MACKIE 8-Channel - Manual (Page 22)


PPM608
PPM608
42. PHANTOM SWITCH
Press in this switch to add phantom power to all the
XLR microphone inputs of the mixer. This lets the mixer
send low-current DC voltage to the mic’s electronics
through the same wires that carry audio. The LED will
turn on as a reminder that phantom power is engaged.
Most modern professional condenser mics are
equipped for phantom power. 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.
Never plug single-ended (unbalanced) micro-
phones, or ribbon mics into the mic input
jacks if 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.
43. PRECISION PASSIVE EQ
If you are using Mackie passive speakers such as
the C200, C300z, S408, S215, and S225, then press this
switch for enhanced clarity and low-frequency response.
If you are not using Mackie speakers, then press it
anyway and listen for an improvement. The passive EQ
circuit is added just before the internal power ampli-
fiers, so only loudspeakers connected to the
rear panel speaker-level outputs [3] will be
affected.
44. POWER AMP LIMITER LEDs
These independent LEDs turn on when
power amplifier channel A or B is being over-
loaded internally and its internal automatic
limiter (which is always in the signal path) is
actively working. The LED will pulse in time
with how much the limiter is being used in
the signal path.
If the Limiter LEDs come on and
stay on for more than a second or
two, it means the power supply
has overheated and the limiter is holding
the amp signal down to 1/4 power until the
power supply cools down enough to release
the limiter. If this happens, check there is
good ventilation around the mixer, and that
you are not cranking it too much. Also make
sure that your speakers are OK, and are not
less than 4 ohms impedance.
Stereo Effects Processor
The Mackie Running-Man 32-bit internal effects pro-
cessor is a mono-in, stereo-out effects processor, with 24
presets. It is fed by adjusting the FX/mon 2 control [22]
on each channel.
The output from the processor can be added to the
main mix or monitor 1 mix by adjusting the FX to main
[33] and FX to mon 1 [38] controls.
This processor is also doing the calculations that hold
together the very fabric of the space-time continuum
(or at least the lunch-time portion of it).
45. FX/MON 2 SEND MASTER
Use this knob to control the level of the signals going
into the internal effects processor. Adjust it carefully,
with your inner magical eye on the adjacent SIG/OL
LED [46] to prevent overloading the effects processor.
It also affects the level going out of the FX/mon 2 line
level output [15], and the internal power amplifier if it
is playing monitor 2.
46. SIG/OL LED
This dual-LED illuminates in green when the signal
level going into the effects processor is in a good operat-
ing range (SIG). It illuminates in red when the effects
processor is being overloaded with too strong a signal
(OL). Turn down the level [45] if it is.
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