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DFX SERIES
OWNER’S MANUAL
DFX•6 AND DFX•12
6- AND 12-CHANNEL MIXERS
WITH DIGITAL EFFECTS
DFX12 MIXER
12 CHANNEL COMPACT INTEGRATED LIVE SOUND MIXER
OPTIONAL USES FOR INSERTS
CAUTION WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT SERIAL NUMBER MANUFACTURING DATE MONO PLUG STEREO
PLUG
EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE COVER.
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
DO NOT OPEN INSERT ALL THE WAY IN TO T
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12. Damage Requiring Service — This Mackie product should be serviced only by qualified service personnel when: CAUTION AVIS A. The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into this Mackie product; or RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE NE PAS OUVRIR C. This Mackie product has been exposed to rain; or CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK D. This Mackie product does not appear to operate normally or exh
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About this manual: This manual covers both the DFX•6 and DFX•12 mixers. They share the same design and operate in the same way, except that the DFX•12 has 2 more mono channels than the DFX•6, and it has 2 stereo line-only channels. Absolutely most important pages: Before connecting and using your mixer, please read the Safety Instructions on page 2. Before you start mixing, please read the Quick Start section starting on page 4. It’s a list of steps that will familiarize you with the mixer and h
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QUICK START We know you can’t wait to get the show on the road. Who has time to read a booooring manual? That’s fine — the DFX Mixer is designed to set up quickly and operate intuitively — but please, read the Safety Instructions on page 2, and then read these two pages! First you will zero the console, then make the connections, set the levels and tweak the mix. 1. ZERO THE CONSOLE: 5. Set the channel strip LOW CUT switches up. 1. Turn everything off, including the mixer’s 6. Center the STEREO
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2. MAKE THE CONNECTIONS: 4. TWEAK THE MIX: 1. Connect your amplifier’s outputs to your 1. Engage MUTE on all channels except your speaker inputs (unless, of course, you have rhythm section (drums & bass). powered monitors). 2. Adjust the rhythm section’s channel faders 2. Plug all the sound system components into to get a good balance of levels. suitable AC outlets, properly grounded and 3. Un-mute the other active channels and capable of delivering adequate current. adjust their faders. 3. Usin
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INTRODUCTION Comprehensive master section, with: Thank you for choosing a Mackie Designs DFX™ Mixer! These compact live-sound mixers • Two 60mm main mix faders (L, R) are designed to meet the sound reinforcement • Balanced XLR stereo main outputs needs of almost any small to medium-sized club, • Balanced TRS stereo main outputs meeting room, sanctuary, or outdoor gathering. • 12-segment stereo LED metering Here’s a quick glance at all the features • 5-band stereo graphic EQ with main mix/ you’ve
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APPLICATION DIAGRAMS Microphones 1-4 Active Monitor Mono in/Stereo out Reverb (optional) STEREO AUX AUX SEND 5/6 7/8 9/10 11/12 MAIN OUT 1 2 3 4 RETURN L R LEFT RIGHT MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC 1 1 MON (MONO) 2 2 EFX BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL CD/TAPE TAPE EFX IN OUT LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN L L L L FOOT (MONO) (MONO) (MONO) (MONO) SWITCH LL BAL/UNBAL LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT PHONES Active Speakers (SRM4
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PATCHBAY (the intro and the outro) This is where everything gets plugged in: microphones, line-level instruments, effects devices, and the ultimate destination(s): PA system, monitors, headphones, and tape recorder, etc. STEREO AUX AUX SEND MAIN OUT 2 4 5/6 7/8 9/10 11/12 1 3 RETURN L R LEFT RIGHT MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC 1 1 MON (MONO) 2 2 EFX BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL CD/TAPE TAPE EFX IN OUT LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN L L L L FOOT (MON
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4. INSERT (FOR MONO CHANNELS) EFFECTS: SERIAL OR PARALLEL? Use the insert jacks to send the channel Effects devices are used signal through a compressor, graphic equalizer, either in serial or in parallel: or similar device. Serial means that the en- With nothing plugged into this jack, the tire signal is routed through channel’s signal goes straight through the mic/ the effects device. Examples line preamp and channel strip. With an exter- include: preamps, compres- nal effects device plugged i
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STEREO AUX AUX SEND MAIN OUT 11/12 1 2 3 4 5/6 7/8 9/10 RETURN L R LEFT RIGHT MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC MIC 1 1 MON (MONO) 2 2 EFX BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL BAL/UNBAL CD/TAPE TAPE EFX IN OUT LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN L L L L FOOT (MONO) (MONO) (MONO) (MONO) SWITCH BAL/UNBAL LL LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN LINE IN INSERT INSERT INSERT INSERT RR RR PHONES RR 5. MAIN OUTPUTS 7. AUX SEND 1/MON OUTPUT Coming in two flavors, XLR and 1/4" TRS, To create a stage m
