Mackie 1202VLZ4 User Manual To The 5fb12854 092f 4c56 8ba1 4a2a20ed88e7

Mackie 1202VLZ4 Owner's Manual 1202vlz4_om Mackie - 1202VLZ4 - Owner's Manual

User Manual: Mackie 1202VLZ4 to the manual

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1202VLZ4
OWNER’S MANUAL
12-Channel Compact Mixer
POWER ON PHANTOM ON
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE
REPLACE WITH CORRECT TYPE FUSE. REMOVE
POWER CORD BEFORE CHANGING VOLTAGE.
100VAC 120VAC 240VAC
MIC
+4 4 3
4 / R 3 / L
CHANNEL INSERT
BAL / UNBAL
R L
CONTROL
ROOM
BAL / UNBAL
ALT
OUT
2 1
PRE-FADER / PRE EQ TIP SEND / RING RETURN
100-120V: 500mA/250 V SLO-BLO
220-240V: 250mA/250 V SLO-BLO
REPLACE WITH THE SAME TYPE FUSE AND RATING.
DISCONNECT SUPPLY CORD BEFORE CHANGING FUSE
UTILISE UN FUSIBLE DE RECHANGE DE MÊME TYPE.
DEBRANCHER AVANT DE REMPLACER LE FUSIBLE
MAIN
OUT LEVEL
MAIN
RIGHT
BALANCED
MAIN
LEFT
BALANCED
REVISION
SERIAL NUMBER
WARNING:
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR
MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
AVIS:
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE — NE PAS OUVRIR
THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE FCC RULES FOR THE U.S. AND THE ICES-003 FOR CANADA.
OPERATION IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TWO CONDITIONS: (1) THIS DEVICE MAY NOT CAUSE HARMFUL
INTERFERENCE, AND (2) THIS DEVICE MUST ACCEPT ANY INTERFERENCE RECEIVED, INCLUDING INTERFERENCE
THAT MAY CAUSE UNDESIRED OPERATION.
2
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Important Safety Instructions
1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with a dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type
plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other.
A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the
provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10.
Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at
plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the
apparatus.
11.
Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12.
Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with
the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution
when moving the cart/apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
13.
Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.
14.
Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-
supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have
fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
15.
This apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing, and no
object filled with liquids, such as vases or beer glasses, shall be placed
on the apparatus.
16.
Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a
risk of fire or electric shock.
17.
This apparatus has been designed with Class-I construction and must
be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing
connection (the third grounding prong).
18.
This apparatus has been equipped with a rocker-style AC mains power
switch. This switch is located on the rear panel and should remain
readily accessible to the user.
19.
The MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is used as the disconnect
device, so the disconnect device shall remain readily operable.
PORTABLE CART
WARNING
CAUTION AVIS
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE. NE PAS OUVRIR
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE.
AUCUN ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L'USAGER.
CONFIER L'ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.
AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D'INCENDIE OU D'ELECTROCUTION, N'EXPOSEZ PA S CET ARTICLE
A LA PLUIE OU A L'HUMIDITE
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous
voltage" within the product's enclosure, that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
Le symbole éclair avec point de flèche à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral
est utilisé pour alerter l'utilisateur de la présence à l'intérieur du coffret de
"voltage dangereux" non isolé d'ampleur suffisante pour constituer un risque
d'éléctrocution.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the
user of the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
Le point d'exclamation à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral est employé
pour alerter les utilisateurs de la présence d'instructions importantes pour le
fonctionnement et l'entretien (service) dans le livret d'instruction
accompagnant l'appareil.
20. NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur
in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorientorrelocatethereceivingantenna.
• Increasetheseparationbetweentheequipmentandthe
receiver.
• Connecttheequipmentintoanoutletonacircuitdifferentfrom
that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consultthedealeroranexperiencedradio/TVtechnicianfor
help.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications to this device not expressly
approved by LOUD Technologies Inc. could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment under FCC rules.
21.
This apparatus does not exceed the Class A/Class B (whichever is
applicable)
limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as
set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian Department
of Communications.
ATTENTIONLe présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits
radioélectriques dépassant las limites applicables aux appareils
numériques de class A/de class B (selon le cas) prescrites dans le
réglement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par les ministere des
communications du Canada.
22.
Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing
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 the following chart.
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 high
sound pressure levels use hearing protectors while the equipment
is in operation. Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or over the
ears must be worn when operating the equipment in order to prevent
permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth
here:
Duration,
per day in
hours
Sound Level
dBA, Slow
Response
Typical Example
8 90 Duo in small club
6 92
4 95 Subway Train
3 97
2 100 Veryloudclassicalmusic
1.5 102
1 105 Matt screaming at Troy about
deadlines
0.5 110
0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert
WARNING — To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not
expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.
Correct disposal of this product. This symbol indicates that this product should not be disposed of with your household waste, according to the WEEE Directive (2012/19/EU) and your national law. This product
should be handed over to an authorized collection site for recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Improper handling of this type of waste could have a possible negative impact on the environment and
human health due to potentially hazardous substances that are generally associated with EEE. At the same time, your cooperation in the correct disposal of this product will contribute to the effective usage of natural
resources. For more information about where you can drop off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact your local city office, waste authority, or your household waste disposal service.
3
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Part No. SW0970 Rev. B 08/14
©2014 LOUD Technologies Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Contents
CHANNEL STRIP DESCRIPTION ............................... 13
“U” LIKE UNITY GAIN ............................. 13
23. LEVEL .................................................... 13
24. PRE-FADER SOLO ................................... 13
25. MUTE/ALT 3–4 ...................................... 13
26. PAN....................................................... 14
CONSTANT LOUDNESS ! ! ! ...................... 14
3-BAND EQ ............................................ 14
27. LOW EQ ................................................. 14
28. MID EQ .................................................. 14
29. HI EQ ..................................................... 15
MODERATION DURING EQ ...................... 15
30. AUX 2 SEND .......................................... 15
31. AUX 1 SEND .......................................... 15
OUTPUT SECTION .................................................. 16
32. MAIN MIX ............................................. 16
33. CONTROL ROOM SOURCE MATRIX .......... 16
34. CONTROL ROOM/SUBMIX ..................... 16
A WORD ABOUT PRE-FADER SOLO (PFL) 17
35. RUDE SOLO LIGHT .................................. 17
36. ASSIGN TO MAIN MIX ............................ 17
37. METERS – MANY DISPLAYS IN ONE! ....... 17
38. PRE OR POST (AUX 1) ........................... 18
39. AUX 1 MASTER ...................................... 18
40. STEREO RETURNS ................................... 18
41. RETURN TO AUX 1 ................................. 19
JACK NORMALLING ................................ 19
APPENDIX A: SERVICE INFORMATION .................... 20
APPENDIX B: CONNECTIONS.................................. 20
APPENDIX C: TECHNICAL INFORMATION ................ 24
SPECIFICATIONS ............................................. 24
BLOCK DIAGRAM ............................................ 25
TRACK SHEET.................................................. 26
1202VLZ4 LIMITED WARRANTY ............................ 27
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ........................ 2
CONTENTS .............................................................. 3
FEATURES ............................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 4
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL .................................... 4
GETTING STARTED ................................................... 5
HOOKUP DIAGRAMS............................................... 6
PATCHBAY DESCRIPTION ......................................... 8
1. MIC INS (CHANNELS 1–4) ........................ 8
2. LINE INS (CHANNELS 1–4) ........................ 8
3. LOW CUT (CHANNELS 1–4) ....................... 9
4. GAIN (CHANNELS 1–4) ............................ 9
5. STEREO LINE INS ...................................... 9
6. IMAGINARY CONTROL ............................ 9
EFFECTS: SERIAL OR PARALLEL? ................ 9
7. STEREO RETURNS ................................... 10
8. AUX SEND 1&2 ...................................... 10
9. TAPE IN ................................................. 10
10. TAPE OUT .............................................. 10
11. 1/4" MAIN OUTS ................................... 10
12. PHONES ................................................ 11
13. XLR MAIN OUTS ................................... 11
14. XLR MAIN OUT LEVEL SWITCH ................ 11
15. CONTROL ROOM OUTS ........................... 11
16. ALT 3–4 OUTS ........................................ 11
17. CHANNEL INSERT (CHANNELS 1–4 ) ........ 11
18. POWER CONNECTION ............................. 12
19. FUSE ...................................................... 12
20. VOLTAGE SELECTOR ................................ 12
21. POWER SWITCH ..................................... 12
22. PHANTOM SWITCH ................................ 12
Please write your serial number here for future
reference (i.e., insurance claims, tech support,
return authorization, make dad proud, etc.)
Purchased at:
Date of purchase:
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4
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Features
• 12-channelmixerfeaturingoursignature
high-headroom,low-noisedesign
• 4boutique-qualityOnyxmicpreamps
•Ultra-wide60dBgainrange
•128.5dBdynamicrange
•+22dBulineinputhandling
•Extendedfrequencyresponse
•Distortionunder0.0007%(20Hz-50kHz)
• ImprovedRFrejection,perfectforbroadcast
applications
• Phantompowerforcondensermics
• 12high-headroomlineinputs
• 3-bandEQ(80Hz,2.5kHz,12kHz)
• 18dB/oct75Hzlow-cutlteronmicinput
channels
• Auxsend,level,panandPFLsolooneach
channel
• StereoreturnforconnectingFXprocessor
orotherstereosource
• ALT3/4stereobusforaddedroutingexibility
• Controlroom/phonessourcematrix
• High-resolution12-segmentstereometers
• Sealedrotarycontrolresistdustandgrime
• “Built-Like-A-Tank”ruggedsteelchassiswith
powder-coatnish
• High-visibility,high-contrastcontrolsdeliver
convenient“at-a-glance”visualfeedback
• Rack-mountabledesignusinganoptionalrack
earkit
• Multi-voltagepowersupplyforworldwideuse
Introduction
The12-channel1202VLZ4deliverstheoutstanding
qualityofouragshipOnyxpreampsinacompactmixer
designwiththehigh-headroom/low-noiseperformance
yourprofessionalapplicationdemands.
