m•1400/m•1400i owner’s manual mackie.pdf · (mono bridge) 1000 watts 8 ohm load (stereo) 500...

M•1400/M•1400iOWNER’S MANUAL

OL

–3 –6 –9 –20

–3 –6 –9 –20

SIG

OL

SIG

CH 1

30

28

26

2022

18

2416 14

8

00

1.23

v (+

4dBu

)SE

NSI

TIVI

TY

GA

IN/d

BC

H 2PR

OTE

CT

CO

LDH

OT

SHO

RT

TEM

P ST

ATU

S

INTE

RNA

L ST

ATU

S

CH 1

CH 2

CH

1&

2

ON

OFF

POW

ER

3v

2v

1v30

28

26

2022

18

2416 14

8

00

1.23

v (+

4dBu

)SE

NSI

TIVI

TY

GA

IN/d

B3v

2v

1v

PRO

FESS

ION

AL

POW

ER A

MPL

IFIE

RFU

LL S

YMM

ETRY

DUA

L DI

FFER

ENTI

AL H

IGH

CURR

ENT

DESI

GN

CH

AN

NE

L2

1C

HA

NN

EL

SPE

AK

ER

OU

TPU

TS

63Hz

125H

z

CON

STAN

T DI

RECT

IVIT

YHO

RN E

Q/A

IR E

QCO

NST

ANT

DIRE

CTIV

ITY

HORN

EQ

/AIR

EQ

INPU

T

THRU

THRU

INPU

TA

MP

MO

DE

FREQ

UEN

CY

4.5

k Hz

ON

6k H

z2k

Hz

MO

NO

(CHS

SUM

MED

)BR

IDGE

LIMIT

ER (C

H1 &

CH2

)

OFF

FULL

RA

NGE

SUB

WO

OFE

R

LOW

CUT

FILT

ERLO

W C

UTFI

LTER

OU

TPU

T A

PPLI

CA

TIO

N

BA

LAN

CE

DO

RU

NB

ALA

NC

ED

BA

LAN

CE

DO

RU

NB

ALA

NC

ED

ON

/ B

RID

GE

/ M

ON

O

170 H

zO

FF

4.5k

Hz 6k

Hz

2k H

z

170 H

z

100 H

z

OFF

STAG

EM

ON

ITO

R

100 H

z

STAG

EM

ON

ITO

R

OFF

TYPI

CAL

ON

OFF

TYPI

CAL

TYPI

CAL

35 H

zTY

PICA

L35

Hz

STER

EOTY

PICA

L

STER

EOTY

PICA

L

AIR

EQAI

R EQ

120

VAC

60

Hz

1000

WA

TTS

CO

NC

EIV

ED A

ND

DES

IGN

ED B

Y M

AC

KIE

DES

IGN

S IN

C •

WO

OD

INV

ILLE

• W

A98

072

• U

SA •

MA

DE

IN C

HIN

A •

FA

BRI

QU

E A

U C

HIN

E •

PATE

NTS

PEN

DIN

G •

CO

PYRI

GH

T ©

1997

TH

E FO

LLO

WIN

G A

RE T

RAD

EMA

RKS

AN

D R

EGIS

TERE

D T

RAD

EMA

RKS

OF

MA

CK

IE D

ESIG

N IN

C.:

"MA

CK

IE",

"FR

SER

IES"

, AN

D T

HE

"RU

NN

ING

MA

N"

FIG

URE

MA

NU

FAC

TURI

NG

DA

TERI

SK O

F EL

ECTR

IC S

HO

CK

DO

NO

T O

PEN

WAR

NING

: TO R

EDUC

E THE

RISK

OF F

IRE O

R EL

ECTR

IC SH

OCK,

DO

NOT

EXPO

SE TH

IS EQ

UIPM

ENT T

O RA

IN O

R M

OIST

URE.

DO N

OT R

EMOV

E COV

ER.

NO U

SER

SERV

ICEAB

LE P

ARTS

INSID

E. RE

FER

SERV

ICING

TO Q

UALIF

IED P

ERSO

NNEL

.AV

IS: RI

SQUE

DE C

HOC E

LECT

RIQUE

— N

E PAS

OUV

RIR

CA

UT

ION

SERI

AL

NU

MBE

R

(MO

NO

BR

IDG

E)

1000 W

AT

TS

8 O

HM

LO

AD

(STE

RE

O)

500 W

/ 5

00 W

4 O

HM

LO

AD

OU

TP

UTS

SU

ITA

BLE

FO

R C

LA

SS

2 W

IRIN

G

OU

TP

UTS

SU

ITA

BLE

FO

R C

LA

SS

2 W

IRIN

G

CH 1

CH 2

+

––

+

MO

NO

BR

IDG

E+

–

HIGH-CURRENT POWER AMPLIFIER

™

CH

AN

NE

L2

1C

HA

NN

EL

CH 2

SPE

AK

ER

OU

TPU

TS

+

––

+

63Hz

125H

z

CON

STAN

T DI

RECT

IVIT

YHO

RN E

Q/A

IR E

QCO

NST

ANT

DIRE

CTIV

ITY

HORN

EQ

/AIR

EQ

INPU

T

THRU

THRU

INPU

TA

MP

MO

DE

FREQ

UEN

CY

4.5 k

Hz

ON

6k H

z2k

Hz

MO

NO

(CHS

SUM

MED

)BR

IDGE

LIMIT

ER (C

H1 &

CH2

)

OFF

FULL

RA

NGE

SUB

WO

OFE

R

LOW

CUT

FILT

ERLO

W C

UTFI

LTER

OU

TPU

T A

PPLI

CA

TIO

N

BA

LAN

CE

DO

RU

NB

ALA

NC

ED

BA

LAN

CE

DO

RU

NB

ALA

NC

ED

ON

/ B

RID

GE

/ M

ON

O

170 H

zO

FF

4.5k H

z 6k H

z2k

Hz

+–

170 H

z

100 H

z

OFF

STAG

EM

ON

ITO

R

100 H

z

STAG

EM

ON

ITO

R

OFF

TYPI

CAL

ON

OFF

TYPI

CAL

TYPI

CAL

35 H

zTY

PICA

L35

Hz

STER

EOTY

PICA

L

STER

EOTY

PICA

L

AIR

EQAI

R EQ

CH 1

120

VAC

60

Hz

1000

WA

TTS

CO

NC

EIV

ED A

ND

DES

IGN

ED B

Y M

AC

KIE

DES

IGN

S IN

C •

WO

OD

INV

ILLE

• W

A98

072

• U

SA •

MA

DE

IN C

HIN

A •

FA

BRI

QU

E A

U C

HIN

E •

PATE

NTS

PEN

DIN

G •

CO

PYRI

GH

T ©

1997

TH

E FO

LLO

WIN

G A

RE T

RAD

EMA

RKS

AN

D R

EGIS

TERE

D T

RAD

EMA

RKS

OF

MA

CK

IE D

ESIG

N IN

C.:

"MA

CK

IE",

"FR

SER

IES"

, AN

D T

HE

"RU

NN

ING

MA

N"

FIG

URE

MA

NU

FAC

TURI

NG

DAT

ERI

SK O

F EL

ECTR

IC S

HO

CK

DO

NO

T O

PEN

WAR

NING

: TO R

EDUC

E THE

RISK

OF F

IRE O

R EL

ECTR

IC SH

OCK,

DO

NOT

EXPO

SE TH

IS EQ

UIPM

ENT T

O RA

IN O

R M

OIST

URE.

