Mackie MicroSeries 1202 User manual

1
MICROSERIES1202 OWNER’S MANUAL
PHONES
OO
U U
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 1
+20
OO
LINE1
BAL/UNBAL
U U
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 2
+20
OO
LINE 2
BAL/UNBAL
GAIN 3
+20
OO
LINE 3
BAL/UNBAL
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 4
+20
OO
LINE 4
BAL/UNBAL
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 5-6
+20
OO
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 7-8
+20
OO
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 9-10
+20
OO
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
+22
CLIP
U
GAIN 11-12
+20
OO
MASTER
+10
OO
UUUU U
AUX AUX AUXAUX AUX AUX AUX AUX
TRIM4
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM1
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM2
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM3
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
+20
1
OO
+20
2
OO
U
STEREO AUX RETURN TO MASTER
PHONES
LINE 11-12LINE 5-6 LINE 7-8 LINE 9-10
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
MIC 1 MIC 2 MIC 3 MIC 4
STEREO AUX RETURNS AUXOUT
LEFT/MONO
MAIN OUTS
L
R
1
2
1
2
RIGHT
+10
+4
+2
0
-2
-4
-7
-10
-20
+7
-30
TRIM
1-4 LINE IN 1-12
INPUT CH.
METERING
MICRO SERIES 1202
12-CHANNEL MIC/LINE MIXER
UUUUUUUUU
TAPE IN
AUX 2
TAPE
INPUT TAPE OUTPUT
L
R
POWER
U
BAL.
0dBu
CAL.

2
8. PowerCordProtection—Powersupplycordsshouldbe
routedsothattheyarenotlikelytobewalkeduponor
pinchedbyitemsplaceduponoragainstthem,paying
particularattentiontocordsatplugs,conveniencereceptacles,
andthepointwheretheyexittheMicroSeries1202.
9. ObjectandLiquidEntry—Careshouldbetakensothat
objectsdonotfallintoandliquidsarenotspilledintothe
insideoftheMicroSeries1202.
10. DamageRequiringService—TheMicroSeries1202
shouldbeservicedonlybyqualifiedservicepersonnelwhen:
A. Thepower-supplycordortheplughasbeen
damaged;or
B.Objectshavefallen,or liquidhasspilledintothe
MicroSeries1202;or
C. TheMicroSeries1202hasbeenexposedtorain;or
D. TheMicroSeries1202doesnotappeartooperate
normallyorexhibitsamarkedchangeinperformance;or
E. TheMicroSeries1202hasbeendropped,orits
chassisdamaged.
11. Servicing—Theusershouldnotattempttoservicethe
MicroSeries1202beyondthosemeansdescribedinthis
operatingmanual.Allotherservicingshouldbereferredtothe
MackieServiceDepartment.
12. Topreventelectricshock,donotusethispolarizedplug
withanextensioncord,receptacleorotheroutletunlessthe
bladescanbefullyinsertedtopreventbladeexposure.
Pourpréevenir les chocs électriques ne pas utiliser cette fiche
polariseéavec un prolongateur, un prise de courant ou une
autresortie de courant, sauf si les lames peuvent être insérées
àfond sans laisser aucune pariie à découvert.
13. GroundingorPolarization—Precautionsshouldbe
takensothatthegroundingorpolarizationmeansofthe
MicroSeries1202isnotdefeated.
14.Thisapparatus does not exceed the Class A/Class B
(whicheverisapplicable)limitsforradionoiseemissionsfrom
digitalapparatusassetoutintheradiointerference
regulationsoftheCanadianDepartmentofCommunications.
ATTENTION—Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de
bruitsradioélectriques dépassant las limites applicables aux
appareilsnumériques de class A/de class B (selon le cas)
prescritesdans le règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique
édictépar les ministere des communications du Canada.
WARNING—Toreducetheriskoffireorelectricshock,do
notexposethisappliancetorainormoisture.
CAUTION AVIS
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE
NE PAS OUVRIR
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC
ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE. AUCUN
ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L'USAGER. CONFIER
L'ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.
AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D'INCENDIE OU
D'ELECTROCUTION, N'EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE
A LA PLUIE OU A L'HUMIDITE
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated
"dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure, that may be
of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
Le symbole éclair avec point de flèche à l'intérieur d'un triangle
équilatéral est utilisé pour alerter l'utilisateur de la présence à
l'intérieur du coffret de "voltage dangereux" non isolé d'ampleur
suffisante pour constituer un risque d'éléctrocution.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to
alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance
(servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
Le point d'exclamation à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral est
employé pour alerter les utilisateurs de la présence d'instructions
importantes pour le fonctionnement et l'entretien (service) dans le
livret d'instruction accompagnant l'appareil.
V2.4–1/95
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1.ReadInstructions—All thesafetyandoperationinstructions
shouldbereadbeforetheMicroSeries1202isoperated.
2. RetainInstructions—Thesafetyandoperating
instructionsshouldbekeptforfuturereference.
3. HeedWarnings—AllwarningsontheMicroSeries1202
andintheseoperatinginstructionsshouldbefollowed.
4. FollowInstructions—Alloperatingandotherinstructions
shouldbefollowed.
5. WaterandMoisture—TheMicroSeries1202shouldnot
beusednearwater—forexample,nearabathtub,
washbowl,kitchensink,laundrytub,inawetbasement,near
aswimmingpool,swamporsalivatingSt.Bernarddog,etc.
6. Heat—TheMicroSeries1202shouldbesituatedaway
fromheatsourcessuchasradiators,orotherdeviceswhich
produceheat.
7. PowerSources —The MicroSeries 1202should be
connectedto apower supply onlyof thetypedescribed inthese
operationinstructions oras marked onthe MicroSeries1202.