Fromeveryinputtoeveryoutput,youcancounton
theindustry-provenperformanceyouexpectfroma
VLZmixer.Plus,itistruly“Built-Like-A-Tank”witha
ridiculouslyruggedsolid-steelchasisplushigh-contrast
controlsforultimatetactilecontrol.
Andwithfeatureslikeadedicatedcontrolroom
section,the1202VLZ4offersatruestepupinexibility
andperformancethat'sidealforyourprofessional
application.
How To Use This Manual
Aftertheintroduction,agettingstartedguidewill
helpyougetthingssetupfast.Thesearefollowedby
hookupdiagramswhichshowsometypicalsetups.
Nextisadetailedtouroftheentiremixer.
Thedescriptionsaredividedintosections,just
asyourmixerisorganizedintodistinctzones:
• Patchbay
• ChannelStrip
• OutputSection
Throughoutthesesectionsyou’llndillustrations
witheachfeaturenumberedanddescribedinnearby
paragraphs.
Thisiconmarksinformationthatiscritically
importantoruniquetothemixer.Foryourown
good,readthemandrememberthem.
Thisiconwillleadyoutosomeexplanations
offeaturesandpracticaltips.Theyusually
havesomevaluablenuggetsofinformation.
Need help with your mixer?
Visit www.720trees.com and click Support to find: FAQs, manuals and other useful information.
Email us at: techmail@loudtechinc.com.
Telephone 1-800-898-3211 to speak with one of our splendid technical support chaps
(Monday through Friday, normal business hours, Pacific Time).
5
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Getting Started
Werealizethatyoumustbereallykeentotryout
themixer.Pleasereadthesafetyinstructionsonpage
2,thenhavealookthroughsomeofthefeaturesand
detailsinthismanual.
Setup
Usethemixerinanicecleananddryenvironment,
freefromdryerlintanddustbunnies.
Zero the controls
1. Fullyturndownalltheknobstominimum,
exceptforthechannelEQandpancontrols,
whichshouldbecentered.
2. Makesureallbuttonsareintheoutposition.
Connections
1. MakesuretheACpowerswitchisoffbefore
makinganyconnections.
WARNING:BeforepluggingtheACpower
cordintothemixer,makesuretheVOLTAGE
SELECTORswitchissettothesamevoltage
asthelocalACmainssupply(seepage12).
2. PushthelinecordsecurelyintotheIEC
connectorontherearpanel,andplugitintoa
3-prongACoutlet.Themixermayaccept
any
ACvoltagerangingfrom100VACto240VAC.
3. Plugabalancedmicrophoneintooneofthemic
XLR(3-pin)connectors.Orconnectany 
line-levelsignal(keyboard,orguitarpreamp)
toalineinputjackusingaTSoraTRS 
1/4"plug.
4. Ifyourmicrophonerequiresphantompower,
turnonthe48Vphantompowerbutton.
5. Allmonochannelshaveinsertjacksthatcanbe
usedtoconnectanexternaleffectsordynamics
processorintothesignalchain.
6. Connectthemainoutputsofthemixer(either
XLRorTRS1/4")tothelinelevelinputsofyour
amplier(withspeakersalreadyattached)or
tothelinelevelinputsofpoweredspeakers.
Set the levels
It’snotevennecessarytohearwhatyou’redoingto
setoptimallevels.Butifyou’dliketo:Plugheadphones
intothephonesoutputjack,thenturnupthephones
knobjustalittle.
1. Turnonthemixerbypressingthetopedgeof
thepowerswitch.
2. Foronechannel,pressthesoloswitchin,and
therudesololightwillturnon.
3. Playsomethingintothatinputatreal-world
levels.
4. Adjustthatchannel'sgaincontroluntilthe
rightmainmeterstaysaroundthe0dBLED
(marked“levelset”)andnevergoeshigher
than“+7.”
5. Disengagethechannel'ssoloswitch.
6. Repeatsteps2to5fortheremainingchannels.
7. Turnupthechannellevelknobtothe“U”mark.
8. Slowlyturnupthemainmixknobuntilyou
hearthesignalsintheheadphones.
9. Ifneeded,applysomechannelEQwisely.
10.Adjustthechannellevelstogetthebestmix.
Keepthegaincontrolsandlevelsfullydownon
unusedchannels.
11.Duringtheperformance,ifyounoticeachannel
OLLEDturningonduringpeaks,carefullyturn
downthatchannel'sgaincontroluntilOLdoes
notturnon.
Things to Remember
• Neverlistentoloudmusicforprolonged
periods.PleaseseetheSafetyInstructionson
page2forinformationonhearingprotection.
• Alwaysturndownthephoneslevelwhen
makingconnections,pressingsolo,ordoing
anythingthatmaycauseloudnessinthe
headphones.Thiswillhelpprotectyour
hearing.
• Alwaysturndownthemainmixleveland
controlroom/submixlevelswhenmaking
connections
tothemixer.Betteryet,turnoffthepower.
• Whenshuttingdown,turnoffanypower
ampliersorpoweredspeakersrst.When
poweringup,turnthemonlast.Thiswill
reducethechanceofturn-onorturn-off
thumps.
• Savetheshippingbox!
6
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Hookup Diagrams
Condenser
microphones
Direct
Boxes
MR8mk3
studio monitors
Headphones
Headphone amp
Electronic Drum Kit
Stereo
Guitar
Effects
Synth
Stereo Compressor
Mono Compressor
Multi Effects Processor
Digital Delay
Laptop
Recording System
This diagram shows microphones connected to the mic inputs of channels 1 and 2, and a vocal
compressor connected to the channel 1 insert jack. Bass and electric guitars are attached to channels
3 and 4 via DI boxes with a stereo compressor on the insert. The lead guitar plays through a stereo
effects processor plugged into channels 5 and 6. An electronic drum kit is connected to channels 7
and 8, while a synth is connected to the line inputs of channels 9 and 10.
The audio outputs from a laptop computer are connected to the RCA tape inputs. This allows you to
playback your recordings made using the DAW of your choice. The Alt 3-4 outputs are used to feed the
inputs to your computer's sound card. By pressing a mute/alt 3-4 switch, it is easy to set up a channel to
record onto your computer.
A headphone amplifier is connected to the headphones output, and feeds four pairs of headphones
while a pair of MR8mk3 powered studio monitors are connected to the control room outputs.
You can use this setup to record overdub style:
1. For the track being recorded, route it to the alt 3-4 output, which feeds the computer input.
2. Monitor just the previously-recorded tracks through the tape input, which will feed the control
room/phones.
3. Since only the currently-recorded track is feeding the computer (through alt 3-4), you will hear the
previous tracks you are overdubbing to, but they will not be recorded to each new track.
4. The control room/phones is fed by a mixture of alt 3-4 (currently recorded track) and tape in
(output of your DAW playing back previously-recorded tracks).
7
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Condenser
microphones
Direct
Boxes
DLM12S subwoofers
Headphones
Electronic Drum Kit
Stereo
Guitar
Effects
Synth
Stereo Compressor
Mono Compressor
Multi Effects Processor
Mono Power Amplifier
Stereo
EQ
Mono EQ
DLM8 Stage Monitors
iPodTM
Docking Station
DLM8 loudspeakers
Live Stereo PA System
This diagram shows microphones connected to the mic inputs of channels 1 and 2, and a vocal
compressor connected to the channel 1 insert jack. Bass and electric guitars are attached to channels
3 and 4 via DI boxes with a stereo compressor on the insert. The lead guitar plays through a stereo
effects processor plugged into channels 5 and 6. An electronic drum kit is connected to channels 7
and 8, while a synth is connected to the line inputs of channels 9 and 10. An iPodTM docking station
is connected to the tape RCA inputs, so you can play pre-recorded music during the breaks.
A multi-effects processor is connected to aux send 1, with the aux send set to post-level. Effects are
added to the main mix via the stereo return inputs, and adjusted with the stereo return level control.
To use the aux send for stage monitors instead of an effects processor, set the aux to pre-level so the
monitor volume level can be adjusted independently from the main loudspeakers. This setup may easily
be configured to become a mono PA setup: (A) Stereo sources should feed the left mono side of the
channel input only, (B) pan each channel hard left, (C) connect the mono PA system to the left main out.
The main mix output connects to a stereo graphic EQ before connecting to a pair of DLM12S powered
subwoofers which are connected to a pair of DLM8 powered loudspeakers to please your audience.
8
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Patchbay Description
1
2
3
4
5
Attheriskofstatingtheobvious,thisiswhereyou
plugeverythingin:microphones,line-levelinstruments
andeffects,headphones,andtheultimatedestination
foryoursound:PAsystem,DAW,etc.
SeeAppendixBforfurtherdetailsanddrawingsof
theconnectorsyoucanusewiththe1202VLZ4.Alsosee
thechannelstripdescriptiononpage13fordetailsof
thesignalroutingfromtheXLRandlineinputs.
1. Mic Ins (Channels 1–4)
ThisisafemaleXLRconnectorthatacceptsa
balancedmicorlinelevelinputfromalmostanytype
ofsource.TheseOnyxmicpreampsfeaturehigher
delityandheadroomrivalinganystandalonemic
preamponthemarkettoday.Thesecircuitsare
excellentatrejectinghumandnoise.
TheXLRinputsarewiredasfollows:
 Pin1=Shieldorground
 Pin2=Positive(+orhot)
 Pin3=Negative(–orcold)
Professionalribbon,dynamic,andcondensermicsall
soundexcellentthroughtheseinputs.Themic/line
inputswillhandleanykindoflevelyoucantossat
them,withoutoverloading.
Microphone-levelsignalsarepassedthroughthe
mixer'ssplendidmicrophonepreamplierstobecome
line-levelsignals.
Noteveryinstrumentismadetoconnectdirectly
toamixer.GuitarscommonlyneedaDirectInjection
(DI)boxtoconnecttothemixer'smicinputs.These
boxesconvertunbalancedline-levelsignalsfromyour
guitar,intobalancedmic-leveloutputs,andprovide
signalandimpedancematching.Theyalsoletyousend
yourgiftedguitarrenditionsoverlongcablesoraudio
snakes,withminimuminterferenceandhigh-frequency
signalloss.Askyourdealerorguitarmakerabouttheir
recommendationsforagoodDIbox.
