Mackie Onyx 1220 User Manual

Name: Mackie Onyx 1220
Brand: Mackie
SKU: 672927
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

5 (1)

OWNER’S MANUAL

ONYX 1220

1. Read these instuctions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the

manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,

stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁ ers) that produce heat.

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type

plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other.

A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.

The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the

provided plug does not ﬁ t into your outlet, consult an electrician for

replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10.

Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at

plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the

apparatus.

11.

Only use attachments/accessories speciﬁ ed by the manufacturer.

12.

Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table speciﬁ ed by the

manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use

caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury

from tip-over.

13.

Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long

periods of time.

14.

Refer all servicing to qualiﬁ ed service personnel. Servicing is required

when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-

supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have

fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or

moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

15.

This Onyx mixer has been designed with Class-I construction and must

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

nection (the third grounding prong).

16.

This Onyx mixer has been equipped with an all-pole, rocker-style AC

mains power switch. This switch is located on the rear panel and

should remain readily accessible to the user.

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 Com mu ni ca tions.

ATTENTION — Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits

radioélectriques dépassant las limites applicables aux appareils numériques de

class A/de class B (selon le cas) prescrites dans le réglement sur le brouillage

radioélectrique édicté par les ministere des com mu ni ca tions du Canada.

18.

Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing

loss. Individuals vary considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced

hearing loss, but nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed to

sufﬁ ciently intense noise for a period of time. The U.S. Government’s

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has speciﬁ ed

the permissible noise level exposures shown in the following chart.

According to OSHA, any exposure in excess of these permissible limits

could result in some hearing loss. To ensure against potentially danger-

ous exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recommended that all

persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high sound pres-

sure levels use hearing protectors while the equipment is in operation.

Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or over the ears must be worn

when operating the equipment in order to prevent permanent hearing

loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth here.

Important Safety Instructions

WARNING — To reduce the risk of ﬁ re or

electric shock, do not expose this apparatus

to rain or moisture.

Duration Per Day Sound Level dBA, Typical

In Hours Slow Response Example

8 90 Duo in small club

6 92

4 95 Subway Train

3 97

2 100 Very loud classical music

1.5 102

1 105 Tami screaming at Adrian about deadlines

0.5 110

0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert

PORTABLE CART WARNING

Carts and stands - The

Component should be used

only with a cart or stand

that is recommended by

the manufacturer.

A Component and cart

combination should be

moved with care. Quick

stops, excessive force, and

uneven surfaces may cause

the Component and cart

combination to overturn.

CAUTION AVIS

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE

NE PAS OUVRIR

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL

ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC

ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE. AUCUN

ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L’USAGER. CONFIER

L’ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.

AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D’INCENDIE OU

D’ELECTROCUTION, N’EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE

A LA PLUIE OU A L’HUMIDITE

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral

triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated

"dangerous voltage" within the product’s enclosure, that may be

of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

Le symbole clair avec point de fl che l’int rieur d’un triangle

quilat ral est utilis pour alerter l’utilisateur de la pr sence

l’int rieur du coffret de "voltage dangereux" non isol d’ampleur

suffisante pour constituer un risque d’ l ctrocution.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to

alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance

(servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

Le point d’exclamation l’int rieur d’un triangle quilat ral est

employ pour alerter les utilisateurs de la pr sence d’instructions

importantes pour le fonctionnement et l’entretien (service) dans le

livret d’instruction accompagnant l’appareil.

Part No. 0008667 Rev. B 4/04

Owner’s Manual

Don’t forget to visit our website at www.mackie.com for more

information about this and other Mackie products.

Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................4

Getting Started ..........................................................................................................5

Zero the Controls.......................................................................................................................................5

Connections.................................................................................................................................................5

Set the Levels ..............................................................................................................................................5

Instant Mixing.............................................................................................................................................5

Hookup Diagrams......................................................................................................6

Onyx 1220 Features .................................................................................................10

Channel Strips...........................................................................................................................................10

Control Room Matrix, Metering, and Phones..................................................................................14

Auxiliary Section...................................................................................................................................... 15

TALKBACK Section...................................................................................................................................16

Front Panel Connectors..........................................................................................................................18

Rear Panel...................................................................................................................................................19

Appendix A: Service Information........................................................................ 21

Warranty Service...................................................................................................................................... 21

Troubleshooting....................................................................................................................................... 21

Repair ..........................................................................................................................................................22

Appendix B: Connections ......................................................................................23

Appendix C: Technical Info .................................................................................. 26

Onyx 1220 Speciﬁ cations ...................................................................................................................... 26

Onyx 1220 Block Diagram..................................................................................................................... 28

Onyx 1220 Track Sheet........................................................................................................................... 29

Onyx 1220 Limited Warranty ................................................................................31

ONYX 1220

Introduction

Thank you for choosing a Mackie Onyx 1220 profes-

sional compact mixing console. The Onyx Series of mix-

ers are designed for the digital era and offer the newest

features and latest technologies for live sound reinforce-

ment and analog or digital studio recording in a durable,

road-worthy package.

The Onyx 1220 is equipped with four of our new

premium precision-engineered studio-grade Onyx mic

preamps. Mackie is renowned for the high-quality mic

preamps used in our mixers, and the Onyx mic pre’s are

better than ever, with speciﬁ cations rivaling expensive

stand-alone mic preampliﬁ ers.

Channels 1 and 2 feature high-impedance instrument/

line-level inputs so you can connect an acoustic, elec-

tric, or bass guitar directly into the mixer, eliminating

the need for an external direct box.

Each of the four mono channels have individual

phantom power switches, low-cut ﬁ lters, pre-EQ chan-

nel inserts, and an all new three-band EQ design with

sweepable mids and EQ bypass switch.

Channels 5 through 12 are four stereo pairs of line

inputs, featuring a three-band EQ and EQ bypass switch

for each stereo pair.

All mono channels and stereo pairs have two Aux

sends, Pan, Mute/Alt 3-4, Solo, 60 mm Fader, and four

signal level indicators.

A built-in Talkback mic with routing switches allows

you to communicate through the Aux Sends or Phones

outputs.

All twelve channels have balanced direct outputs

on two DB-25 connectors for multitrack recording.

An optional FireWire card provides all twelve direct

outputs and the L-R Main Mix on a FireWire interface

for streaming digital audio to a laptop for multitrack

recording in a live situation, or connecting to a DAW in a

home studio.

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

We know that many of you can’t wait to get your new

mixer hooked up, and you’re probably not going to read

the manual ﬁ rst (sigh!). So the ﬁ rst section after the

table of contents is a Quick-Start Guide to help you get

the mixer set up fast so you can start using it right away.

Right after that are the ever popular hook-up diagrams

that show typical mixer setups for live sound, recording

and mixdown.

Then, when you have time, read the Features Descrip-

tion section. This describes every knob, button, and

connection point on the Onyx 1220, roughly following

the signal ﬂ ow through the mixer from top to bottom

and left to right.

Throughout this section you’ll ﬁ nd illustrations with

each feature numbered. If you want to know more about

a feature, simply locate it on the appropriate illustra-

tion, notice the number attached to it, and ﬁ nd that

number in the nearby paragraphs.

This icon marks information that is

critically important or unique to the

Onyx 1220. For your own good, read

them and remember them. They will

be on the ﬁ nal test.

This icon leads you to in-depth

explanations of features and practi-

cal tips. While not mandatory, they

usually have some valuable nugget of

information.

A PLUG FOR THE CONNECTOR SECTION

Appendix B is a section on connectors: XLR connec-

tors, balanced connectors, unbalanced connectors, and

special hybrid connectors.

More resources on our website at www.mackie.com.

THE GLOSSARY: A Haven of Non-Techiness for

the Neophyte

The “Glossary of Terms” is a fairly comprehensive

dictionary of pro-audio terms. If terms like “clipping,”

“noise ﬂ oor,” or “unbalanced” leave you blank, refer to

this glossary for a quick explanation.

ARCANE MYSTERIES ILLUMINATED

“Arcane Mysteries” discusses some of the down ‘n’

dirty practical realities of microphones, ﬁ xed installa-

tions, grounding, and balanced versus unbalanced lines.