3
CONNECTIONTIPS&
HOOK-UP,PG.11
PATCHBAYDESCRIPTION
BEGINSONPG.4
TECH
STUFF
LEVEL
SETTING
STEPS
DETAILEDLEVEL-SETTING
PROCEDURE,PG.12
1202BLOCKDIAGRAM
&SERVICEINFOPG.13-15
CHANNELSTRIP&OUTPUT
SECTIONDESCRIPTION,PG.8
PATCH
BAY
1202
CONTROLS
HOOK
UP
INTRODUCTION
Thankyou!Therearealotofmakes and
modelsoutthere,allcompetingforyour
bucks…butyou havevotedwithyourwallet
forthefolksinWoodinvillewhospecializein
American-mademixers.
Thereare onlytwootherthingsweask:
First,nowthatyou’vegotaMicroSeries
1202,findouthowtogetthemostfromit.
That’swherethismanualcomesin.
• If this is your first pro mixer, flip through
the whole book: you’ll find it full of actual
from-the-streetsengineering tips, aswell
asoperation and installationinstructions.
• Ifyou’reanexperienced,big-bucks
engineerwithlotsoffaderhoursunder
yourfingertips,atleastread“Part1:All
theHolesandKnobs.”(We’vefoundthat
experiencedengineersusuallyread
manualscover-to-coveranywaysothat
theycankeepgettingthebigbucks.)
Fast-Track“CAN’TWAIT!”tips
forpeoplewho ignoremanuals
A. To adjust input levels:
1. SetTRIM fully counterclockwise.
2. Set GAIN to unity (twelve o’clock).
3. Pushin the INPUTCH. METERING switch.
4. Feeda normal signalinto a selectedinput.
5. Adjustthat input’sTRIMcontrol sothat
thedisplay on theleftLED strip stays
around0, and nevergoeshigher than +10.
6. RepeatforeachofChannels1–4.
B. Connecting effects
Readthesectionstarting onpage11for
fullinformationonconnectingdigitaldelays,
reverbs,etc.viaAUXSENDSandSTEREO
AUXRETURNS.Thiscangetprettycompli-
catedquickly.
Don’t cream your monitor speakers
Alwaysturnthemastergainandhead-
phonelevelcontrolsdownbeforemaking
connectionstoandfromyourMS 1202.

4
Thefirstthingyou’ll noticeisthatthetop
panelisorganizedintothreedistinctareas:
• A patchbay along the top;
• Eight channel strips — four mono and
fourstereo;
• Andanoutputsectionontheright.
Notethatfourpatchbayjacksoverflowed
thetoppanel, andareontherearofthe
MS1202.Thefollowingpictureswillhelpyou
findeverything;thenextfewpageswillhelp
youuseit all.
PATCHBAY
Attheriskof statingtheobvious,thisis
whereyouplugeverythingin:microphones,
line-levelinstrumentsandeffects,head-
phones,andtheultimatedestinationfor
yoursound:ataperecorder,PAsystem,etc.
Microphone Inputs
Weusetrue“phantom-powered,balanced
inputs”justlikethebigstudiomega-con-
soles,forexactlythesamereason: thiskind
PHONES
OO
U U
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 1
+20
OO
LINE1
BAL/UNBAL
U U
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 2
+20
OO
LINE 2
BAL/UNBAL
GAIN 3
+20
OO
LINE 3
BAL/UNBAL
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 4
+20
OO
LINE 4
BAL/UNBAL
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 5-6
+20
OO
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 7-8
+20
OO
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 9-10
+20
OO
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
+22
CLIP
U
GAIN 11-12
+20
OO
MASTER
+10
OO
UUUU U
AUX AUX AUXAUX AUX AUX AUX AUX
TRIM4
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM1
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
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I
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Y
TRIM2
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
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N
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I
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Y
TRIM3
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
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Y
+20
1
OO
+20
2
OO
U
STEREO AUX RETURN TO MASTER
PHONES
LINE 11-12LINE 5-6 LINE 7-8 LINE 9-10
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
MIC 1 MIC 2 MIC 3 MIC 4
STEREO AUX RETURNS AUXOUT
LEFT/MONO
MAIN OUTS
L
R
1
2
1
2
RIGHT
+10
+4
+2
0
-2
-4
-7
-10
-20
+7
-30
TRIM
1-4 LINE IN 1-12
INPUT CH.
METERING
MICRO SERIES 1202
12-CHANNEL MIC/LINE MIXER
UUUUUUUUU
TAPE IN
AUX 2
TAPE
INPUT TAPE OUTPUT
L
R
POWER
U
BAL.
0dBu
CAL
PATCHBAY
CHANNEL STRIPS
OUTPUT
ofcircuitisexcellentatrejectinghum and
noise.Youcanplugany kindofprofessional
micthathasastandard“XLR-type”malemic
connector.Ifyouwireyourown,connect
themlikethis:
Pin 1 =Ground or shield
Pin 2 = Hot (in phase with output)
Pin 3 = Cold (out of phase with output)
Professionalribbon,dynamicandcon-
densermicswillallsoundexcellentthrough
theseinputs,especiallyifyoufollowthe
LevelSettinginstructionsonpage12.Lower-
costelectret-typeunbalancedmicscanbe
pluggedintoLineInputs1–12,butwillre-
quireadditionalgain.
Basically, theMS 1202’sinputswillhandle
anykindof miclevelyou cantossat them
withoutoverloading.Butyou’llgettheabso-
lutebestqualitysoundifyoufollowthe
calibrationprocedurecoveredbrieflyinour
“Can’tWaitTips”onpage3, andmoredepth
inPart3, page12.
Part1—ALLTHEHOLESANDKNOBS:
AGUIDEDTOUROFTHEMICROSERIES1202
1

5
LINE1
BAL/UNBAL
LINE 2
BAL/UNBAL
LINE 3
BAL/UNBAL
LINE 4
BAL/UNBAL
TRIM4
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM1
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM2
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM3
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
LINE 11-12LINE 5-6 LINE 7-8 LINE 9-10
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
L
R
MONO
MIC 1 MIC 2 MIC 3 MIC 4
STEREO AUX RETURNS AUX SEND
LEFT/MONO
MAIN OUTS
L
R
1
2
1
2
RIGHT
TAPE
INPUT TAPE OUTPUT
L
R
Microphone Power
Mostmodernprofessionalcondensermics
areequippedforPhantomPower,whichlets
themixersendlow-voltageDCtothemic’s
electronicsoverthesamewiresthatcarry
audio.(Semi-procondensermicsoftenhave
batteriestoaccomplishthesamething.)The
“Phantom”owesitsname toanabilitytobe
“unseen”bydynamicmicswhichdon’tneed
externalpowerandaren’taffectedbyitany-
way. NOTE: Donotapplyphantompowerto
ribbonmicrophones,oryouwillhavean
entertainingfireworksdisplay.
TheMS 1202’sphantompoweriscontrolled
bythePHANTOMswitchontherearpanel.
Ch. 1–4 Line Inputs
Thesefourlineinputssharecircuitry(but
notphantompower)withthemicpreamps,
andcanbedrivenbybalancedorunbalanced
devicesatalmostanylevel.Inotherwords,
youcanusetheseinputsforvirtuallyanysig-
nalyou’llcomeacross,frominstrumentlevels
tolevelsof–10to+4,sincethereis40dB
moregainavailablethanonChannels5–12.
To connecttheseinputstobalanced
sources,useaTip-Ring-Sleeve(TRS)or
three-conductorplug(thetypefoundonste-
reoheadphones):
Tip = Positive (+ or hot)
Ring = Negative (– or cold)
Sleeve = Shield or ground
Toconnecttheinputs tounbalanced
sources,use amono phone plugor standard
instrumentcable. Thejackon theMS 1202
willsensethepluganddisablethebalancing
circuits.
Lineinputs1–4areagoodplacetocon-
nectolderkeyboardswhichhavelowgain,or
keyboardsingeneralsinceyoucanadjust
thecorrespondingchannelTRIMcontrolso
thatthemixerhasplentyofgainbutyoucan
keepthekeyboardvolumecontrolset
aroundthehalfwaymark.
Trim controls
TRIM1through4adjuststheinputsensi-
tivityofthemicandlineinputsconnectedto
Channels1through4.Thisallowssignalsfrom
theproverbialoutsideworldtobebroughtin
atoptimalinternaloperatinglevels.SeeLevel
Settinginstructionsonpage12.
Chs. 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, 11–12 Line Inputs
Theseinputsaredesignedforstereoor
monounbalancedsignalsfrom–10dBVto
+4dBu.Theycanbe usedwithjustaboutany
professionalorsemi-proinstrument,effect,
ortapeplayer.Intheaudioworld, anodd-
numberedchannelusuallyreceivesthe“left
signal”.Forexample,feedlineinputs5–6a
stereosignalbyinsertingthedevice’sleft
outputplugintothe Channel5jack,andits
rightoutputplugintotheChannel6jack.
STEREO AUX RETURNS to Master
Thisiswhereyouconnecttheoutputs of
youreffectsdevices.TheSTEREOAUX
RETURNSarewiredidenticallytothestereo
lineinputs.Thecircuitswillhandlestereoor
monounbalancedsignals,eitherinstrument
level,–10dBVor+4dBu. Theycanbeused
withjustaboutany proorsemi-proeffecton
themarket.
Additionalinformationonconnecting
effectstothe MS 1202starts onpage11.
2
1
34
2
tip ring sleeve
cuff hem garter belt
shield
(ground)
positive
(white wire)
negative
(black wire)
5
3
4
5
PATCH
BAY