Phantom Power
Mostmodernprofessionalcondensermicsare
equippedforphantompower,whichletsthemixer
sendlow-currentDCvoltagetothemic’selectronics
throughthesamewiresthatcarryaudio.(Semi-pro
condensermicsoftenhavebatteriestoaccomplishthe
samething.)“Phantom”owesitsnametoanabilityto
be“unseen”bydynamicmics(ShureSM57/SM58,for
instance),whichdon’tneedexternalpowerandaren’t
affectedbyitanyway.
The1202VLZ4’sphantompowerisgloballycontrolled
bythephantom[22]switchontherearpanel.(This
meansthephantompowerforchannels1-4isturnedon
andofftogether.)
Neverplugsingle-ended(unbalanced)
microphonesorinstrumentsintothemic[1]
inputjacksifthephantompowerison.
Donotpluginstrumentoutputsintothemic
inputjackswithphantompoweron,unless
youknowforcertainitissafetodoso.
2. Line Ins (Channels 1–4)
Thesefourline-inputssharecircuitry(butnot
phantompower)withthemicpreamps,andcanbe
drivenbybalancedorunbalancedsourcesatalmost
anylevel.
Toconnectbalancedlinestotheseinputs,usea1⁄4"
Tip-Ring-Sleeve(TRS)plug,wiredasfollows:
 Tip=Positive(+orhot)
 Ring=Negative(–orcold)
 Sleeve=Shieldorground
Toconnectunbalancedlinestotheseinputs,usea
1⁄4"mono(TS)phoneplug,wiredasfollows:
 Tip=Positive(+orhot)
 Sleeve=Shieldorground
Thelineininputs1–4areagoodplacetoconnect
olderinstrumentsthatneedmoregain.Youcancorrect
weaklevelsbyadjustingthecorrespondingchannel’s
gain control.
9
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
5. Stereo Line Ins
(Channels 5–6, 7–8, 9–10 And 11–12)
Thesefullybalancedinputsaredesignedforstereo
ormono,balancedorunbalancedsignals,from–10dBV
to+4dBu.Theycanbeusedwithjustaboutany
professionalorsemi-proinstrument,effectorCDplayer.
Inthestereoaudioworld,anodd-numbered
channelusuallyreceivesthe“leftsignal.”Forexample,
youwouldfeedthe1202VLZ4’slineinputs5-6astereo
signalbyinsertingthedevice’sleftoutputpluginto
thechannel5jack,anditsrightoutputplugintothe
channel6jack.
Whenconnectingamonodevice(justonecord),
alwaysusetheleft(mono)input(jacks5,7,9or11)
andplugnothingintotherightinput(jacks6,8,10or
12)—thiswaythesignalwillappearonbothsides.This
trickiscalled“jacknormalling.”
6. Imaginary Control
Thiscontrolispurelyagmentofourimagination.It
willcomeinhandyafterlonghoursofmixing,whenyou
reallywouldlikeanicecupoftea,avacationinHawaii,
oratriptotheouterreachesoftheSolarSystem.Thisis
thecontrolforyou.Bethankfulyouboughta1202VLZ4.
Weloveyou,man!
Effects: Serial Or Parallel?
Thenexttwosectionstosstheterms“serial”and
“parallel”aroundlikehackysacks.Here’swhatwemean
bythem:
“Serial”meansthattheentiresignalisroutedthrough
theeffectsdevice.Examples:compressor/limiters,
graphicequalizers.Line-levelsourcescanbepatched
throughaserialeffectsdevicebeforeorafterthemixer,
orpreferablythroughtheinsertjackslocatedonthe
rearpanel(channelinsert[17]send/return).
“Parallel”meansthataportionofthesignalinthe
mixeristappedofftothedevice(auxsend),processed
andreturnedtothemixer(stereoreturn)tobemixed
withtheoriginal“dry”signal.Thisway,multiple
channelscanallmakeuseofthesameeffectsdevice.
Examples:reverb,digitaldelay.
Dry Signal Processed
Signal
Insert
Send Insert
Return
Dry Signal(s) Dry Signal(s)
Aux
Send Aux
Return
Wet Signal
Channel Path
Mix
Stage
Output
Section
Processed
Signal
Signal Processor
(e.g., Compressor)
Signal Processor
(e.g., Reverb)
Dry Signal Processed
Signal
Insert
Send Insert
Return
Dry Signal(s) Dry Signal(s)
Aux
Send Aux
Return
Wet Signal
Channel Path
Mix
Stage
Output
Section
Processed
Signal
Signal Processor
(e.g., Compressor)
Signal Processor
(e.g., Reverb)
3. Low Cut (Channels 1–4)
Eachlowcutswitch,oftenreferredtoasahighpass
lter(alldependsonhowyoulookatit),cutsbass
frequenciesbelow75Hzatarateof18dBperoctave.
Werecommendthatyouuselow-cutonevery
microphoneapplicationexceptkickdrum,bassguitar,
orbassysynthpatches.Theseaside,thereisn’tmuch
downtherethatyouwanttohear,andlteringitout
makesthelowstuffyoudowantmuchmorecrispand
tasty.Notonlythat,butlow-cutcanhelpreducethe
possibilityoffeedbackinlivesituations,andithelps
toconserveamplierpower.
Anotherwaytoconsiderlow-cut’sfunction
isthatitactuallyaddsexibilityduringlive
performances.Withtheadditionoflow-cut,
youcansafelyuselowequalizationonvocals.
Manytimes,bassshelvingEQcanreallybenet
voices.Troubleis,addinglowEQalsoboostsstage
rumble,michandlingclunksandbreathpops.
Applyinglow-cutremovesallthoseproblems,so
youcanaddlowEQwithoutblowingyoursubwoofers.
Here’swhatthecombinationoflowEQandlow-cut
lookslikeintermsoffrequencycurves:
4. Gain (Channels 1–4)
Ifyouhaven’talready,pleasereadthelevel-setting
procedureonpage5.
Gainadjuststheinputsensitivityof
themicandlineinputsconnected
tochannels1through4.Thisallows
signalsfromtheoutsideworldtobe
adjustedtooptimalinternaloperating
levels.
IfthesignaloriginatesthroughtheXLRjack,there
willbe0dBofgainwiththeknobfullydown,rampingto
60dBofgainfullyup.
Throughthe1⁄4"input,thereis20dBofattenuation
fullydownand40dBofgainfullyup,witha“U”(unity
gain)markat10:00.This20dBofattenuationcanbe
veryhandywhenyouareinsertingaveryhotsignal,or
whenyouwanttoaddalotofEQgain,orboth.Without
this“virtualpad,”thisscenariomightleadtochannel
clipping.
Low Cut with Low EQ
20
Hz
100
Hz
1k
Hz
10k
Hz
20k
Hz
–15
–10
–5
0
+5
+10
+15
Low Cut
10
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
7. Stereo Returns
Thisiswheretoconnecttheoutputsofparallel
effectsdevices(orextraaudiosources).These
balancedinputsaresimilartothestereolinein[2]
inputs(withoutEQ,auxsends,pan,mute,andsolo).
Thecircuitswillhandlestereoormono,balancedor
unbalancedsignals,eitherinstrumentlevel,–10dBV
or+4dBu.Theycanbeusedwithjustaboutanypro
orsemiproeffectsdeviceonthemarket.Thesignals
comingintotheseinputscanbeadjustedusingthe
stereoreturn[40]knobsbeforepassingontothe
mainmixbus,seepage19.
Onedevice:ifyouhavejustoneparalleleffectsdevice
(twocords),usestereoreturn1andleavestereoreturn
2unplugged.thatway,theunusedstereoreturn2level
controlcanbeusedtofeedstereoreturn1toyourstage
monitors,viathereturntoaux1[41]switch.
Monodevice:ifyouhaveaneffectsdevicewitha
monooutput(onecord),plugthatintostereoreturn1,
l/mono,andleavestereoreturn1,right,unplugged.
Thiswaythesignalwillbesenttobothsides,magically
appearinginthecenterasamonosignal.Thiswon’t
workwithstereoreturn2—you’llneedaY-cord.
8. Aux Send 1&2
Theauxsend[31]knobstapaportionofeach
channel'ssignaltoprovideanoutputheretofeed
externalparalleleffectsprocessorsorstagemonitoring.
Seetheauxsenddetailsonpage15.
These1⁄4"jacksarebalancedoutputscapable
ofdelivering22dBuintoa600ohmbalancedor
unbalancedload.
9. Tape In
TheseRCAjacksaredesignedtoworkwithsemipro
aswellasprorecorders.Tocompensatefortypically
lowlevels,signalscominginherewillbeautomatically
boostedby6dB.
Connectyourtaperecorder’soutputshere,using
standardhi-(RCA)cables.
Usethesejacksforconvenienttapeplaybackofyour
mixes.You’llbeabletoreviewamixandthenrewind
andtryanotherpasswithoutrepatchingordisturbing
themixerlevels.Youcanalsousethesejackswith
aportableCDplayertofeedmusictoaPAsystem
betweensets.
WARNING:Engagingboththetapeandassign
tomainmixbuttonsinthecontrolroom
source[33]matrix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]levelknob
isfullycounterclockwise(off).
10. Tape Out
TheseunbalancedRCAconnectionstapthemain
mixoutputtomakesimultaneousrecordingandPA
workmoreconvenient.Connectthesetoyourrecorder’s
inputs.(Seealsomainmix[32]onpage16.)
Monoout:Ifyouwanttofeedamonosignaltoyour
tapedeckorotherdevice,simplyuseanRCAY-cordto
combinetheseoutputs.Donotattemptthiswithany
otheroutputsonthe1202VLZ4.
