Mackie 1402-VLZ3 User Manual

Owner’

s Manual

Mackie mixers use 3-pin female “XLR” connectors on 

all microphone inputs, 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” (“cold” or negative polarity) side of 
the signal. See Figure A. This is all totally aboveboard 
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.

“TRS” stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, the three 

 connections available on a “stereo” 

1

⁄

4

" or  “balanced” 

phone jack or plug. See Figure B.

TRS jacks and plugs are used in several   different ap-

plications:

• 

Stereo Headphones, and rarely, stereo micro-
phones 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). Mackie mixers do not 
directly accept 1-plug-type stereo micro phones. 
They must be separated into a left cord and a 
right cord, which are plugged into the two mic 
preamps.

 

You can cook up your own adapter for a stereo 
microphone adapter. “Y” two cables out of a 
female 1⁄4" TRS jack to two male XLR plugs, 
one for the Right signal and one for the Left.

• 

Balanced mono circuits. When wired as a bal-
anced connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug is con-
nected tip to signal high (hot), ring to signal 
low (cold), and sleeve to ground (earth).

• 

Unbalanced Send/Return circuits. When wired 
as send/return “Y” connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack 
or plug is connected tip to signal send (output 
from mixer), ring to signal return (input back 
into mixer), and sleeve to ground (earth).

“TS” stands for Tip-Sleeve, the two connections avail-

able on a “mono” 1⁄4" phone jack or plug. See 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 

connections

Switches can be incorporated into 1⁄4" phone jacks, 

which are activated by inserting the plug. These switch-
es may open an insert loop in a  circuit, change the input 
routing of the signal or serve other functions. Mackie 
uses switches in the channel insert and bus  insert jacks, 
input jacks and AUX returns. We also use these switches 
to ground the line-level inputs when nothing is plugged 
into them.

In most cases, the plug must be inserted fully to 

activate the switch. Mackie takes  advantage of this in 
some circuits, specifying circumstances where you are 
to insert the plug only partially. See Special Mackie 
 Connections, on the next page.