6
impedanceandcandriveaslowasa600Ω
line.Balancedoutputis6dBhigherthanfor
unbalancedoutputs.(Thisisnotedonthe
MasterGainPotbyaspecialUBALmark
counterclockwisefromthe “U”centerdetent
position.)
To usetheseoutputsinbalancedapplica-
tions,connectaTRSphoneplug:
Tip = + (hot)
Ring = – (cold)
Sleeve = Ground
FormostmusicrecordingandPAapplica-
tions,unbalancedoutputsareperfectly
acceptable.Usestandardinstrumentcables.
To usetheseoutputsinunbalancedappli-
cations,connectamonophoneplug:
Tip = + (hot)
Sleeve = Ground
Headphone Output
ThestereoPHONESjackwilldriveany
standardheadphonetoveryloudlevels.
Walkperson-typephonescanalsobeused
withanappropriateadapter.
Ifyou’rewiringyourowncableforthe
PHONESoutput,followstandardconventions:
Tip = Left channel
Ring = Right channel
Sleeve = Common ground
Headphone warning: Whenwesaythe
headphoneampisloud,we’renotkidding.It
cancausepermanenteardamage.Evenin-
termediatelevelsmaybeunhealthilyloud
withsomeearphones.Becareful!
AlwaysturnthePHONES knoballtheway
downbeforeconnectingheadphones.Keepit
downuntilyou’veputthephoneson.Then
Channel Inserts 1–4
Thesejacks,lurkingonthebackofthe
MicroSeries1202, arewhereyouconnectseries
processorssuchascompressors,equalizers,de-
essers,orfilters(orasmicpreampdirect
outs).Sincemostpeopledon’thavemorethan
afewofthesegadgets,we’veincludedconnec-
tionsforjustthefirstfourmic/lineinputs.If
youwanttousethiskindofprocessingon
Channels5–12,simplyloopthroughthedevice
beforeyouplugintotheMS1202.
Theinsertpointsareafterthemicpre-
amps,butbeforethechannelgainknobsand
equalizers.Theoutputatthisconnectoris
lowimpedance(120Ω),capableofdriving
allprocessors;theinputishighimpedance
(over10kΩ)andbuffered,capableofbeing
drivenbyalmostanyprocessor.
We’lldiscussotheraspectsofchannelin-
sertsincludingtheiruseasdirectchannel
outsonpage12.
THREE SETS OF MIX OUTPUTS
TheMS 1202has threeobvious setsof
outputs:themainstereomix(7);ascream-
ingly-loudstereoheadphone jack(8);anda
taperecorderconnection(9)allofwhichre-
ceivethetotalmixconsistingoftheeight
channelstripsplusthetwoSTEREOAUX
RETURNS.Mainoutputsandtapeoutputs
areaffectedbytheMASTERcontrol;head-
phoneoutputhasitsowncontrol.
Main Output
Theseoutputsareelectricallybalanced
andcapableofdriving+4dBulineswithup
to28dBofheadroom.They’realso low
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE BOTTOM COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
SERIAL NUMBER
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CONCEIVED, DESIGNED, AND MANUFACTURED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC. • WOODINVILLE WASHINGTON MADE IN USA
12-CHANNEL MIC/LINE MIXER
MICRO SERIES 1202
POWER
ON
PHANTOM
48V
ON
4321
CHANNEL INSERTS
DIRECT OUT WITH NO SIGNAL
INTERRUPTION TO MASTER DIRECT OUT WITH SIGNAL
INTERRUPTION TO MASTER FOR USE AS AN EFFECTS LOOP
(TIP= SEND, RING = RETURN)
TIP OUT TO EFFECTS DEVICE
RING RETURN FROM EFFECTS
STEREO PLUG
INSERT ALL THE WAY IN TO
THE "SECOND CLICK"
INSERT ONLY INTO THE
"FIRST CLICK"
MONO PLUGMONO PLUG
12
11 14 6
13
LINE1
BAL/UNBAL LINE 2 BAL/UNBAL LINE 3 BAL/UNBAL LINE 4
BAL/UNBAL
TRIM4
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM1
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
I
T
I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM2
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
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I
V
I
T
Y
TRIM3
+4
U40dB
GAIN
–10
S
E
N
S
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I
V
I
T
Y
LINE 11-12LINE 5-6 LINE 7-8 LINE 9-10
L
R
MONO L
R
MONO L
R
MONO L
R
MONO
MIC 1MIC 2MIC 3MIC 4
STEREO AUX RETURNS AUX SEND
LEFT/MONO
MAIN OUTS
L
R
1
2
1
2
RIGHT
TAPE
INPUT TAPE OUTPUT
L
R
PHONES
6
7
8
8
10 97

