mods to Mackie 1604

[stek]

hi Group

i am hoping someone can help me modify a 1604 to
change Auxs 3 & 4 from post Fade to pre Eq.

i have obtained a pdf via google giving 'cut track & insert
link' instructions for Auxs 1 & 2 to be moved from post
Eq to pre Eq. This allows some points in the signal path
to be identified on the pcb underside. i.e., point B is post
Eq and C is pre Eq / feed to Auxs 1 & 2

E & F are around the area of Auxs 3 & 4 and it seems
they are marked for mods along the lines that i require

I am hoping that someone who has already done a mod
along these lines can help because i'd like to avoid the
considerable time required in pulling the board assembly
out, removing all the knobs, identifying tracks etc...

regards

Simon

[Laurence Payne]

On 3 Jun 2004 17:15:22 GMT, "Walter Harley"
> wrote:

>> I am hoping that someone who has already done a mod
>> along these lines can help because i'd like to avoid the
>> considerable time required in pulling the board assembly
>> out, removing all the knobs, identifying tracks etc...

Yup. You're asking for a way to do the job without...er...doing the
job. Sorry.

CubaseFAQ www.laurencepayne.co.uk/CubaseFAQ.htm
"Possibly the world's least impressive web site": George Perfect

[Laurence Payne]

On 3 Jun 2004 17:15:22 GMT, "Walter Harley"
> wrote:

>> I am hoping that someone who has already done a mod
>> along these lines can help because i'd like to avoid the
>> considerable time required in pulling the board assembly
>> out, removing all the knobs, identifying tracks etc...

Yup. You're asking for a way to do the job without...er...doing the
job. Sorry.

CubaseFAQ www.laurencepayne.co.uk/CubaseFAQ.htm
"Possibly the world's least impressive web site": George Perfect

[stek]

snip

> It's not clear what kind of help you're looking for. Mackie tech support
> will gladly (in my experience) give you schematics and PCB layouts for the
> mixer, as well as information on specific modifications. (Actually I
think
> that particular mod is described in the owners manual, IIRC.) So that's
> going to be your best source for pictorial info of what to cut. Call them
> on the phone, tell them what you want, and they'll give you a download
code
> for their ftp server.
>

ok * I have just emailed tech support. It will be interesting to see what
their response is.. And yes, instructions are published for a mod (moving
Aux's 1+2 from pre eq to post eq), but not this one. It is not possible to
trace the signal path from underside of board only.


> Are you hoping for a tip on how to work on a Mackie without pulling all
the
> knobs? I've never found a way, myself. I'd say just grit your teeth and
go
> for it. A nut-driver will help with all the nuts on the pots. When you
put
> it back together make sure all the LED's line up with the corresponding
> holes, and make sure you get the washers back on the 1/4" jacks. Budget
> about 1.5 hours to open it up and close it back up, in addition to the
time
> it takes to do the actual work.
>
> Some tasks have no shortcut...
>
>

*well. The mod that Mackie published had a short cut! And it seems that the
mod i require would be a reasonably popular one (maybe) so i'm thinking
there may have been provision made for it to be done painlessly. Offcourse,
this assumes that all tracks which need to be accessed are on the underside.
We shall see..

Thanks for the tech support suggestion. I hadn't thought of that! I had
found a service (schematic connection) that sells the cct., but they only
seem to despatch physical copy which would take too long to get here (Oz)
for it to help in this case.

cheers

[stek]

snip

> It's not clear what kind of help you're looking for. Mackie tech support
> will gladly (in my experience) give you schematics and PCB layouts for the
> mixer, as well as information on specific modifications. (Actually I
think
> that particular mod is described in the owners manual, IIRC.) So that's
> going to be your best source for pictorial info of what to cut. Call them
> on the phone, tell them what you want, and they'll give you a download
code
> for their ftp server.
>

ok * I have just emailed tech support. It will be interesting to see what
their response is.. And yes, instructions are published for a mod (moving
Aux's 1+2 from pre eq to post eq), but not this one. It is not possible to
trace the signal path from underside of board only.


> Are you hoping for a tip on how to work on a Mackie without pulling all
the
> knobs? I've never found a way, myself. I'd say just grit your teeth and
go
> for it. A nut-driver will help with all the nuts on the pots. When you
put
> it back together make sure all the LED's line up with the corresponding
> holes, and make sure you get the washers back on the 1/4" jacks. Budget
> about 1.5 hours to open it up and close it back up, in addition to the
time
> it takes to do the actual work.
>
> Some tasks have no shortcut...
>
>

*well. The mod that Mackie published had a short cut! And it seems that the
mod i require would be a reasonably popular one (maybe) so i'm thinking
there may have been provision made for it to be done painlessly. Offcourse,
this assumes that all tracks which need to be accessed are on the underside.
We shall see..

Thanks for the tech support suggestion. I hadn't thought of that! I had
found a service (schematic connection) that sells the cct., but they only
seem to despatch physical copy which would take too long to get here (Oz)
for it to help in this case.

cheers

[solidac]

[...]

> Are you hoping for a tip on how to work on a Mackie without pulling all
the
> knobs? I've never found a way, myself. I'd say just grit your teeth and
go
> for it. A nut-driver will help with all the nuts on the pots. When you
put
> it back together make sure all the LED's line up with the corresponding
> holes, and make sure you get the washers back on the 1/4" jacks. Budget
> about 1.5 hours to open it up and close it back up, in addition to the
time
> it takes to do the actual work.
>
> Some tasks have no shortcut...
>
>

This task does. No need to pull knobs off, etc.

Took a bit of hunting around but there is a little mod sheet released by
Mackie for this mod. Those other designations on the pcb underside are for
modifying in exactly the way required.


Pre Eq >----[F]------[x][C]----> Aux 1+2

Post Eq >----[B]-----> Fader

Fader >------[D][x]-----> Aux 3/5

Fader >------[E][x]-----> Aux 4/6

Fader >------[A][x]-----> Direct Out


So.. to obtain pre-Eq to all Aux's, cut the link at D and E and link the
both 'load side' points of the cuts to F

If any one would like the 260K pdf, i'll send it

cheers

[solidac]

[...]

> Are you hoping for a tip on how to work on a Mackie without pulling all
the
> knobs? I've never found a way, myself. I'd say just grit your teeth and
go
> for it. A nut-driver will help with all the nuts on the pots. When you
put
> it back together make sure all the LED's line up with the corresponding
> holes, and make sure you get the washers back on the 1/4" jacks. Budget
> about 1.5 hours to open it up and close it back up, in addition to the
time
> it takes to do the actual work.
>
> Some tasks have no shortcut...
>
>

This task does. No need to pull knobs off, etc.

Took a bit of hunting around but there is a little mod sheet released by
Mackie for this mod. Those other designations on the pcb underside are for
modifying in exactly the way required.


Pre Eq >----[F]------[x][C]----> Aux 1+2

Post Eq >----[B]-----> Fader

Fader >------[D][x]-----> Aux 3/5

Fader >------[E][x]-----> Aux 4/6

Fader >------[A][x]-----> Direct Out


So.. to obtain pre-Eq to all Aux's, cut the link at D and E and link the
both 'load side' points of the cuts to F

If any one would like the 260K pdf, i'll send it

cheers