It's hard to believe, but Mackie has designed a new line of Mackie mixers that improves on the legendary performance of Mackie's highly acclaimed VLZ-Pro compacts. Mackie's engineers burned the late-night oil and extracted even more headroom and frequency response from Mackie's soon-to-be famous XDR2™ preamps. Then they tweaked the channel EQ for optimal performance and built an even better Mix Bus. After the dust settled, and after some much needed sleep, they unveiled the new VLZ3 Series—mixers with individual mic pre THD below 0.0007%, and overall THD less than 0.0025%. (In case you're not an electronics engineer, that means they're incredibly quiet!)
The Mackie VLZ3 Series builds on the features and functionality of previous VLZs, and they sound and look better than ever.
And the new universal switching power supply means you can use these mixers anywhere in the world, without investing your life's savings in bizarre voltage adapters. The Mackie mixers you've come to know and love are now even more perfect than perfect.
Features
New ultra-low noise VLZ3 design with highest possible headroom
10 studio-grade XDR2™ Extended Dynamic Range mic preamps with:
-- Ultra-wide 60dB gain range
-- 130dB dynamic range
-- +22dBu line input handling
-- Extended low frequency response
-- Distortion under 0.0007% THD (20Hz - 20kHz)
-- Phantom power for studio condenser mics
16 high-headroom line inputs (4 stereo pairs, 8 mono)
Advanced DC pulse transformer RF rejection
60mm long-wearing logarithmic-taper faders
4 Aux sends, level, pan, -20dB/Solo and OL/Mute LEDs on each channel
4 stereo Aux returns, 8 Direct outs, 4 stereo Group/Bus outputs
3-band Active EQ with sweepable midrange on mono channels
4-band Active EQ on stereo channels
18dB/oct. 75Hz Lo-Cut filter on mic channels
Control Room/Phones multi-input source matrix with separate level controls
Balanced 1/4 in. inputs and outputs (except inserts)
Rack-mountable design using optional rack ears
Sealed rotary controls to resist dust and grime
New Multi-Voltage power supply for worldwide use
Rugged steel chassis
Live and Recording Multi-tool.
With its sleek new look, upgraded preamps and EQ circuitry, the new Mackie 1642-VLZ3 redefines perfection. With the same features and functionality of its predecessor, the re-engineered Mackie 1642-VLZ3 has even greater headroom than the original. Mackie could have stopped right then and there, but since we're obsessed with perfection, Mackie redesigned the Mix Bus and made significant enhancements to the EQs, giving the 1642-VLZ3 a more intuitive and musical feel.
The 1642-VLZ3's three unique channel strip formats allow you to input and shape any kind of signal, including mic, line, and stereo instruments. Whether you need a live mixing board for club work, or a full-featured workhorse for home and studio recording, you oMackie it to yourself to check out the new Mackie 1642-VLZ3. You'll think it's perfect, too.
Vastly Superior XDR2™ Mic Preamps
Our new XDR2 (Extended Dynamic Range) second-generation mic preamps are better than ever. They offer incredibly low noise, with individual mic pre THD below 0.0007%, and overall mixer THD less than 0.0025%. With 60dB of available gain per channel, the 1642-VLZ3 can handle inputs ranging from a whisper to a scream, and can even handle hot line-level signals up to +22db, without any added coloration. You simply won't find preamps this good on any other mixer in this price range.
Three Kinds Of Channel Strips
1. Channels 1–8 are essentially the same as those on Mackie's 1604-VLZ3, with mono line-level input and Mackie's ultra-high-quality XDR2 mic preamps. These VLZ (Very Low Impedance) mic pres offer superior sound quality and the best RFI rejection of any compact mixer on the market.
2. Channels 9/10 and 11/12 (two physical channel strips) each provide a stereo pair of line-level inputs and a mono XDR2 mic preamp.
3. Channels 13/14 and 15/16 (also in two physical channel strips) each provide a stereo pair of line-level inputs only, with fixed 4-band equalization at points that are specifically designed for line-level inputs, such as keyboards, sound modules, etc.
Two Unique Equalization Formats
High-quality equalization is a must for any good mixer, that's why Mackie didn't cut any corners on the 1642-VLZ3. Channels 1-8 feature the same world-renowned 3-band Active equalization that you'll find on the 1604-VLZ3. Tremendous resources went into optimizing the center points of these mic channel equalizers, with the Lows at 80Hz and the Highs at 12kHz. Midrange compensation is handled by a peaking control with a two-octave variable frequency center. This means the Mids can be swept from 100Hz all the way up to 8kHz—with a boost or cut of 15dB.
Mackie designed a fixed 4-band, "musically-correct" EQ for the remaining channels, which are primarily intended for line-level signals, such as keyboards, sound modules, and drum machines. This all adds up to practical, useful equalization, with the tone-shaping facility to actually improve the musical nature of the original signal.
Professional Features
The Mackie 1642-VLZ3 mixer is packed with premium features on every channel: 75Hz Low-Cut filters, four Aux Sends, inserts, phantom power, constant-loudness Pan controls, OL (overload) and signal present LEDs, sub and main mix assign switches, and assignable AFL/PFL Solo switch. And since you can never have too many output options, Mackie also provided a Control Room/Phones source matrix, Master Aux section with EFX to Monitor, tape outputs, a high-volume headphone amplifier, channels 1-8 direct outs, and balanced XLR and balanced/unbalanced TRS outputs.
Built Mackie Tough
All VLZ3 mixers are built tough. Mackie's legendary solid-steel chassis can take the kind of abuse that would turn Mackie's competitors' flimsy boxes into so much scrap. And instead of cheap, unsealed potentiometers, Mackie use co-molded pots, which offer substantial strain relief at all critical points. By design, Mackie's control knobs "ride" just above the surface of the chassis, so if something heavy falls onto the mixer, the impact is transferred from the knobs to the steel chassis—not to the potentiometers or circuit board. Finally, to eliminate potential circuit board damage, Mackie use a thick, horizontally mounted fiberglass PC board, braced with a shock-absorbing support structure. Nobody builds 'em tougher than Mackie!
Superior Sound Quality
Above all, the 1642-VLZ3 has superior sound quality, wide dynamic range, tons of headroom and extremely low noise, allowing you to create high-quality professional output. Whether you're tracking in the project studio or laying down the truth in front of a live audience, you can always count on the Mackie 1642-VLZ3 to provide superb sound quality and extreme versatility. Audition a "perfecter" mixer at your Mackie dealer today.
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