7
why it sounds so good. No wall wart can
providethiskind of sophisticated power.
• Wallwartsare inconvenient, radiate huge
hum fields, hog extra jacks on your power
strip and get in the way when you move.
• The thin cable coming out of a wall wart
breakseasily,especiallyontheroad.And
then you need a whole new wart. If the
rugged MS 1202 cord ever wears out, you
can get a new one at any electronics,
music,orcomputer store.
• Bynowyou’veprobablygatheredthatwe
reallyhatewallwarts.
PlugtheMS 1202 intoany standard
groundedACoutletorpowerstripofproper
voltage.
WARNING:Disconnectingtheplug’sground
pincanbedangerous.Pleasedon’tdoit.
Fuse
TheMS1202isfusedforyour(anditsown)
protection.Ifyoususpectablownfusediscon-
nectthecord,pulltheFUSEdraweroutand
replacethefusewitha315mA slo blo,
5x20mm(Littlefuse#218.315),availableat
electronicsstoresoryourdealer(ora160mA
sloblo 5x20mm—Littlefuse#218.160—if
yourMS 1202isa220V/240Vunit).
Iftwofusesblowinarow,somethingis
verywrong.Pleasecallourtoll-freenumber
andfindout whattodo.
Power Switch
Ifthisoneisn’tself-explanatory,wegive
up.Youcanleavethisswitchonallthetime;
theMS 1202isconservativelydesigned,so
heatbuildupisn’taproblemevenin24-hour-
a-dayoperation.There’snothingthatwill
burnoutorgetusedup.Youmaynoticethat
theMS 1202feels warmin theupperright
corner.Thisisperfectlynormal.
Or,justplug everythingtoagood quality
powerstripforone-buttonturn-on.
Ifyouleavethis switchoff,youwon’thear
anything.
Phantom Power Switch
ThePhantomPowerSwitchcontrolsthe
phantompowersupplyforcondensermicro-
phonesasdiscussedatthestartofthis
section.Whenturnedoff,thephantom
powercircuitrytakesamomentforvoltage
tobleedtozero.Thisisnormal.Donotat-
tempttoadjustyoursets.
NOTE:Phantompowerwillnot harm
standarddynamicmics.Seeitem1page4.
advanceitforbestlevelswithatypical
soundsource.
Engineerswhofrytheirearsfindthem-
selveswithshortcareers.
Tape Output
Theseunbalanced(RCA)connections
tap themainoutputstomakesimultaneous
recordingandPAmoreconvenient.Connect
thesetoyourrecorder’sinputs.
Tape Input
Thesearedesignedtoworkwithsemi-proas
wellasprorecorders.There’sdefinitelyenough
gaintoaccommodatealmostanysource.
Connectyourtaperecorder’soutputhere,
usingstandardhi-fi(RCA)cables.Whenyou
pushtheTAPEINbutton,itwillbeconnected
inplaceofSTEREOAUXRETURN2.Youcan
thenusetheAUXRETURNknobtocontrol
leveltothemainandheadphoneouts.
WARNING: PushingTAPEINcancreatea
feedbackpathbetweenTAPEINandTAPE
OUT.Makesureyourtapedeck isnotin
record,record-pauseorinputmonitormode
whenyouengagethe TAPEINswitchor…
makesuretheAUXRETURN2 knobisfully
counterclockwise(off).
Thecircuitdetailsareidenticaltothe
AUXReturnsdiscussedabove.Onlythejacks
havebeenchangedtomakethingseasier.
• Usethesejacksforconvenienttape
playback of your mixes. You’ll be able to
review a mix, and then rewind and try
anotherpass, without repatching or
disturbingthe main mixer controls.
• Youcanalso usethesejackswitha
portabletapeorCDplayertofeedmusic
toaPAsystem betweensets.The micro-
phoneandlineinputswillstillbelive
unlessyouturnthem downattheinput
GAINcontrols.
Power Connection
Justincaseyou losethecordprovided
withtheMS 1202, itspower jackacceptsa
standardIECcordlikethosefoundonmost
professionalrecorders,musicalinstruments,
andcomputers.
Attheotherendofourcordis—getthis—
aplug!Not ablackcube or,aswe’refondof
callingthem,a“wall wart”.Wedidthis for
someverygoodreasons:
• The MS 1202has separate regulated
supplies for the audio, meter, and micro-
phonephantomcircuits.That’s part of
9
10
11
12
13
14
PATCH
BAY

8
THE REST OF THE STORY: CONTROLS
Aswepointed outatthe startofthis sec-
tion,thecontrols onthe MS 1202are
organizedintotwodistinctareas:eightchan-
nelstrips(fourmonoandfourstereo)and
anoutputsection.
CHANNEL STRIP CONTROLS
Theeightchannelstripslookalike,and
functionidentically.Theonlydifferenceis
thefouronthe leftareforindividualmicsor
monoinstrumentsandhavemoregainavail-
able,whilethenextfourareforeitherstereo
ormonoline-levelsources.(Eachoftheline-
levelchannelstripsisactuallytwocomplete
circuits.Thecontrolsarelinkedtogetherto
preservestereo.)
Gain
TherotaryGAINknobcontrolsthe
channel’slevel…fromOFFtoUnityGain(no
gainorloss)to+20dB.You’llfeel aslight
“click”,ordetent,atthestraight-upposition.
Thisistomakeiteasiertousethechannels
predictably:whenthecontrolisatthedetent,
you’resetforUnityGain;noattenuationand
noamplification.
Pan
PANadjuststheamountofchannelsignal
senttotheleftandrightoutputs.Thesecon-
trolsworkaspan potsonalleightchannel
stripsaslongasyou’reusingmonosignal
sources(microphones,LINE1–4,orthe
LEFT-onlymonoinputsofchannels5–12).
Youcanalsouse Channel5–12PANcontrols
to“skew”stereoinputsleftorright, justlike
theBalancecontrolonyourstereoreceiver.
EQ
TheMicroSeries1202hasbassandtreble
shelvingequalizationatmusicallyuseful
points—LOboost/cut at80HzandHIboost/
cutat12kHz.By shelvingwemeanthatthe
circuitryboostsorcutsallfrequenciespast
thespecifiedfrequency,insteadofjustcreat-
ingafrequencybumpordipthewaya
graphicequalizerwould.Forexample,rotat-
ingthe MS 1202’sLO EQknob15dBtothe
rightboostsbassstartingat80Hzandcon-
tinuingdowntothelowestoctave.
LO EQ.Thiscontrolgives youupto 15dB
boostorcutat80Hz.Thecircuitisflatat the
detentedcenterposition.Thisfrequency
U
PAN
LR
EQ
–15 +15
LO
–15 +15
HI
+15
1
OO
+15
2
OO
U
GAIN 1
+20
OO
AUX
U
18
17
16
15
15
16
17
18
representsthepunch inbassdrums,bass
guitar,fatsynthpatches,andsomereally
seriousmalesingers.Cuttingslightlyatthis
frequencycandowondersformuddytracks
andboomyroomacoustics;cuttingmore
drasticallycanhelpfixpoppymicrophones.
HI EQ. Thiscontrolgives youupto 15dB
boostorcut at12kHz,and isalsoflat atthe
detent.Useitto addsizzletocymbals,and
anoverallsenseoftransparency,oredgeto
keyboards,vocalsandguitar.Turnitdowna
littletoreducesibilance,ortofixhissona
tapetrack.
Youcanalsoscrewthingsuproyally.We’ve
designedafull15dBofboostandcutintoeach
equalizercircuit,becauseweknowprofession-
alsoccasionallyneedthatrange.Butifyoumax
theEQ’soneveryinputyou’llgetmixmush.If
you’reusingtheMS1202forrecording,equal-
izesubtlyandusetheleftsidesoftheknobs
(cut),aswellastheright(boost).
AUX Sends
Theseunbalancedoutputsrouteaportion
ofeachchannelsignalouttoanothersource
forprocessingorsub-mixing.Theseoutputs
arecontrolledbytheAUX1andAUX2knobs.
Thesearemore thanjusteffectssends.
Theycanbeusedtogenerateseparatemixes
forrecording(or“mix-minuses”forbroad-
cast),orasmonitormixes.
• TheAUXsendsarepost-gaincontrol,
post-equalizer.Thatis,theyfollowtheEQ
andleveladjustmentsfor each channel.
• PAN has no effect on the sends.
• All sends range from full “off” at the
extremecounterclockwise positionto
Unity with their channel gain controls at
thecenterdetentposition. There’s an
extra 15dB of gain once you pass the
detent.However,youshould be careful
nottooverloadwhatever device you’re
sendingsignalto.
• On Channels 1–4 only, the AUX controls
canbe changed to pre-fade/pre-equalizer.
See page9 “MS 1202 Modification”for
furtherdetails.
• Channel 5–12 AUX pots mix the mono
sumoftheirrespective stereo inputs.
• Werecommendgoingintoastereoreverb
inmonoandreturninginstereo.Wehave
foundthatmost“stereo”reverb’ssecond
inputjusttiesupanextraAUXsendand
addsnothingtothesound.

