakers attached to the M•2600 will play only the lower frequency range.

By setting the

Switch to

LOW OUT

THRU

this range can be sent to another amplifier via

THRU

the

output jacks.

HIGH OUT

The output level rolls off below the crossover point. The high range is not available to the speaker outputs; it can be sent to another amplifier via

THRU

the switch to

output jacks if you set the

HIGH OUT

LOW CUT FILTER

The

can be used to reduce the bass level of the speakers attached to the host amplifer.

THRU

Page 14

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

120Hz

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

THRU

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

120Hz

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

STEREO

20Hz

MONO

CHOOSE

LIMITER ON

HIGH

OUT

HIGH

OUT

LOW OUT

(SUBWOOFER)

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MAIN RIGHT OUT

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MAIN LEFT OUT

This amplifier receives the frequency

range above the first amplifier's

CROSSOVER point.

NOTE: Set its LOW CUT FILTER

below the CROSSOVER point of the

first amplifier or you will miss part of

the bass range.

Because the OUTPUT APPLICATION

switch is set to LOW OUT, this

M•2600 plays the frequency range

below the CROSSOVER point (60, 90,

or 120Hz).

Set the LOW CUT FILTER to the

lowest frequency your subwoofers can

handle (or set it to OFF).

Set the THRU switch to HIGH OUT

so the next amplifier will receive the

frequency range above the

CROSSOVER point.

Use the MONO MODE so the

subwoofers play the same and are

always in-phase. Low-frequency sound

is non-directional, so there is no

benefit in playing the subs in STEREO,

in fact, there may be times when the

speakers get out of phase, causing

some bass reduction.

MAIN SPEAKERS

(play above 90Hz

in this example)

SUBWOOFERS

(play between 20Hz and

90Hz in this example)

M•2600: STEREO SYSTEM BIAMPED WITH SUBWOOFERS, OPTION 1

Page 15

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

120Hz

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

IGH

OUT

THRU

120Hz

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

35Hz

CHOOSE

STEREO

LIMITER ON

MONO

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER)

Because the OUTPUT APPLICATION

switch is set to LOW OUT, this amplifier

plays the frequency range below the

CROSSOVER point (60, 90, or 120Hz).

Set the LOW CUT FILTER of this

M•2600 to the lowest frequency your

subwoofers can handle, or set to the

"OFF" position.

Set the CROSSOVER switch to the

highest frequency the subwoofers can

handle, or to the lower range of your main

speakers.

Use the MONO MODE so that your

subwoofers will play the same program

and will always be in-phase.

Set the THRU switch to "THRU" so the

next M•2600 will receive the full

frequency range, unaffected by the LOW

CUT FILTER or CROSSOVER of this first

amplifier.

NOTE:

If you do not have two

M•2600s as shown here, you should use

your most powerful amplifier to drive the

subwoofers. If your second amplifier is

more powerful than the M

•2600, set the

THRU switch to "LOW OUT" so the

second amp will receive the frequencies

below the crossover point.

If your second amplifier is less

powerful than the M

•2600, set the

THRU switch to "HIGH OUT" so the

second amp receives just the highs.

MAIN SPEAKERS

(play above 35Hz

in this example)

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MAIN RIGHT OUT

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MAIN LEFT OUT

SUBWOOFERS

(play between

20Hz and 90Hz

in this example)

20Hz

THRU

M•2600: STEREO SYSTEM BIAMPED WITH SUBWOOFERS, OPTION 2

Page 16

–

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

120Hz

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

STEREO

TYPICAL

––

MONO

BRIDGE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

CHANNEL

MONO

BRIDGE

TYPICAL

35 Hz

CHANNEL

TYPICAL

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

SPEAKER OUTPUT S

LOW CUT FILTER

INPUT

CROSSOVER

SWITCHED OUTPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

THRU

LOW

OUT

IGH

OUT

THRU

120Hz

60Hz

CROSSOVER

90Hz

120Hz

60Hz

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

MONO

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

LIMITER

(CH1 & CH2)

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

CH's

SUMMED

FULL

RANGE

LOW CUT FILTER

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGE

MONITOR

TYPICAL

35 Hz

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 P

AS OUVRIR

PIN 1+ CH1+

PIN 1

–

CH1

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ CH2+

PIN 1

–

CH2

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE+

PIN 1

–

BRIDGE

–

PIN 2+ & 2

–

NOT USED

THRU

STEREO

20Hz

BRIDGED

CHOOSE

LIMITER ON

HIGH

OUT

HIGH

OUT

LOW OUT

(SUBWOOFER)

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MAIN RIGHT OUT

FROM MIXING CONSOLE

MAIN LEFT OUT

This amplifier receives the frequency

range above the first amplifier's

CROSSOVER point.

NOTE: Set the LOW CUT FILTER to

below the CROSSOVER point of the

first amplifier, or you will miss part of

the bass range.

Because the OUTPUT APPLICATION

switch is set to LOW OUT, this

amplifier plays the frequency range

below the CROSSOVER point (60, 90,

or 120Hz).

Set the LOW CUT FILTER to the

lowest frequency your subwoofers can

handle.

Set the THRU switch to HIGH OUT

so the second amplifier will receive the

frequency range above the

CROSSOVER point.

This example also illustrates the

BRIDGED MODE, playing a single

subwoofer. Both input signals are

summed in this mode, so the

subwoofer plays the combined

channel 1 and channel 2 signal.

The outputs going to the other

amplifier are not summed.

MAIN SPEAKERS

(play above 90Hz

in this example)

SUBWOOFER

(plays between

20Hz and 90Hz

in this example)

M•2600: STEREO SYSTEM BIAMPED WITH BRIDGED SUBWOOFER

Page 17

FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS

GAIN/dB

2719

GAIN

SENSITIVITY

These front panel knobs allow you to control the levels going into the output section of the M•2600 amplifier. Their travel is detented, meaning there are 20 built-in “resting points” so you can easily set both controls to the same level. Usually, these controls are set to maximum.

The gain structure of the amplifier is designed so that a +4 dBu (1.23V rms) input signal drives the amplifier to 700 watts into 4 ohms. This is how the sensitivity of an amplifier is defined. In this case, it equates to a voltage gain of 32.7 dB. The graphics around the knob depict two different methods for setting the gain. The inner circle is marked in dB, calibrated from off (∞) to 33. This represents the amount of voltage gain from input to output. When using professional equipment with +4 dBu output levels,

GAIN

set the

control all the way up to 33.

The outer circle is labeled in volts, with indications of 1V, 2V, and 3V. These correspond to the input sensitivity of the amplifier. With the

GAIN

control all the way up (fully clockwise), the input sensitivity is 1.23V, which works well with professional equipment operating at a nominal +4 dBu level.

On the other hand, you may want your listening level to be quieter than the M•2600’s maximum level. For instance, if you’re using the M•2600 as a control room amp and your control room is the size of a telephone booth, you’ll probably never want to hear the amp at its maximum level.

reach full power at the amplifier’s output. See the sidebar “Constant Gain vs. Constant Sensitivity” for a better understanding of how this works.

Like all amplifier controls, you’ll typically determine the optimal settings during installation or sound check, then leave them alone, using your signal source (usually a mixer) to control listening levels as you work. Or play.

1.23v (+4dBu)

You can set the

GAIN

controls as low as you like. However, reducing the

GAIN

controls requires an

increased input level to

Constant Gain vs. Constant Sensitivity

There are two viewpoints, or philosophies, regarding the gain structure of power amplifiers — constant gain and constant sensitivity.

Constant Gain means that regardless of the output power of the amplifier, the gain from input to output remains the same. (By the way, this refers to the full gain of the amplifier, with the gain or level controls all the way up.) Within a product line of constant gain power amplifiers, as the output power rating of an amplifier increases, the level of the input voltage must also increase.

For example, if an amplifier is rated at 100W into an 8-ohm load, and it has 26 dB of gain, it requires an input signal of 1.4V rms to drive it to full power. This is about +5 dBu, a reasonable operating point for professional gear.

Now take an amplifier rated at 200W into an 8-ohm load. If it also has a gain of 26 dB, it requires an input signal of 2.0V rms to drive it to full power, or +8 dBu.

This can become problematic as the power of the amplifier increases. What if you have a power amp rated at 800W into 8 ohms? This will require an input signal of 4.0V rms to drive it to full power. This equates to a whopping +14.3 dBu! You’ve just robbed your mixer of 10 dB of headroom. You’ll either have to have a good limiter to keep the transient peaks down, or turn down the level from the mixer and not use all the power available from the amplifier.

Constant Sensitivity means that regardless of the output power of the amplifier, the input sensitivity of the amplifier (the input voltage required to attain full output power) remains the same. As the output power of an amplifier increases, the gain of the amplifier must also increase.

Referring back to the previous example, an amplifier rated at 100W into 8 ohms with a gain of 26 dB requires an input signal of 1.4V rms to drive it to full power. It has an input sensitivity of 1.4V rms. In order for the 200W amplifier to reach full power into 8 ohms with a 1.4V rms input signal, it must have a gain of 29 dB. And the 800W amplifier will require a gain of 35 dB to reach full power with a 1.4V input signal.

Continued on page 18

Page 18

So what are the pros and cons of these two approaches? The reason some amplifier manufacturers use the constant gain approach is because the noise specification looks better. It’s a fact of physics that as the gain of the amplifier increases, the circuit noise is amplified and increases too. By maintaining a constant gain, the noise spec for an 800W amplifier can look as good as the noise spec for a 100W amplifier. The downside to this is that you have to crank up the mixer level feeding the input of the amplifier, losing headroom and possibly increasing the noise level from the mixer (unless you have a Mackie mixer with lownoise VLZ circuitry!).

Conversely, constant sensitivity demands that as the power increases, so must the gain. Yes, the output noise of the amplifier will increase, but you maintain the critical headroom available from your mixer. The noise is generally not a problem in live sound reinforcement situations. If it is, you can turn down the

GAIN

control a few clicks to find a happy compromise between noise floor and the available headroom . As an added benefit, you can drive multiple amplifiers with the same signal and get the maximum power available from all of them.