It’s a goldmine for the neophyte, and even the seasoned

pro might learn a thing or two.

Please write your serial number here for future

reference (i.e., insurance claims, tech support,

return authorization, etc.)

Purchased at:

Date of purchase:

Owner’s Manual

Getting Started

READ THIS PAGE!!

Even if you’re one of those people

who never read manuals, all we ask

is that you read this page now before

you begin using the Onyx 1220. You’ll

be glad you did!

Zero the Controls

1. Turn down the channel GAIN, AUX, and Fader con-

trols, and center the channel EQ and PAN controls.

2. Set all push button switches to their “out” positions.

3. In the output section (right hand side), turn all the

rotary knobs “down,” the switches “out,” and the

MAIN MIX fader down.

4. Turn the POWER switch off.

Connections

If you already know how you want to connect the Onyx

1220, go ahead and connect the inputs and outputs

the way you want them. If you just want to get sound

through the mixer, follow these steps:

Plug a microphone or other signal source into

channel 1’s MIC or LINE input.

2. Plug in the detachable linecord, connect it to an AC

outlet, and turn on the Onyx 1220’s POWER switch.

3. Connect cords from the Onyx 1220’s MAIN OUTS

(XLR connectors on the rear panel and 1/4” TRS

connectors on the front panel) to your ampliﬁ er.

4. Hook up speakers to the amp and turn it on. If the

ampliﬁ er has level controls, set them however the

manufacturer recommends (usually all the way up).

Set the Levels

To set the channel GAIN controls, it’s not even neces-

sary to hear what you’re doing at the outputs of the

mixer. If you want to listen while you work, plug head-

phones into the PHONES jack on the front panel, then

set the PHONES knob about one-quarter of the way up.

The following steps must be performed one channel at

a time.

1. Push in the channel’s SOLO switch.

2. Play something into the selected input. This could

be an instrument, a singing or speaking voice, or

a line input such as a CD player or tape recorder

output. Be sure that the volume of the input source

is the same as it would be during normal use. If it

isn’t, you might have to readjust these levels during

the middle of the set.

3. Adjust the channel’s GAIN control so that the LEDs

on the RIGHT meter stay around “0” and never go

higher than “+7.”

4. If you’d like to apply some EQ, do so now and return

to step 3. Remember to push in the EQ IN/OUT but-

ton or the EQ controls won’t do anything.

5. Disengage that channel’s SOLO switch.

6. Repeat for each channel.

Instant Mixing

1. Leave the microphone plugged into channel 1 and

connect a keyboard, guitar or other instrument to

channel 2. Be sure to “Set the Level” for channel 2

as described above.

2. To get sound out of the speakers, turn up channel 1

and 2 faders to the “U” mark and slowly turn up the

MAIN MIX fader to a comfortable listening level.

3. Sing and play. You’re a star! Adjust the faders for

channels 1 and 2 to bring your voice and your

instrument up and down to create your own mix.

Other Nuggets of Wisdom

• For optimum sonic performance, the channel and

MAIN MIX faders should be set near the “U” (unity

gain) markings.

• Always turn the MAIN MIX fader and CONTROL

ROOM knob down before making connections to

and from your Onyx 1220.

• When you shut down your equipment, turn off the

ampliﬁ ers ﬁ rst. When powering up, turn on the

ampliﬁ ers last.

• Never listen to loud music for prolonged periods.

Please see the Safety Instructions on page 2 for

information on hearing protection.

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

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

That’s it for the “Getting Started” section. Next comes

the “Hookup” section that shows you some typical ways

that you might use the Onyx 1220 in real applications.

After that, you can take the grand tour of the mixer,

with descriptions of every knob, button, input, and

output. We encourage you to take the time to read all of

the feature descriptions, but at least you know it’s there

if you have any questions.