9
phoneamp”chip,weuseahigh-current
versionofourmainoutputamplifier,which
iswhyitcanreallycleanoutyourcochleaif
youcrankituptoofar…butstillbeavery
cleansignalsource.
Metering
TheMS 1202’s3-waypeakmeteringsys-
temismadeupoftwocolumnsoftwelve
LED’s(21)andanINPUTCH. METERING
switch(22).
ThankstotheMS 1202’swidedynamic
range,youcangetagoodmixwithpeaks
flashinganywherebetween–30and+10dB
onthisdisplay.MostPAampsclipat+4,and
mostrecordersaren’tsoforgivingeither.For
bestreal-worldresults,trytokeepyour
peaksbelow+7.
IncombinationwiththeINPUTCH.i/ME-
TERINGbutton,thedisplaycanbeusedto
monitorthreedifferentsources:
•Stereo Output. This is the normal
functionyou’dexpectfromanymixer.It’s
displayedwhentheINPUTCH.METER-
ING button is in the OUT position. But
don’t go away, there’s more! Press the
INPUT CH. METERING button IN and you
get input metering as well.
•Channel Operating Level. Theright
columnof LED’sdisplays the overall
operatinglevel of all12 channels andAUX
Returns(pre-
MasterGain). To
monitorjust one
channel,turndown
theothers.
•Mic Input. Theleft
columnofLED’s
displaysthe
combinedoperat-
inglevelsof
Channel1–4’smic
preamps.Byusing
justonechannelat
atime,you canuse
thisfeatureto
TRIMfor0dB
operatinglevel
(explainedelse-
whereindetail).
Avoid lighting the
red CLIP LED’s. With
theINPUTCH.ME-
TERINGbuttonOUT,
watchthebouncing
LED’stocontrolthe
OUTPUT SECTION
Here’swhereitallcomestogether.
Master gain
ThiscontrolsbothstereoMAINandTAPE
outputsfromOFF(fullycounterclockwise),
throughUnityGainatthecenterdetent,to
10dBofextragainatfullyclockwise.Mostof
thetimethisis runbetweenUnityandoff.
Phones
Asyoumightexpect,thiscontroldoesthe
samethingforthe PHONESjack.Thecon-
trolrangeisfrom fullOFFtoloud.It’stotally
independentoftheMASTERpot,soyoucan
usetheheadphoneoutputtopreviewyour
mixbeforefadingupthemainoutputs.
YoucanalsousethePHONESoutput to
independentlydriveaseparatetaperecorder
orPA system.Wemade suretheaudioquality
atthatoutputis thesameaudioqualityasat
themainoutputs.
Becausetheheadphonesignaliscontrolled
bythePHONESknobbutnotbytheMASTER
gainknob,youcanusethisfeatureto:
•Preview a mix. Leave the MASTER
control all the way down while you listen
to the musicians’ intro or click track in
theheadphonesandthen quickly bring
up the master for a clean entrance.
•Serve as a totally isolated, high-quality
outputforasecondtaperecorderorPA
system.Insteadofusingalow-cost“head-
PHONES
OO
+22
CLIP
MASTER
+10
OO
U
+10
+4
+2
0
-2
-4
-7
-10
-20
+7
-30
TRIM
1-4 LINE IN 1-12
INPUT CH.
METERING
U
BAL.
0dBu
CAL
19 20
22
21
1202
CONTROLS
MS1202 MODIFICATION:
Convert AUX SEND 2 to pre-EQ/pre-fader
Channels 1–4 only.
(1) Remove bottom cover. You will be
working on the solder side (bottom)
of the circuit board.
(2) Locate this area on the circuit
board. Near the Aux Send 2 pots,
channels 1 thru 4.
(3) Cut trace here.
(4) Add jumper here.
PRE
POST
Any internal modification of the MS 1202 must be
performed by a competent electronic technician.
Mackie Designs accepts no responsibility in the
event of improperly performed modifications or
other damages and, in such cases, may declare
warranty privileges void.
19
20
2221