Mackie subscribes to the philosophy of constant sensitivity. Our amplifiers can be driven to full power with an input level of +4 dBu (1.23V rms).

You may wonder why we didn’t use just one stereo control to control both sides. That’s in case your application requires a left/right

imbalance (due to an irregularly shaped room) or if you’re using the two sides for completely different purposes (monitor in channel 1 and side-fill in channel 2, for instance). Besides, they look cool.

METERS

The M•2600’s meters indicate the relative output level of the amplifier referenced to full power. The numbers next to the meter’s LEDs are in dB below full power.

Ideally, the M•2600’s

–20, –9, –6,

LEDs will flicker at normal signal levels, while

LED may flicker occasionally during

the peak moments.

is short for overload. Overloading, or clipping, occurs when the output voltage no longer linearly follows the input voltage and simply stops. This causes a sine wave to “square off,” or get “clipped off.” Thus, the term clipping. Fear not — this scenario is quite unlikely.

GAIN

Even with the

controls fully up, the M•2600 amplifier easily accepts professional “+4 dBu” operating levels.

If the

is blinking frequently or

continuously, turn down

the source signal (i.e., the

mixer’s master faders).

and

–3

(Overload) LED

FULL SYMMETRY DUAL DIFFERENTIAL HIGH CUR RENT DESIGN

GAIN/dB

SENSITIVITY

1.23v (+4dBu)

–3

2719

–6

–9

–20

–3

–6

–9

–20

SIGOLSIG

GAIN/dB

SENSITIVITY

2719

1.23v (+4dBu)

INTERNAL STATUS

PROTECT

SHORT

TEMP STATUS

1& 2

COLD HOT

Page 19

SIG

(short for “signal present”) is the lowest step in the meter prior to the

GAIN

ladder. It senses the signal

control, so when

SIG

is lit, you know the M•2600 is receiving signal. If it’s the only meter LED lit (meaning the other meter LEDs are not lit), the M•2600 is receiving a very weak signal (below –20 dB).

PROTECT

If the

PROTECT

output section has shut down. That, of course, means you won’t hear anything until you rectify the situation. Three things can cause the

PROTECT

circuit to engage:

• Powering up the M•2600. A built-in delay

circuit saves your speakers (and ears) from the thumps or pops that can sometimes occur when powering up a system. During this 4-second delay, the LEDs light up.

• A short circuit (or near short) in either of

the outputs. Both the

SHORT

LEDs light up.

• The temperature in the M•2600 has risen to

an unsafe level. The

TEMP STATUS HOT

THE VENTILATION PORTS. See Considerations,”

LEDs are on, the M•2600’s

PROTECT

and the

LEDs light up.

The M•2600 amp draws its ventilation air in from the front and out through the

side panels. The amp needs plenty of fresh air to stay cool. DO NOT BLOCK

“Thermal

on page 29.

SHORT

If this LED comes on, the M•2600 has detected a short circuit in either of the outputs, meaning that the positive (+) and negative (–) speaker wires are touching, or a speaker itself is shorted out. Such a condition causes the M•2600 to engage its

PROTECT

(when a signal is present), muting all signals at the amp’s outputs.

This short-circuit LED is a Mackie exclusive (until the other guys “borrow” the idea) and can save precious minutes of your troubleshooting time. Without it, you’d still have speaker and amp protection (via the circuit), but you wouldn’t be able to determine the source of the problem. But with the LED, the M•2600 comes right out and tells you!

WARNING: The LEDs indicate an unsafe condition for the power

amplifier. When the shortcircuit protection is activated, the

lights, then the

PROTECT

about four seconds, the protection circuit turns off and the amplifier resumes normal operation. If it senses the shorted condition again, the cycle repeats until you fix the problem.

Typical causes for a “short” indication would be either a shorted speaker cable or too many speakers connected to the amplifier (i.e., the load impedance is too low). If a “short” is indicated, please check your cables. If the cabling is OK, then reduce the number of speakers driven by the amplifier.

mode

PROTECT

SHORT

LED

LED lights. After

PROFESSIONAL POWER AMPLIFIER

POWER

Page 20

Note: When using the amplifier in

BRIDGED

mode, both

SHORT

LEDs will light under shorted or low impedance conditions. This is an indication of a problem that requires further investigation.

TEMP STATUS

TEMP

(short for temperature) is another

feature designed to keep your mind at ease.

COLD

Normally the the M•2600 is working normally. Under extreme conditions the amplifier may overheat. You may ask, “What kind of extreme conditions?”

Overheating problems are usually caused by one of the following situations: improper ventilation, high ambient temperatures, overdriving the amplifier into clipping, driving the amplifier hard into low impedance loads, frayed or partially shorted speaker cables, or defective or internally shorted speakers.

The heaviest load the M•2600 can tolerate is 2 ohms per channel (4 ohms in bridged mode). If you’ve got a set of speakers wired in parallel, be sure the load isn’t adding up to less than 2 ohms. Anything below 2 ohms can cause

SHORT

the

PROTECT

LED to light and trigger the

mode.

LED is lit, indicating that

Remember: As the load gets “heavier,” its value in ohms goes down. For instance, a 2-ohm speaker load is twice as “heavy” as a 4-ohm load.

Please see “Do The Math: Ohms, Loads and Such” in Appendix D to learn about speaker loads.

As the internal temperature of the amplifier rises, the fan speed gradually increases. More air moves through the constant temperature gradient cooling tunnel to remove additional heat from the output transistors. However, if the internal temperature of one of the amplifier channels should exceed 90°C (194°F), the

COLD

LED turns off, the

PROTECT

and its

LED shines. The output of

HOT

LED turns on,

the amplifier is muted — at this point the amplifier is in Standby mode and remains there until the internal temperature cools off to a safe level (52°C or 125°F). When this occurs,

HOT

the the

LED and

COLD

LED turns on and normal operation

PROTECT

LEDs turn off,

resumes.

In the rare event that the transformer gets too hot, the amplifier will shut down. It will not come back on until the transformer has cooled sufficiently, which can take an hour or so.

HOT

Be Aware: If the

LED comes on frequently or the transformer ever thermals out, something is overworking the M•2600 or it’s not properly ventilated.

Look at each of the “extreme conditions” described on this page and try to determine what is causing the amplifier to overheat. Refer to “Thermal Considerations” on page 29 and “Troubleshooting” on page 32.

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

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

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

MONO BRIDGE

–

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

MONO BRIDGE

––

PIN 1+ CH1+

–

PIN 1

CH1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

SPEAK ER OUTPUTS

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

PIN 1+ CH2+

–

CH2

PIN 1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE +

–

BRIDGE

PIN 1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

–

Page 21

What’s that? Why doesn’t the fan just go fast all the time?

Well, if it did, you might actually hear it whirring during your quiet moments (there are quiet moments in your

life, aren’t there?). While this whirring would be of no concern in most live-sound situations, it could become annoying in a control room environment. So, when the M•2600 is not working hard, the fan goes slow; when the music gets loud and puts the amp to work, the fan goes faster, and faster still if the heatsink temperature keeps rising.

POWER

To turn on the amplifier, push the top half of

the

POWER

soothing green light adjacent to it glows. To turn the amp off, push the lower half. It’ll click again and the green light will extinguish.

When you power up the M•2600, an in-rush limiting circuit limits the turn-on current and prevents you from popping the house circuit breakers. After about a second, a relay clicks, defeating this in-rush circuit, meanwhile builtin output muting relays prevent any pops or thumps from being transmitted to the speakers.

Be sure the signal driving the amplifier is turned down when you first power up the system.

There are few things as rude as four seconds of silence followed by full-blast stereo sound, especially when the baby is sleeping.

switch. It clicks into place and a

When you shut down your system, turn off your amplifiers first. When powering up, turn on your amplifiers last. This way, equipment

feeding the amp won’t “pop” or “thud” the speakers during power up or power down.

POWER CORD

We all know what a power cord is. The M•2600 has a detachable cord. Attach it to the amplifier first, then plug it into an AC outlet properly configured for the type of plug on the power cord and for the voltage rating of your amplifier.

The M•2600’s voltage source must be capable of

continuously delivering 20 amps at 120 VAC (9 amps for 240 VAC models and 14

amps for 100 VAC models). For safety reasons, the source must be a 3-prong outlet with hot, neutral, and ground terminals. We’re dealing with some big-time electricity here — don’t mess with it. See “AC Power Considerations” on page 29, and carefully read and follow all the safety instructions at the start of this manual.

CHANNEL

INPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

THRU

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

OFF

SWITCHED OUTPUT

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

60Hz

THRU

CROSSOVER

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

120Hz

AMP MODE

STEREO TYPICAL

CH's

SUMMED

OUTPUT APPLICAT ION

(CH1 & CH2)

FULL

RANGE

TYPICAL

LIMITER

OFF

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

CHANNEL

CROSSOVER

60Hz

HIGH

OUT

90Hz

LOW OUT

LOW CUT FILTER

120Hz

THRU

SWITCHED OUTPUT

TYPICAL

35 Hz

MONITOR

170 Hz

OFF

UNBALANCED

STAGE

100 Hz

THRU

INPUT

BALANCED

Page 22

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

The binding posts provide a secure and safe

connection for bare speaker wire.

To use the binding post outputs, unscrew them enough to reveal the holes on their sides, then insert your stripped wires (stripped about 3/8" back) into the holes and retighten the posts (finger tight is fine — please don’t reef on them with a wrench!). Be careful that no runaway strands touch the chassis or other terminals.

The red posts are labeled “+,” which means positive. The black posts are labeled “–” for negative. You probably know the importance of getting these terms correct — if one side is hooked up “in phase” and the other side is “out of phase,” you’ll be “out of work.” (By the way, although everyone says “phase” in this situation, the correct word is “polarity”... but it’s not as much fun to say.)

Using high-quality stranded speaker cable (14 gauge or thicker), connect the positive outputs of the M•2600 to the positive inputs of your speakers, and the negative outputs to the negative inputs. The exception: If you’re using the M•2600 in

BRIDGED

not apply (see page 26).

mode, this does

If you are using stripped speaker wire, make sure its insulation is not stripped

any further back than 3/8” (9.5mm), to avoid the chance of a shock hazard.