DO N

OT R

EMOV

E COV

ER.

NO U

SER

SERV

ICEAB

LE P

ARTS

INSID

E. RE

FER

SERV

ICING

TO Q

UALIF

IED P

ERSO

NNEL

.AV

IS: RI

SQUE

DE C

HOC E

LECT

RIQUE

— N

E PAS

OUV

RIR

CA

UT

ION

SERI

AL

NU

MBE

R

MO

NO

BR

IDG

E

(MO

NO

BR

IDG

E)

1000 W

AT

TS

8 O

HM

LO

AD

(STE

RE

O)

500 W

/ 5

00 W

4 O

HM

LO

AD

OU

TP

UTS

SU

ITA

BLE

FO

R C

LA

SS

2 W

IRIN

G

OU

TP

UTS

SU

ITA

BLE

FO

R C

LA

SS

2 W

IRIN

G

CAUTION AVISRISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPENRISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE

NE PAS OUVRIR

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCKDO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDEREFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL

ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOCELECTRIQUE, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE. AUCUN

ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L'USAGER. CONFIERL'ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.

AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D'INCENDIE OUD'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.

8. Power Sources — This Mackie product should be connected to apower supply only of the type described in these operationinstructions or as marked on this Mackie product.

9. Power Cord Protection — Power supply cords should be routedso that they are not likely to be walked upon or pinched by itemsplaced upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords atplugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit thisMackie product.

10. Object and Liquid Entry — Care should be taken so thatobjects do not fall into and liquids are not spilled into this Mackieproduct.

11. Damage Requiring Service — This Mackie product should beserviced only by qualified service personnel when:

A. The power-supply cord or the plug has beendamaged; or

B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has spilled into thisMackie product; or

C. This Mackie product has been exposed to rain; or

D. This Mackie product does not appear to operatenormally or exhibits a marked change in performance;or

E. This Mackie product has been dropped, or its chassisdamaged.

12. Servicing — The user should not attempt to service thisMackie product beyond those means described in this operatingmanual. All other servicing should be referred to the Mackie ServiceDepartment.

13. To prevent electric shock, do not use this polarized plug with anextension cord, receptacle or other outlet unless the blades can befully inserted to prevent blade exposure.

Pour prévenir les chocs électriques ne pas utiliser cette fichepolariseé avec un prolongateur, un prise de courant ou une autresortie de courant, sauf si les lames peuvent être insérées à fondsans laisser aucune pariie à découvert.

14. Grounding or Polarization — Precautions should be taken sothat the grounding or polarization means of this Mackie product isnot defeated.

15. This apparatus does not exceed the Class A/Class B (whicheveris applicable) limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatusas set out in the radio interference regulations of the CanadianDepartment of Communications.

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) prescrites dans lerèglement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par les ministeredes communications du Canada.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS1. Read Instructions — All the safety and operation instructionsshould be read before this Mackie product is operated.

2. Retain Instructions — The safety and operating instructionsshould be kept for future reference.

3. Heed Warnings — All warnings on this Mackie product and inthese operating instructions should be followed.

4. Follow Instructions — All operating and other instructionsshould be followed.

5. Water and Moisture — This Mackie product should not be usednear water – for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink,laundry tub, in a wet basement, near a swimming pool, swamp orsalivating St. Bernard dog, etc.

6. Ventilation — This Mackie product should be situated sothat its location or position does not interfere with its properventilation. For example, the Component should not be situatedon a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block anyventilation openings, or placed in a built-in installation such as abookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air throughventilation openings.

7. Heat — This Mackie product should be situated away from heatsources such as radiators, or other devices which produce heat.

PORTABLE CART WARNING

Carts and stands - TheComponent should be usedonly with a cart or standthat is recommended bythe manufacturer.A Component and cartcombination should bemoved with care. Quickstops, excessive force, anduneven surfaces may causethe Component and cartcombination to overturn.

This product has been tested and complies with the followingstandards and directives as set forth by the European Union:

• EN 50013 1990 Emissions• EN 50020 1988 Immunity• EN 60065 1994 and IEC 65: 1985 Safety

WARNING — To reduce the risk of fire or electricshock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.

3Part No. 0000999 Rev. A 12/2001©2001 Mackie Designs, All Rights Reserved.

Lend Me Your EarsExposure to extremely highnoise levels may cause per-manent hearing loss.Individuals vary considerably

in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, butnearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposedto suffi-cientlyintensenoise for aperiod oftime. TheU.S.Government’sOccupa-tionalSafety andHealth Ad-ministration (OSHA) has specified the permissiblenoise level exposures shown in this chart.

®

Duration Per Day Sound Level dBA, Typical In Hours Slow Response Example

8 90 Duo in small club6 924 95 Subway Train3 972 100 Very loud classical music

1.5 1021 105 Lori screaming at Ron about deadlines

0.5 110 0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert

According to OSHA, any exposure in excess ofthese permissible limits could result in some hear-ing loss. To ensure against potentially dangerousexposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recom-mended that all persons exposed to equipmentcapable of producing high sound pressure levels(such as this amplification system) use hearing

protectorswhile thisunit is inoperation.Ear plugsor protec-tors in theear canalsor over theears mustbe wornwhen oper-

ating this amplification system in order to preventa permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess ofthe limits set forth here.

INTRODUCTIONdistortion. When clipping occurs, this “feedback”causes high-frequency sticking, keeping the am-plifier “latched” in the clipping state longer thannecessary. This results in painfully audible distor-tion. Our Fast Recovery design eliminates thishigh-frequency sticking and allows the amplifierto remain stable when powering highly reactiveloads at high volume levels.

You may wonder why a power amp even needsan owner’s manual. After all, you just plug in a fewcables and power it up. Well, it’s almost thatsimple. There’s just a few things that we’d like you tobe aware of, and we’ll discuss those right away —please see the Quick Start on the next page.

Then go ahead and read the entire manual. TheM•1400/M•1400i amplifiers have a wealth of use-ful features, and each of them is explained in detail.

