Is the Mackie 1604-VLZ supposed to run hot?

[Dubmaniac]

I bought a Mackie 1604-VLZ mixer several months ago. I finally set it up and started using it a couple of nights ago. Last night I noticed that the top right hand corner gets very, very warm- so warm that it left a small indentation in the plastic table it was sitting on. It also has that "warm" smell like you might get with old electronics. Yes, the mixer is almost twenty years old, but this thing smells like it's from the sixties. That may not make a lot of sense, but if you smelled it, you'd know what I mean. I'm a little concerned that it could cause problems later on. I'm guessing it's the power transformer. Has anyone else experienced this with a 1604? As always, thanks in advance.

[The Scum]

Mackies tend to run warm.

I've got an original 1202 that gets significantly warm near the power switch.

Warm is OK. Hot is not. If you can't hold your finger on it indefinitely, a> something is wrong, and b> it's a fire hazard.

The 1604 VLZ may stem from the counterfeit electrolytic capacitor days:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

In which case the caps are garbage, have high resistance, and run extra hot. They should be replaced.

It's probably $3 in parts, but possibly significant surgery to get deep enough into the thing to swap 'em. Can you get to the supply without prying all the knobs off?