In addition to binding posts, the M•2600 also

has Speakon®

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

, so you can use speaker cables with Speakon connectors. These locking connectors are easy to attach and are capable of handling high currents and low impedance loads. Pin 1+ is positive (+) and pin 1– is negative (–). They’re wired in parallel with the binding posts and behave exactly the same (there is a separate Speakon output if you are using

BRIDGED

mode).

You can use Speakons and the binding posts simultaneously. Just remember that doing so creates two

parallel loads. Please see

“Do The Math: Ohms, Loads and Such” in Appendix D to learn about speaker loads.

The M•2600 is capable of

high voltage output at the binding post and Speakon connectors. Great care should be taken to avoid this potential shock hazard:

• Treat the speaker wires with respect, as

you would any live power cord.

• Before you make any connections or

reconfigure any signal routing, turn the

controls down, turn the make the changes, turn the and then turn the

GAIN

POWER

controls back up.

GAIN

off,

back on,

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

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

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

MONO BRIDGE

–

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

MONO BRIDGE

––

PIN 1+ CH1+

–

PIN 1

CH1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

SPEAK ER OUTPUTS

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

PIN 1+ CH2+

–

CH2

PIN 1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE +

–

BRIDGE

PIN 1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

–

Page 23

Ordinarily, applying a positive voltage to a speaker’s positive input and negative voltage to

the negative input results in an outward excursion of the woofer. But some woofers are

built with reverse polarity, meaning that the above conditions result in an inward excursion.

If you’re not sure which type of speakers you have, take a look at their literature. If you’re still not sure, here is a simple test: remove the speaker wires from the back of the speakers, then take a 1.5V flashlight battery and connect the positive terminal of the battery to the positive (+) input of the speaker, and connect the negative terminal of the battery to the negative (–) input of the speaker. Observe the motion of the speaker cone. It should move out when voltage is applied, and return to rest when voltage is removed. Make sure all the speakers in the system move in the same direction (there are a few exceptions — some speakers are deliberately designed with reverse-polarity woofers).

INPUT

The M•2600 amplifier gives you a choice — it has the traditional XLR inputs, as well as 1/4" TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) input jacks. Sonically (and electrically) they’re identical, so choose either one, but do not use both at the same time to send signals into the M•2600.

Each can be used with either balanced or unbalanced signals.

When connecting a balanced signal using the XLR or 1/4" jacks, they’re wired as shown, per AES (Audio Engineering Society) standards:

XLR TRS

Hot (+) Pin 2 Tip Cold (–) Pin 3 Ring Shield (Ground) Pin 1 Shield

SLEEVERING

TIP

Balanced 1/4" TRS Plug

Unbalanced TS (tip-sleeve) lines can be accommodated via the TRS jack. Make sure the cord terminates with a TS plug (like a guitar plug), or if it’s a TRS plug (like a headphone plug), make sure the ring is tied to the shield, preferably at the source.

SLEEVE

TIP

Unbalanced 1/4" TS Plug

TIPSLEEVE

RING

RING (COLD)

TIP (HOT)

SLEEVE (SHIELD)

TIPSLEEVE

RING (COLD)

TIP (HOT)

SLEEVE (SHIELD)

CHANNEL

INPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

THRU

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

OFF

SWITCHED OUTPUT

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

60Hz

THRU

CROSSOVER

90Hz

LOW OUT

HIGH

OUT

120Hz

AMP MODE

STEREO TYPICAL

CH's

SUMMED

OUTPUT APPLICAT ION

(CH1 & CH2)

FULL

RANGE

TYPICAL

LIMITER

OFF

LOW OUT

(SUB WOOFER)

CHANNEL

CROSSOVER

60Hz

HIGH

OUT

90Hz

LOW OUT

LOW CUT FILTER

120Hz

THRU

SWITCHED OUTPUT

OFF

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

UNBALANCED

THRU

INPUT

BALANCED

Page 24

You can connect an unbalanced XLR cable to the M•2600, although this would be unusual — as unusual as an unbalanced XLR output. However, if you have an unbalanced XLR connection to make, refer to the “Connectors” section (Appendix B) at the back of this manual for more information.

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

SHIELD

COLD

Balanced XLR Connectors: Apollo/Soyuz Rendezvous

The M•2600 amp expects to see a nominal signal level anywhere between the –10 dBV “semipro” and +4 dBu “pro” standards, meaning almost any line-level mixer or other device

INPUT

can be plugged into the amp’s

GAIN

the

controls to adjust the gain of the

s. Use

amplifier to match the signal level you’re using.

THRU and THRU SWITCH

Someday you’ll do a show at NudeStock and realize that one M•2600 amplifier is just not going to do the job — you’ll need a six-foothigh rack full of ’em to hide behind. That’s

THRU

what the of operation, depending on the setting of the

THRU

switch :

THRU

• the amplifier, nothing added or taken away from your big finish on spoons.

LOW OUT

• below the frequency set by the

CROSSOVER HIGH OUT

• above the frequency set by the

CROSSOVER

jack is for. It has three modes

, a straight copy of what’s going into

, the lower frequencies only,

switch .

, the higher frequencies only,

switch .

Note that the and

HIGH OUT

LOW OUT

are also af-

fected by the setting of the

LOW CUT FILTER

THRU

To use the

source equipment into the first amp’s

as usual, then patch from that amp’s

jacks to the next amp’s

outputs, connect your

INPUTs

, and so on,

THRU

daisy-chaining as many amps as you want for your application.

A general rule of thumb is to maintain a load impedance 10 times or more than the source impedance to prevent excessive loading. If your

console has an output impedance of 100 ohms, then you can daisy-chain up to twenty M•2600 amplifiers, which presents a load of 1200 ohms to the console (input impedance of 24 kohms divided by 20 amplifiers = 1200 ohms).

THRU

The

jacks can also be used to relay the signal on to other devices such as a DAT or cassette recorder, enabling you to record exactly what the audience is hearing. In the position of switch , the

THRU

wired straight from the XLR and TRS — so the signal coming out of the

THRU

jacks are

INPUTs

THRU

jacks is exactly the same as the signal going into the amplifier.

You can also use the 1/4"

INPUT

TRS

jacks as

THRU

jacks, (not affected by switch

or by the

CUT FILTER

the 1/4" TRS

on the first amplifier to the TRS 1/4"

LOW

). Connect

INPUT

jacks

INPUT

jacks on the second amplifier using 3-conductor shielded cables with TRS plugs on both ends. Warning: If you use a regular guitar cord with 2-conductor TS plugs, you’ll unbalance the signal at the XLR input by grounding the low side (–) of the signal (pin 3).

LOW CUT FILTER

Every woofer has frequency response specifications. It’s usually expressed in Hertz (or cycles per second), like “40Hz–300Hz.” The “40Hz” refers to the low-frequency point (usually, but not always) where the speaker’s output drops by 3 dB, and will “roll off” completely as the frequency goes down. There is no point in sending a woofer any frequencies it can’t reproduce — you can’t hear it, and worse yet, it’s a waste of amplifier power that can be better used reproducing frequencies you can hear.

Page 25

–5

Level, dB

–10

–15

100

Frequency, Hz

Low Cut Filter Frequency Response

In order to match the output bandwidth with your particular speaker system, the M•2600 amplifier has a tunable

. The frequencies are marked along the

FILTER

knob’s travel

LOW CUT

• Fully counterclockwise, the frequency is

below 10Hz, effectively bypassing the filter.

• Center detent is

35Hz

and labeled

TYPICAL

since precious few woofers actually go below that.

• 3/4 of the way up is labeled

TOR, 100Hz

, perfect for stage monitors

STAGE MONI-

(they seldom reproduce below 100Hz; besides, it prevents low-frequency “leakage” into the house).

170Hz

• Fully clockwise is labeled

So, grab your woofer’s spec sheet and find the low roll-off spec. Then set the M•2600’s

LOW CUT FILTER

at the same frequency. If you do this correctly (and make sure the meters

are happy), you’ll never again see your woofer moving sporadically without audible signal. Your system will play louder and cleaner, and you may never blow another woofer again!

10kHz20

CROSSOVER SWITCH

This three-way switch allows you to set the

120Hz

CROSSOVER

. This affects

crossover point of the internal to either

60Hz, 90Hz

two things:

THRU

• The

output , if the

switch is set to

LOW OUT

THRU

HIGH OUT.

• The

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

OUTPUT APPLICATION

set to

LOW OUT

. The amplifier then

, if the

switch is

plays the frequency range below the crossover point.

both the

OUTPUTS

Note: The

LOW CUT FILTER

THRU

outputs and the

in the cases above.

affects

SPEAKER

AMP MODE SWITCH

This three-way switch, along with the

OUTPUT APPLICATION

what kind of amplifier you want the M•2600 to be (or not to be — what was the question?).

AMP MODE

The put signal routing within the M•2600 amplifier. Shipped from the factory, the switch is set to

STEREO

. This is correct for about 90% of the

applications using an amp like this (hence the

TYPICAL

indicator near it). But you may be in the 10% bracket, requiring special input routing within the amp.

AMP MODE

should always be configured

before operation, with the amplifier turned off.

switch , determines

switch determines the in-

CHANNEL

INPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

THRU

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

OFF

SWITCHED OUTPUT

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

60Hz

THRU

CROSSOVER

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

120Hz

AMP MODE

STEREO TYPICAL

CH's

SUMMED

OUTPUT APPLICAT ION

(CH1 & CH2)

FULL

RANGE

TYPICAL

LIMITER

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

LOW OUT

CHANNEL

CROSSOVER

60Hz

HIGH

OUT

90Hz

LOW

OUT

LOW CUT FILTER

120Hz

OFF

THRU

SWITCHED OUTPUT

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

UNBALANCED

THRU

INPUT

BALANCED

Page 26

STEREO

mode (separate left and right inputs, separate left and right outputs) is the typical setup for amplifying stereo signals.