Note: The only difference between the M•1400 andM•1400i are the speaker output connectors: in addi-tion to the binding posts, the M•1400 has Speakon®

connectors while the M•1400i has 1/4" TS jacks.Please write your serial number here forfuture reference (i.e., insurance claims, techsupport, return authorization, etc.):

Purchased at:

Date of purchase:

Thank you for choosing a Mackie Designs poweramplifier! We appreciate your vote of confidencefor the folks in Woodinville who specialize in awe-some and affordable audio. The Mackie DesignsM•1400 and M•1400i Power Amplifiers are designedto fulfill the amplification needs of almost any typeof application. They boast a wealth of features you’dexpect to pay extra for — like subwoofer filtering,constant directivity equalization, speaker-protectinglimiter, and gobs of ultra-clean power, to name a few.

Perhaps the most important feature of the FRSeries™ Power Amplifiers is the attention to detailin every aspect of the design. At Mackie, we knowwhat it takes to be roadworthy. After all, our mixershave traveled all over the world under the worst ofconditions, and we’ve applied what we’ve learnedto the mechanical design of our amplifiers.

Roadworthiness is only part of the picture. Weknow that reliability is paramount to sound rein-forcement. That’s why we use double-sidedthru-hole-plated fiberglass printed circuit boards.That’s why our engineers have subjected the am-plifier to the most rigorous and punishing testsimaginable, to fine-tune the design and extend itslimits beyond those of ordinary amplifiers.

Fast Recovery — where the “FR” comes from— is more than a buzzword. It is based on real,proven design principles. The result is an amplifierthat performs better than conventional designswhen presented with adverse conditions. One ofthe most difficult things for a power amplifier tohandle is clipping. Conventional designs use lotsof negative feedback to provide stability and lower

4

READ THIS PAGE!

6. Determine which AMP MODE is bestfor your application:• STEREO mode (separate left and rightinputs, separate left and right outputs) isthe typical setup for amplifying stereo signals.• MONO mode (sometimes called Dual-Mono mode – one mono input, two monooutputs) is for sending a mono signal totwo different speaker sets, with separately-adjustable level controls.• BRIDGE mode (sometimes calledBridged-Mono – one mono input, onemono output) uses both sides of the ampto double the power to one speaker set. AnM•1400/M•1400i power amplifier, set toBRIDGE mode, delivers 1400 watts (into 4ohms). Garsh!

Note: 4 ohms is the minimum impedanceyou should connect to the amplifier in BRIDGEmode. If you connect a lower impedance loadin BRIDGE mode, the SHORT LEDs maylight, putting the amplifier into PROTECT mode.

Set the AMP MODE switch accordingly.7. In STEREO mode, connect line-level cables

from your signal source to the M•1400/M•1400i’s INPUT jacks, either XLR orTRS:• The XLR and TRS inputs for eachchannel are wired in parallel.• The balanced XLR inputs are wiredpin 2 = hot (+), pin 3 = cold (–) andpin 1 = shield (ground).• The 1/4" TRS inputs are wired tip = hot(+), ring = cold (–) and sleeve = shield(ground), and can accept either balanced(TRS) or unbalanced (TS) cables.

QUICK STARTI got ants in my pants and I got to dance!

INSTALLATIONThe M•1400/M•1400i ampcan be mounted in anystandard rack system (seepage 23), or placed horizon-tally on a floor or table. Theheavier internal compo-

nents are located towards the front of thechassis to make it easier to hold the amp by itsfront handles.

IMPORTANT: The ampli-fier draws its ventilationair in from the front andout through the side pan-els. It needs plenty of freshair to stay cool.

DO NOT BLOCK THE VENTILATION PORTS(see page 23).

CONNECTIONS AND SETTINGS1. Be sure the POWER switch is off before

making connections.2. Turn the GAIN controls fully down

(counterclockwise) for now.3. Set both LOW CUT FILTER controls to

their TYPICAL marks (35Hz).4. Set both CONSTANT DIRECTIVITY

switches OFF (unless you’re using constantdirectivity horns with compression drivers).

5. Set the LIMITER switch on.Note: If you’re using the M•1400/M•1400i to

power a subwoofer, you probably do not needan external crossover. Please seeSUBWOOFER on page 21 for details.

OL

–3

–6

–9

–20

–3

–6

–9

–20

SIG

OL

SIG

CH

1

30

28

26

202218

2416

14

8

0 0

1.23v (+4dBu)SENSITIVITY

GAIN/dB CH

2PROTECT

COLD HOT

SHORT

TEMP STATUS

INTERNAL STATUS

CH1

CH2

CH 1& 2

ON

OFF

POWER

3v

2v

1v30

28

26

202218

2416

14

8

0 0


GAIN/dB3v

2v

1v

PROFESSIONAL POWER AMPLIFIERFULL SYMMETRY DUAL DIFFERENTIAL HIGH CURRENT DESIGN

5

8. In MONO and BRIDGE modes, connect aninput cable to CHANNEL 1’s INPUT only,and nothing into CHANNEL 2’s INPUT.(You could plug into CHANNEL 2’s input,it just won’t do anything.)

9. In STEREO and MONO modes, connectspeaker cables to the SPEAKER OUTPUTS

, either binding posts, 1/4” jacks, orSpeakon®, depending on your model:• The binding post connectors are wiredred = hot (+) and black = cold (–).• The 1/4" jacks are wired tip = hot (+)and ring = cold (–).• The Speakon connectors are wiredpin 1+ = hot (+) and pin 1– = cold (–).

10. In BRIDGE mode, connect the binding postcable like this: the hot (+) side goes in theCHANNEL 1 SPEAKER OUTPUTS redpost and the cold (–) side goes in CHAN-NEL 2’s red post. Plug nothing into theblack posts, Speakon jacks (on theM•1400), or the 1/4" TS jacks (on theM•1400i).

11. Connect the other ends of the speakercables to your loudspeakers.

12. Plug the amp’s power cord into anoutlet properly configured with the correctvoltage for your amplifier, and capable ofdelivering enough current to reach fullpower.

13. Make sure your signal source (feeding theM•1400/M•1400i’s inputs) is powered upand delivering signal to the amp.

14. Turn the M•1400/M•1400i’s POWER switch on and verify that the signal present(SIG) LEDs are blinking.

15. Slowly turn both GAIN controls up:You should hear the music and see the SIG

and meter LEDs flashing. If thetopmost LEDs (named OL, for OverLoad)

are flashing, turn down either the GAINcontrols on the amp or the source signal’soutput level controls (i.e., master faders).The point is: The OL LEDs should neverlight up.

16. For quieter listening, it is preferable toadjust the amp’s GAIN controls ratherthan the source signal’s output level(unless you have the source’s control allthe way up!).

17. Start dancing, but don’t let the ants out ofyour pants.

Things You Must Remember:• Read and follow thesafety instructions onpage 2, and the hearingprotection details onpage 3, before using theamplifier.

• Never plug amplifier outputs into any-thing except speakers (unless you havean outboard box specifically designed tohandle speaker-level signals).

• Before making connections to an amp orreconfiguring an amp’s routing, turn theamp’s level (GAIN) controls down, turnthe power off, make the changes, turnthe power back on, and then turn thelevel controls back up.

