SECTION 2: PANEL LAYOUT & FUNCTION

16

 

U

 

3

1 OO

+15

STEREO

 

 

U

 

4

2 OO

+15

MONO

SHIFT

AUX

UHI

12k

–15 +15

UMID

2.5k

–12 +12

ULO

80

GAIN

–15 +15

EQ

LR

BALANCE

MUTE

ALT 3-4

SOLO

OL

CHANNEL16 -20

U

ON THE LEFT SIDE

Most of the LM-3204 front panel (four-fifths, precisely) is occupied by the 16 stereo, line level input modules or channel strips. Each strip sports identical features, functions, knobs and buttons, so we’ll take a close look at one and leave it to you to extrapolate. Still with us?

ON THE RIGHT SIDE

The rightmost one-fifth of the LM-3204 is the Master Output section, featuring auxiliary returns, master level controls, meters, lights and a few other tricks.

THE OFFICIAL GUIDED TOUR OF A TYPICAL LM-3204 INPUT MODULE (CHANNEL STRIP)

Pretty straightforward. But remember, these are all stereo input modules, so even though there is only one volume control and one EQ section per channel strip, there are actually two audio channels, Left and Right, routed through each strip…so each control on an input module is a dual control, working on both sides of the stereo signal.

THE GAIN CONTROL

At the bottom of each strip is the white Gain knob, which is a stereo gain control for that channel’s signal. In the time-honored Mackie tradition, the Gain control has a tremendous range, from off at the “” mark to unity (no gain or loss of gain) to a 30dB increase in signal level when fully clockwise providing 15dB of gain above unity. This range allows the LM-3204 to easily handle a wide range of “line level” inputs, from professional +4dBu and +8dBu levels all the way down to consumer and semi-pro-type – 10dBV levels and lower.

The “U” mark at the top

center the Gain control’s

arc of travel stands for

“Unity Gain.” It’s the point at which no level is added

to or subtracted from the input signal. With the input Gain control and Left/Right master gain controls set at “U,” a –10dBV signal at the input jacks of the LM-3204 is still –10 at the output jacks. Likewise, a +4dBu signal comes in at +4 and goes out at +4.

OO

+30dB

GAIN

 

U

1

 

U

2

 

U

3

 

U

4

 

U

5

 

U

6

 

U

7

 

U

8

 

U

9

 

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

1

OO

+15

1

OO

+15

1

OO

+15

1

OO

+15

1

OO

+15

1

OO

+15

1

OO

+15

1

OO

+15

1

OO

+15

1

OO

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

STEREO

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

2

OO

+15

2

OO

+15

2

OO

+15

2

OO

+15

2

OO

+15

2

OO

+15

2

OO

+15

2

OO

+15

2

OO

+15

2

OO

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

SHIFT

MONO

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

 

AUX

 

U

HI

 

U

HI

 

U

HI

 

U

HI

 

U

HI

 

U

HI

 

U

HI

 

U

HI

 

U

HI

 

U

 

 

12k

 

 

12k

 

 

12k

 

 

12k

 

 

12k

 

 

12k

 

 

12k

 

 

12k

 

 

12k

 

 

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

 

U

MID

 

U

MID

 

U

MID

 

U

MID

 

U

MID

 

U

MID

 

U

MID

 

U

MID

 

U

MID

 

U

 

 

2.5k

 

 

2.5k

 

 

2.5k

 

 

2.5k

 

 

2.5k

 

 

2.5k

 

 

2.5k

 

 

2.5k

 

 

2.5k

 

 

 

–12

+12

 

–12

+12

 

–12

+12

 

–12

+12

 

–12

+12

 

–12

+12

 

–12

+12

 

–12

+12

 

–12

+12

 

–12

 

U

LO

 

U

LO

 

U

LO

 

U

LO

 

U

LO

 

U

LO

 

U

LO

 

U

LO

 

U

LO

 

U

 

 

80

 

 

80

 

 

80

 

 

80

 

 

80

 

 

80

 

 

80

 

 

80

 

 

80

 

 

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

+15

 

–15

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

EQ

 

L

R

 

L

R

 

L

R

 

L

R

 

L

R

 

L

R

 

L

R

 

L

R

 

L

R

 

L

 

BALANCE

 

BALANCE

 

BALANCE

 

BALANCE

 

BALANCE

 

BALANCE

 

BALANCE

 

BALANCE

 

BALANCE

 

BALANC

MUTE

 

MUTE

 

MUTE

 

MUTE

 

MUTE

 

MUTE

 

MUTE

 

MUTE

 

MUTE

 

MUTE

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

 

ALT 3-4

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

SOLO

 

 

OL

 

 

OL

 

 

OL

 

 

OL

 

 

OL

 

 

OL

 

 

OL

 

 

OL

 

 

OL

 

 

CHANNEL -20

CHANNEL -20

CHANNEL -20

CHANNEL -20

CHANNEL -20

CHANNEL -20

CHANNEL -20

CHANNEL -20

CHANNEL -20

 

CHANNEL

 

1

 

 

2

 

 

3

 

 

4

 

 

5

 

 

6

 

 

7

 

 

8

 

 

9

 

 

10

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

U

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

+30dB

 

OO

 

GAIN

 

GAIN

 

GAIN

 

GAIN

 

GAIN

 

GAIN

 

GAIN

 

GAIN

 

GAIN

 

GAI

6