11. 1/4" Main Outs
The1/4"TRSoutputconnectorsprovidebalancedor
unbalancedline-levelsignals.Connectthesetothenext
deviceinthesignalchainlikeanexternalprocessor
(compressor/limiter),ordirectlytotheinputsofthe
mainamplier.Thesearethesamesignalthatappears
attheXLRmainoutputs[13],but6dBlowerwhenthe
XLRisusedbalanced.
Toconnectbalancedlinestotheseinputs,usea1⁄4"
Tip-Ring-Sleeve(TRS)plug,wiredasfollows:
 Tip=Positive(+orhot)
 Ring=Negative(–orcold)
 Sleeve=Shieldorground
Toconnectunbalancedlinestotheseinputs,usea
1⁄4"mono(TS)phoneplug,wiredasfollows:
 Tip=Positive(+orhot)
 Sleeve=Shieldorground
789 10 11
12
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Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Thesebalancedoutputsarecapableofdelivering22
dBuintoa600ohmbalancedorunbalancedload.
16. Alt 3–4 Outs
These1⁄4"outputsarethesumofanychannelsthat
havethemute/alt3-4[25]switchpressedin(seepage
13forthetenderdetails).
Thesebalancedoutputsarecapableofdelivering
22dBuintoabalancedorunbalancedload.
17. Channel Insert (Channels 1–4)
Theserear-paneljacksarewhereyouconnectserial
effectssuchascompressors,equalizers,de-essers,
orlters.Sincemostpeopledon’thavemorethana
fewofthesegadgets,we’veincludedinsertsforjust
therstfourchannels.Ifyouwanttousethiskind
ofprocessingonchannels5through12,simplypatch
throughtheprocessorbeforeyoupluginto
the1202VLZ4.
Thechannelinsertpointsareafterthegain[4]
andlowcut[3]controls,butbeforethechannel’s
EQ[27]andlevel[23]controls.Thesend(tip)is
low-impedance(120ohms),capableofdrivingany
line-leveldevice.Thereturn(ring)ishigh-impedance
(over2.5kohms)andcanbedrivenbyalmostany
device.
SeeAppendixBfordetailsanddrawingsaboutinsert
cables,andadiagramshowingthreewaystousethe
jacks.
Besidesbeingusedforinsertingexternaldevices,
thesejackscanalsobeusedaschanneldirectoutputs;
post-gain,post-lowcut,andpreEQ.Infact,ourOnyx
micpreampshavebecomesofamous,thatpeoplebuy
thesemixersjusttohavefouroftheseintheirarsenal.
tip
This plug connects to one of the
mixer’s Channel Insert jacks. ring
tip ring
sleeve
SEND to processor
RETURN from processor
(TRS plug)
12. Headphones Out
Thisstereojackwilldriveanystandardheadphone
toveryloudlevels.Tolearnhowsignalsarerouted
totheseoutputs,seesourcematrix[33]onpage16.
Ifyou’rewiringyourowncableforthephonesoutput,
followstandardconventions:
 Tip=Leftchannel
Ring = Right channel
 Sleeve=Commonground
WARNING:Whenwesaytheheadphone
ampisloud,we’renotkidding.Itcancause
permanenteardamage.Evenintermediate
levelsmaybepainfullyloudwithsomeearphones.
BE CAREFUL! Alwaysturnthectlroom/submix[34]
knoballthewaydownbeforeconnectingheadphones.
Keepitdownuntilyou’veputthephoneson.Thenturn
itupslowly.Why?“Engineerswhofrytheirearsnd
themselveswithshortcareers.”
13. XLR Main Outs
Usethesetosendthemainmixoutintotheline-level
balancedinputsofyouramplierorpoweredspeakers.
Theselow-impedanceoutputsarefullybalanced
andcapableofdriving+4dBulineswithupto28dB
ofheadroom.Thisoutputis6dBhotterthanother
outputs.
14. XLR Main Out Level Switch
Engagingthisswitchreducesthelevelofthe
balancedXLRmainoutputsby40dB,soyoucan
feedthemicrophoneinputof,say,anothermixer.
(YoucansafelyconnecttheXLRoutputsintoan
inputthatprovides48Vphantompower.)
15. Control Room Outs
These1⁄4"outputsareprovidedsoyoucanlisten
tosomethingotherthanthemainmix.Thesource
isselectedusingthesourcematrix[33]switches
(seepage16).Youcanchoosetolistentothemainmix,
thealt3-4stereobus(seemute/alt3-4onpage13),
soloedchannels,orthetapeinput.Thevolumeis
adjustablewiththecontrolroom/submix[34]knob.
13
14 15 16 17
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1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
18. Power Connection
Justincaseyoulosethecordprovidedwiththe
1202VLZ4,itspowerjackacceptsastandard3-prong
IECcordlikethosefoundonmostprofessional
recorders,musicalinstruments,andcomputers.
WARNING:BeforepluggingtheACpower
cordintothe1202VLZ4,makesurethat
thevoltageselector[20]slideswitchis
settothesamevoltageasthelocalACmainssupply.
WARNING:Disconnectingtheplug’sground
pincanbedangerous.Don’tdoit.
19. Fuse
The1202VLZ4isfusedforyour(anditsown)
protection.Ifyoususpectablownfuse,disconnect
theACmainspowercord,pullthefusedrawerout
(locatedjustbelowthecordreceptacle)andreplace
thefusewitha500mA(0.5amps)SLOBLO5x20mm,
availableatelectronicsstoresoryourdealer.Usea
250mAfuseifthelocalvoltageis220-240VAC.
Iftwofusesblowinarow,somethingisverywrong.
Pleasecallourtoll-freenumber1-800-898-3211from
withintheU.S.(orthedistributorinyourcountry)and
ndoutwhattodo.
20. Voltage Selector
WARNING:BeforepluggingtheACpower
cordintothe1202VLZ4,makesurethatthe
voltageselector[20]slideswitchissettothe
samevoltageasthelocalACmainssupply.Onlyslide
thevoltageswitchwiththepowercordunplugged.
Useaatheadedscrewdrivertoslidetheswitch
ifneeded.Theswitchallowsyoutousethemixer
indifferentcountriesandvoltages,meetinteresting
peoplefromothercultures,andentertainthemwith
youruniqueblendofRockabillyFunkadeliaThrash
Metal.
21. Power Switch
Pressthetopofthisrockerswitchinwardstoturnon
themixer.ThepowerLEDonthetopsurfaceofthemix-
erwillglowwithhappiness,oratleastitwillifyouhave
themixerpluggedintoasuitableliveACmainssupply.
Pressthebottomofthisswitchtoputthemixerinto
standbymode.Itwillnotfunction,butthecircuitsare
stilllive.ToremoveACpower,eitherturnofftheACmains
supply,orunplugthepowercordfromthemixerandthe
ACmainssupply.
Asageneralguide,youshouldturnthemixeronrst,
beforethepoweramplierorpoweredspeakers,and
turnitofflast.Thiswillreducethepossibilitiesofany
turn-on,orturn-offthumpsinyourspeakers.
22. Phantom Switch
Thisglobalrockerswitchcontrolsthephantompower
supplyforcondensermicrophonespluggedintochannel
mic[1]inputs(seepage8).
Pressthetopoftheswitchinwardstoengage
phantompowertothefourmicinputs.Pressthe
bottomoftheswitchtoturnitoff.
Whenturnedon(oroff),thephantompower
circuitrytakesafewmomentsforvoltagetoramp
up(ordown).Thisisperfectlynormal.Justlikeme.
Oh,andmyimaginaryfriendLazlowhohelpsmewrite
allthemanuals.SayhellotothenicefolksLazlo.
18
19
21 22
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Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Channel Strip Description
checkoutwhataparticularchannelisuptoanytime
duringasession.Youcansoloasmanychannelsat
atimeasyoulike.
Soloisalsothekeyplayerinthelevel-setting
procedureonpage5.
Soloedchannelsaresenttothesourcemix,which
ultimatelyfeedsyourcontrolroom,phonesandmeter
display.Wheneversoloisengaged,allsourceselections
(mainmix,alt3-4andtape)aredefeated,toallowthe
soloedsignaltodojustthat—solo!
WARNING: Pre-fadersolotapsthe
channelsignalbeforethelevelknob.
Ifyouhaveachannel’slevelknobsetbelow
“U”(unitygain),solowon’tknowthatandwillsend
aunitygainsignaltothecontrolroom,phonesand
meterdisplay.Thatmayresultinastartlinglevelboost
attheseoutputs.
25. Mute/Alt 3–4
Thedual-purposemute/alt3–4busisoursignature.
WhenGregwasdesigningourrstproduct,hehadto
includeamuteswitchforeachchannel.Muteswitches
dojustwhattheysoundliketheydo.Theyturnoffthe
signalby“routing”itintooblivion.“Gee,whatawaste,”
Gregreasoned.“Whynothavethemutebuttonroutethe
signalsomewhereelseuseful…likeaseparatestereo
bus?”Somute/alt3–4reallyservestwofunctions—
muting(oftenusedduringamixdownorliveshow),and
signalrouting(formultitrackandlivework)whereit
actsasanextrastereobus.
Tousethisasamuteswitch,allyouhavetodois
notusethealt3–4[16]outputs.Then,wheneveryou
pressthisswitch,youwillassignachanneltothese
unusedoutputs,disconnectingitfromthemainmix,
andeffectivelymutingthechannel.
Tousethisasanalt3–4switch,allyouhavetodois
connectthealt3–4outputstowhateverdestinationyou
desire.Herearetwopopularexamples:
Whendoingmultitrackrecording,usethealt3–4
outputstofeedyourmultitrack.Withmostdecks,you
can"mult"thealt3–4[16]outputs,usingY-cordsor
mults,tofeedmultipletracks.So,takealtoutputLand
sendittotracks1,3,5and7,andaltoutputRandsend
ittotracks2,4,6and8.Now,tracksthatareinrecord
orinputmodeswillhearthealt3–4signals,andtracks
inplaybackorsafemodeswillignorethem.
Whendoinglivesoundormixdown,it’softenhandy
tocontrolthelevelofseveralchannelswithoneknob.