10
PHONES
OO
+22
CLIP
MASTER
+10
OO
U
+20
1
OO
+20
2
OO
U
STEREO AUX RETURN TO MASTER
+10
+4
+2
0
-2
-4
-7
-10
-20
+7
-30
TRIM
1-4 LINE IN 1-12
INPUT CH.
METERING
U
TAPE IN
AUX 2
U
BAL.
0dBu
CAL
24 23
Stereo AUX/Tape Returns to Master
Thesetwocontrolssettheoveralllevelof
effectsreceivedfromSTEREOAUXRETURNS
1and2.Thesecontrolsaredesignedtohandle
awiderangeofsignallevels.There’sadetent
atunitygain.FullycounterclockwiseisOFF;
fullyclockwisegivesyouanextra20dBgainto
compensateforlow-leveleffects.
Ifyou’reusingdigitaleffectswithdigitalout-
putlevelcontrols(seetheirmanuals),you’ll
getthebestresultsbyleavingtheeffect’sout-
putfullyupandrunningtheSTEREOAUX
RETURNsomewherebelowUnity.Ifyou’reus-
ingadigitaleffectwithrotarycontrols,setthe
AUXRETURNforuseatUnityGain.Ifyou’re
usingguitar-typeeffects,you’llprobablyneed
torunthiscontrolaboveUnity.(That’swhat
theextragainisfor.)
AUXRETURN2alsocontrolsthetape
playbacklevelwhenyoupushTAPEIN,ex-
plainedbelow.
TAPE IN button (24)
Whenyou pressthe TAPE IN button,sig-
nalsfrom theTAPE INPUTsare sent into
theAUX 2 Return.Inthis mode, theAUX 2
Returncontrol adjuststhe levelsentto the
master.It’sperfect forinjecting justthe
rightamount ofweird sound effectsyou re-
cordedon your cassettedeck into amix —
orto playtrendybackgroundmusic through
aPAduringbandbreaks.
WARNING: PushingTAPEINcancreatea
feedbackpathbetweenTAPEINandTAPE
OUT.Makesureyourtapedeck isnotin
record,record-pauseorinputmonitormode
whenyouengagethe TAPEINswitch.
Thisconcludestheguidedtour.Nowfor
thenitty-grittyhook-up.
23
24
overalllevelofyour mix.Ifthered CLIP
lightsareflashing,yourlevelsarewaytoo
high.Dooneofthefollowing:
• If you haven’t adjusted the Channel 1–4
TRIM pots properly, do that first (with
the INPUT CH. METERING button IN).
Instructionsareonpage12.
• If the LED’s are still running into the red
with the INPUT CH. METERING button
OUT, lower the level of the MASTER
control.
• IftheredCLIPlightsarestillflashing,
evenmomentarily,lowertheChannel5–
12GAINpotsequally.Thismayalsobe
causedbyexcessivegainsettingsinthe
EQsection.
Whenrecording,glanceatthetapedeck/
DATmetersfrequentlywhilemixing.Human
earsgettiredafterawhile—ithappensto
thebestof us—and levelsstartto climb
(theMountingMixSyndrome).Metersnever
gettired,andwillshowlevelaccuratelyuntil
theGreatFadeOut.

11
Part2—GETTINGHOOKED:
CONNECTIONTIPS
HOOK
UP
Hook-up Diagrams in living Color!
IncludedwithyourMS1202isourcolor
ApplicationGuidewhichcoversthecommon
waystohookupyournewmixer.Therearea
zillionwaystoconnectamixerasversatileas
theMS 1202.Aninfinitenumberofmonkeys
mousingmadlyonMacintoshescouldn’tdraw
allthepermutations.Becauseweonlyhave
fourmonkeyswithfourMacintoshesinourart
department,we’veincludedsixtypicalapplica-
tionconnections.Ifyoudidn’tgetanApplications
Guide(orthedogateit),callaprimateat
800/258-6883andwe’llsendyouone.
Warning
Beforeconnectingamicrophoneorline
signaltoanopen,amplifiedchannel,turn
downthatchannel’sGAINknob!Betteryet,
turnoffyouramp.
Connecting a stereo signal to the MS 1202
Usetwoseparateplugs,ratherthana
“stereoplug”.ForChannels1–4,plugtheleft
signalintoanodd-numberedjackandthe
rightsignalintoaneven-numberedjack.For
Channels5–12,plugtheleftsignalintothe
L jackandthe rightsignal intothecorre-
spondingRjack.The AUX,EQ,andGAIN
knobsofChannels5–12willcontrolbothL
andRinputsequally,preservingthestereo
integrity.
Connecting a mono signal to the MS 1202
UseeitheraChannelfrom1through4or
useonlytheLjack(alsolabeledmono) —
withnothingconnectedtotheRjack — of
Channels5–12.Thiswillfeedthemonosig-
nalequallytoboth sidesofthestereomix.
Youcanconnecttwoindependentmono
signalstoastereopairofinputjacks,if you
wantthemroutedseparatelytotheleftand
rightmixbusses.ThePANpotwillcontrol
theirrelativelevels.
Connecting Effects and Processors
MostrecordingandPAsetupsuseexternal
boxestoenhancethesound:reverb,digital
delay,andcompressorsarethemostcommon,
butyoumightalsohaveaharmonizeroren-
hanceraswell.Alloftheseeffectscanbe
groupedintotwocategories—effects
(paralleldevices)andprocessors(series
devices)—dependingonwhattheydo.
Effects
Thesegenerateadditionalsoundsthatyou
addtothemix,usuallybymakingtwosimulta-
neousmixes:oneoftheunmodifieddrysignal
thatgoesdirectlytothemainoutputs,andan
auxiliarymixthatissenttotheeffect.The
outputoftheeffectisthenmixedintothe
mainoutput.Themostcommoneffectsare
echoorreverb,anddigitaldelay.Effectsde-
vicescanbeconnectedtotheMS 1202 viathe
AUXSENDSandAUXRETURNS.
Processors
Thesemodifytheoriginalsignalandcom-
pletelyreplaceitwiththeprocessedversion.
Usuallythey’reconnectedtoonlyonemicro-
phone,instrument,ortrackatatime
throughachannelinsertorbefore/afterthe
mixer.Youcanaddotherprocessorsafterthe
MS 1202ifyou wantto affecttheoverallmix.
Odd ducks
Somenewerdigital“SwissArmyAudio
Knives”canbeswitchedforcompression,
echo,limiting,andwhateverelsestruckthe
whimoftheproductdesigner.Seetheirmanu-
alsfordetails:you’llprobablywanttoconnect
thembasedonwhatthey’redoingtoyourmix.
Connecting an effect with stereo outputs
Usetwoseparatecables andplugintoa
Left/RightpairofanAUXRETURN.The
STEREOAUXRETURNknobswillcontrol
bothsidesoftheeffectequally.
Connecting an effect with mono output
Usejusttheleft(L)AUXRETURNjack
withnothingconnectedtotheright,the
MS 1202willroute thesignal tobothmix
busses.Ifyouwantasignalto returntojust
therightAUXRETURNchannel,plugtheef-
fectoutputintoonly theright(R)AUX
RETURN.Becausethe leftreturnisauto-
maticallymono,andthereforecentered,you
havetogo toabit moretroubletoreturna
signaljusttothe leftAUXRETURNchannel:
Plugthesignalinto theleft(L)inputand
theninsertadummy plugintotheright(R)
AUXRETURNchannel.