• If you shut down your equipment, turnoff the amplifiers first. When poweringup, turn on the amplifiers last.

• Save the shipping boxes! You may needthem someday, and you probably don’twant to have to pay for them again.

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

63Hz

125Hz

CONSTANT DIRECTIVITYHORN EQ /AIR EQ


INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL

AIR EQAIR EQ120 VAC 60 Hz 1000 WATTS

CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED BY MACKIE DESIGNS INC • WOODINVILLE • WA98072 • USA • MADE IN CHINA • FABRIQUE AU CHINE • PATENTS PENDING • COPYRIGHT ©1997

THE FOLLOWING ARE TRADEMARKS AND REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR SERIES", AND THE "RUNNING MAN" FIGURE

MANUFACTURING DATERISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.AVIS: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE — NE PAS OUVRIR

CAUTION SERIAL NUMBER

(MONO BRIDGE)1000 WATTS8 OHM LOAD

(STEREO)500 W / 500 W4 OHM LOAD

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

CH

1CH

2

+

––

+

MONOBRIDGE+ –

6

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS ANDCONSIDERATIONS

This section discusses important things tokeep in mind when installing and using theM•1400/M•1400i, including rack mounting, ACpower, and wiring.

SERVICE INFOIf you are having a problem setting up your

amplifier, please turn here for some trouble-shooting information. You will also findinformation on what to do if your amplifiershould ever need servicing.

TECHNICAL INFOThis is where you can find detailed specifi-

cations, including a rather lovely blockdiagram. This will help you quickly verify prod-uct performance and capability. Careful andextensive research has shown that reading andmemorizing specifications will not make youthe life and soul of the party. Let that be awarning.

FURTHER INFOPlease come on by and visit our website:www.mackie.comIt contains lots of useful information regard-

ing this and other Mackie products.

APPLICATION DIAGRAMSMackie’s gang of illustrators have created

easy-to-understand diagrams of popular studioand live-sound setups. Your setup will probablybe different in some way, but these diagramswill help you see the big picture so you can addyour own finishing touches.

FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS: MINDBOGGLING DETAILS

Each and every knob, switch, and connectoron the M•1400/M•1400i power amplifier isexplained in depth here. Throughout this sec-tion you’ll find illustrations, with each featurenumbered like this . If you’re curious abouta feature, simply locate it on the appropriateillustration, note the number attached to it,and find that number in the nearby paragraphs.

This icon marks information that is criti-cally important or unique to the M•1400/M•1400i. For your own good, read them and re-member them. We may call you someday andquiz you.

This icon leads you to in-depth explanationsof features and practical tips. While not man-datory, they’ll have some valuable information.

7

®

CONTENTSLend Me Your Ears ......................................................... 3INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 3READ THIS PAGE! .......................................................... 4

QUICK START ......................................................... 4INSTALLATION........................................................ 4CONNECTIONS AND SETTINGS ................................. 4

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL .......................................... 6APPLICATION DIAGRAMS .............................................. 8FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS .............................................. 11

GAIN ............................................................. 11 METERS ......................................................... 12 SIG ............................................................... 13 PROTECT ........................................................ 13 SHORT .......................................................... 13 TEMP STATUS ................................................. 14 POWER ......................................................... 14 POWER CORD................................................. 15 SPEAKER OUTPUTS ......................................... 15 INPUT ........................................................... 16 THRU ............................................................ 18 LOW CUT FILTER ............................................. 18 CONSTANT DIRECTIVITY .................................. 18 CD Frequency ................................................. 19 AMP MODE.................................................... 19 BRIDGE ......................................................... 20 OUTPUT APPLICATION..................................... 20 LIMITER ......................................................... 20 SUBWOOFER ................................................. 21

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS............. 23RACK MOUNTING ................................................ 23THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS .................................. 23AC POWER CONSIDERATIONS ................................ 23INPUT WIRING .................................................... 24OUTPUT WIRING .................................................. 2470V DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS ................................ 25

APPENDIX A: Service Info ............................................ 26TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................. 26REPAIR ............................................................... 27

APPENDIX B: Technical Info .......................................... 28SPECIFICATIONS M•1400/M•1400i ............................. 28BLOCK DIAGRAM M•1400/M•1400i ............................ 30COLOPHON ................................................................ 31

8

CH

AN

NE

L2

1C

HA

NN

EL

CH 2

SPE

AK

ER

OU

TPU

TS

+

––

+

63Hz

125H

z

CON

STAN

T DI

RECT

IVIT

YHO

RN E

Q/A

IR E

QCO

NST

ANT

DIRE

CTIV

ITY

HORN

EQ

/AIR

EQ

INPU

T

THRU

THRU

INPU

TA

MP

MO

DE

FREQ

UEN

CY

4.5 k

Hz

ON

6k H

z2k

Hz

MO

NO

(CHS

SUM

MED

)BR

IDGE

LIMIT

ER (C

H1 &

CH2

)

OFF

FULL

RA

NGE

SUB

WO

OFE

R

LOW

CUT

FILT

ERLO

W C

UTFI

LTER

OU

TPU

T A

PPLI

CA

TIO

N

BA

LAN

CE

DO

RU

NB

ALA

NC

ED

BA

LAN

CE

DO

RU

NB

ALA

NC

ED

ON

/ B

RID

GE

/ M

ON

O

170 H

zO

FF

4.5k H

z 6k H

z2k

Hz

+–

170 H

z

100 H

z

OFF

STAG

EM

ON

ITO

R

100 H

z

STAG

EM

ON

ITO

R

OFF

TYPI

CAL

ON

OFF

TYPI

CAL

TYPI

CAL

35 H

zTY

PICA

L35

Hz

STER

EOTY

PICA

L

STER

EOTY

PICA

L

AIR

EQAI

R EQ

CH 1

120

VAC

60

Hz

1000

WA

TTS

(MO

NO

BR

IDG

E)

1000 W

AT

TS

8 O

HM

LO

AD

MO

NO

BR

IDG

E

(STE

RE

O)

500 W

/500 W

4 O

HM

LO

AD

OU

TPU

TS

SU

ITA

BLE

FO

R C

LASS

2 W

IRIN

G

OU

TPU

TS

SU

ITA

BLE

FO

R C

LASS

2 W

IRIN

G

CO

NC

EIV

ED A

ND

DES

IGN

ED B

Y M

AC

KIE

DES

IGN

S IN

C •

WO

OD

INV

ILLE

• W

A98

072

• U

SA •

MA

DE

IN C

HIN

A •

FA

BRI

QU

E A

U C

HIN

E •

PATE

NTS

PEN

DIN

G •

CO

PYRI

GH

T ©

1997

TH

E FO

LLO

WIN

G A

RE T

RAD

EMA

RKS

AN

D R

EGIS

TERE

D T

RAD

EMA

RKS

OF

MA

CK

IE D

ESIG

N IN

C.:

"MA

CK

IE",

"FR

SER

IES"

, AN

D T

HE

"RU

NN

ING

MA

N"

FIG

URE

MA

NU

FAC

TURI

NG

DA

TERI

SK O

F EL

ECTR

IC S

HO

CK

DO

NO

T O

PEN

WAR

NING

: TO R

EDUC

E THE

RISK

OF F

IRE O

R EL

ECTR

IC SH

OCK,

DO

NOT

EXPO

SE TH

IS EQ

UIPM

ENT T

O RA

IN O

R M

OIST

URE.