That’scalledsubgrouping.Simplyassignthesechannels
tothealt3–4mix,engagealt3–4inthesource[33]
matrix,andthesignalswillappearatthecontrolroom
Theeightchannelstripslookalike,andfunction
identically.Theonlydifferenceisthatthefouronthe
leftareforindividualmicsormonoinstrumentsand
havemoregainavailable,whilethenextfourarefor
eitherstereoormonoline-levelsources.(Eachofthe
stereochannelstripsisactuallytwocompletecircuits.
Thecontrolsarelinkedtogethertopreservestereo.)
We’llstartatthebottomandworkourwayup…
“U” Like Unity Gain
VLZ4mixershavea“U”symbolonalmosteverylevel
control.This“U”standsfor“unitygain,”meaningno
changeinsignallevel.Onceyouhaveadjustedtheinput
signaltoline-level,youcanseteverycontrolat“U”and
yoursignalswilltravelthroughthemixeratoptimal
levels.What’smore,allthelabelsonourlevelcontrols
aremeasuredindecibels(dB),soyou’llknowwhat
you’redoinglevel-wiseifyouchoosetochangea
control’ssettings.
Youwon’thavetocheckit
hereandcheckitthere,asyou
wouldwithsomeothermixers.
Infact,somedon’tevenhaveany
referencetoactualdBlevels
atall!Youweresmart—you're
usinga1202VLZ4.
23. Level
Thisadjuststhechannel’s
level…fromoff,tounitygain
atthedetent,onupto12dB
ofadditionalgain.
Thelevelknobisthe
equivalentofachannelfader,
sosometimeswelapseandsay
thewordfader.
Channels1through4usemono
controls,andchannels5through
12usestereocontrols,andso
theymayfeelslightlydifferent.
Notaproblem.
24. Pre-Fader Solo
Thislovableswitchallows
youtohearsignalsthrough
yourheadphonesorcontrol
roomwithouthavingtoroute
themtothemainmixoralt3-4
mix.Youdon’tevenhavetohave
thechannel’slevel[23]knob
turnedup.Folksusesoloinliveworktopreview
channelsbeforetheyareletintothemix,ortojust
23
24
25
14
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
[15]andphones[12]outputs.Ifyouwantthealt3–4
signalstogobackintothemainmix,engagetheassign
tomainmix[36]switch,andthecontrolroom/submix
[34]levelcontrolbecomestheoneknobtocontrolthe
levelsofallthechannelsassignedtoalt3–4.
Anotherwaytodothesamethingisassignthe
channelstothealt3–4mix,thenpatchoutofthe
alt3–4output[16]backintoanunusedstereochannel
lineinput[2].Ifthat’syourchoice,don’teverengage
themute/alt3–4switchonthatstereochannel,oryou’ll
haveeverydogintheneighborhoodhowlingatyour
feedbackloop.
Anotherbenetofthealt3–4featureisthatitcan
actasa“SIP”(Solo-In-Place):justengageachannel's
mute/alt3–4switchandthealt3–4switchinthesource
matrixandyou’llgetthatchannel,allbyitself,inthe
controlroomandphones.
Mute/alt3–4isoneofthosecontrolsthatcan
bewildernewcomers,sotakeyourtimeandplay
aroundwithit.Onceyou’vegotitdown,you’ll
probablythinkofahundredusesforit!
26. Pan
Panadjuststheamountof
channelsignalsenttotheleft
versustherightoutputs.On
monochannels(ch.1–4or5–12
withconnectionstotheLinput
only)thesecontrolsactaspan
pots.Onstereochannels(5–12)
withstereoconnectionstoLand
Rinputs,thepanknobworkslike
thebalancecontrolonyourhome
stereo.
Pandeterminesthefateof
themainmixandalt3–4mix.
Withthepanknobhardleft,
thesignalwillfeedeithermain
outL(bus1)oraltoutputL
(bus3),dependingonthe
positionofthealt3–4switch.
Withtheknobhardright,the
signalfeedsmainoutR(bus2)
oraltoutputR(bus4).
26
27
29
28
30
31
Constant Loudness ! ! !
The1202VLZ4’spancontrolsemployadesigncalled
“ConstantLoudness.”Ithasnothingtodowithliving
nexttoanall-nightdisco.Asyouturnthepan[26]knob
fromlefttoright(therebycausingthesoundtomove
fromthelefttothecentertotheright),thesoundwill
appeartoremainatthesamevolume(orloudness).
Ifyouhaveachannelpannedhardleft(orright)and
reading0dB,itmustdipdownabout4dBontheleft
(orright)whenpannedcenter.Todootherwise(the
wayBrandXcompactmixersdo)wouldmakethesound
appearmuchlouderwhenpannedcenter.
3-Band EQ
The1202VLZ4has3-bandequalizationatcarefully
selectedpoints—lowshelvingat80Hz,midpeaking
at2.5kHz,andhishelvingat12kHz.“Shelving”means
thatthecircuitryboostsorcutsallfrequenciespastthe
speciedfrequency.Forexample,rotatingthelowEQ
knob15dBtotherightboostsbassstartingat80Hzand
continuingdowntothelowestnoteyouneverheard.
“Peaking”meansthatcertainfrequenciesforma“hill”
aroundthecenterfrequency—2.5kHzinthecaseof
themidEQ.
27. Low EQ
Thiscontrolgivesyou
upto15dBboostorcut
below80Hz.Thecircuitis
at(noboostorcut)atthe
centerdetentposition.This
frequencyrepresentsthe
punchinbassdrums,bass
guitar,fatsynthpatches,
andsomereallyserious
malesingers.
Usedinconjunctionwith
thelowcut[3]switch,
youcanboostthelowEQ
withoutinjectingatonof
subsonicdebrisintothe
mix.
28. Mid EQ
Shortfor“midrange,”
thisknobprovides15dB
ofboostorcut,centered
at2.5kHz,alsoatatthe
centerdetent.Midrange
EQisoftenthoughtofas
themostdynamic,because
thefrequenciesthatdene
anyparticularsoundarealmostalwaysfoundinthis
range.YoucancreatemanyinterestingandusefulEQ
changesbyturningthisknobdownaswellasup.
20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz
–15
–10
–5
0
+5
+10
+15
20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz
–15
–10
–5
0
+5
+10
+15
Low EQ with Low Cut
Low EQ
20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz
–15
–10
–5
0
+5
+10
+15
Mid EQ
15
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
29. Hi EQ
Thiscontrolgivesyouup
to15dBboostorcutabove
12kHz,anditisalsoat
at the detent. Use it to
addsizzletocymbals,
andanoverallsenseof
transparency,oredgeto
keyboards,vocals,guitar
andbaconfrying.Turnit
downalittletoreducesibilance,ortohidetapehiss.
Moderation During EQ
WithEQ,youcanalsoscrewthingsuproyally.
We’vedesignedalotofboostandcutintoeach
equalizercircuit,becauseweknoweveryonewill
occasionallyneedthat.ButifyoumaxtheEQson
everychannel,you’llgetmixmush.Equalizesubtly
andusetheleftsidesoftheknobs(cut),aswellas
theright(boost).Veryfewgold-record-albumengineers
everusemorethanabout3dBofEQ.Ifyouneedmore
thanthat,there’susuallyabetterwaytogetit,suchas
placingamicdifferently(orusingadifferentkindof
micentirely).
30. Aux 2 Send
31. Aux 1 Send
Theseknobsallowyoutotapaportionofeach
channelsignalouttoanothersourceforparallel
effectsprocessingorstagemonitoring.Auxsend
levelsarecontrolledbytheseknobsandbythe
aux1master[39].
Thesearemorethanjusteffectsandmonitorsends.
Theycanbeusedtogenerateseparatemixesfor
recordingor“mix-minuses”forbroadcast.Byusing
aux1inthepremode,thesemixlevelscanbeobtained
independentlyofthechannel’slevelcontrol.
Aux1inpostmodeandaux2arepost-lowcut,
post-EQandpost-level.Thatis,thesendsobeythe
settingsofthesecontrols.Aux1inpremodefollows
theEQandlowcutsettingsonly.Panandlevelhave
noeffectonthepresend(seediagrambelow).
20
Hz
100
Hz
1k
Hz
10k
Hz
20k
Hz
–15
–10
–5
0
+5
+10
+15
High EQ
GAIN INSERTLO CUT EQ
LEVEL PAN MAIN / ALT
AUX 2 KNOB
"POST" SIGNAL
"PRE" SIGNAL
AUX 1 KNOB
"POST" SIGNAL OBEYS
MUTE STATUS
INPUT
AUX SEND 1 PRE/POST SWITCH
(IN MASTER SECTION)
TO AUX SEND 2 LEVEL
TO AUX SEND 1 LEVEL
Eachauxsendlevelrangesfromoffthroughunity
(thecenterdetentposition)onupto15dBofextragain
(whenturnedfullyclockwise).Chancesareyou’llnever
needthisextragain,butit’snicetoknowit’sthereif
youdo.
Channel5–12auxknobscontrolthemonosumofthe
channel’sstereosignalsforeachauxsend.Forinstance,
channel5(L)and6(R)mixtogethertofeedthat
channel’sauxsendknobs.
Werecommendgoingintoastereoreverbinmonoand
returninginstereo.Wehavefoundthatonmost“stereo”
reverbsthesecondinputjusttiesupanextraauxsend
andaddsnothingtothesound.Thereareexceptions,
sofeelfreetotryitbothways.Ifyoureffectsdeviceis
truestereoallthewaythrough,useaux1tofeeditsleft
inputandaux2tofeedtherightinput.
Stillwithus?Goodforyou.Herecomethetricky
parts,theoutputormastersectionwherethemixingis
reallydone.Wehaveevenstarteditonanewpage:
“Pre vs. Post”
Signal Flow Diagram
16
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Output Section
32
33
34
35
36
37
33. Control Room Source Matrix
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1202VLZ4,
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rightmeter(theleft
meterbecomesinactive).Thisiswhatmakesthe
level-settingproceduresoeasytodo.