MONO

mode (sometimes called DualMono — one or two inputs, two mono outputs) is for sending a mono signal to two different speaker sets, with separately-adjustable

GAIN

controls.

BRIDGED

mode (sometimes called Bridged-Mono — one or two inputs, one mono output) uses both sides of the amp to send great power to one speaker.

BRIDGED

STEREO

Amplifier can deliver 1300 watts per side into 2 ohms. If that’s not enough, you can use two M•2600’s, each in 2600 watts per amplifier into 4 ohms. Or, you can use one amp in monaural system. Finally, also popular for subwoofer applications — but please see 28 for a special subwoofer surprise.

To use all the M•2600’s power to drive one

speaker using

1. Turn off the power to the M•2600.

2. Set the

3. The

to be wired as follows :

mode, the M•2600 Power

BRIDGED

mode, and deliver

mode to power a

BRIDGED

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER)

BRIDGED

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

mode:

switch to

mode requires the speaker

mode is

on page

BRIDGED.

Connect the positive side of the speaker cable to the Channel 1 red (+) binding post.

Connect the negative side of the speaker cable to the Channel 2 red (+) binding post.

4. Instead of the binding posts, you could use the

MONO BRIDGE

Speakon connector. Pin 1+ connects to your speaker red post (positive +).

Pin 1– connects to your speaker black post (negative –).

MONO or BRIDGED

5. In

mode, you can use either Channel 1 input, or Channel 2, or both. If both inputs are used, the inputs are summed.

Once again: Before making connections to an amp or reconfiguring an amp’s routing, turn the power off, make the changes, then turn the power back on.

BRIDGED

mode, both connections to your speaker are live; that is, neither is grounded through the chassis. Take great care to read and fol-

low all of the safety instructions. The amplifier is capable of up to 116 VAC across the speaker terminals, potentially LETHAL!

120 VAC 60 Hz

2000 WATTS

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE

• THE FOLLOWING ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE •

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

1300 WATTS / CH

2 OHM LOAD MIN.

MONO BRIDGE

–

SERIAL NUMBER

MANUFACTURING DATE

2600 WATTS

4 OHM LOAD MIN.

MONO BRIDGE

––

PIN 1+ CH1+

–

PIN 1

CH1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

SPEAK ER OUTPUTS

CAUTION

LETHAL VOLTAGES MAY APPEAR AT OUTPUT

TERMINALS. CLASS 1 WIRING IS REQUIRED

PIN 1+ CH2+

–

CH2

PIN 1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

PIN 1+ BRIDGE +

–

BRIDGE

PIN 1

PIN 2+ & 2–NOT USED

–

Page 27

OUTPUT APPLICATION SWITCH

The

OUTPUT APPLICATION

switch should be configured before you turn on the amplifier. This switch allows you to choose between three different configurations:

LIMITER ON (TYPICAL)

. This is the normal configuration: full-bandwidth audio with protective limiting.

LIMITER OFF

is also full bandwidth

audio, but without protective limiting.

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER)

mode, with built-in low-pass filter, but no protective limiting.

LIMITER ON, LIMITER OFF

The

LIMITER

to alter your sound — it’s just there to protect your speakers from the effects of clipping. Its effect is virtually

transparent, meaning you probably won’t even notice any audible difference. We recommend that you leave it engaged, hence

TYPICAL

the

label below the ON setting.

If you’re working at quiet levels all the time, or you’ve already placed a compressor/limiter in the signal path, or if you just hate compression, you can leave the

LIMITER

is not designed

off.

The

LIMITER

works independently on each channel. It senses when the amplifier channel is about to be overdriven and attenuates the overall level just enough to keep the signal from clipping. Clipping occurs when the output voltage no longer linearly follows the input voltage and simply stops. This causes a sine wave to “square off,” and the average power going into the speaker is roughly double that of a sine wave. Square waves sound awful, and could possibly damage your tweeters and your reputation.

The

LIMITER

is especially handy when you’re working with loud output levels. Having the signal spikes (kick drum, for instance) attenuated a bit can actually increase the apparent loudness of the overall mix without diminishing the “power” behind the spikes.

Be Forewarned: With the

LIMITER

engaged, you can still overdrive the amplifier into clipping and cause distortion. It just takes a stronger signal to do it. So even with the

LIMITER

turned on, you should still pay close attention to the front panel

LEDs , especially if you are hearing distortion or your speakers start smoking (which is bad for their health).

CHANNEL

INPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

THRU

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

OFF

SWITCHED OUTPUT

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

60Hz

THRU

CROSSOVER

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH OUT

120Hz

AMP MODE

STEREO TYPICAL

CH's

SUMMED

OUTPUT APPLICAT ION

(CH1 & CH2)

FULL

RANGE

TYPICAL

LIMITER

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

LOW OUT

CHANNEL

CROSSOVER

60Hz

HIGH

OUT

90Hz

LOW

OUT

LOW CUT FILTER

120Hz

OFF

THRU

SWITCHED OUTPUT

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

UNBALANCED

THRU

INPUT

BALANCED

Page 28

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER)

Here’s a special surprise: If you bought the M•2600 amplifier to power a subwoofer system, you just saved yourself the cost of a crossover! The M•2600 amp has an active crossover built in. The amplifier can play the frequencies below the crossover point set with the

switch .

OVER

–5

–10

–15

100

Crossover settings.

Here’s how to configure it:

1. Turn the M•2600’s

2. Set the

OUTPUT APPLICATION

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER).

POWER

3. Select a crossover point, via the

switch : At

OVER

120Hz

low sub-harmonics on up to the audible

90Hz,

bass range. At subwoofer range. At

you’ll get the standard

60Hz

you’ll get the lowest frequencies, more to be felt than heard. You’ll probably want to try this switch each way.

4. Make sure the

OFF

or nearly

LOW CUT FILTER

OFF

. If it is turned up above the crossover frequency, the output from the amplifier will be greatly diminished.

CROSS-

10kHz20k

off.

switch

CROSS-

, you’ll get the

is set to

5. Set the

MONO,

AMP MODE

BRIDGED

to either

, depending on your application. These three modes operate as usual with

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER)

activated, except the speakers just get the lower frequencies.

6. Connect your cords and speaker cables as required (see the examples on pages 13-16).

7. Turn the M•2600’s

POWER

If you want to use a second M•2600 or an M•1400i to reproduce the rest of the audio range, follow this procedure:

THRU

1. Connect the

subwoofer amplifier to the

jacks on the first

INPUT

on the second amplifier.

2. Set the

subwoofer amplifier to the

THRU

switch on the first

HIGH OUT

position.

3. With

POWER TION FULL RANGE (LIMITER

off, set the

OUTPUT APPLICA-

switch on the second amplifier to

either ON or

The first amplifier will play the frequency range below the crossover point, and the second amplifier will play the frequency range above it. See the diagrams and further information on pages 13–16. As a general rule, use your biggest amplifier to power the subs.

STEREO,

on. Woof!

jacks

OFF

CHANNEL

INPUT

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

THRU

LOW CUT FILTER

TYPICAL

35 Hz

170 Hz

OFF

SWITCHED OUTPUT

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

60Hz

THRU

CROSSOVER

90Hz

LOW

OUT

HIGH

OUT

120Hz

AMP MODE

STEREO TYPICAL

CH's

SUMMED

OUTPUT APPLICAT ION

(CH1 & CH2)

FULL

RANGE

TYPICAL

LIMITER

(SUB WOOFER)

OFF

LOW OUT

CHANNEL

CROSSOVER

60Hz

HIGH

OUT

90Hz

LOW

OUT

LOW CUT FILTER

120Hz

THRU

SWITCHED OUTPUT

TYPICAL

35 Hz

STAGE

MONITOR

100 Hz

170 Hz

OFF

THRU

BALANCED

UNBALANCED

INPUT

Page 29

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

RACK MOUNTING and THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS

The M•2600 is a high-power amplifier, and special consideration to ventilation cannot be ignored:

• The amplifier must only be installed in a

rack. It requires three rack space units (3 U = 5.2"). It also requires 16.7" depth inside the rack, including the rear supports.

• There must be a minimum of 1 empty

rack space (1-3/4”, 35mm) above and below.

• The rear of the rack should be unob-

structed and placed no closer than 10” (254mm) from walls or other large obstructions or roadies.

• Air is pulled into the amplifier from the

front, so there should be no obstruction within 24” (610mm) of the rack’s front.

• Hot air from the main heatsink is

exhausted from the ventilation holes on each side of the amplifier. A spacing of 2” (51mm) or greater between the sides of the amplifier and the sides of the rack is recommended. This spacing is common in most racks designed for permanent installation, and in most shock mounted road cases.

• We recommend a shock mounted road

case for extensive touring with this amplifier, for thermal as well as mechanical considerations.

When designing your rack, put the heavier items at the bottom and the lighter items toward the top.

Secure the front panel of the amplifier to the front of the rack using eight screws with soft washers to prevent scratching the panel. In addition, because of the weight of the amplifier, you must secure the rear support brackets of the amplifier to the back of the rack. You could use a support rail or shelf across the back of the rack, or angle brackets attached between the rear support brackets and the rear rails of the rack. This is recommended for all components mounted in a rack that is going to be moved frequently.

In the unlikely event of the amplifier overheating, you might consider leaving 2 rack spaces between amplifiers, or using extra cooling fans in the rack.

AC POWER CONSIDERATIONS

Be sure the M•2600 is plugged into an outlet that is able to supply the correct voltage specified for your model. If the voltage should drop below 97% of the line voltage, the M•2600 will no longer be able to supply rated power. (It will continue to operate down to 63% of the rated voltage, but won’t reach full power.)

Under typical conditions, reproducing music where musical peaks are just below clipping, the M•2600 draws the following average currents:

Amplifier Loading Average current

2Ω per side or 4Ω bridged 18A

4Ω per side or 8Ω bridged 12A

8Ω per side or 16Ω bridged 7A

(Based on use of amplifier on 120 VAC line)

When heavily loaded, the M•2600 can pull a considerable amount of current from the AC power line. Because of the high cur-

rent demand, the power cord of the USA model is terminated into a 20A plug (NEMA 5-20P). A similar 20A rated receptacle is required to power the amplifier (NEMA 5-20R).