DO N

OT R

EMOV

E COV

ER.

NO U

SER

SERV

ICEAB

LE P

ARTS

INSID

E. RE

FER

SERV

ICING

TO Q

UALIF

IED P

ERSO

NNEL

.AV

IS: RI

SQUE

DE C

HOC E

LECT

RIQUE

— N

E PAS

OUV

RIR

CA

UT

ION

SERI

AL

NU

MBE

R

CH

AN

NE

L2

1C

HA

NN

EL

CH 2

SPE

AK

ER

OU

TPU

TS

+

––

+

63Hz

125H

z

CON

STAN

T DI

RECT

IVIT

YHO

RN E

Q/A

IR E

QCO

NST

ANT

DIRE

CTIV

ITY

HORN

EQ

/AIR

EQ

INPU

T

THRU

THRU

INPU

TA

MP

MO

DE

FREQ

UEN

CY

4.5 k

Hz

ON

6k H

z2k

Hz

MO

NO

(CHS

SUM

MED

)BR

IDGE

LIMIT

ER (C

H1 &

CH2

)

OFF

FULL

RA

NGE

SUB

WO

OFE

R

LOW

CUT

FILT

ERLO

W C

UTFI

LTER

OU

TPU

T A

PPLI

CA

TIO

N

BA

LAN

CE

DO

RU

NB

ALA

NC

ED

BA

LAN

CE

DO

RU

NB

ALA

NC

ED

ON

/ B

RID

GE

/ M

ON

O

170 H

zO

FF

4.5k H

z 6k H

z2k

Hz

+–

170 H

z

100 H

z

OFF

STAG

EM

ON

ITO

R

100 H

z

STAG

EM

ON

ITO

R

OFF

TYPI

CAL

ON

OFF

TYPI

CAL

TYPI

CAL

35 H

zTY

PICA

L35

Hz

STER

EOTY

PICA

L

STER

EOTY

PICA

L

AIR

EQAI

R EQ

CH 1

120

VAC

60

Hz

1000

WA

TTS

(MO

NO

BR

IDG

E)

1000 W

AT

TS

8 O

HM

LO

AD

MO

NO

BR

IDG

E

(STE

RE

O)

500 W

/500 W

4 O

HM

LO

AD

OU

TPU

TS

SU

ITA

BLE

FO

R C

LASS

2 W

IRIN

G

OU

TPU

TS

SU

ITA

BLE

FO

R C

LASS

2 W

IRIN

G

CO

NC

EIV

ED A

ND

DES

IGN

ED B

Y M

AC

KIE

DES

IGN

S IN

C •

WO

OD

INV

ILLE

• W

A98

072

• U

SA •

MA

DE

IN C

HIN

A •

FA

BRI

QU

E A

U C

HIN

E •

PATE

NTS

PEN

DIN

G •

CO

PYRI

GH

T ©

1997

TH

E FO

LLO

WIN

G A

RE T

RAD

EMA

RKS

AN

D R

EGIS

TERE

D T

RAD

EMA

RKS

OF

MA

CK

IE D

ESIG

N IN

C.:

"MA

CK

IE",

"FR

SER

IES"

, AN

D T

HE

"RU

NN

ING

MA

N"

FIG

URE

MA

NU

FAC

TURI

NG

DA

TERI

SK O

F EL

ECTR

IC S

HO

CK

DO

NO

T O

PEN

WAR

NING

: TO R

EDUC

E THE

RISK

OF F

IRE O

R EL

ECTR

IC SH

OCK,

DO

NOT

EXPO

SE TH

IS EQ

UIPM

ENT T

O RA

IN O

R M

OIST

URE.

DO N

OT R

EMOV

E COV

ER.

