Mackie lm3204 User Manual

Yes, we know that it’s slightly larger than

the suitcase you’re living out of, but you will
need the entire carton and internal foam if
your mixer ever needs service at some time in
the future.

If your kids make the box into a gerbil pal-

ace and cut holes in it — or if you stuff it in
the dumpster of the fast-food place next door
to your studio, we may have to sell and ship
you another packing box later on.

Don’t end up buying an empty box!

Mackie mixing systems are notoriously bul-

let-proof and reliable. But, hey...stuff happens.
Any electronic product with as many parts as
a 40-input audio mixer can occasionally have
a minor casualty somewhere inside.

And even if we could build our products to

never break, there are those acts of nature
that tend to visit mixing boards on occasion:
spilled coffee, toppling monitors, lizard infes-
tations, etc. This section covers how to get
your Mackie LM-3204 mixer healthy again.

It benefits everyone if you do a bit of basic

troubleshooting in advance of panicking and
sending the unit back. Some low-key de-
tective work will determine whether or not
your mixer is really malfunctioning. First, it
saves you downtime and embarrassment if,
for example, you discover that the only thing
wrong is an unplugged power cord. Second,
it will save money. If you ship your mixer to
Mackie and we can’t duplicate the problem,
you may get slapped with a service charge
(plus shipping costs).

We could write a whole manual on trouble-

shooting, but our main point is that there are
a few obvious things you can easily look for:

Power connections. This sounds insult-
ingly simple, but if the whole mixer is
completely dead, it’s time to make sure
that: the power cable is connected into a
live source of power, the mixer is turned
on, the fuse is OK, etc.

Intermittent signal problems. Faulty plugs
and cables are often the culprits. A TRS plug
can sit in a socket for months doing its job
and then suddenly decide (based on the
phase of the moon and barometric pressure)

to short or stop conducting. If you’re having
trouble with an individual channel, send or
return, for gosh sakes swap cables before
sending the mixer in for service.

Check patching and switch positions.
The LM-3204 is not a Boeing 777 (the Glass
Cockpit pride of the Northwest) but it is
possible to have a switch in the wrong
position and not notice it. How about the
Tape Monitor switch? Or, have you plugged
something into a channel or bus Insert jack?

Finally, it doesn’t hurt to call our
Product Support Department at
800/258.6883 (8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Pacific Time) to see if they have any
ideas as to what might be wrong.

Service and repairs of Mackie LM-3204

mixers are to be performed only at our high-
tech, rainforest factory.

1. Call Mackie Customer Service at

800/258-6883 (Monday through Friday 8:00
AM–5:00 PM Pacific Time) to get a Return
Authorization Number (RA number).

2. Pack the LM-3204 mixer in its original

shipping carton. If you do not have the
carton, request one when you get your RA
number, and we’ll send a shipping carton
out promptly. There may be a charge,
however—we put those huge “SAVE THE
BOX” warnings in this manual for a reason.

Make sure that you encase the mixer in its
plastic wrapper and insert all the foam
blocks to properly protect the mixer.

3. When packing the mixer, include:

A. a note explaining exactly how to
duplicate the problem.

B. a copy of the sales receipt showing price
and date. If we cannot duplicate the problem
at the Mackie factory or establish the starting
date of your Limited Warranty, we may, at our
option, charge for service time.

C. your complete return street address (no
P.O. boxes or route numbers, please!) and
DAYTIME phone number.