The following table shows how many amplifiers can be plugged into the same 20 or 30 amp service. This is for typical conditions, reproducing rock music where musical peaks are just below clipping.

Amplifier Loading Max. # amps Max. # amps (120 V model) on 20A service on 30A service

2Ω per side or 4Ω bridged 1* 1

4Ω per side or 8Ω bridged 1 2

8Ω per side or 16Ω bridged 2 3

(*May cause nuisance tripping of breakers under very high output / heavy loading conditions. This table refers to 120V AC line. Other models are equipped with a power cord and plug appropriate for the local voltage).

NEVER bypass the plug’s ground pin. This is dangerous !

NEMA 5-20P

(Plug supplied with

120 VAC models)

NEMA 5-20R

(120 VAC, 20Amp

Receptacle)

Page 30

It is recommended that a stiff supply of AC power be used because the amplifier places high current demands

on the AC line. The more power that is available on the line, the louder the amplifier will play and the more peak output power will be available for cleaner, punchier bass. A suspected problem of “poor bass performance” is often caused by a weak AC supply to the amplifier.

The M•2600 has an in-rush limiting circuit and relay that will prevent popping the house circuit breakers during turn-on. You should still avoid turning on all of your amplifiers at the same time. Rather, turn them on one at a time.

AC Power Distribution

The majority of AC outlets encountered in homes and clubs (in the U.S.) are served by a 240VAC center-tapped service entrance transformer. This provides two phases of AC power on either side of the center tap, at 120V each.

In order to minimize ground loops, the safety grounds for all the outlets should be connected to a common (“star”) grounding point, and the distance between the outlets and the common grounding point should be as short as possible.

If lighting is used in a show, it is preferable to power the lights from one leg of the service, and power the audio equipment from the other leg. This will help minimize noise from the lights coupling into the audio (particularly if SCRs are used).

When setting up for a show, oftentimes you are plugging into an AC power distribution system you know nothing about. You may even be faced with 2-wire outlets that are missing the third safety ground pin. It’s a good idea to have a three-wire AC outlet tester in your toolbox so you can check the outlets yourself to make sure they are wired correctly. These testers will tell you if the polarity of the hot and neutral wires is reversed and if the safety ground is disconnected. Don’t use an outlet if it is wired improperly! This is to protect yourself as well as your equipment.

HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINE

PRIMARY WINDING

120V

240V

SECONDARY

WINDING

INPUT WIRING

Use a high-quality 3-conductor shielded cable to connect the signal between the signal source (mixing console, equalizer, etc.) and the balanced inputs to the amplifier. If you’re using the unbalanced inputs, use a high-quality 2-conductor shielded cable. Your Mackie Dealer can recommend a suitable cable for your application.

If you want to roll your own, refer to the “Connectors” section in Appendix B.

OUTPUT WIRING

Use heavy gauge, CLASS 1, stranded wire for connecting speakers to the M•2600 amplifier’s

SPEAKER OUTPUT

the distance between the amplifier and the speakers increases, the thickness of the wire should also increase. Speaker wire has resistance, and when electricity passes through a resistor, power is lost. The thicker the wire, the less resistance it offers and the more power actually gets to the speakers.

The wire thickness is rated in gauges. Use the chart below to determine the correct gauge of wire to use according to the distance between the speakers and the amplifier, and the impedance of the load the amplifier is driving. This ensures that the power lost across the speaker wire is less than 0.5 dB.

Load Gauge of

Wire Length Impedance Wire

Up to 25 ft. 2Ω 14 gauge

4Ω 14 gauge 8Ω 14 gauge

Up to 40 ft. 2Ω 12 gauge

4Ω 12 gauge 8Ω 14 gauge

Up to 60 ft. 2Ω 10 gauge

4Ω 12 gauge 8Ω 14 gauge

Up to 100 ft. 2Ω 8 gauge

4Ω 10 gauge 8Ω 14 gauge

Up to 150 ft. 2Ω 6 gauge

4Ω 8 gauge 8Ω 12 gauge

Up to 250 ft. 2Ω 4 gauge

4Ω 6 gauge 8Ω 10 gauge

terminals. As

TRANSFORMER

240V Center-Tapped Secondary

EARTH

GROUND

(NEUTRAL)

Page 31

70V DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

A distributed sound system uses a constantvoltage, high-impedance network that feeds a number of tapped transformers which, in turn, deliver power to individual speakers. Each tap is rated in watts, so you can select the amount of power delivered to the speaker. Developed for distributed paging and public address systems, one benefit of such a system is that it eliminates complicated impedance calculations when setting up a multi-speaker system. You just add up the total wattages of all the speakers in the system and make sure that it doesn’t exceed the total power rating of the amplifier (allowing at least 10% for insertion losses). Another benefit is that by using high voltage and low current, losses in the speaker distribution wiring are kept to a minimum. Standard voltage levels include 25V, 70V, and 100V, but 70V systems (actually

70.7V) are most commonly used in commercial sound distribution systems in the U.S.

Because of the high power capability of the M•2600 amplifier, it can be used to directly drive 70V constant-voltage distribution systems without the use of a step-up transformer.

STEREO

, into a nominal 70V system, the M•2600 output can produce a maximum of 500 watts into 8 ohms (equal to 63V). Since this is less than 70.7V, you can recalculate the actual power delivered to each tap by multiplying the tap’s rated wattage by a correction factor (K). The correction factor is P

1/P2

, where P1 is the

power delivered by the amplifier into 8 ohms,

is the power delivered by 70.7V into 8

and P ohms (625W).

M•2600: K = 500W/625W = 0.8. Thus, a

2.5W tap becomes 2W, a 5W tap becomes 4W and a 10 W tap becomes 8W.

CAUTION: A characteristic of many tapped transformers is that they saturate at very low frequencies, which causes their impedance to decrease, approaching the DC resistance of the copper wire. This can result in overloading the amplifier if the signal contains lots of low frequencies. When using an M•2600 amplifier in a 70V distribution system, set the

LOW CUT FILTER

to 100Hz or higher. In addition, install an RC network at the

SPEAKER OUTPUT

of the am-

plifier, as shown in the figure below.

We recommend that you do not use the M•2600 in

BRIDGED

mode with a 70V system, as it can produce up to 1700 watts into 8 ohms, or 116V. This may

saturate the small 70V transformers. Use the

STEREO

MONO

mode instead, and you can

run one or two separate 70V lines.

M•2600

POWER AMPLIFIER

IN STEREO MODE

CH 1

RC NETWORK

C1 C2

–

RC NETWORK VALUES C1 = C2 = 680µF @ 250V R1 = 4Ω @ 100W

Note: You can substitute a single capacitor for C1/C2. C3 = 330µF @ 250VDC, NON-POLARIZED.

70V Constant Voltage Distribution System

ALTERNATE RC NETWORK

2.5W

70V LINE

CONSTANT

VOLTAGE

TRANSFORME

10W

–

2.5W

10W

–

10W

2.5W

POWER TAP

SWITCH

–

Page 32

APPENDIX A: Service Info

WARRANTY SERVICE

If you think your amplifier has a problem, please do everything you can to confirm it before calling for service, including reading through the following Troubleshooting section. Doing so might save you from being deprived of your Mackie amplifier.

Of all Mackie products returned for service (which is hardly any at all), many are coded “CND” — Could Not Duplicate, which usually means the problem lay somewhere else in the system. These may sound obvious to you, but here are some things you can check:

TROUBLESHOOTING

No power!

• Our favorite question: Is it plugged in?

Make sure the AC outlet is live (check with a tester or lamp).

• Our next favorite question: Is the

switch on? If not, try turning it on.

• Is the green light next to the power switch

illuminated? If not, make sure the AC outlet is live. If so, refer to “No sound” below.

• The AC line fuse inside the chassis is

blown. This is not a user-serviceable part. Refer to “Repair” on the next page to find out how to proceed.

No sound!

• Are the

down? Slowly turn them up and see if you hear anything.

• Is the signal source turned up? Make sure

the signal level from the mixing console (or whatever device immediately precedes the amplifier) is high enough to produce sound in the amplifier. The blinking to indicate that signal is present.

• If the speakers are wired for

mode, make sure the set to

GAIN

controls turned all the way

BRIDGED

SIG

AMP MODE

LEDs should be

POWER

BRIDGED

switch is

• If the

• Is the

• Are there fuses in the speaker or in-line

• Make sure the speakers are working properly.

OUTPUT APPLICATION

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER)

LOW CUT FILTER

OFF

or nearly

to the subwoofer cutoff frequency, the output from the amplifier will be diminished.

SHORT

check the speaker connections and make sure that there are no strands of wire shorting across the speaker terminals.

HOT

cool air available at the front of the amplifier. Make sure there is room at the sides of the amplifier for warm air to exit. Allow the amplifier to cool off.

fuses in the speaker wire? Check ’em to see if they’re blown.

frequency control is set

OFF

. If it is turned up above

LED lit? Turn the

LED lit? Make sure there is

switch is set

, make sure the

POWER

off,

One side is way louder than the other!

• Do the M•2600’s meters read the same on both sides? If not, your source may be delivering an out-of-balance stereo signal.

GAIN

• Are both position?

• Are the speaker(s) impedances matched? (See Appendix D— “ do The Math: Ohms, Loads, and Such.”)

• Try swapping sides: Turn off the amp, swap the speaker cables at the amp, turn the amp back on. If the same side is still louder, the problem is with your speakers or speaker cabling. If the other side is louder now, the problem is with the mixer, the amp, or the line-level cabling.

knobs set to the same

The stereo music sounds kind of sideways, and the bass frequencies diminish when standing center, but get louder as you approach one side!

• Check the polarity of the speaker cable connections. You may have your positive and negative connections reversed at one end of one speaker cable.

Page 33

As soon as the music gets loud, the amp shuts down!

• Check the M•2600’s meters. Be sure that is not lighting up frequently or continuously.