WARNING:Engagingboththetapeand
assigntomainmix[36]buttonscancreate
afeedbackpathbetweentapeinput[9]and
tapeoutput[10].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]levelknob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:
34. Control Room/Submix
Thisknobcontrolsthelevelsofboththestereo
controlroom[15]andphones[12]outputs.Thecontrol
rangeisfromoffthroughunitygainatthedetent,with
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]knobandthiscontrolroom/submix
knob.Thisway,youcansendanicehealthyleveltothe
mainoutput(mainmixknobat“U”),andaquietlevel
tothecontrolroomorphones(controlroom/submix
knobwhereveryoulikeit).
Whenalt3-4ortapeisselected,orsolo[24]is
engaged,thecontrolroom/submixknobwillbethe
onlyonecontrollingtheselevels(channelcontrols
notwithstanding).
32. Main Mix
Thisknobcontrolsthelevelsofsignalssenttothe
mainoutputs:XLR[13]and1⁄4"[11]andRCAtape
output[10].Allchannelsandstereoreturns[7]that
arenotmutedorturnedfullydownwillwindupinthe
mainmix.
Fullycounterclockwiseisoff,thecenterdetent
isunitygain,andfullyclockwiseprovides12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knobtoturndownattheendofthesong
whenyouwantTheGreatFade-Out.
17
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Whateveryourselection,youcanalsousethecontrol
room[15]outputsforotherapplications.Itssound
qualityisjustasimpeccableasthemainouts[11and
13].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.
A Word About Pre-Fader Solo (PFL)
Engagingachannel’ssolo[24]switchwillcause
thisdramaticturnofevents:Anyexistingcontrolroom
sourceselectionswillbereplacedbythesolosignal,
appearinginthecontrolroom,headphones,andinthe
rightmeter.Theaudiblesololevelsarethencontrolled
bythecontrolroom/submix[34]knob.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.
“Pre-fader”solomeansthatthechannelsignalis
beingtappedbeforethechannel’slevel[23]knob
(notreallyafaderinthiscase,butwewereafraid
you’dlaughifwecalleditpre-knobsolo).Itdoes,
however,obeygain[4],lowcut[3]andEQ[27]
settings,makingittheperfecttoolforquickinspections
ofsuspectchannels.Thechannel’span[26]andmute/
alt3-4[25]settingshavenoeffectonthesolosignal.
Note:Forstereochannels5-12,thesolosignalis
themonosumoftheleft(odd-numbered)andright
(even-numbered)signalsforthatchannelstrip.
WARNING:Pre-fadersolo[24]taps
thechannelsignalbeforethelevelknob.
Ifyouhaveachannel’slevelknobsetbelow
“U”(unitygain),solowon’tknowthat,andwillsend
aunitygainsignaltothecontrolroom,phonesand
meterdisplay,thatmayresultinastartlinglevelboost
attheseoutputs.
35. Rude Solo Light
ThisashingLightEmittingDiodeservestwo
purposes—toremindyouthatatleastonechannel
isinsolo,andtoletyouknowthatyou’remixingon
a1202VLZ4.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
monitorsbutyourmultitrackisplayingbacklikemad.
36. Assign To Main Mix
Let’ssayyou’redoingaliveshow.Intermissionis
nearingandyou’llwanttoplayasoothingCDforthe
crowdtopreventthemfromeatingthefurniture.
Thenyouthink,“ButIhavetheCDplayerpluggedinto
thetapeinputs,andthatnevergetstothemainouts!”
Oh,butitdoes.Simplyengagethisswitchandyour
controlroomsourceselection,aftergoingthrough
thecontrolroom/submix[34]knob,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knob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controlroomsourceselectionandthenengage
assigntomainmix,themainmixlinestothecontrol
roomwillbeinterruptedtopreventfeedback.Then
again,whywouldanyonewanttoassignthemainmix
tothemainmix?
37. Meters – Many Displays In One!
The1202VLZ4’speakmeteringsystemismadeup
oftwocolumnsoftwelveLEDs.Deceptivelysimple,
consideringthemultitudeofsignalsthatcanbe
monitoredbyit.
Ifnothingisselectedinthesourcematrixand
nochannelsareinsolo,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reectwhatthe
engineerislisteningto,andaswe’vecovered,the
engineerislisteningeithertothecontrolroom[15]
outputsorthephones[12]outputs.Theonlydifference
isthatwhilethelisteninglevelsarecontrolledbythe
controlroom/submix[34]knob,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1202VLZ4’swidedynamicrange,
youcangetagoodmixwithpeaksashinganywhere
between–20and+10dBonthemeters.Most
ampli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0VUonits
meters.Sowhenis0VUactually0dBu?Rightnow!
18
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Attheriskofcreatinganotherstandard,1202VLZ4
mixersaddresstheneedofbothcrowdsbycallingthings
astheyare—0dBu(0.775V)attheoutputshowsas
0dBVUonthemeters.Whatcouldbeeasier?Bythe
way,themostwonderfulthingaboutstandardsisthat
therearesomanytochoosefrom.
Remember,audiometersarejusttoolstohelpassure
youthatyourlevelsare“intheballpark.”Youdon’thave
tostareatthem(unlessyouwantto).
A Word About Aux
Firstofall,thereisnoparticularalliancebetween
auxsend1(or2)andstereoreturn1(or2).They’re
justnumbers.They’reliketwocompletestrangers.
Sendsareoutputs,returnsareinputs.Thechannel
aux[30and31]knobstapthesignaloffthechannel
andsendsittotheauxsend[8]outputs.Aux1signalis
senttotheaux1master[39]knobbeforegoingtothe
auxsend1[8]outputandtheaux2signalgoesdirectly
totheauxsend2[8]output.
38
39
41 40
Theseoutputscanbefedtotheinputsofareverbor
otherdevice.Fromthere,theoutputsofthisexternal
devicearefedbacktothemixer’sstereoreturn[7]
jacks.thenthesesignalsaresentthroughthestereo
return[40]levelcontrols,andnallydeliveredtothe
mainmix.
So,theoriginal“dry”signalsgofromthechannels
tothemainmixandtheaffected“wet”signalsgofrom
thestereoreturn[7]tothemainmix,andoncemixed
together,thedryandwetsignalscombinetocreate
aglorioussound.So,armedwiththisknowledge,
let’svisittheAuxiliaryWorld:
38. Pre Or Post (Aux 1)
Besidesbeingusedtoworkeffectsintoyourmix,aux
sendsserveanothercriticalrole—thatofdelivering
cuemixestostagemonitors,somusicianscanhearwhat
they’redoing.Onthe1202VLZ4,auxsend1canplay
eitherrole,dependingonthepositionofthisswitch.
Withthisswitchup(disengaged),auxsend1will
tapachannelpre-fader(level)andpre-mute/alt3-4,
meaningthatnomatterhowyoumanipulatethose
controlsastheyfeedthemainmix,theauxsendwill
continuetobeltoutthatchannel’ssignal.Thisisthe
preferredmethodforsettingupstagemonitorfeeds.
EQsettingswillaffectallauxsends.
Withtheswitchdown,theauxsend1becomes
anordinaryeffectssend—post-fader(level)and
post-mute/alt3-4.Thisisamustforeffectssends,
sinceyouwantthelevelsofyour“wet”signalsto
followthelevelofthe“dry.”
39. Aux 1 Master
Thisknobprovidesoveralllevelcontrolofauxsend1,
justbeforeit’sdeliveredtotheauxsend1[8]output.
(Auxsend2hasnosuchcontrol.)Thisknobgoesfrom
off(turnedfullydown),tounitygainatthecenter
detent,with10dBofextragain(turnedfullyup).
Aswithsomeotherlevelcontrols,youmayneverneed
theadditionalgain,butifyoueverdo,you’llbegladyou
boughta1202VLZ4.
Thisisusuallytheknobyouturnupwhenthelead
singerglaresatyou,pointsathisstagemonitor,and
stickshisthumbupintheair.(Itwouldfollowsuitthat
ifthesingerstuckhisthumbdown,you’dturntheknob
down…butthatneverhappens.)
40. Stereo Returns
Thesetwocontrolssettheoveralllevelofeffects
receivedfromstereoreturn[7]inputs1and2.These
controlsaredesignedtohandleawiderangeofsignal
levels,fromoff,tounitygainatthedetent,with20dB
gainfullyclockwise,tocompensateforlow-leveleffects.
19
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Typically,theseknobscanjustliveatthecenter
detent,andtheeffectsdevice’soutputcontrolshould
besetatwhatevertheycallunitygain(checktheir
manual).Ifthatturnsouttobetooloudortooquiet,
adjusttheeffectsdevice’soutputs,notthemixer.
Thatway,themixer’sknobsareeasytorelocate
at the center detent.
Signalspassingthroughthesecontrolswillproceed
directlytomainmix,withoneexception(seeparagraph
below).Thestereoreturnsdonothavemute/alt3-4
switches,soifyouwantthesesignalstogettothealt3-4
mix,you’llhavetopatchtheeffectsdevice’soutputsinto
oneofthestereochannels,andmute/altthosechannels.
41. Return To Aux 1
Ifyouwanttoaddreverbordelaytothestagemonitor
mixesofaux1,thisistheswitchforyou.
Withtheswitchup,stereoreturn1and2behave
normally—theydelivertheirsignalsintothemain
mix.Withtheswitchdown,stereoreturn1stillbehaves
normally,butstereoreturn2willfeedauxsend1
insteadofthemainmix.
Stillwithus?Good.Sofar,withtheswitchdown,we
havestereoreturn1feedingthemainmixandstereo
return2feedingauxsend1.Now,supposeyouonlyhave
oneeffectsdevice,andyouwantittofeedboththemain
mixandauxsend1.That’swhere“jacknormalling”
comesin:
Jack Normalling
Jacknormalling(nottobeconfusedwithJack
Normalling,ChicagoCubsutilityinelder,1952-61,
.267LBA)isafeaturefoundonalmosteverymixer,
keyboardandeffectsdevice.Thesejackshavespecial
spring-loadedpinsthatconnecttothesignalpins,
butwhensomethingispluggedintothejack,that
connectionisbroken.
