Mackie CR1604-VLZ questions
Mackie CR1604-VLZ questions
I just bought a Mackie CR1604-VLZ (not Pro) mixer for a great price. It's got dirty switches but seems to be working okay. Are there any specific problems I should watch for with this mixer? I've never owned a Mackie before. I did some research and found out it's an American made one, so that's good. My biggest concern now is that it's missing the bottom plate that covers the ribbon cables inside. Not a big concern in the studio, but if I use it for live work, it's very vulnerable to damage. I know that if I flip the back panel down, I can rack it up, but I may not want to put it in a rack. Also, I read elsewhere that spraying contact cleaner into the pots and switches can cause damage to them. That person recommended just pushing the switches in and out or turning the pots for about a minute or so to clean the contact. Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?
"Stare with your ears"- Ken Nordine
My biggest comment is beware ordering parts from LOUD technologies (Mackie/Tapco/Crate/Ampeg).
I ordered a couple of replacement knobs and a half dozen replacement faders at the same time. Total cost of parts was about $8 or so if memory serves.
They charged me separate shipping and handling for them, to the tune of something like $20-30 and then shipped them all in the same box!
Never dealing with them again if I can help it.
I ordered a couple of replacement knobs and a half dozen replacement faders at the same time. Total cost of parts was about $8 or so if memory serves.
They charged me separate shipping and handling for them, to the tune of something like $20-30 and then shipped them all in the same box!
Never dealing with them again if I can help it.
The previous statement is from a guy who records his own, and other projects for fun. No money is made.
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The Scum
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There's sorta a triage hierarchy for controls that seem to be dirty.
If they're just simply dirty, or they've been sitting unused for a long time, and exercising them a bit clears up the problem, that's a reasonable course of action.
If they don't clear up, you can try cleaners...which is a potential long term problem in itself. Some pots and sliders contain a lubricant, which is washed away by the solvents in the cleaner. So they get clean, but then they don't feel like new, and might be prone to wearing out more quickly. The solvents might actually degrade some of the materials, as well.
Some of the better cleaners also contain a lubricant, and some others are a 2-part process - clean, then relubricate. Electrolube EML is in the first category, some of the Caig products fit the second (and possibly the first...their website isn't the most friendly).
Once you get into contact cleaner use, it seems to become a regular part of maintenance. Things get addicted to it.
There's another category where an electrical issue of some sort is exhibiting noise in the controls. The controls aren't the problem, but the symptoms only exhibit themselves when the controls are used...and no amount of contact cleaner will fix it.
The final triage level would be when things are noisy because they're worn out or broken. In that case, replacement is the best option.
The hardest part in maintaining a Mackie is probably that it's a serious effort to get inside far enough that you can replace things. If you're going in, plan of fixing as much as you can while it's apart. Assuming that the pots and switches aren't too weird, you might be able to get replacements in bulk from Mouser or Digikey. In the original 1604 days, they were using Panasonic pots, which Digikey carried... though I seem to recall that those pots are now obsolete.
If they're just simply dirty, or they've been sitting unused for a long time, and exercising them a bit clears up the problem, that's a reasonable course of action.
If they don't clear up, you can try cleaners...which is a potential long term problem in itself. Some pots and sliders contain a lubricant, which is washed away by the solvents in the cleaner. So they get clean, but then they don't feel like new, and might be prone to wearing out more quickly. The solvents might actually degrade some of the materials, as well.
Some of the better cleaners also contain a lubricant, and some others are a 2-part process - clean, then relubricate. Electrolube EML is in the first category, some of the Caig products fit the second (and possibly the first...their website isn't the most friendly).
Once you get into contact cleaner use, it seems to become a regular part of maintenance. Things get addicted to it.
There's another category where an electrical issue of some sort is exhibiting noise in the controls. The controls aren't the problem, but the symptoms only exhibit themselves when the controls are used...and no amount of contact cleaner will fix it.
The final triage level would be when things are noisy because they're worn out or broken. In that case, replacement is the best option.
The hardest part in maintaining a Mackie is probably that it's a serious effort to get inside far enough that you can replace things. If you're going in, plan of fixing as much as you can while it's apart. Assuming that the pots and switches aren't too weird, you might be able to get replacements in bulk from Mouser or Digikey. In the original 1604 days, they were using Panasonic pots, which Digikey carried... though I seem to recall that those pots are now obsolete.
"What fer?"
"Cat fur, to make kitten britches."
"Cat fur, to make kitten britches."
I just found out that what I need is called a Rotopod. It's a metal tray that allows the inputs and outputs to face to the back of the mixer or face up so that you can actually get to them, and it covers the gaping hole at the bottom of the mixer. I tried setting it up with the inputs facing up without a Rotopod, and it's not gonna work. I've found them for sale new online for about $100. That seems like a LOT of money for a bent piece of sheet metal. So... does anyone have a used Rotopod for a CR1604-VLZ?
"Stare with your ears"- Ken Nordine
Braking and machining a custom piece out of a $15 or $25 piece of sheet steel might leave you wishing you'd just went ahead and ponied up the $100. Especially if you're not set up for it.
It's hard to tell in the pictures Google popped up- is it just a cap/tray type thing? Can the design be simplified by doing away with the rotation feature, or is that needed?
It's hard to tell in the pictures Google popped up- is it just a cap/tray type thing? Can the design be simplified by doing away with the rotation feature, or is that needed?
Village Idiot.
When I bought it, I figured I could just cut a rectangular sheet of metal to cover the hole in the bottom. Since then, I've found that the inputs can be configured three different ways- (1) with the inputs on the bottom of the mixer, facing down, which is how it was when I bought it, (2) with the inputs facing the back, which is how I have it set up now, and (3) with the inputs on the top, which gives the best access to the gazintas and gozoutas. #1 blocks the hole on the bottom and the patch bay feels secure without the using a Rotopod. #2 is a little better, but leaves that hole on the bottom. #3 makes the most sense for me, but there's no way to connect it that way without a Rotopod. Thanks, Mackie. And the design of the Rotopod isn't that easy to fabricate. Again, thanks, Mackie. I know there are other mixers out there, but I'd really like to use this one. So because of all of this, I'm on the hunt for a used Rotopod. If I have to buy a new one, I guess I could, but I don't mind having a used one. Buying a new one would cost me more than the mixer did! So there you have it. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a used one. I figure it can't hurt to try.
"Stare with your ears"- Ken Nordine
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