Mackie 1402-VLZ3 User Manual

Owner’

s Manual

Whatever your selection, you can also use the control 

room outputs for other applications. Its sound quality is 
just as impeccable as the main outputs. It can be used 
as additional main mix output, which may sound silly 
since there are already three, but this one has its own 
level control. However, should you do something like 
this, be sure that you do not engage a SOLO switch, as 
that will  interrupt your SOURCE selection.

Engaging a channel’s SOLO [24] switch will cause 

this dramatic turn of events: Any existing SOURCE [33] 
matrix selections will be replaced by the SOLO signal, 
appearing at the control room outputs, phones outputs, 
and meter. The  audible SOLO levels are then controlled 
by the CONTROL ROOM / SUBMIX [34] fader. The 
SOLO levels appearing on the right meter display are 
not controlled by anything — you wouldn’t want that. 
You want to see the actual channel level on the meter 
display  regardless of how loud you’re listening.

With this SOLO MODE switch in the up position, 

you're in AFL mode, meaning After-Fader-Listen. You'll 
hear the output of the soloed channel and it will follow 
the GAIN, EQ, FADER and PAN settings. It's similar to 
muting all the other channels, but without the hassle. 
Use AFL mode during mixdown.

With the SOLO MODE switch in the down position, 

you're in PFL mode, meaning Pre-Fader-Listen (post 
EQ). This is required for the Level Setting Procedure, 
and is handy for quick spot-checks of channels, espe-
cially ones that have their faders turned down.

In either mode, SOLO will not be affected by a 

channel's MUTE/ALT [25] switch position.

This fl ashing Light Emitting Diode serves two pur-

poses — to remind you that at least one channel is 
in SOLO, and to let you know that you’re mixing on a 
Mackie. No other company is so concerned about your 
level of SOLO awareness. If you work on a mixer that 
has a solo function with no indicator lights, and you 
happen to forget you’re in solo, you can easily be tricked 
into thinking that something is wrong with your mixer. 
Hence the RUDE SOLO LIGHT. It’s especially handy at 
about 3 a.m. when no sound is coming out of your moni-
tors but your multitrack is playing back like mad.

Let’s say you’re doing a live show. Intermission is near-

ing and you’ll want to play a soothing CD for the crowd 
to prevent them from becoming antsy. Then you think, 
“But I have the CD player plugged into the TAPE  inputs, 
and that never gets to the main outputs!” Oh, but it 
does. Simply engage this switch and your SOURCE [33] 
matrix selection,   after going through the CONTROL 
ROOM / SUBMIX [34] fader, will feed into the main mix, 
just as if it were  another stereo channel.

Another handy use for this switch is to enable the ALT 

3-4 mix to become a submix of the main mix, using the 
CONTROL ROOM/SUBMIX fader as its level control.

Side effects: (1) Engaging this switch will also feed 

any soloed channels into the main mix, which may be 
the last thing you want. (2) If you have MAIN MIX as 
your SOURCE matrix selection and then engage ASSIGN 
TO MAIN MIX [37], the main mix lines to the SOURCE 
matrix will be interrupted to prevent feedback. Then 
again, why on earth would anyone want to  assign the 
main mix to the main mix?

The 1402-VLZ3’s peak metering system is made up of 

two columns of twelve LEDs. Deceptively simple, consid-
ering the multitude of signals that can be monitored by 
it.

If nothing is selected in the SOURCE [33]  matrix and 

no channels are in SOLO [24], the meters will just sit 
there and do nothing. To put them to work, you must 
make a selection in the SOURCE matrix (or engage a 
SOLO switch).

Why? You want the meter display to refl ect what the 

engineer is listening to, and as we’ve covered, the engi-
neer is listening either to the control room outputs or 
the phones outputs. The only difference is that while the 
listening levels are controlled by the CONTROL ROOM 
/ SUBMIX [34] fader, the meters read the SOURCE mix 
before that control, giving you the real facts at all times, 
even if you’re not listening at all. 

Thanks to the 1402-VLZ3’s wide dynamic range, 

you can get a good mix with peaks fl ashing anywhere 
between –20 and +10 dB on the meters. Most ampli-
fi ers clip at about +10 dB, and some recorders aren’t so 
forgiving either. For best real-world results, try to keep 
your peaks between “0” and “+7”. 

You may already be an  expert at the world of “+4” (+4 

dBu=1.23 V) and “–10” (–10 dBV=0.32 V) operating 
levels. Basically, what makes a mixer one or the other 
is the relative 0 dB VU (or 0 VU) chosen for the meters. 
A “+4” mixer, with a +4 dBu signal pouring out the back 
will actually read 0 VU on its meters. A “–10” mixer, 
with a –10 dBV signal trickling out, will read 0 VU on its 
meters. So when is 0 VU actually 0 dBu? Right now!