Thesenormallingpinscanbeusedinallsortsof
ways.Theubiquitousphrase“left(mono)”meansthat
ifyouplugasignalintotheleftsideandhavenothing
intherightside,thatsignalisalsofedtotheright
input,courtesyofjacknormalling.Assoonasyouplug
somethingintherightside,thatnormalledconnection
isbroken.
Howdoesallthisrelatetothe
returntoaux1[41]switch?Stereo
return1’sinputsarenormalledto
stereoreturn2.Ifyouhaveone
effectsdevice,plugitintostereo
return1.Plugnothingintostereo
return2.Nowthesignalsfeeding
thestereoreturn1inputswillalsobesenttothestereo
return2inputs.
Engagethereturntoaux1switch,andnowthestereo
return2knobwillbecomeanadditionalauxsend1
knobforthesignalatauxreturn1.Saythattentimes
fast!Onceagain,auxreturn1willbehavenormally,as
always.
Congratulations!You’vejustreadaboutallthe
featuresofyour1202VLZ4.You’reprobablyreadyfor
acoldone.Goahead.Therestofthemanualcanwait.
20
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Appendix A: Service Information
Ifyouthinkyour1202VLZ4hasaproblem,please
checkoutthefollowingtroubleshootingtipsanddo
yourbesttoconrmtheproblem.VisittheSupport
sectionofourwebsite(www.720trees.com)where
youwillndlotsofusefulinformationsuchasFAQs
andotherdocumentation.Youmayndtheanswer
totheproblemwithouthavingtosendyourmixeraway.
Troubleshooting
Bad Channel
• Isthemute/alt3–4switchinthecorrect
position?
• Isthelevelknobturnedup?
• Tryunplugginganyinsertdevices(channels
1–4only).
• Trythesamesourcesignalinanotherchannel,
setupexactlylikethesuspectchannel.
Bad Output
• Istheassociatedlevelknob(ifany)turnedup?
• Ifit’soneofthemainouts,tryunpluggingall
theothers.Forexample,ifit’sthe1⁄4"leftmain
out,unplugtheRCAandXLRLeftoutputs.If
theproblemgoesaway,itsnotthemixer.
• Ifit’sastereopair,tryswitchingthemaround.
Forexample,ifaleftoutputispresumeddead,
switchtheleftandrightcords,atthemixer
end.Iftheproblemswitchessides,it’snotthe
mixer.
Noise
• Turnthechannellevelandauxreturnknobs
down,onebyone.Ifthesounddisappears,it’s
eitherthatchannelorwhateverisplugged
intoit,sounplugwhateverthatis.Ifthenoise
disappears,it’sfromyourwhatever.
Power
• Unplugthepowercordandcheckthefuse.
Repair
Forwarrantyservice,refertothewarranty
informationonpage27.
Non-warrantyserviceisavailableatafactory-
authorizedservicecenter.Tolocatethenearest
servicecenter,visitwww.720trees.com,click“Contact
TechSupport”andselect“LocateaServiceCenter
orDistributor”[3].Servicefora1202VLZ4living
outsidetheUnitedStatesmaybeobtainedthrough
localdealersordistributors.
Ifyoudonothaveaccesstoourwebsite,youcan
callourTechSupportdepartmentat1-800-898-3211,
Monday-Friday,duringnormalbusinesshours,Pacic
Time,toexplaintheproblem.TechSupportwilltell
youwherethenearestfactory-authorizedservice
centerislocatedinyourarea.
Appendix B: Connections
Balanced XLR Input Connector
The1202VLZ4mixerhasfourfemaleXLR
inputs.BesurethecablesarewiredperAES
(AudioEngineeringSociety)standards:
Balanced XLR Input Connector
 Pin1–Shield(Ground)
 Pin2–Positive(+orhot)
 Pin3–Negative(–orcold)
2
31
SHIELD
COLD
HOT
SHIELD
COLD
HOT
3
2
1
Balanced XLR Input Connector
21
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Balanced XLR Output Connector
ThemaleXLRconnectorsprovideabalancedline-
levelsignalthatrepresentstheendofthemixer,where
thefullymixedstereosignalenterstherealworld.
Connectthesetotheleftandrightline-levelinputs
ofpoweredspeakersortotheleftandrightline-level
inputsofanamplier(withspeakersalreadyattached).
BesurethecablesarewiredperAES(Audio
EngineeringSociety)standards:
Balanced XLR Output Connector
 Pin1–Shield(Ground)
 Pin2–Positive(+orhot)
 Pin3–Negative(–orcold)
Balanced 1/4" TRS Connector
TRSstandsforTip-Ring-Sleeve,thethreeconnections
availableonastereo1/4"cable.Thisallowsforadirect
connectiontothechannelinputjacks.Besurethe
cablesarewiredperAES(AudioEngineeringSociety)
standards:
Balanced 1/4" TRS Connector
 Sleeve–Shield(Ground)
 Tip–Positive(+orhot)
 Ring–Negative(–orcold)
TRSjacksandplugsareusedinseveraldifferent
applications:
• Balancedmonocircuits.Whenwiredasa
balancedconnector,a1⁄4"TRSjackorplug
isconnectedtiptosignalhigh(hot),ringto
signallow(cold),andsleevetoground(earth).
• StereoHeadphones,andrarely,stereo
microphones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).VLZ4mixersdonotdirectly
2
1
SHIELD
COLD
HOT
3
SHIELD
COLD
HOT
3
2
1
Balanced XLR Output Connector
SLEEVE
TIP
SLEEVE
TIP
RING
RING
TIP
SLEEVERING
Balanced 1/4" TRS Connector
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.“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.
• Unbalancedsend/returncircuits.Whenwired
asa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).
Unbalanced 1/4" TS Connector
TSstandsforTip-Sleeve,thetwoconnections
availableonamono1⁄4"cable.Thisallowsforadirect
conectiontothechannelinputjacks.Besurethecables
arewiredperAES(AudioEngineeringSociety)
standards:
Unbalanced 1/4" TS Connector
 Sleeve–Shield(Ground)
 Tip–Positive(+orhot)
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
Switched 1/4" Phone Jacks
Switchescanbeincorporatedinto1⁄4"phonejacks,
whichareactivatedbyinsertingtheplug.These
switchesmayopenaninsertloopinacircuit,change
theinputroutingofthesignalorserveotherfunctions.
The1202VLZ4usesswitchesinthechannelinsertand
businsertjacks,inputjacksandstereoreturns.Italso
uses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.The1202VLZ4takesadvantageof
thisinsomecircuits,specifyingcircumstanceswhere
youaretoinserttheplugonlypartially.See“Special
Connections”,onthenextpage.
SLEEVE
TIP
TIP
SLEEVE
TIP
SLEEVE
Unbalanced 1/4" TS Connector
22
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Unbalanced RCA Connector
RCA-typeplugs(alsoknownasphonoplugs)
andjacksareoftenusedinhomestereoandvideo
equipmentandinmanyotherapplications.RCAplugs
areunbalanced.Connectthesignaltothecenterpost
andtheground(earth)orshieldtothesurrounding
“basket.”BesurethecablesarewiredperAES(Audio
EngineeringSociety)standards:
Unbalanced RCA Connector
 Sleeve–Shield(Ground)
 Tip–Positive(+orhot)
Unbalancing a Line
Inmoststudio,stageandsoundreinforcementsitu-
ations,thereisacombinationofbalancedandunbal-
ancedinputsandoutputsonthevariouspiecesof
equipment.Thisusuallywillnotbeaprobleminmaking
connections.
• Whenconnectingabalancedoutputtoan
unbalancedinput,besurethesignalhigh(hot)
connectionsarewiredtoeachother,andthat
thebalancedsignallow(cold)goestothe
ground(earth)connectionattheunbalanced
input.Inmostcases,thebalancedground
(earth)willalsobeconnectedtotheground
(earth)attheunbalancedinput.Ifthereare
ground-loopproblems,thisconnectionmaybe
leftdisconnectedatthebalancedend.
• Whenconnectinganunbalancedoutputtoa
balancedinput,besurethatthesignalhigh
(hot)connectionsarewiredtoeachother.The
unbalancedground(earth)connectionshould
bewiredtothelow(cold)andtheground
(earth)connectionsofthebalancedinput.If
thereareground-loopproblems,tryconnecting
theunbalancedground(earth)connectiononly
totheinputlow(cold)connection,andleaving
theinputground(earth)connectiondiscon-
nected.
• Insomecases,youwillhavetomakeupspecial
adapterstointerconnectyourequipment.For
example,youmayneedabalancedXLRfemale
connectedtoanunbalanced1⁄4"TSphone
plug.
TIPSLEEVETIPSLEEVE
Unbalanced RCA Connector
TRS Send/Receive Insert Jacks
Single-jackinsertsarethree-conductor,TRS-type1⁄4"
phone.Theyareunbalanced,buthaveboththemixer
output(send)andthemixerinput(return)signalsin
oneconnector.Seetheillsutrationbelow.
Thesleeveisthecommonground(earth)forboth
signals.Thesendfromthemixertotheexternalunitis
carriedonthetip,andthereturnfromtheunittothe
mixerisonthering.
Special Connections
Thebalanced-to-unbalancedconnectionhasbeenan-
ticipatedinthewiringof1202VLZ4jacks.A1⁄4"TSplug
insertedintoa1⁄4"TRSbalancedinput,forexample,
willautomaticallyunbalancetheinputandmakeallthe
rightconnections.Conversely,a1⁄4"TRSpluginserted
intoa1⁄4"unbalancedinputwillautomaticallytiethe
ring(loworcold)toground(earth).
Using the Send Only on an Insert Jack
IfyouinsertaTS(mono)1⁄4"plugonlypartially(to
therstclick)intoaVLZ4insertjack,theplugwillnot
activatethejackswitchandwillnotopentheinsert
loopinthecircuit(therebyallowingthechannelsignal
tocontinueonitsmerrywaythroughthemixer).
Thisallowsyoutotapoutthechannelorbussignal
withoutinterruptingnormaloperation.
Ifyoupushthe1⁄4"TSplugintothesecondclick,
youwillopenthejackswitchandcreateadirectout,
whichdoesinterruptthesignalinthatchannel.Seethe
illustrationonthenextpage.