ONYX 1220

Hookup Diagrams

FIREWIRE

(OPTION)

Stereo Power

Amplifier

Out

(play)

(record)

Stereo Compressor

Mono Compressor

Multi Effect

Processor

Mono Power

Amplifier

Stage Monitor

Left PA Speaker

Right PA Speaker

Stereo EQ

Mono EQ

Headphones

Keyboard or other

line level input

Stereo Guitar Effects

Drum

Machine

Bass Guitar Electric Guitar

Electric Guitar

Vocal Mics

Digital Multitrack Recorder

Com

uter

CHANNEL INSERTSAUX RETURNS

ALT 3/4

OUT

PHONES

OUT

INPUTS

MONO

AUX

SEND

CHANNEL

IN-TAPE-OUT

MAIN

OUT

CNTRL ROOM

OUTPUTS

MAIN

OUT

RECORDING OUT

5-12

RECORDING OUT

1-4

Out

Onyx 1220 Live Mix and Multitrack Recording

This hookup diagram demonstrates how

you can do a live multitrack recording

using the RECORDING OUTs or the op-

tional FireWire card.

The RECORDING OUTs provide an

analog balanced direct output for each

channel, and the FireWire card provides

a digital direct output for each channel.

Owner’s Manual

Onyx 1220 Multitrack Recording in a Studio (Tracking)

Powered

Studio Monitors

Keyboard or other

line level input

Stereo Guitar Effects

Out

(play)

(record)

Drum

Machine

Stereo Compressor

Mono Compressor

Bass Guitar Electric Guitar

Electric Guitar

Vocal Mics

Multi Effect

Processor

Digital Delay

Powered

Studio Monitors

for Studio

Digital Multitrack Recorder

Headphone Distribution

Amp

Headphones

for Studio

CHANNEL INSERTSAUX RETURNS

ALT 3-4

OUT

PHONES

OUT

INPUTS

MONO

AUX

SEND

CHANNEL

IN-TAPE-OUT

MAIN

OUT

CONTROL RM

OUTPUTS

MAIN

OUT

RECORDING OUT

5-12

RECORDING OUT

1-4

Out

The RECORDING OUTs provide an analog bal-

anced direct output for each channel, tapped af-

ter the GAIN control but before the EQ controls.

ONYX 1220

Onyx 1220 Computer Recording

Powered

Studio Monitors

for Control Room

Keyboard or other

line level input

Stereo Guitar Effects

Drum

Machine

Stereo Compressor

Mono Compressor

Bass Guitar Electric Guitar

Electric Guitar

Vocal Mics

Multi Effect

Processor

Headphones

Digital Delay

Sound Card

Powered

Studio Monitors

for Studio

LINE

OUTS

MIC

CHANNEL INSERTSAUX RETURNS

ALT 3-4

OUT

PHONES

OUT

INPUTS

MONO

AUX

SEND

CHANNEL

IN-TAPE-OUT

MAIN

OUT

CONTROL RM

OUTPUTS

MAIN

OUT

RECORDING OUT

5-12

RECORDING OUT

1-4

Out

In this hookup diagram, the tracking channels have

the MUTE/ALT 3-4 button pushed in. This routes their

signals to the ALT 3-4 OUT and on to the Sound Card

or other analog audio interface to your DAW.

IMPORTANT: The playback channels (channels 11-12

in this case) should have their MUTE/ALT 3-4 buttons

out or you will get feedback. Ouch!

Owner’s Manual

Onyx 1220 Recording with FireWire to a Laptop

Powered

Studio Monitors

for Control Room

Keyboard or other

line level input

Stereo Guitar Effects

Drum

Mics

Submixer

for Drums

Stereo Compressor

Mono Compressor

Bass Guitar Electric Guitar

Electric Guitar

Vocal Mics

Multi Effect

Processor

Headphones

Digital Delay

Powered

Studio Monitors

for Studio

1202-VLZPRO

Laptop Computer

(record)

CHANNEL INSERTSAUX RETURNS

ALT 3-4

OUT

PHONES

OUT

INPUTS

MONO

AUX

SEND

CHANNEL

IN-TAPE-OUT

MAIN

OUT

CONTROL RM

OUTPUTS

MAIN

OUT

RECORDING OUT

5-12

FIREWIRE

(OPTION)

RECORDING OUT

1-4

Out

The optional FireWire card provides a digital direct output for each channel,

tapped after the GAIN control but before the EQ controls, as well as the L-R Mix.

Two tracks can be returned to the Onyx from the computer for playback monitor-

ing in the Control Room Outputs, or mixdown to two tracks at the TAPE OUT.

