S500 TWO-WAY SOUND
REINFORCEMENT SPEAKER
USER’S MANUAL
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.
Lend Me Your Ears
Exposure to extremely
high noise levels may
cause permanent hear-
ing loss. Individuals vary
considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, but nearly everyone will
lose some hearing if exposed to sufficiently
intense noise for a period of time. The U.S.
Government’s Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) has specified the permissible noise level exposures
shown in this chart.
6. Damage Requiring Service — This Mackie product should be
serviced only by qualified service personnel when:
A. Objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into this
Mackie product; or
B. This Mackie product has been exposed to rain; or
C. This Mackie product does not appear to operate
normally or exhibits a marked change in performance;
or
D. This Mackie product has been dropped, or its chassis
damaged.
7. 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.
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 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.
The S500 can
produce a maximum SPL of
127 dB @ 1m
Duration Per Day Sound Level dBA, Typical
In Hours Slow Response Example
8 90 Duo in small club
692
4 95 Subway Train
397
2 100 Very loud classical music
1.5 102
1 105 Patrice screaming at Ron about deadlines
0.5 110
0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for choosing Mackie Designs’
sound reinforcement speakers.
The S500 is a high-efficiency, extremeoutput, 2-way, wide-dispersion sound
reinforcement speaker system. The combination of precision-manufactured, highefficiency acoustic components and highquality, low-impedance, phase-precise
crossover technology allows the S500 to
operate continuously at peak output levels
safely while providing high-resolution audio.
The components inside the S500 incorporate several state-of-the-art advancements
in transducer technology, which have been
in development at Mackie for over two
years. The compression driver is a new
1.75-inch titanium diaphragm design featuring a 3-slot, low-distortion geometry
Part No. 33963280 Rev. C 3/03
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©2003 Mackie Designs Inc. All Rights Reserved.
16220 Wood-Red Rd. NE • Woodinville, WA 98072 • 800/898-3211
Outside the US: 425/487-4333 • Fax: 425/487-4337 • www.mackie.com
phase plug. The result is frequency response
linearity and extension never before available for a product in this class. The S500 also
features a low-distortion, high-output horn
design developed to provide the correct
power response and phase alignment characteristics at the crossover frequency. With
the resulting 75º x 65º dispersion pattern,
the S500 provides very open, natural sound
reproduction at extreme output levels.
The S500 produces deep bass through a
15-inch high-efficiency RCF® precision
woofer. The magnetic structure designed
for the woofer motor is responsible for the
system’s resulting high sensitivity of 100 dB
(1 watt@1 meter). More importantly, the
high-efficiency motor provides an extraordinary amount of force that provides complete
control of the cone mass. This type of control
allows the woofer to deliver extended bass
response and to reach the mid-frequency
crossover point efficiently.
The S500 frequency response is linear
between 75 Hz and 20 kHz. Protection for
the high-frequency driver is provided via an
integrated MOSFET circuit that actively
monitors and controls the power delivered
to the compression driver. There is also a
circuit breaker button on the rear control
panel designed to protect the woofer from
excessive power. The breaker “sees” the
amplifier signal being delivered to the
woofer and opens when the combination of
amperage and voltage exceeds the maximum rated power levels. The breaker
switch can be reset by pressing the button.
The rear control panel features both a
1/4˝ speaker jack and a Neutrik® Speakon®
connector, wired in parallel. The S500 cabinet is constructed using both multi-layered
plywood and pressure-injected structural
resin. The top and bottom sections both
have handles for easy movement and relocation. There is an integrated pole-mount
on the bottom of the enclosure. In addition,
there are two, three-part cast-aluminum
handles on each side of the enclosure as
well as a full size, oval-punched, weatherresistant steel grille.
CONNECTIONS
The S500 has a 1/4˝ TS jack and a
Neutrik Speakon™ connector, wired in parallel. Use high-quality speaker cable as
recommended by the amplifier manufacturer.
