Mackie Main Output Level (worthless button)

[snowplow]

I don’t know if anyone has run into this problem before but I figured I would rant/pass along what we went through. I have a 14 channel mackie, bought it used of CL package deal with a QSC GX5 and Peavey 215's. It’s a pretty decent set up for the size of venues we play. We were constantly fighting being loud enough. At first we thought it was just because we were running monitors and mains through the GX5. Which is part of the case.. But even just the mains we would have the amp cranked, trim/gain at 3 o'clock on mics, and the levels set way above unified. We were still getting a muffled sound and feedback nightmare. So before we were about to throw down a pretty penny for a new amp, I took our set up into our sound guy to check the power output on the mixer. We thought we could have blown a tweeter blah blah etc. So we are messing with it and he says "This is the dumbest button ever put on a mixer". The mic/line switch was turned on... I never even knew the button was on the back of the mixer (being new to live sound game). Basically we were trying to play through a mute button. Night and day difference... Now we can have the levels set at U, trim about a 10 and now getting double the output we were before. Would have been nice for the seller to pass that info along when I made the purchase...

 

[Jazz Ad]

Pretty much all devices that have to work both at line and console levels have this kind of switch.

 

[MNAirHead]

Wasn't in the manual?

 

[modulusman]

Wasn't in the manual?

Yeah but that means you actually have to take the time to learn how to use your mixer. The younger generation has the attention span of a gnat and can't be bothered.

 

[Floyd Eye]

By no means am I anyone you should ever consider taking live sound reinforcement advice from, but before I buy any piece of gear ( and certainly before I hook it up) I get a hold of a manual and read it and re-read it until I understand it. Just makes sense.

 

[RDUB]

Yeah... That button is there for a really good reason. It might not be in the most obvious spot, but it's not 'the dumbest button ever put on a mixer'.

Easiest way around the learning curve is RTFM!

 

[Munjibunga]

I don’t know if anyone has run into this problem before but I figured I would rant/pass along what we went through. I have a 14 channel mackie, bought it used of CL package deal with a QSC GX5 and Peavey 215's. It’s a pretty decent set up for the size of venues we play. We were constantly fighting being loud enough. At first we thought it was just because we were running monitors and mains through the GX5. Which is part of the case.. But even just the mains we would have the amp cranked, trim/gain at 3 o'clock on mics, and the levels set way above unified. We were still getting a muffled sound and feedback nightmare. So before we were about to throw down a pretty penny for a new amp, I took our set up into our sound guy to check the power output on the mixer. We thought we could have blown a tweeter blah blah etc. So we are messing with it and he says "This is the dumbest button ever put on a mixer". The mic/line switch was turned on... I never even knew the button was on the back of the mixer (being new to live sound game). Basically we were trying to play through a mute button. Night and day difference... Now we can have the levels set at U, trim about a 10 and now getting double the output we were before. Would have been nice for the seller to pass that info along when I made the purchase...

The manual is available on line.