12
Connecting separate mono effects to a
single return
Youcanuse theLandRjacksindepen-
dently.BotharecontrolledbytheAUX
RETURNknob,buteachissentseparatelyto
itsrespectivemixbusside.
NOTE:TheTAPE INswitchdirectlyabove
theVUMetersdisconnectsSTEREOAUX
RETURN2.Ifyou’renothearinganything
fromthesereturns,makesuretheswitch
isn’tdepressed.
Channel Inserts
To connectaprocessoratchannelinsert
points(shownonpage6,item6),usea
stereoorTip-Ring-Sleeve(TRS)plugwired
asshownbelow.
TheplugwiredtotheTRS“tip”goestothe
processorINPUT(send).Theplugwiredto
theTRS“ring”comesfromtheprocessor’s
OUTPUT(return).
NOTE: Ifyou’reusingthesejacksaschan-
nelinserts,adjusttheTRIMcontrolsbefore
youplugtheprocessorin.
Channel Inserts as direct channel outs
Youcanalsouse theCHANNELINSERTS
toturnthe MS 1202into a4-channeldiscrete
micpreamp(seedrawingbelow).Thein-
sertsactasdirectoutputsfromthemic
preamps,tofeed
tapedecks,DAT
machinesor
othermixers.If
youusea stan-
dardmonoplug
pushedallthe
wayin(two
“clicks”),you’llbe
abletotap the
preampdirectly.
Pushtheplug
intojustthefirst
“click”andyou
willnotinterrupt
thesignaltothe
mainmix.
Part3—
SETTINGLEVELS
TheMicroSeries1202’sbetter-than-digital-
qualityspecsarenotbecauseofmagic.
Togetthiskindofperformancewithout
breakinganyrulesofphysics,wehadtobreak
afewunwrittenonesaboutmixerdesign.The
UnityGainAdjustmentissimple,easytore-
member,andtakesjustafewseconds.
Canyouruna Mackiemixerwithoutthis
adjustment?Sure.Chancesareyou’llget
goodsoundanyway.Buttake amomentto
adjustitproperly,andyou’llgetanexcellent
sound.Hey, it’syourmusic.
ADJUSTING CHANNEL TRIM
Ifyoucan’tfindthesecontrolsorindica-
tors,checkthedrawingsinPart1.
1. SettheTRIM control fully counterclock-
wise (on Channels 1–4 only).
2. Set the channel GAIN to its detented
(Unity)position.You’llfeelatinyflat
spot when the knob is lined up this way.
3. Pushthe INPUT CH.METERING switch in.
4. Run a typical sound through that channel.
• Usetheexactsamemicrophone,tape
deck, or keyboard as you’ll use in normal
operation.
• Talk, sing, or play the way you normally
will,at performance levels.
5. AdjusttheTRIMcontrol(Channels1–4)for
thatchannelwhilecheckingtheLEDs.The
peaksshouldrunatabout0dBto+4dB.
Repeatthesestepsfor eachofthefirst
fourinputs,and yourMackie MS 1202willbe
calibratedforbestperformance.Youwon’t
havetodoit again,unlessyouchangethe
equipmentconnectedtothemixer’sinputs.
HowaboutChannels5-12whichdon’t
haveTRIMcontrols?Hereyoushoulduse
theoutputcontrolsonyoursource—such
astheHI/MED/LOsettingonmanykey-
boards(ifyours hasone,set ittoHI), orthe
outputgainontonemodules.Whenaddi-
tionalgainisneeded,it’sperfectlyOKto set
thechannellevelaboveUnity—that’sone
ofthereasonsweprovidedtheextragain.
“tip”
this plug connects to one of the
MS-1202’s Channel Insert jacks. “ring”
tip ring sleeve
SEND to processor
RETURN from processor
(TRS plug)
Direct out with no signal interruption to master.
Insert only to first “click”
Channel Insert jack
Channel Insert jack
Channel Insert jack
Direct out with signal interruption to master.
Insert all the way in to the second “click”
For use as an effects loop.
(TIP= SEND to effect, RING = RETURN from effects)
MONO PLUG
MONO PLUG
STEREO
PLUG
*TheCDrecordingprocesstheoreticallyhasadynamic
rangeof96dB.Morerealistically,it’s under 90dB. (We
challengeyoutofind one with even that dynamic range.)
The MS 1202notonlyhasaworkingdynamicrangeof 90dB
butTENmoredB of headroom above that, thus exceeding
eventhetheoreticalrangeofcompact discs.

13
Part4—TECHSTUFF
SPECIFICATIONS
S/N ratio
90dBref:+4dBu workinglevel(all channels
assigned,Channels1–4pannedalternatelyleft/
right,Channels 5–12setat center,mainline out
single-ended,20Hz–20kHz)
Mic preamp equivalent input noise (E.I.N)
–129dBm@150 ohms,20Hz–20kHz
Maximum gain (mic in to main out)
86dB(tobalanced out)
80dB(tounbalanced out)
Frequencyresponse
20Hzto 40kHz,±1dB(mic into mainlineout)
Distortion
Lessthan.025%, 20Hz–20kHz
Pan attenuation
–67dB
Adjacent channel crosstalk (at insert outputs)
–85dB@ 1kHz
Equalization
Low:±15dB@80Hz
High:±15dB @12kHz
Maximum output level
+28dBubalanced
+22dBuunbalanced(usingTRSplugwithring
disconnected)
Weight
7lbs.
Powerrequirements
120VAC, 60Hz,20watts
Dimensions
SERVICE
Makesuretosaveyoursalesreceipt.It’s
usefulinestablishingwhenyouboughtthe
mixerandforinsurancepurposesifsome-
onehappenstoborrowyourentirestudio
whileyouareonvacationinMazatlan.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Wehaven’tincludedagigantictrouble-
shootingchartwithcirclesandarrowsand
captionsonthebackbecauseourService
Departmentandsupportpersonsarehereto
handlethatsortofthing.Still,thereare
somesimpletestsyou canmakebeforeyou
calltodetermine ifyour MS 1202isreally
theculprit.Thissavestimeallaroundand
preventsyoufromfeelingsheepishwhenit
turnsoutthatit’sreallyyourBlort-Tronics
SonicDefrabulatorthat’screatingtheprob-
lem,andnotour mixer.
Problem: Dead Input
Arethegaincontrolsturnedup?(Honest,
thishappens.)
UnplugallChannelInserthook-ups.
Trythe sameinstrument andcordin
anotherchannel.
Problem: Dead Output
Arethegaincontrolsturnedup?
UnplugallChannelInserthook-upsfrom
themixer.
Switchoutputcords.Forexample,ifthe
leftoutputisdead,switchtheleftandright
outputcordsatthemixer.Iftheproblem
movestotheright, it’snotthemixer.
Problem: Noisy Output
Turn allgainknobsandAUXreturns
down.Ifthenoisegoesaway,bringlevels
backuponeatatime,checkingfornoiseat
eachstep.
Unplugeverythingexcepttheoutput
wherethenoisewasdetected.Ifthenoise
goesaway,plugeverything backinoneat a
time,checkingfornoiseateachconnection.
Problem: No Power
ChecktheMS 1202 fuse(see page7).
Mackie Designs is always striving to improve our mixers
by incorporating new and improved materials, compo-
nents and manufacturing methods. Because we’re always
trying to make things better, we reserve the right to
change these specification at any time without notice.
©1995 All Rights Reserved, Mackie Designs.
Printed in the good ole U.S.A.
6 RACK SPACES
11.470" 2.64"
2.2"
1.425"
19"
10.35"
Shown with optional rack brackets
LEVEL
SETTING
STEPS
TECH
STUFF