The 1/4˝ TS jack uses the following
wiring standard:
Tip = Signal (+)
Sleeve = Ground (Shield)
SLEEVE
TIP
1/4” TS Connector
TIPSLEEVE
TIP (HOT)
SLEEVE
(SHIELD)
SERVICE INFORMATION
Warranty Service
If you think your loudspeaker has a
problem, please do everything you can to
confirm it before calling for service.
Repair
Service for the S500 is available only
from one of our authorized domestic service stations or at the factory service center
located in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
The Speakon connector uses the follow-
ing wiring standard:
Pin 1+ = Signal (+)
Pin 1– = Ground (–)
1–
1+
COLD
1–
1+
2+
Neutrik Connector
HOT
2–
Service outside the United States can be obtained through local dealers or distributors.
If your S500 needs service, please follow
these instructions:
1. Call Tech Support at 1-800-258-6883,
8 am to 5 pm PST, to explain the problem
in detail. They will ask you all sorts of
impertinent questions in the hope of
sorting out the problem. If it appears
that the S500 needs repair, request an
RA (Return Authorization) number.
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Have your loudspeaker’s serial number
ready. You must have an RA number
before you can obtain service at the
factory or an authorized service center.
2. Keep this owner’s manual. We don’t
need it to repair the loudspeaker.
3. Pack the loudspeaker in its original
package, including protective wrap,
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.
4. 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.
5. Write the RA number in
BIG PRINT
on top of the box.
6. Ship the loudspeaker to us. We suggest
insurance for all forms of cartage. Ship
to this address:
Mackie Designs
SERVICE DEPARTMENT
Building #11
One Main Street
Whitinsville, MA 01588
7. We’ll try to fix the loudspeaker within
three to five business days. Ask Tech
Support for the latest turnaround times
when you call for your RA number.
The product MUST be packaged in its
original packing box and have the RMA
number appear on the box. Once it is
repaired, we’l ship it back the same way
in which it was received. This paragraph does not necessarily apply to
non-warranty service.
SPECIFICATIONS
Transducer Specifications
Low-Frequency Transducer
Diameter 15˝ (381 mm)
Voice Coil Diameter 2.5˝ (64 mm)
High-Frequency Driver and Horn
Diaphragm Diameter 1.75˝ (44 mm)
Voice Coil Diameter 1.75˝ (44 mm)
Diaphragm Material Titanium
Power Handling 30 watts RMS (long term)
Horn Type Constant Directivity
Mouth Size 10.6˝ (269 mm) W x
10.6˝ (269 mm) H
Throat Size 1.0˝ (25 mm)
System Specifications
Frequency Range (–10 dB) 50 Hz–22 kHz
Frequency Response (–3 dB) 75 Hz–20 kHz
Horizontal Coverage (–6 dB) 75º averaged
1 kHz–10 kHz
Vertical Coverage (–6 dB) 65º averaged
1 kHz–10 kHz
Directivity Factor; DI (Q) 10.93 (12.38) averaged
2 kHz–10 kHz
Sensitivity (1W@1m) 100 dB
Rated Maximum SPL@1m 124 dB long term
127 dB peak
Crossover Point 1300 Hz
Nominal System Impedance 8 ohms
Power Handling 250 watts RMS
Safety Features
High Frequency: Monitoring and limiting of
continuous input power via MOSFET-based
electronic circuit
Low Frequency: Monitoring of amplifier signal
delivered to woofer via current breaker switch.
Overpowering of woofer opens circuit and
requires resetting by pressing the circuit
breaker button.
Physical Properties
Height 32.1˝ (817 mm)
Front Width 19.1˝ (484 mm)
Rear Width 13.9˝ (353 mm)
Depth 18.1˝ (460 mm)
Net Weight 75 lbs. (34 kg)
Connector Type 1/4˝ TS jack and Neutrik Speakon
Enclosure Geometry
Trapezoidal, 10º side angles, 18 mm
multi-layered plywood, top and bottom
high pressure resin injected “caps”
Handles One on top, one on bottom cap, two
three-piece handles on each side
Color Black, PVC coated finish
Grille Custom perforated oval steel grille with
anti-corrosive treatment
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” and the “Running Man” figure 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.
©2003 Mackie Designs Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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