• Can the amp breathe? The M•2600 amps draw their ventilation air in from the front and out through the side panels. They need plenty of fresh air to stay cool.

Do not block the ventilation ports.

SHORT

• Is the dead short somewhere in your speaker setup, or the total impedance of the load is too low. Turn the amp off and rectify that right away.

LED lit? If so, you’ve got a

No mid or high frequencies!

• Make sure the is not set to

OUTPUT APPLICATION

LOW OUT (SUBWOOFER)

switch

It hurts when I touch my arm, or my leg, or even my head!

• You have a broken finger.

Bad sound!

• Is it loud and distorted? Turn down the signal coming from the mixer or signal source.

• Is the input connector plugged completely into the jack? Check the speaker connections and verify that all connections are tight and that there are no stray strands of wire shorting across the speaker terminals.

• If possible, listen to the signal source with headphones plugged into the console. If it sounds bad there, the problem’s not in the amplifier.

• Keep practicing.

Noise/Hum

• Check the signal cable between the mixer and the amplifier. Make sure all connections are good and sound.

• Make sure the signal cable is not routed near AC cables, power transformers, or other EMI-inducing device.

• Is there a light dimmer or other SCR-based device on the same AC circuit as the monitor? Use an AC line filter or plug the amplifier into a different AC circuit.

• If possible, listen to the signal source with headphones plugged into the console. If it sounds noisy there, the problem’s not in the amplifier.

• See “Grounding” in Appendix C, page 37.

REPAIR

Service for the M•2600 amplifier is available only from one of our authorized domestic service stations or at the factory, located in sunny Woodinville, Washington. Service for Mackie amplifiers living outside the United States can be obtained through local dealers or distributors.

If your amplifier needs service, follow these instructions:

1. Review the preceding troubleshooting

suggestions. Please.

2. Call Tech Support at 1-800-258-6883, 8am

to 5pm PST, to explain the problem and request an RA (Return Authorization) number. Have your amplifier’s serial number ready. You must have an RA

number before you can obtain service at the factory or an authorized service center.

3. Keep this owner’s manual. We don’t need it

to repair the amplifier.

4. Pack the amplifier in its original package,

including endcaps and box. This is very important. When you call for the RA number, please let Tech Support know if you need new packaging. Mackie is not

responsible for any damage that occurs due to non-factory packaging.

5. Include a legible note stating your name,

shipping address (no P.O. boxes), daytime phone number, RA number, and a detailed description of the problem, including how we can duplicate it.

6. Write the RA number in

top of the box.

7. Ship the amplifier to us. We suggest

insurance for all forms of cartage. Ship to this address:

Mackie Designs

SERVICE DEPARTMENT

16140 Wood-Red Rd. NE, Ste 5

Woodinville, WA 98072

8. We’ll try to fix the amplifier within three

business days. Ask Tech Support for current turn-around times when you call for your RA number. We normally send everything back prepaid using UPS Orange (three-day air). However, if you rush your amplifier to us by next-day air, we’ll treat it in kind by shipping it back the same way in which it was received . This paragraph does not necessarily apply to non-warranty service.

BIG PRINT on

Page 34

APPENDIX B: Connectors

“XLR” CONNECTORS

Mackie amplifiers use 3-pin female “XLR” connectors on each input, with pin 1 wired to the grounded (earthed) shield, pin 2 wired to the “high” (“hot” or positive polarity) side of the audio signal, and pin 3 wired to the “low”

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

SHIELD

COLD

Figure A: XLR Connectors

(“cold” or negative polarity) side of the signal (Figure A). All totally above-board and in full accord with the hallowed standards dictated by the AES (Audio Engineering Society).

Use a male “XLR”-type connector, usually found on the nether end of what is called a “mic cable,” to connect to a female XLR jack.

(output from mixer), ring to signal return (input back into mixer), and sleeve to ground (earth).

• Balanced mono circuits. When wired as a balanced connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug is connected tip to signal high (hot), ring to signal low (cold), and sleeve to ground (earth). This is the application used for the inputs to Mackie amplifiers.

1⁄4" TS PHONE PLUGS AND JACKS

“TS” stands for Tip-Sleeve, the two connections available on a “mono” 1⁄4" phone jack or plug (Figure C). TS jacks and plugs are used in many different applications, always unbalanced. The tip is connected to the audio signal and the sleeve to ground (earth). Some examples:

• Unbalanced microphones

• Electric guitars and electronic

instruments

• Unbalanced line-level or speaker-level

connections

SLEEVE

TIPSLEEVE

1⁄4" TRS PHONE PLUGS AND JACKS

“TRS” stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, the three connections available on a “stereo” 1⁄4" or “balanced” phone jack or plug (Figure B). TRS jacks and plugs are used in several different applications:

SLEEVERING

TIP

Figure B: 1⁄4" TRS Plugs

• Stereo Headphones, stereo microphones and stereo line connections. When wired for stereo, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug is connected tip to left, ring to right and sleeve to ground (earth).

• Unbalanced Send/Return circuits. When wired as a send/return “Y” connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug is connected tip to signal send

RING

TIPSLEEVE

RING (COLD)

TIP (HOT)

SLEEVE (SHIELD)

TIP

Figure C: TS Plug

UNBALANCING A LINE

In most studio, stage, and sound reinforcement situations, there is a combination of balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs on the various pieces of equipment. This usually will not be a problem in making connections.

• When connecting a balanced output to an unbalanced input, be sure the signal high (hot) connections are wired to each other, and that the balanced signal low (cold) goes to the ground (earth) connection at the unbalanced input. In most cases, the balanced ground will also be connected to the ground at the unbalanced input. If there are ground-loop problems, this connection may be left disconnected at the balanced end.

TIP (HOT)

SLEEVE (SHIELD)

Page 35

• When connecting an unbalanced output to a balanced input, be sure that the signal high (hot) connections are wired to each other. The unbalanced ground (earth) connection should be wired to the low and the ground connections of the balanced input. If there are ground-loop problems, try connecting the unbalanced ground connection only to the input low connection, and leaving the input ground connection disconnected.

• In some cases, you will have to make up special adapters to interconnect your equipment. For example, you may need a balanced XLR female connected to an unbalanced 1⁄4" TS phone plug. The balanced-to-unbalanced connection has been anticipated in the wiring of Mackie jacks. A 1⁄4" TS plug inserted into a 1⁄4" TRS balanced input, for example, automatically unbalances the input and makes all the right connections. Conversely, a 1⁄4" TRS plug inserted into a 1⁄4" unbalanced input automatically ties the ring (low or cold) to ground (earth).

BINDING POSTS

The binding posts provide a safe and secure

connection for speaker wire.

Prepare your wire by stripping back the insulation to reveal clean, shiny wire. Make sure it is not stripped back any further than 3/8” (9.5mm), to avoid the chance of a shock hazard. Carefully twist the wire so that any fine wire strands are together.

SPEAKONS

Speakon® connectors have become popular with many loudspeaker manufacturers because they provide a quick, yet safe and secure method of connecting speaker cables. The connectors have a twist-locking mechanism that prevents them from being pulled out accidentally. Plus, they are capable of handling high currents and meet IEC 65 and IEC 348 safety requirements.

Pin 1+ is speaker positive(+) and Pin 1– is the speaker negative (–).

The amplifier is fitted with three Speakon connectors, one for the left, one for the right and one for the bridged mono operation. The bridged mono connector must not be used with any other connection, no speaker wire attached to the binding posts, and no other Speakons used.

Internally, the bridged mono Speakon is wired directly to the binding posts. Pin 1+ is connected to the Channel 1 positive and Pin 1– is connected to Channel 2 positive. If you find that your speaker (in bridged mono) sounds strange, check that the correctly set to

BRIDGED

AMP MODE

. Otherwise, your speaker will be playing the difference between Channel 1 and Channel 2, like an earlier method of home theater center fill.

switch is

Make sure the amplifier is turned off before connecting the speaker wire, as there may be high AC volt-

ages present at the outputs

• Untighten the posts and insert the bare wire as shown below.

• Check there are no strands of wire sticking out which may touch the other terminal.

• Tighten the posts by hand, do not use a wrench!

Figure D: Binding Posts with Bare Wire

1–

COLD HOT

Figure E: Speakon Connectors

2–

Page 36

APPENDIX C: Arcane Mysteries Illuminated

BALANCED LINES

Balanced lines offer increased immunity to external noise (specifically, hum and buzz). Because a balanced system is able to minimize noise, it is the preferred interconnect method, especially in cases where very long lengths of cable are being used. A long unbalanced cable carries with it more opportunity for noise to get into a system — having balanced inputs means very little noise will enter the system via snakes and other cables that typically must run a long length.

A balanced line is a threewire system where two wires carry the signal and the third is a ground wire that shields the inner conductors from

EMI. The two inner conductors carry the same signal, but with opposite polarity. The balanced input amplifies only the difference between the two conductors. But a signal that is common to both conductors, and in phase, is rejected (canceled out) at the balanced input. This includes hum from AC lines or other EMI induced noise.

An unbalanced line does not have this noise-rejecting capability because it has only two conductors. One conductor carries the signal and the other is a ground wire that shields the inner conductor. Any hum or EMI noise that gets through the shield is added to the signal and amplified at the unbalanced input. Often the hum can be louder than the signal itself!

connects to pin 1) to prevent it from contacting the connector shell.

2. Don’t connect the XLR connector shell to pin 1 of the XLR connector unless necessary for RFI shielding. Doing so is an invitation for a ground loop to come a-courting.

3. Do ensure that your speaker lines and AC power lines are physically separated from your microphone lines.

4. If you use floor pockets, use separate pockets for inputs and speakers, or put the connectors on opposite sides of the box so that they may be shielded separately.

5. If your speaker lines run in the open, they should be twisted pairs, at least 6 twists per foot. Otherwise, run the speaker lines in their own conduit. (Of course, conduit is not too practical for portable systems, heh-heh.)