NO U

SER

SERV

ICEAB

LE P

ARTS

INSID

E. RE

FER

SERV

ICING

TO Q

UALIF

IED P

ERSO

NNEL

.AV

IS: RI

SQUE

DE C

HOC E

LECT

RIQUE

— N

E PAS

OUV

RIR

CA

UT

ION

SERI

AL

NU

MBE

R

TYPI

CAL

35H

z

FRO

M M

IXIN

G C

ON

SOLE

MAI

N O

UT L

/R

STER

EO/T

YPIC

AL

TYPI

CAL

35H

z

LIM

ITER

ON

CD O

FF FRO

M M

IXIN

G

CON

SOLE

AU

X 1 O

UT

FRO

M M

IXIN

G

CON

SOLE

AU

X 2

OUT

CD O

FF

STAG

E M

ON

ITO

R 10

0Hz

STER

EO/T

YPIC

AL

STAG

E M

ON

ITO

R 10

0Hz

LIM

ITER

ON

CD O

FFCD

OFF

APPLICATION DIAGRAMS

TWO M•1400i’S: MAIN SPEAKERS AND STAGE MONITORS

9

M•1400 MAIN SPEAKERS AND STAGE MONITORS WITH ONE AMPLIFIER

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL





DO NOT OPEN





OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

CH

1CH

2

+

––

+

MONOBRIDGE+ –

TYPICAL 35Hz STEREO/TYPICAL

FROM MIXING CONSOLE MONITOR OUT

FROM MIXING CONSOLE MAIN OUT

STAGE MONITOR 100Hz

LIMITER ONCD OFF CD OFF

M•1400 EIGHT MONITOR SPEAKERS

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL





DO NOT OPEN





OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

CH

1CH

2

+

––

+

MONOBRIDGE+ –

MONO MODE

FROM MIXING CONSOLEMONITOR OUT

STAGE MONITOR 100HzSTAGE MONITOR 100Hz

LIMITER ONCD OFF* NOTE: TOTAL IMPEDANCE MUST BE GREATER

THAN 2 OHMS PER CHANNEL CD OFF

* SEE NOTE BELOW

10

TWO M•1400i’s: STEREO SYSTEM WITH CD HORNS

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

CH

2

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

+

––

+

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

+ –170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL

AIR EQAIR EQ

CH

1

120 VAC 60 Hz 1000 WATTS


MONOBRIDGE

(STEREO)500 W/500 W4 OHM LOAD

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING




DO NOT OPEN



CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

CH

2

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

+

––

+

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

+ –170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL

AIR EQAIR EQ

CH

1



MONOBRIDGE

(STEREO)500 W/500 W4 OHM LOAD

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING




DO NOT OPEN



CONSTANT DIRECTIVITY HORNS

LOW-FREQUENCYCABINETS

170Hz170Hz

TYPICAL 35Hz TYPICAL 35Hz

STEREO/TYPICAL

LIMITER ON

LIMITER ON

CD ON

* CD HORN EQ FREQUENCY SETTING DEPENDS ON COMPRESSION DRIVER/CD HORN COMBINATION

*3.5KHzCD ON

STEREO/TYPICAL

CD OFF CD OFF

FROM ACTIVE CROSSOVER: HIGH-FREQUENCY L/R

FROM ACTIVE CROSSOVER: LOW-FREQUENCY L/R

*3.5KHz

TWO M•1400’s: STEREO SYSTEM WITH BRIDGED SUBWOOFER

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL





DO NOT OPEN





OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

CH

1CH

2

+

––

+

MONOBRIDGE+ –

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL





DO NOT OPEN





OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

CH

1CH

2

+

––

+

MONOBRIDGE+ –

130Hz STEREO/TYPICAL 130Hz

LIMITER ONCD OFF CD OFF

20Hz BRIDGE MODE 20Hz

CD OFF CD OFFSUBWOOFER MODE @ 125Hz

FULLRANGE

SUBWOOFERS

FROM MIXING CONSOLE MAIN OUT L/R

11

FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS

GAINThese giant knobs control the levels to the

output section of the M•1400/M•1400i amplifi-ers. You’ll notice that their travel is detented,meaning there are 40 built-in “resting points”so you can easily set both controls to the samelevel. Usually, these controls are set all theway up.

The gain structure of the amplifier is designedso that a +4 dBu (1.23V rms) input signaldrives the amplifier to 425 watts into 4 ohms(41.23V rms @ 4 ohms = 425 watts). This ishow the sensitivity of an amplifier is defined.In this case, it equates to a voltage gain ofabout 30 dB (okay, 30.51 dB for those of yousittin’ there with your calculator!).

The graphics around the knob depict twodifferent methods for setting the gain. The in-ner circle is marked in dB, calibrated from off(∞) to 30. This represents the amount of volt-age gain from input to output. When usingprofessional equipment with +4 dBu outputlevels, set the GAIN control all the way up to 30.

The outer circle is labeled in volts, with in-dications of 1V, 2V, and 3V. These correspond tothe input sensitivity of the amplifier. With theGAIN control all the way up (fully clockwise),the input sensitivity is 1.23V, which works wellwith professional equipment operating at anominal +4 dBu level.

On the other hand, you may want your lis-tening level to be quieter than the M•1400/M•1400i’s maximum level. For instance, ifyou’re using the M•1400/M•1400i as a controlroom amp, and your control room is the size ofa telephone booth, you’ll probably never wantto hear the amp at its maximum level.

You can set the GAIN con-trols as low as you like.However, reducing theGAIN controls requires anincreased input level to

reach full power at the amplifier’s output. Seethe sidebar “Constant Gain vs. Constant Sensi-tivity” for a better understanding of how thisworks.

Like all amplifier controls, you’ll typicallydetermine the optimal settings during installa-tion or sound check, then leave them alone,using your signal source (usually a mixer) tocontrol listening levels as you work. Or play.

Constant Gain vs. Constant SensitivityThere are two viewpoints, or philosophies,

regarding the gain structure of power amplifi-ers — constant gain and constant sensitivity.

Constant gain means that regardless of theoutput power of the amplifier, the gain from in-put to output remains the same. (By the way,this refers to the full gain of the amplifier, withthe gain or level controls all the way up.)Within a product line of constant gain poweramplifiers, as the output power rating of anamplifier increases, the level of the input volt-age must also increase.

For example, if an amplifier is rated at100W into an 8-ohm load, and it has 26 dB ofgain, it requires an input signal of 1.4V rms todrive it to full power. This is about +5 dBu, areasonable operating point for professionalgear.

Now take an amplifier rated at 200W into an8-ohm load. If it also has a gain of 26 dB, it re-quires an input signal of 2.0V rms to drive it tofull power, or +8 dBu.

This can become problematic as the powerof the amplifier increases. What if you have apower amp rated at 800W into 8 ohms? Thiswill require an input signal of 4.0V rms to driveit to full power. This equates to a whopping+14.3 dBu!! You’ve just robbed your mixer of10 dB of headroom. You’ll either have to have agood limiter to keep the transient peaks down,or turn down the level from the mixer and notuse all the power available from the amplifier.

Constant sensitivity means that regardlessof the output power of the amplifier, the inputsensitivity of the amplifier (the input voltagerequired to attain full output power) remainsthe same. As the output power of an amplifierincreases, the gain of the amplifier must alsoincrease.

Referring back to the previous example, anamplifier rated at 100W into 8 ohms with again of 26 dB requires an input signal of 1.4Vrms to drive it to full power. It has an inputsensitivity of 1.4V rms. In order for the 200Wamplifier to reach full power into 8 ohms witha 1.4V rms input signal, it must have a gain of29 dB. And the 800W amplifier will require again of 35 dB to reach full power with a 1.4Vinput signal. Continued on page 12

12

You may wonder why wedidn’t use just one stereocontrol to control both sides.That’s in case your applica-tion requires a left/rightimbalance (due to an irregu-

larly shaped room) or if you’re using the twosides for completely different purposes (moni-tor in channel 1 and side-fill in channel 2, forinstance). Besides, they look cool.

METERSThe M•1400/M•1400i’s meters indicate the

relative output level of the amplifier refer-enced to full power. The numbers next to themeter’s LEDs are in dB below full power.

Ideally, the M•1400/M•1400i’s –20, –9,–6, and –3 LEDs will flicker at normal signallevels, while the OL LED may flicker occasion-ally during peak moments.

OL is short for Overload. Overloading, orclipping, occurs when the output voltage nolonger linearly follows the input voltage andsimply stops. This causes a sine wave to“square off,” or get “clipped off.” Thus, the termclipping. Fear not — this scenario is quite un-likely. Even with the GAIN controls fully up,the M•1400/M•1400i amplifier easily acceptsprofessional “+4 dBu” operating levels.

If the OL (Overload) LEDis blinking frequently orcontinuously, turn downthe source signal (i.e. themixer’s master faders).

So what are the pros and cons of these twoapproaches? The reason some amplifiermanufacturers use the constant gain ap-proach is because the noise specificationlooks better. It’s a fact of physics that as thegain of the amplifier increases, the circuitnoise is amplified and increases too. By main-taining a constant gain, the noise spec for an800W amplifier can look as good as the noisespec for a 100W amplifier. The downside tothis is that you have to crank up your mixerlevel feeding the input of the amplifier, losingheadroom and possibly increasing the noiselevel from the mixer (unless you have aMackie mixer with low-noise VLZ circuitry!).