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level controls of your amplifiers a little. Adjust 9. AUX 1 RETURN INPUTS the channel faders upwards to compensate. Patch the outputs of external parallel ef- This will increase the levels in the mixer and fects devices to these inputs. the tape output. Signals coming in are adjusted using the AUX 1 RETURN (43) fader and MUTE. 13. EFX FOOTSWITCH When connecting a mono device (just one You can connect a normally-open footswitch cord), always use the left (mono) input and here to switch the EMAC e
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CHANNEL STRIP FEATURES 1 LEVEL MIC SET U OVERVIEW 18. LOW CUT The channel strips are independent of each The LOW CUT circuit, often referred to as a MIN +50 -20dB +30dB other, and allow you to adjust, tweak and other- high-pass filter, cuts the bass frequencies GAIN wise beautify the sound coming from your below 75 Hz at a rate of 18 dB per octave. different microphones, guitars and other in- We recommend that you use LOW CUT on LOW CUT 75 Hz struments. The Faders and Pans let you adjust every m
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the center position, the left and right channel AUXILIARIES signals pass through to the main mix unaffected. 11/12 LEVEL AUX 1/MON allows you to create a separate SET If PAN is turned left, the right channel is attenu- U mono mix which can be used to feed stage ated; if turned right, the left side is attenuated. monitors. AUX 2/EFX allows you to create another 24. MUTE -20dB +20dB mono mix to feed the EMAC internal effects, GAIN When you engage a channel’s MUTE switch, and any external effects p
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MASTER SECTION FEATURES Before you read this chapter, you might want to look at the POWER rather lovely channel strip fea- · DFX 12 tures on the previous page. 12 CHANNEL INTEGRATED LIVE SOUND MIXER +12 +12 27. STEREO GRAPHIC EQ PHANTOM POWER This equalizer is used to shape +48V the frequency spectrum of the 0 0 main mix or monitor mix. It is LEFT RIGHT the last thing in the signal chain CLIP 16 before the MAIN MIX (34) faders 12 and the MAIN OUT (5) jacks. –12 –12 8 Each EQ slider controls a d
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The meters display the level of the main 28. MAIN/AUX 1 EQ SWITCH mix, after the MAIN MIX (34) faders. This switch allows you to add EQ either to You can get a good mix with the meter’s your main mix, or to your monitors. peaks flashing anywhere between –20 and In the UP (MAIN) position, the EQ (27) +8 dB. Most amplifiers clip at about +10 dB, only affects the main mix, phone or tape outs. and some recorders aren’t so forgiving either. In the DOWN (AUX 1) position, the EQ only For best real-worl
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36. BREAK SWITCH Engage the BREAK switch (as in take-a- · DFX 12 break) and the entire main microphone mix 12 CHANNEL INTEGRATED LIVE SOUND MIXER is switched off. +12 +12 The CD/TAPE (11) input is still active, so you can play your intermission CDs or tapes through the main outputs. On the DFX•12, line level inputs 9 and 10, 11 and 12 are also 0 0 still active, and are summed with the CD/ TAPE input. During an intermission, you could play keyboards or a second tape deck into these line inputs. –
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40. AUX 2/EFX RETURN FADER, MUTE EMAC EFFECTS PROCESSOR The EMAC output is added to any signals EMAC stands for Extended Multiply and Ac- going into the AUX 2 RETURN (10) jacks from cumulate, which is a proprietary 32-bit digital an external effects processor. The final effects stereo processor developed by our Digital En- signal is then sent to this MUTE switch and gineering Group. It provides you with a choice stereo fader. It acts like a channel fader, ex- of 16 preset digital effects algorit
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MD. HALL: BYPASS DIGITAL STEREO EFFECTS PROCESSOR Dense, smooth reverb with normal tail, LEVEL SET U normal pre-delay, and increased early REVERSE DELAY 1 GATE DELAY 2 reflections. Tails are warm with more +6 CATHEDRAL DELAY 3 apparent high end. Works well with (EFFECTS TO STAGE MONITOR) LG. HALL DELAY 4 vocals and electric and acoustic guitar. MD. HALL CHORUS LG. PLATE: LG. PLATE FLANGE Good early reflections and no pre-delay. MD. PLATE PHASER Tails are normal and warm with str
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MODULATION EFFECTS BAD EFFECTS These include Chorus, Flange, and Phaser, The following effect ideas did not quite and are generally used for enhancement of in- make the grade: strumental music. However, Chorus adds a ELEVATOR: dramatic effect to vocals as well. Each musical selection is carefully CHORUS: stripped of its lyrics, passed through a Provides a soft, ethereal sweeping effect. true mono, house band simulator and Perfect for enhancement of electric and emerges as a piece even its own ac
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APPENDIX A: Service Info Warranty Service Repair Details concerning Warranty Service are Service for DFX mixers sold in the USA is spelled out in the Warranty Card included with available at our factory, located in sunny Wood- your mixer. If it’s missing, please let us or your inville, Washington. Service for Mackie mixers dealer know. living outside the United States can be obtained If you think your DFX Mixer has a problem, through local dealers or distributors. please do everything you can to