Unbalanced 1/4" Insert Connectors
tip
This plug connects to one of the
mixer’s Channel Insert jacks. ring
tip ring
sleeve
SEND to processor
RETURN from processor
(TRS plug)
23
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
NOTE:Donotoverloadorshort-circuitthesignalyou
aretappingfromthemixer.Thatwillaffecttheinternal
signal.
Direct out with no signal interruption to master.
Insert only to first click.
Channel Insert jack
Channel Insert jack
Channel Insert jack
Direct out with signal interruption to master.
Insert all the way in to the second click.
For use as an effects loop.
(Tip = Send TO effect, Ring = Return FROM effect).
MONO PLUG
MONO PLUG
STEREO
PLUG
Using the Send Only on an Insert Jack
Y-cord splitter cable
VLZ4 Stereo Inputs and Returns:
Mono, Stereo, Whatever
Stereolineinputsandstereoreturnsareane
exampleofourphilosophy(whichwejustmadeup)
ofMaximumFlexibilitywithMinimumHeadache.
Theinputsandreturnswillautomaticallybemono
orstereo,dependinguponhowyouusethejacks.
Here’showitworks:
Amonosignalshouldbepatchedintotheinput
orreturnjacklabeledleft(mono).Thesignalwill
beroutedtoboththeleftandrightsidesofthereturn
circuit,andwillshowupinthecenterofthestereopair
ofbusesit’sassignedto,oritcanbepannedwiththe
pan[26]control.
Astereosignal,havingtwoplugs,shouldbepatched
intotheleft(mono)andtherightinputorreturnjacks.
Ajackswitchintherightjackwilldisablethemono
function,andthesignalswillshowupinstereo.
Amonosignalconnectedtotherightjackwillshow
upintherightbusonly.Youprobablywillonlywantto
usethissophisticatedeffectforspecialoccasions.
Mults and “Y”s
Amultor“Y”connectorallowsyoutorouteoneoutput
totwoormoreinputsbysimplyprovidingparallel
wiringconnections.Youcanmake“Y”sandmultsfor
theoutputsofbothunbalancedandbalancedcircuits.
Remember:Onlymultor“Y”oneoutputinto
severalinputs.Ifyouneedtocombineseveral
outputsintooneinput,youmustuseamixer,
notamultora“Y.”
TIP
(SEND)
RING (IN)
TIP (OUT)
RING
(RETURN)
TO MIXER
CHANNEL INSERT
RING (RETURN)
TIP (SEND)
TO
PROCESSOR
INPUT
FROM
PROCESSOR
OUTPUT
Y-cord insert cable
24
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Appendix C: Technical Information
Specifications
Main Mix Noise
(20 Hz–20 kHz bandwidth, 1/4" Main out, channels 1–4 Trim @
unity gain, channel EQs flat, all channels assigned to Main Mix,
channels 1 and 3 Pan left, 2 and 4 Pan right.)
Main Mix knob down, channel Gain knobs down: –100 dBu
Main Mix knob unity, channel Gain knobs down: –86.5 dBu
(90 dB Signal to Noise Ratio, ref +4 dBu)
Main Mix knob @ unity, channel Gain knobs @ unity: –84.5 dBu
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
(1 kHz @ 30 dB gain, 20 Hz–20 kHz bandwidth)
Mic pre @ insert: 0.0007%
Attenuation (Crosstalk)
(1 kHz relative to 0 dBu, 20 Hz–20 kHz bandwidth,
Line in, 1⁄4" Main Out, Trim @ unity.)
Main Mix knob down: –75 dBu
Channel Alt / Mute switch engaged: –85 dBu
Channel Gain knob down: –87 dBu
Frequency Response
Mic Input to Main Output (Gain @Unity)
+0, –1 dB, 20 Hz to 50 kHz
+0, –3 dB, <10 Hz to >100 kHz
Equivalent Input Noise (EIN)
(Mic in to Insert Send out, max gain.)
150 termination: –128.5 dBu 20 Hz–20 kHz
Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR)
(Mic in to Insert Send out, max gain.)
1 kHz: better than –70 dB
Maximum Levels
Mic in: +22 dBu
Tape in: +16 dBu
All other inputs: +22 dBu
Main Mix XLR out: +28 dBu
All other outputs: +22 dBu
Impedances
Mic in: 2.5 k
Channel Insert return: 2.5 k
All other inputs: 10 k or greater
Tape out: 1.1 k
All other outputs: 120
EQ
High Shelving ±15 dB @ 12 kHz
Mid Peaking ±15 dB @ 2.5 kHz
Low Shelving ±15 dB @ 80 Hz
Power Consumption
25 watts
Fuse Rating
100-120V: 500 mA slo blo, 5 x 20 mm
220-240V: 250 mA slo blo, 5 x 20 mm
Dimensions (H x W x D)
10.7" x 11.9" x 3.0" (272 mm x 303 mm x 75 mm)
Weight
6.5 lb (3.0 kg)
Microphone Stand
Thebottompanelof
the1202VLZ4hasthree
non-threadedholesthat
allowittobettedwith
anoptionalmicrophone
standadapter.This
allowsyoutosupport
themixeronastandard
micstand,andadjust
its height and level to
whateversuitsyour
strangely-complexsetof
preferences.
1. Order the Atlas
AD-11Bmic
standadapter
availablefrom
manyanemusicstore.(Itismadeanddistributed
byAtlasSound.)
2. UsethreeTrilobularthreadrollingscrews
6-32x1/4"longtosecuretheadapterto
thebottomofthe1202VLZ4[seebelow].
Donotusescrewslongerthan1/4",asthesecould
damagethecircuitboards.Donotusescrews
shorterthan1/4",ortheadapterwillnotbesecurely
xedtothemixer.
3. DonotordertheAtlasAD-11,asthisisapack
of100.Ifyoudo,pleasesendfortheinformative
bookletentitled99 things to do with a mic stand
adapter.
bottom panel
Holes for mic
stand adapter
WEIGHT
6.5 lb
3.0 kg
19.0 in / 483 mm
(optional Rack Mount Kit)
3.0 in
75 mm
11.9 in / 303 mm
10.7 in / 272 mm
25
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
Block Diagram
75Hz
HPF
MID HI
80 2K5 12K
LO
MID HI
80 2K5 12K
LO
MID HI
80 2K5 12K
LO
SOLO
RELAY
20
10
7
4
2
0
2
4
7
10
20
30
MAIN L
MAIN R
ALT L
ALT R
AUX SEND 1 PRE
AUX SEND 1 POST
AUX SEND 2 POST
SOLO
LOGIC
PHANTOM POWER
MIC IN
LINE IN
GAIN
INSERT
LO CUT
3-BAND EQ
LEVEL PA N MAIN / ALT
AUX
SENDS
SOLO (PFL)
MONO CHANNEL
(1 OF 4)
2
1
3
STEREO CHANNEL
(1 OF 4)
LINE IN L
LINE IN R
3-BAND EQ
LEVEL PA N
MAIN / ALT
STEREO RETURN 1
L IN
R IN
STEREO RETURN 2
L IN
(MONO)
R IN
GAIN
GAIN
RETURN TO
AUX 1
MAIN MIX MAIN
LEVEL 30dB PAD
TAPE OUT L
LINE OUT L
BAL OUT L
BAL OUT R
LINE OUT R
ALT MIX
ALT OUT L
ALT OUT R
ALT
TAPE
MAIN
SOURCE
CONTROL ROOM &
PHONES LEVEL
METERING
(0dBu = 0VU)
LEFT
RIGHT
CONTROL ROOM OUT
PHONES OUT
AUX MIX
AUX 1
PRE / POST
AUX SEND 2
AUX SEND 1
SOLO MIX
ASSIGN TO MAIN
TAPE IN +6dB
L
RCONTROL ROOM &
PHONES MIX
2
31
2
31
RUDE SOLO LED
SOLO (PFL)
AUX 2
AUX 1
AUX 1 LEVEL
TAPE OUT R
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.
The “Running Man” figure is a registered trademark of
LOUD Technologies Inc. All other brand names mentioned
are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
holders, and are hereby acknowledged.
©2014 LOUD Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved.
26
1202VLZ4
1202VLZ4
Track Sheet
SESSION:
DATE:
# Cups of Tea:
27
Owner’s Manual
Owner’s Manual
1202VLZ4 Limited Warranty
Please keep your sales receipt in a safe place.
This Limited Product Warranty (“Product Warranty”) is provided by LOUD Technologies Inc. (“LOUD”)
and is applicable to products purchased in the United States or Canada through a LOUD-authorized
reseller or dealer. The Product Warranty will not extend to anyone other than the original purchaser of
the product (hereinafter, “Customer,” “you” or “your”).
For products purchased outside the U.S. or Canada, please visit www.720trees.com to find contact
information for your local distributor, and information on any warranty coverage provided by the
distributor in your local market.
LOUD warrants to Customer that the product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship
under normal use during the Warranty Period. If the product fails to conform to the warranty then LOUD
or its authorized service representative will at its option, either repair or replace any such nonconforming
product, provided that Customer gives notice of the noncompliance within the Warranty Period to the
Company at: www.720trees.com or by calling LOUD technical support at 1.800.898.3211 (toll-free in
the U.S. and Canada) during normal business hours Pacific Time, excluding weekends or LOUD holidays.
Please retain the original dated sales receipt as evidence of the date of purchase. You will need it to obtain
any warranty service.
For full terms and conditions, as well as the specific duration of the Warranty for this product, please visit
www.720trees.com.
The Product Warranty, together with your invoice or receipt, and the terms and conditions located at
www.720trees.com constitutes the entire agreement, and supersedes any and all prior agreements
between LOUD and Customer related to the subject matter hereof. No amendment, modification or
waiver of any of the provisions of this Product Warranty will be valid unless set forth in a written
instrument signed by the party to be bound thereby.
16220 Wood-Red Road NE
Woodinville, WA 98072 • USA
Phone: 425.487.4333
Toll-free: 800.898.3211
Fax: 425.487.4337
www.720trees.com

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