ONYX 1220

Onyx 1220 Features

Channel Strips

There are two kinds of channel strips on the Onyx 1220:

Mono and Stereo. The mono channel strips (channels

1-4) have mic and line input connectors. In addition,

channels 1 and 2 have high-impedance instrument

inputs so you can connect a guitar directly to the mixer.

The stereo channel strips (channels 5-12), have two

line input connectors per channel strip, left and right.

The stereo path is maintained throughout the channel

strip, sharing the channel’s controls (the controls work

on both left and right signals at the same time).

1. MIC Input (Channels 1-4)

This is a female XLR connector, which

accepts a balanced microphone input

from almost any type of microphone. The

microphone preamps feature our new

Onyx design, with higher ﬁ delity and

headroom rivaling any standalone mic

preamp on the market today.

The XLR inputs are wired as follows:

Pin 1 = Shield or ground

Pin 2 = Positive (+ or hot)

Pin 3 = Negative (– or cold)

2. HI-Z Instrument Input

(Channels 1-2)

This is a 1/4" connector, which accepts

an unbalanced instrument-level input

signal from a high-impedance instrument

like a guitar.

3. LINE Input (Channels 3-12)

This is a 1/4

TRS connector, which ac-

cepts a balanced or unbalanced line-level

input signal from almost any source.

When connecting a balanced signal to

the LINE inputs, wire them as follows:

Tip = Positive (+ or hot)

Ring = Negative (– or cold)

Sleeve = Shield or ground

When connecting an unbalanced

signal, wire them as follows:

Tip = Positive (+ or hot)

Sleeve = Shield or ground

Note: For the stereo channels 5-12, if a signal is

plugged into the LEFT (MONO) side and nothing is

plugged into the RIGHT side, the signal is automatically

connected to both LEFT and RIGHT sides. This is called

jack normalling. As soon as something is plugged into

the RIGHT side, the normalled connection is broken

and the LEFT and RIGHT inputs become stereo inputs

(LEFT goes to the LEFT MAIN OUT and RIGHT goes to

the RIGHT MAIN OUT).

4. MIC/HI-Z Switch

Channels 1 and 2 have an extra button for switching

between the MIC and HI-Z inputs. When the button

is out (MIC), the XLR MIC input is used and the HI-Z

input is disconnected. When the button is pushed

in (HI-Z), the 1/4" HI-Z input is used and the XLR

MIC input

is disconnected. The input stage of the HI-Z

inputs is specially designed for the high-impedance

pickups on guitars.

Plugging a guitar into a lower-impedance

line input (like those on channels

3-16)

can result in the loss of high

frequencies, causing an unnatural and

dull sound.

Normally, you must use

a direct box between a guitar and a

mixer’s input, which serves to convert the impedance of

the guitar from high to low. The HI-Z inputs on chan-

nels 1 and 2 make the need for a direct box unnecessary.

HOWEVER: The HI-Z inputs are unbalanced, so if you’re

doing a live show and running a long cord between the

instrument and the mixer (say over 25 or 30 feet), it is

best to use a direct box with a balanced output to avoid

picking up noise over the length of the cord.

5. Low-Cut Switch (Channels 1-4)

The Low-Cut switch, often referred to as a high-pass

ﬁ lter, cuts bass frequencies below 75 Hz at a rate of 18 dB

per octave.

We recommend that

you use the Low-Cut ﬁ lter

on every microphone

application except kick

drum, bass guitar, bassy

synth patches, or record-

ings of earthquakes.

These aside, there isn’t

much down there that

you want to hear, and ﬁ ltering it out makes the low stuff

you do want much more crisp and tasty. Not only that,

but the Low-Cut ﬁ lter can help reduce the possibility of

feedback in live situations and it helps to conserve the

ampliﬁ er power.

100

10k

20k

–15

–10

–5

+10

+15

Low Cut

Mono Channel

ALT 3/4

GAIN

+40dB

-20dB

HIGH

12kHz

MID

+15

LOW

80Hz

FREQ

8k100

AUX

MAX

OUT

PAN

MIC

MUTE

48V

+ 22 hidden pages