Mackie 1402VLZ4 Owner's Manual

1402VLZ4

Typically, the engineer sends the main mix to an

audience (if live) or a mixdown deck (if recording). But
what if the engineer in the control room needs to hear
something other than the main mix? With the 1402VLZ4,
the engineer has several choices of what to listen to.
This is one of those tricky parts, so brace yourself.

Via these source switches, you can choose to listen  

to any combination of main mix, alt 3-4 and tape.  
By now, you probably know what the main mix is.  
Alt 3-4 is that additional stereo mix bus. Tape is the
stereo signal coming in from the tape input [9] jacks.

Selections made in the source matrix deliver stereo

signals to the control room, phones and meter display.
With no switches engaged, there will be no signal at
these outputs and no meter indication.

The exception is the solo function. Regardless of the

source selection, engaging a channel’s solo [24] switch
will replace that selection with the solo signal, also sent
to the control room, phones and meter. This is what
makes the level-setting procedure so easy to do.

WARNING: Engaging both the tape and  
assign to main mix buttons can create a
feedback path between tape input and tape

output. Make sure your tape deck is not in record,
record-pause, or input-monitor mode when you engage
these switches, or make sure the control room / submix
[34] fader is fully counterclockwise (off).

Now you know how to select the signals to send to the

engineer’s control room or phones. From there, these
signals all pass through the same level control:

This fader controls the levels of both the control room

outputs and phones outputs. The fader ranges from
off through unity gain at the “U”, to 10 dB of extra gain
(when turned fully clockwise).

When main mix is your control room source selection,

those signals will now pass through two level controls
on the way to your control room amp and phones — the
main mix [32] faders and this control room / submix
fader. This way, you can send a nice healthy level to the
main output (main mix fader at “U”), and a quiet level
to the control room or phones (control room / submix
fader wherever you like it).

When alt 3-4 or tape is selected, or solo is engaged,

this fader will be the only one controlling these levels
(channel controls not withstanding).

These faders control the levels of signals sent to the

main outputs: XLR [13] and 1⁄4" [11] and tape [10].
All channels and stereo returns that are not muted or
turned fully down will wind up in the main mix.

Fully counterclockwise is off and fully clockwise

provides 10 dB of additional gain. This additional gain
will typically never be needed, but once again, it’s nice
to know it’s there. This is the fader to move down at the
end of the song when you want The Great Fade-Out.