MACKIE M1400/M1400i - Manual (Page 3)

3
Part No. 0000999 Rev. A 12/2001
©2001 Mackie Designs, All Rights Reserved.
Lend Me Your Ears
Exposure to extremely high
noise levels may cause per-
manent hearing loss.
Individuals vary considerably
in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, but
nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed
to suffi-
ciently
intense
noise for a
period of
time. The
U.S.
Government’s
Occupa-
tional
Safety and
Health Ad-
ministration (OSHA) has specified the permissible
noise level exposures shown in this chart.
®
Duration Per Day Sound Level dBA, Typical
In Hours Slow Response 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 Lori screaming at Ron about deadlines
0.5 110
0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert
According to OSHA, any exposure in excess of
these permissible limits could result in some hear-
ing loss. To ensure against potentially dangerous
exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recom-
mended that all persons exposed to equipment
capable of producing high sound pressure levels
(such as this amplification system) use hearing
protectors
while this
unit is in
operation.
Ear plugs
or protec-
tors in the
ear canals
or over the
ears must
be worn
when oper-
ating this amplification system in order to prevent
a permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of
the limits set forth here.
INTRODUCTION
distortion. When clipping occurs, this “feedback”
causes high-frequency sticking, keeping the am-
plifier “latched” in the clipping state longer than
necessary. This results in painfully audible distor-
tion. Our Fast Recovery design eliminates this
high-frequency sticking and allows the amplifier
to remain stable when powering highly reactive
loads at high volume levels.
You may wonder why a power amp even needs
an owner’s manual. After all, you just plug in a few
cables and power it up. Well, it’s almost that
simple. There’s just a few things that we’d like you to
be aware of, and we’ll discuss those right away —
please see the Quick Start on the next page.
Then go ahead and read the entire manual. The
M•1400/M•1400i amplifiers have a wealth of use-
ful features, and each of them is explained in detail.
Note: The only difference between the M•1400 and
M•1400i are the speaker output connectors: in addi-
tion to the binding posts, the M•1400 has Speakon
®
connectors while the M•1400i has 1/4" TS jacks.
Please write your serial number here for
future reference (i.e., insurance claims, tech
support, return authorization, etc.):
Purchased at:
Date of purchase:
Thank you for choosing a Mackie Designs power
amplifier! We appreciate your vote of confidence
for the folks in Woodinville who specialize in awe-
some and affordable audio. The Mackie Designs
M•1400 and M•1400i Power Amplifiers are designed
to fulfill the amplification needs of almost any type
of application. They boast a wealth of features you’d
expect to pay extra for — like subwoofer filtering,
constant directivity equalization, speaker-protecting
limiter, and gobs of ultra-clean power, to name a few.
Perhaps the most important feature of the FR
Series™ Power Amplifiers is the attention to detail
in every aspect of the design. At Mackie, we know
what it takes to be roadworthy. After all, our mixers
have traveled all over the world under the worst of
conditions, and we’ve applied what we’ve learned
to the mechanical design of our amplifiers.
Roadworthiness is only part of the picture. We
know that reliability is paramount to sound rein-
forcement. That’s why we use double-sided
thru-hole-plated fiberglass printed circuit boards.
That’s why our engineers have subjected the am-
plifier to the most rigorous and punishing tests
imaginable, to fine-tune the design and extend its
limits beyond those of ordinary amplifiers.
Fast Recovery — where the “FR” comes from
— is more than a buzzword. It is based on real,
proven design principles. The result is an amplifier
that performs better than conventional designs
when presented with adverse conditions. One of
the most difficult things for a power amplifier to
handle is clipping. Conventional designs use lots
of negative feedback to provide stability and lower