14
REPAIR
Serviceforthe MS 1202is onlyavailable
fromtheMackieDesignsfactoryinscenic
Woodinville,Washington.
Ifthereisaproblemwithyour mixer:
1. Reviewthetroubleshootingsuggestions
onthepreviouspage.
2. Callustoconfirmthat theMS 1202 needs
repairandtogetanRAnumber.You must
have a Return Authorization Number
(RA).Callusat1-800-258-6883,8AMto5
PMPacifictime,MondaythroughFridayto
getthisnumber.Products shipped to us
without an RA number will be refused.
3. Setasidethemanual andcord.Wewon’t
needthesetorepairthemixer(unlessyou
haveinterharmonicunder-slewingbi-
polarcrosstalkinyourrackears,arare
butparticularlynastyproblem).
4. Packthemixerinitsoriginalshipping
cartonwiththefoam endcapsinplace.
ThisisVERYIMPORTANT.Ifyoudonot
havethecarton,justaskforonewhenyou
getyourRAnumberandwe’llshipitto
youpromptly,C.O.D.
5. Includeanotestating:
a.Yourreturnaddressandphonenumber
b.Abrief descriptionof theMS 1202's
problemandhowtore-createit.
6. WritetheRA numberinBIG PRINTonthe
outsideoftheshippingcarton.
7. Sendusthemixer.WerecommendU.P.S.
Remembertoinsurethemixer.U.P.S.can
helpyouwith this.Ship yourMS 1202to:
Mackie Designs, attn: Service
16220 Wood-Red Rd. NE
Woodinville, WA 98072, U.S.A.
8. We’ll try to fix the mixer within five
businessdays.Wesend everything back
prepaidU.P.S.BLUE(SecondDayAir)
unless you have sent your MS 1202 to us
for warranty service by NEXT DAY or
SECOND DAY AIR. In that case, we figure
you need it fixed ASAP, so we put it at the
head of the line and ship the unit back
U.P.S. RED (Next Day Air). This policy
doesnotapplyto non-warranty service.
Legalese fine print
Wereservetherighttoinspectany prod-
uctwhichmaybe thesubjectofanywarranty
claimbeforerepairis carriedout.Forwar-
rantyservicewemayrequireproofofthe
originaldateofpurchaseintheformofa
datedcopyoforiginalretaildealers’invoice.
Finaldeterminationofwarrantycoverage
liessolelywithMackieDesignsInc.
Productsrepairedunderwarrantywillbe
returnedfreightprepaidbyMackieDesigns
toanylocationwithintheboundariesofthe
UnitedStates.OutsideoftheUSA,products
willbereturnedfreightcollect.
Productswhichdonot meetthetermsof
ourwarrantywillberepairedandreturned
C.O.D.withbillingforlabor,materials, re-
turnfreightandinsurance.
Allwarrantyinformationcanbefoundon
yourwarrantycard,includedwiththis
manual.
Special Offer For Folks Who Don’t Think
Albums Must Be Mixed on Huge Consoles
Believeit ornot, a surprisingnumber of
compactdiscshavebeenproducedusing
MicroSeries1202s.We’renotsuggesting
thatan MS 1202willreplacea128-channel
SSLboard. Butsome creativesoulshave
trackedandmixedexcellent self-produced
albumsusing ourlittle mixer.Also,we’ve
heardsomeveryimpressiveliveclassical
andjazzrecordings.
Ifyou’ve produceda compactdiscusing
theMS 1202 astheprimary mixer, we’dlike
tohear it.We’llrepayyou withagenuine
cottonMackieT-shirt andpossible mention
inournewsletter.Sendyour submissions
andT-shirt size(M,L, XL,XXL) to:
T-shirtForCDOffer,16220Wood-RedRd.
NE,Woodinville,WA,98072.

15
MicroSeries 1202
Block Diagram
TECH
STUFF
2
4
3
7
89
10 11
12
5
6
2
3 1
PHANTOM
POWER
LINE
INPUT
MIC
INPUTS
TIP OUT
L R
PAN
AUX 1 AUX 2
MAIN LEFT
MAIN RIGHT
AUX 1
AUX 2
+22 CLIP
+12
+2
0
-2
-4
-7
-10 -20 -30
LEVEL
METER
MAIN
MIX AMPS
MASTER
LEFT & RIGHT
OFF TO
+10dB GAIN
STEREO HEADPHONES OUTPUT
PHONES
LEVEL
L
R
TIP
RING
GAIN TRIM:
MIC GAIN-
+10dB TO +50dB
LINE GAIN-
UNITY TO +40dB
3
1
DISCRETE
MIC AMP
2(HOT)
CHANNELS 1-4
CHANNEL INSERT TIP SEND, RING RETURN
L
R
RIGHT
LEFT
+20dB GAIN
OFF TO
GAIN
CHANNELS 5-12
EQUALIZATION
LO HIGH
LINE BUS
MIC BUS
HIGHLO
EQUALIZATION
EQUALIZATION
LO HIGH
AUX 2 AUX 1
OUTPUT MAIN LEFT BALANCED
+4
+7
BALANCED MAIN RIGHT OUTPUT TAPE OUTPUTS
AUX 2 GAIN
RETURN RETURN
INPUTS
TAPE
LEFT
RIGHT
AUX 2 AUX 2
PAN
AUX 1
RIGHT
RETURN
AUX 1
LEFT
RETURN
AUX 1 GAIN
AUX 1 SEND
SEND AUX 2
MIC BUS
LINE BUS
AUX 2
TAPE
SWITCH
GAIN
OFF TO +20dB GAIN
1
- -
+ +