Conversely, constant sensitivity demandsthat as the power increases, so must the gain.Yes, the output noise of the amplifier willincrease, but you maintain the critical head-room available from your mixer. The addition-al noise is generally not a problem in livesound reinforcement situations. If it is, youcan turn down the GAIN control a few clicksto find a happy compromise between noisefloor and headroom available. As an addedbenefit, you can drive multiple amplifiers withthe same signal and get the maximum poweravailable from all of them.

Mackie subscribes to the philosophy ofconstant sensitivity. Our amplifiers can bedriven to full power with an input level of+4 dBu (1.23V rms).

OL

–3

–6

–9

–20

–3

–6

–9

–20

SIG

OL

SIG

CH

1

30

28

26

202218

2416

14

8

0 0


GAIN/dB CH

2PROTECT

COLD HOT

SHORT

TEMP STATUS

INTERNAL STATUS

CH1

CH2

CH 1& 2

3v

2v

1v30

28

26

202218

2416

14

8

0 0


GAIN/dB3v

2v

1v

FULL SYMMETRY DUAL DIFFERENTIAL HIGH CURRENT DESIGN

13

SHORTIf this LED comes on, the M•1400/M•1400i

has detected a short circuit in either of theoutputs, meaning that the hot (+) and cold (–)speaker wires are touching, or a speaker itselfis shorted out. Such a condition causes theM•1400/M•1400i to engage its PROTECT mode (when a signal is present), muting allsignals at the amp’s outputs.

This short-circuit LED is a Mackie exclusive(until the other guys “borrow” the idea) andcan save precious minutes of your trouble-shooting time. Without it, you’d still have speakerand amp protection (via the PROTECT circuit),but you wouldn’t be able to determine thesource of the problem. But with the SHORTLED, the M•1400/M•1400i comes right out andtells you!

WARNING: The SHORT LEDs indicate anunsafe condition for the power amplifier. Whenthe short-circuit protection is activated, theSHORT LED lights, then the PROTECT LEDlights and the SHORT LED turns off. Afterabout four seconds, the protection circuit turnsoff and the amplifier resumes normal operation.If it senses the shorted condition again, thecycle repeats until you fix the problem.

Typical causes for a “short” indication wouldbe either a shorted speaker cable or too manyspeaker cabinets connected to the amplifier(i.e., the load impedance is too low). If a “short”is indicated, please check your cables. If thecabling is OK, then reduce the number of cabi-nets driven by the amplifier.

Note: When using the amplifier in BRIDGEmode, one or both SHORT LEDs may lightunder shorted or low impedance conditions.Regardless of whether one or both LEDs light,it’s an indication of a problem that requiresfurther investigation.

ON

OFF

POWER

PROFESSIONAL POWER AMPLIFIER

SIGSIG (short for “signal present”) is the lowest

step in the meters’ ladder. It senses the signalprior to the GAIN control, so when SIG is lit,you know the M•1400/M•1400i is receiving sig-nal. If it’s the only meter LED lit (meaning theother meter LEDs are not lit), the M•1400/M•1400i is receiving a very weak signal (below–20 dB).

PROTECTIf the PROTECT LEDs are on, the M•1400/

M•1400i’s output section has shut down. That,of course, means you won’t hear anything untilyou rectify the situation. Three things cancause the PROTECT circuit to engage:1. Powering up the M•1400/M•1400i. A built-

in delay circuit saves your speakers (andears) from the thumps or pops that cansometimes occur when powering up asystem. During this 3 second delay, thePROTECT LEDs light up.

2. A short circuit (or near short) in either ofthe outputs. Both the PROTECT and theSHORT LEDs light up.

3. The temperature in the M•1400/M•1400i hasrisen to an unsafe level. The PROTECT andthe TEMP STATUS HOT LEDs light up.

The M•1400/M•1400iamp draws its ventilationair in from the front andout through the side pan-els. The amp needs plenty

of fresh air to stay cool. DO NOT BLOCK THEVENTILATION PORTS. See “Thermal Consid-erations” on page 23 for more details.

14

SPEAKER OUTPUTS





DO NOT OPEN





OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

CH

1CH

2

+

––

+

MONOBRIDGE+ –

TEMP STATUSTEMP (short for temperature) is another

feature designed to keep your mind at ease.Normally the COLD LED is lit, indicating thatthe M•1400/M•1400i is working normally.Under extreme conditions the amplifier mayoverheat. You may ask, “What kind of extremeconditions?”

Overheating problems are usually caused byone of the following situations: improper venti-lation, high ambient temperatures, overdrivingthe amplifier into clipping, driving the ampli-fier hard into low impedance loads, frayed orpartially shorted speaker cables, or defectiveor internally shorted speakers.

The heaviest load the M•1400/M•1400i cantolerate is 2 ohms per channel (4 ohms inbridged mode). If you’ve got a set of speakerswired in parallel, be sure the load isn’t addingup to less than 2 ohms. Anything below 2 ohmscan cause the SHORT LED to light and trig-ger the PROTECT mode.

Remember: As the load gets“heavier,” its value in ohmsgoes down. For instance, a2-ohm speaker load is twiceas “heavy” as a 4-ohm load.

As the internal temperature of the amplifierrises, the fan kicks into high speed. This occursat 60°C (140°F). More air moves through theconstant temperature gradient cooling tunnelto remove additional heat from the outputtransistors. However, if the internal tempera-ture of the amplifier should exceed 80°C(176°F), the COLD LED turns off, the HOTLED turns on, and both PROTECT LEDs shine.The output of the amplifier is muted — at thispoint the amplifier is in Standby mode andremains there until the internal temperaturecools off to a safe level(55°C or 131°F). Whenthis occurs, the HOTLED and PROTECTLEDs turn off, theCOLD LED turns onand normal operationresumes.

Be Aware: If the HOT LEDcomes on frequently, some-thing is overworking theM•1400/M•1400i or it’s notproperly ventilated. Look

at each of the “extreme conditions” describedabove and try to determine what is causing theamplifier to overheat. Refer to “Thermal Consid-erations” on page 23 or to the “Troubleshooting”section in Appendix A for more help.

What’s that? Why doesn’t thefan just go fast all the time?Well, if it did, you might actu-ally hear it whirring duringyour quiet moments (there

are quiet moments in your life, aren’t there?).While this whirring would be of no concern inmost live-sound situations, it could becomeannoying in a control room environment. So,when the M•1400/M•1400i is not working hard,the fan goes slow; when the music gets loud andputs the amp to work, the fan goes fast.

POWERTo make the amp operate, push the top half

of the POWER switch. It clicks into place and asoothing green light adjacent to it glows. Toturn the amp off, push the lower half. It’ll clickagain and the green light will extinguish.

When you power up the M•1400/M•1400i,a built-in delay circuit prevents any pops orthumps from being transmitted to the speakersdue to turn-on instability in the system. Be surethe signal driving the amplifier is turneddown when you first power up the system.There are few things as rude as 3 seconds ofsilence followed by 250 watts of full-blaststereo sound! (Well, maybe 225 kilowatts ofaccordian music...)