6. Minimize the distance between the power amplifiers and the speakers.

7. Use heavy gauge, stranded wire for speaker lines. Ideally, the wire resistance should be less than 6% (0.5 dB power loss) of the load impedance. Remember that the actual run is twice as long as the physical length of the run. See below.

Maximum wire run for 0.5dB power loss in feet

wire res. per 2 4 8

gauge 1000 ft. ΩΩΩ

10 1.00 60 120 240

12 1.59 40 75 150

FIXED INSTALLATIONS

If you install sound systems into fixed installations, there are a number of things that you can do to make your life easier and increase the likelihood of the sound system operating in a predictable manner. Even if you don’t do fixed installations, these are good practices for any sound system.

1. Do use foil-shielded snake cable for long

cable runs. Carefully terminate each end, minimizing the amount of shielding removed. Protect the exposed foil shield with shrink sleeving or PVC sleeving. Prevent adjacent shields from contacting each other (electrically). Use insulating sleeving on the drain wire (the one that

14 2.5 244895

16 4.02 15 30 60

8. Ensure that the electrician uses the starground system for the safety grounds in your electrical system. All of the audio system grounds should terminate at the same physical point. No other grounds may come in contact with this ground system.

9. Ensure that the AC power feeds are connected to the same transformer, and ideally, the same circuit breaker.

Page 37

10. Walk outside — look at the horizon. See any radio towers? Locate potential sources of RF interference and plan for them before you begin construction. Know the frequency, transmitter power, etc. You can get this information by calling the station. Remember that many broadcast stations change the antenna coverage pattern and transmitter power at night.

11. Don’t use hardware-store light dimmers.

12. Don’t allow for anything other than microphone inputs at stage/altar locations. Supplying line inputs at these locations is an invitation for misuse. Make all sources look like microphones to the console.

13. Balance (or at least impedance balance) all connections that are remote from the console’s immediate location.

GROUNDING

Grounding exists in your audio system for two reasons: product safety and noise reduction. The third wire on the power cord exists for product safety. It provides a low-resistance path back to the electrical service to protect the users of the product from electrical shock. Hopefully, the resistance to ground through the safety ground (third wire) is lower than that through the user/operator to ground. If you remove this connection (by breaking or cutting the pin off, or by using a ‘ground cheater’), this alternate ground path ceases to exist, which is a safety hazard.

The metal chassis of the product, the ground connections provided by the various connectors, and the shields within your connecting cables provide a low-potential point for noise signals. The goal is to provide a lower impedance path to ground for noise signals than through the signal wiring. Doing so helps minimize hum, buzz, and other extraneous non-audio signals.

Many “authorities” tell you that shields should be connected only at one end. Sometimes this can be true, but for most (99%) audio systems, it is unnecessary. If you do everything else correctly, you should be able to connect every component of your audio system using standard, off-the-shelf connecting cables that are available at any music store.

Here are some guidelines:

1. Use balanced lines if at all possible. They provide better immunity to induced noise and ground loops. Remember that you can balance a line by inserting in-line a piece of equipment that has a balanced output.

2. Avoid using three-phase power lines since they are usually used for air conditioning and other heavy power equipment. If using 240VAC single phase with center-ground power, connect all audio equipment to one side of the AC power, and all lighting and other equipment to the other side.

3. Be sure all AC outlet safety grounds are connected to one common point in a star ground arrangement. This common ground point should then tie back to earth ground at the service entrance by one heavy stranded wire, #2 gauge or larger.

4. Don’t cut the third pin off the power cord. Carry some ground-lifter adapters and use them only if you have to plug into an ancient two-wire outlet.

5. Cables that are too long are less likely to pick up hum if you uncoil them in their entirety, and then find a place to stow the excess. Leaving the excess coiled only helps the cable pick up hum more efficiently.

6. If you bundle your cables together, don’t bundle AC wiring and audio wiring together. Bundle them separately.

7. If your sound system insists on humming, you may want to teach it the words.

Page 38

BI-AMPLIFIED AND TRI-AMPLIFIED

SYSTEMS

Most speaker systems in use today are of the two-way or three-way variety. Cone speakers are good at reproducing low and mid-range frequencies, but not high frequencies. Likewise, compression drivers are good at reproducing high frequencies, but definitely not low frequencies. This is why two-way, three-way and even four-way speaker systems were developed — to improve the efficiency of each individual driver by requiring it to reproduce only the frequencies that it reproduces best.

One method of accomplishing this is through the use of a passive crossover network between the amplifier and the speaker(s). Often the passive crossover is built into the cabinet along with the various drivers. The crossover divides the high-level speaker signal into frequency bands, which are then directed to the appropriate driver. There are some drawbacks to this method, however. The passive crossover adds reactance to the load that the amplifier sees, which can affect the damping. Power is wasted as heat across the resistors in the crossover, reducing the amount of amplifier power available to the drivers themselves.

Biamplified and triamplified systems use separate power amplifiers to power each individual low-frequency and high-frequency driver. An electronic crossover (a.k.a. active crossover) is located between the signal source and the power amplifier. The advantages of this method include:

• Increased headroom available from each amplifier, since they’re amplifying only a portion of the entire audio spectrum.

• Improved damping factor because the amplifier output is connected directly to the driver.

• Improved efficiency because there are no passive resistors to dissipate heat; and

• Flexibility to choose the optimum cross over frequency and crossover slope for the individual drivers in the system.

The M•2600’s internal crossovers are electronic (active) and allow biamplification above and below a user-selectable crossover point of

60Hz, 90Hz,

120Hz.

See the

application diagrams on pages 13-16.

TWO-WAY SPEAKER CABINET

FROM SIGNAL SOURCE

(MACKIE MIXING CONSOLE)

FROM SIGNAL SOURCE

(MACKIE MIXING CONSOLE)

FROM SIGNAL SOURCE

(MACKIE MIXING CONSOLE)

Passive Crossover System

LOW-LEVEL

2-WAY ACTIVE

CROSSOVER

TO HIGH-FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER

TO LOW-FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER

POWER AMPLIFIER

CH 1

CH 2

FR SERIES

POWER AMPLIFIER

(STEREO MODE)

CH 1

INPUT

CH 2

INPUT

FR SERIES

(STEREO MODE)

CH 1 OUT

–

CH 2

OUT

FROM SIGNAL SOURCE

(MACKIE MIXING CONSOLE)

CH 1 OUT

–

CH 2

OUT

LOW-LEVEL

3-WAY ACTIVE

CROSSOVER

TWEE

WOOF

TWO-WAY SPEAKER CABINET

TO HIGH-FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER

TO MID-FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER

TO LOW-FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER

HIGH-LEVEL

PASSIVE

CROSSOVER

HIGH-LEVEL

PASSIVE

CROSSOVER

HIGH FREQUENCIES TO TWEETER

LOW FREQUENCIES TO WOOFER

HIGH FREQUENCIES TO TWEETER

LOW FREQUENCIES TO WOOFER

FR SERIES

POWER AMPLIFIER

(STEREO MODE)

CH 1

INPUT

CH 1 OUT

CH 2

INPUT

CH 2 OUT

FR SERIES

POWER AMPLIFIER

(BRIDGE MODE)

CH 1

INPUT

CH 1 OUT

CH 2 OUT

–

TWEE

MID

WOOF

Triamplified System with External Active CrossoverBiamplified System with External Active Crossover

Page 39

APPENDIX D: Technical Info

DO THE MATH: OHMS, LOADS, AND SUCH

Remember: As the load gets “heavier,” its

value in ohms goes down. For instance, a 2-ohm speaker load is twice as “heavy” as a 4-ohm load. An ohm is a unit of resistance — the more ohms, the more resistance (impedance). The more the resistance, the less the power. It can all seem backwards at first. Just remember that a dead short means no resistance at all, or zero ohms.

Since you’re in the biz (or you are now, since you just bought an amp), you probably own a volt/ohm meter (or DVM, for Digital Volt Meter). It’s an indispensable tool for anyone working with speakers and such. If you don’t own a meter, go out and get one right now — we’ll wait.

If you’re just dealing with one speaker (or cabinet) per output, the load in ohms will be printed on it somewhere. That’s your load. You can confirm this with the volt/ohm meter you just bought — set it for ohms, set it for the lowest range (unless it’s an autoranging meter) and measure across the speaker terminals. It may not agree exactly; a speaker rated at eight ohms may read between 5 and 7 ohms. (If it’s a multiple-driver speaker with a built-in passive crossover, this method won’t work.)

If you’re driving an assortment of speakers (or cabinets), things can get complicated. There are two basic ways of linking multiple loads (speakers in this case): series and parallel.

“Series” means that the positive amp output connects to the first speaker’s positive terminal, the first speaker’s negative terminal connects to the second speaker’s positive terminal, the second speaker’s negative terminal goes to the third, and so on, until the chain ends at the amp’s negative output. Series connections are not normally used in PA applications because it ruins the amplifier’s ability to damp (control) the speakers.

Doing load calculations with series configurations is easy — just add the loads. For instance, four 8-ohm speakers, connected in series, will equal 32 ohms (8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 32).

“Parallel” means that the positive amp output connects to the positive terminals of all the speakers, and the negative amp output connects to the negative terminals of all the speakers. If one speaker fails in a parallel configuration, the others will still work, but the load will change. That lets you breathe a little easier (the show will go on), except that you may have a dead speaker and not even know it.

Calculating parallel loads is also easy, as long as each speaker has the same value — just divide the value by the number of speakers. For instance, four 8-ohm speakers, connected in parallel, will equal 2 ohms (8 / 4 = 2). If the loads aren’t all the same, the formula gets a little more complicated, but nothing that you can’t do with a simple calculator.

. . .

ZT =

There are other, more complicated configurations, like series-parallel (using a combination of series and parallel links to arrive at a desired load) and parallel configurations of unmatched loads (usually not recommended). But rather than get too deep into this, let’s just summarize the basics, as they apply to you and your M•2600 power amplifier:

• As a load gets “heavier,” its impedance in

ohms decreases.

• The lower the impedance (ohms), the higher the power: The M•2600 has 1300 watts (per side) with a 2-ohm load, 850 watts with 4 ohms, and 500 watts with 8 ohms.

• Do not connect a load of under 2 ohms

STEREO

(in

BRIDGED

(in

and

mode).

MONO

mode) or 4 ohms

• Never plug amplifier outputs into anything except speakers (unless you have an outboard box designed to accept speaker levels).

• Never play good music through bad speakers. You may, however, play bad music through good speakers (but only on odd-numbered Fridays).

Page 40

SPECIFICATIONS M•2600

Maximum Power at 1% THD, midband:

500 watts per channel into 8Ω 850watts per channel into 4Ω 1300 watts per channel into 2Ω 1700 watts into 8Ω bridged 2600 watts into 4Ω bridged

Continuous Sine Wave Average Output Power, both channels driven:

425 watts per channel into 8Ω from 20Hz to 20kHz, with no more than 0.025% THD 700 watts per channel into 4Ω from 20Hz to 20kHz, with no more than 0.05% THD 1000 watts per channel into 2Ω from 20Hz to 20kHz, with no more than 0.1% THD

Bridged mono operation:

1,400 watts into 8Ω from 20Hz to 20kHz, with no more than 0.05% THD 2000 watts into 4Ω from 20Hz to 20kHz, with no more than 0.1% THD

Note: Power ratings are specified at 120VAC line voltages.

The M•2600 power amplifier draws large amounts of current from the AC line with continuous sine wave testing. Accurate measurement of power requires a steady and stable AC supply. This means the line impedance must be very low to insure that the peak AC line voltage does not sag to less than 97% of its value.

If driving highly reactive loads, we recommend that the limiter circuit be engaged.

Power Bandwidth:

20Hz to 70kHz (+0, –3 dB) @ 700W into 4Ω

Frequency Response:

20Hz to 40kHz (+0, –1 dB) 10Hz to 70kHz (+0, –3 dB)

Distortion:

THD, SMPTE IMD, TIM < 0.025% @ 8Ω

< 0.050% @ 4Ω < 0.150% @ 2Ω

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:

> 107 dB below rated power into 4Ω

Channel Separation:

> 80 dB @ 1kHz

Damping Factor:

> 350 @ 400Hz

Input Impedance:

24kΩ balanced

Input Sensitivity:

1.23 volts (+4 dBu) for rated power into 4 ohms

Gain:

32.7 dB (43V/V)

Maximum Input Level:

9.75 volts (+22 dBu)

Rise Time:

< 5µs

Slew Rate:

Voltage Slew Rate > 60V/µs Current Slew Rate> 30A/µs at 2Ω

CMRR:

> 40 dB, 20Hz to 20kHz

Load Angle:

8(±jx) time independent at 8Ω 4(±jx) time dependent, T > 6 min. at 4Ω 2(1±jx) time dependent, T > 2 min. at 2Ω

Transient Recovery:

< 1µs for 20 dB overdrive @ 1kHz

High Frequency Overload and Latching:

No latch up at any frequency or level.

High Frequency Stability:

Unconditionally stable, driving any reactive or capacitive load.

Turn On Delay:

3-5 seconds

Variable Low-Cut Filter:

10Hz (Off) to 170Hz, 2nd-Order Bessel

Internal Crossover:

Switched: 60Hz/90Hz/120Hz, 4th-Order Linkwitz-Riley Lowpass outputs switchable to internal Subwoofer mode. Lowpass and Highpass outputs switchable to Thru output jacks.

Limiter Section:

Complementary Positive and Negative Peak Detecting

Indicators:

6 meter LEDs per channel

SIG (Signal Present), –20, –9, –6, –3, OL (Overload)

CH 1 & 2

PROTECT LEDs SHORT LEDs

TEMP STATUS

COLD/HOT LEDs

Physical:

(three rack spaces high, standard rack width) Height 5.20 inches (132mm) Front panel Width 19.00 inches (483mm) Chassis Width 17.24 inches (438mm) Depth 15.65 inches (398mm) Overall Depth 16.67 inches (423mm) Weight 55 pounds (25 kg)

(lets get)

AC Drop-out Voltage:

At approximately 63% of rated line voltage

Page 41

Power Consumption

Country AC input Line Range

Power Consumption

requirements (1/8 of 2Ω resistive

power/ nominal)

North America 120 V, 60 Hz 76 V - 132 V 1650 W, 18.2 A

240 V, 60 Hz 152 V - 264 V 1650 W, 9.1 A Europe 240 V, 50/60 Hz 152 V - 264 V 1650 W, 9.1 A Korea 240 V, 60 Hz 152 V - 264 V 1650 W, 9.1 A Japan

The 100 V version of the Japanese model is not rated into 2Ω. It is only rated at 4Ω stereo or 8Ω bridged.

100 V, 50/60 Hz 63 V - 110 V 1000 W, 13.8 A (4Ω)

200 V, 50/60 Hz 126 V - 220 V 1650 W, 10.9 A

Disclaimer:

Since we are always striving to make our products better by incorporating new and improved materials, components, and manufacturing methods, we reserve the right to change these specifications at any time without notice.

“Mackie,” “The Running Man,” and “FR Series” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Mackie Designs Inc.

All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged.

ventilation slots

(do not cover)

FULL SYMMETRY DUAL DIFFERENT IAL HIGH CURREN T DESIGN

GAIN/dB

17.24" (438mm)

M•2600

WEIGHT

55 lbs. (25 kg)

PROFESSIONAL POWER AMPLIFIER

POWER

Depth 15.65" (398mm)

Overall Depth 16.67" (423mm)

NOTE: The Depth is measured from the rear face of the rack ears

OFF

5.2" (132mm)

19.00" (483mm)

Page 42

BLOCK DIAGRAM

–

CH.1 100 VDC

–

CH.1 115 VDC

–

CH.2 115 VDC

TOROIDAL POWER

TRANSFORMER

LAMP

FUSE

MACKIE DESIGNS

M•2600

BLOCK DIAGRAM

9/21/1998

LOW CUT

FILTER

CROSSOVER

INVERTER

(FOR BRIDGED MONO

OPERATION)

FREQ

CH.1 GAIN

CH.2 GAIN

60-90-120Hz

THRU–LOW–HIGH

LIMIT–OFF-LOW OUT

POWER

SWITCH

IN-RUSH

LIMIT

30 VDC

+15 VDC

-15 VDC

22 VAC

–

CH.2 100 VDC

TRANSFORMER

THERMAL

LINE INPUT

(1/4" TRS)

LINE INPUT

(XLR-FEMALE)

THRU OUTPUT

(XLR-MALE)

STEREO-MONO-BRIDGED

LIMITER

CONTROL

CH–1

CH–2

LOW

HIGH

LOW CUT

FILTER

CROSSOVER

FREQ

SHORT 2

IN-RUSH CONTROL

THRU–LOW–HIGH

LIMIT–OFF-LOW OUT

LINE INPUT

(1/4" TRS)

LINE INPUT

(XLR-FEMALE)

THRU OUTPUT

(XLR-MALE)

60-90-120Hz

LOW

HIGH

SHORT 1

(THE SHORT LEDS ARE

JOINED IN BRIDGED MODE)

LIMITER

CHANNEL 1

POWER

AMPLIFIER

FUSE

OUTPUT

RELAY

–100VDC

–115VDC

22VAC

FUSE

+100VDC

+15VDC

+115VDC

METER

DRIVE

–3

–6

–9

–20

SIG

PROTECT

SHORT

SHORT 1

CH 1

SIG

CH 1

SIG

CH 2

SIG

CH. 1

SPEAKER

OUT

CH. 2

SPEAKER

OUT

CH. 1

SPEAKON

CH. 2

SPEAKON

BRIDGED

MONO

SPEAKON

PROTECTION CIRCUITRY

MUTE

DC OFFSET

PROTECT

SHORT

OUTPUT STAGE CURRENT

OUTPUT STAGE VOLTAGE

TRANSIENT SOA FLT

STEADY STATE SOA FLT

OUTPUT DISSIPATION

LOW VOLTAGE DETECT

IN-RUSH CONTROL

CH.1 DISSIPATION

MUTE

LIMITER

CHANNEL 2

POWER

AMPLIFIER

FUSE

OUTPUT

RELAY

–100VDC

–115VDC

22VAC

FUSE

+100VDC

+15VDC

+115VDC

METER

DRIVE

–3

–6

–9

–20

SIG

PROTECT

SHORT

CH 2

SIG

PROTECTION CIRCUITRY

MUTE

DC OFFSET

PROTECT

SHORT

OUTPUT STAGE CURRENT

OUTPUT STAGE VOLTAGE

TRANSIENT SOA FLT

STEADY STATE SOA FLT

OUTPUT DISSIPATION

LOW VOLTAGE DETECT

IN-RUSH CONTROL

CH.2 DISSIPATION

MUTE

+30VDC

-30VDC

HOT LED

COLD LED

CH.1 MUTE

CH.2 MUTE

C MUTE

C UN-MUTE

C MUTE

C UN-MUTE

CH 1

TEMP

SENSOR

CH 2

TEMP

SENSOR

OVER TEMPERATURE

DETECTOR

TRANSFORMER

THERMAL SWITCH

VARIABLE SPEED FAN CONTROLLER

C – 65

C SPEED CONTROL CH.1

C – 65

C SPEED CONTROL CH.2

FAN IDLE/VARIABLE CH.1 POWER DETECTOR

FAN IDLE/VARIABLE CH.2 POWER DETECTOR

CH.1 DISSIPATION

CH.2 DISSIPATION

FAN

SHORT 2

(THE CHANNELS ARE

SUMMED IN MONO

OR BRIDGED MODE)

Page 43

NOTES

Page 44

Some of the

people at our

factory who helped

design, build, sell,

and support your

product.

™

Mackie Designs Inc.

16220 Wood-Red Rd. NE • Woodinville, WA 98072 • USA

Europe, Asia, Central & South America: 425/487-4333

US & Canada: 800/898-3211

Middle East & Africa: 31-20-654-4000

Fax: 425/487-4337 • www.mackie.com

E-mail: sales@mackie.com