1

CH

2

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

+

––

+

+ –CH

1





DO NOT OPEN



MONOBRIDGE



OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

15

If you shut down yoursystem, turn off your ampli-fiers first. When poweringup, turn on your amplifierslast. This way, equipment

feeding the amp won’t “pop” or “thud” when it’spowered up or down.

POWER CORDWe all know what a power cord is. The

M•1400/M•1400i has a big beefy cord built in.Plug the power cord into an outlet that is capableof delivering the correct voltage for your model.

For current-deliverypurposes, the M•1400/M•1400i’s voltage source(wall outlet, extensioncords, or power strips)

must be capable of continuously delivering 15amps (for 120V versions). And for safety rea-sons, that source must be a “3-prong” outletwith hot, neutral, and ground terminals. We’redealing with some big-time electricity here —don’t mess with it. See “AC Power Consider-ations” on page 25 for more details.

SPEAKER OUTPUTSSome call them “GR” jacks, others call them

“Banana” jacks, but we prefer to call them“Binding Posts.” You can call them whateveryou like (except late for supper). These termi-nals are your standard fare.

To use the binding post outputs, you canterminate your speaker cables with single ordouble banana plugs, spade lugs, or leave themunterminated: Unscrew the amp’s binding postsenough to reveal the holes on their sides, theninsert your stripped wires (stripped about 3/8"back) into the holes and retighten the posts(finger tight is fine — please don’t reef on themwith a wrench!). Be careful that no runawaystrands touch the chassis or other terminals.

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL

AIR EQAIR EQ

G N D

Bare Wire

Double Banana Plug

1/4"

Spade Lug

The red posts are labeled “+,” which meanspositive. The black posts are labeled “–” fornegative. You probably know the importance ofgetting these terms correct — if one side ishooked up “in phase” and the other side is “outof phase,” you’ll be “out of work.” (By the way,although everyone says “phase” in this situa-tion, the correct word is “polarity”... but it’s notas much fun to say.)

Using high-quality stranded speaker cable(16 gauge or thicker), connect the positiveoutputs of the M•1400/M•1400i to the positiveinputs of your speakers, and the negative out-puts to the negative inputs. The exception: Ifyou’re using the M•1400/M•1400i in BRIDGE

mode, this does not apply, (see BRIDGE onpage 22).

In addition to the binding posts, the M•1400ialso has 1/4" TS (tip-sleeve) SPEAKER OUTPUTS,so you can use speaker cables with 1/4"TS plugs. The tip is positive (+) and theshield is negative (–). They’re wired inparallel with the binding posts and behaveexactly the same (except they can’t beused in BRIDGE mode).

16

Speakon Connectors

COLD HOT

1+

1+ 1–1– 2–2+

In addition to the binding posts, theM•1400 has Speakon® connectors for connect-ing the speakers to the amplifier. These arelocking connectors that are easy to attach andare designed to handle high power levels intolow-impedance loads. These connectors havebecome popular with many loudspeaker manu-facturers because they provide a quick, yet safeand secure method of connecting speakercables.

Speakon connectors have a twist-lockingmechanism that prevents them from beingpulled out accidentally. Pin 1+ is positive (+)and Pin 1– is negative (–).

Before making connectionsto an amp or reconfiguringan amp’s signal routing,turn the amp’s GAIN controls down, turn thePOWER off, make the

changes, turn the POWER back on, and thenturn the GAIN controls back up. Although theM•1400 amplifier can handle “opens” (no con-nection) and “shorts” (positive and negativesignal lines in direct contact), you don’t wantthe speaker ends of live cables to zap everypiece of equipment they touch as they’re beingdragged across the stage.

Ordinarily, applying a posi-tive voltage to a speaker’spositive input and negativevoltage to the negative inputresults in an outward excur-sion of the woofer. But some

woofers are built with reverse polarity, mean-ing that the above conditions result in aninward excursion.

If you’re not sure which type of speakers youhave, take a look at their literature. If you’restill not sure, here is a simple test: take a 1.5Vflashlight battery and connect the positiveterminal of the battery to the positive (+) in-put of the speaker, and connect the negativeterminal of the battery to the negative (–) in-put of the speaker. Observe the motion of thespeaker cone. It should move out when voltageis applied, and return to rest when voltage isremoved. Make sure all the speakers in thesystem move in the same direction (there are afew exceptions — some speakers are deliber-ately designed with reverse-polarity woofers).

SPEAKER OUTPUTS



THE FOLLOWING ARE TRADEMARKS AND REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MACKIE DESIGN INC.: "MACKIE", "FR S

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCKDO NOT OPEN


CAUTION SERIA



OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

OUTPUTSSUITABLE

FOR CLASS2 WIRING

CH

1CH

2

+

––

+

MONOBRIDGE+ –

INPUTThe M•1400/M•1400i amplifier gives you achoice — it has the traditional XLR inputs, aswell as 1/4" TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) input jacks.Sonically (and electrically) they’re identical,so choose either one. Since these two inputsare in parallel (the THRU jacks are in par-allel with the inputs as well), you shouldn’tconnect more than one source to the SIGNALINPUT jacks. Each can be used with either bal-anced or unbalanced signals.

17

Unbalanced TS (tip-sleeve) lines can be ac-commodated via the TRS jack. Make sure thecord terminates with a TS plug (like a guitarplug), or if it’s a TRS plug (like a headphoneplug), make sure the ring is tied to the shield,preferably at the source.

TIPSLEEVE

TIP

SLEEVE

SLEEVE (SHIELD)

TIP (HOT)

RING (COLD)

Unbalanced 1/4" TS Plug

You can connect an unbalanced XLR cableto the M•1400/M•1400i, although this wouldbe unusual — as unusual as an unbalancedXLR output.

The M•1400/M•1400i amp expects to seea nominal signal level anywhere between the–10dBV “semipro” and +4 dBu “pro” standards,meaning almost any line-level mixer or otherdevice can be plugged into the amp’s INPUTs.Use the GAIN controls to adjust the gain ofthe amplifier to match the signal level you’re using.

If you set the AMP MODE switch in MONO or

BRIDGE, use the CHAN-NEL 1 inputs only — theCHANNEL 2 inputs aredisabled in this case.

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL

AIR EQAIR EQ

When connecting a balanced signal usingthe XLR or 1/4" jacks, they’re wired thusly, perAES (Audio Engineering Society) standards:

XLR TRSHot (+) Pin 2 TipCold (–) Pin 3 RingShield (Ground) Pin 1 Shield

2

2

3 1

1

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

3

SHIELD

COLDHOT

3

2

1

Balanced XLR Connectors

Balanced 1⁄4" TRS Plug

SLEEVE (SHIELD)

TIPSLEEVE

TIP (HOT)

RING (COLD)

RING

TIP

SLEEVERING

18

THRUSomeday you’ll do a show at Carnegie Hall

and realize that one M•1400/M•1400i ampli-fier is just not going to do the job — you’ll needa six-foot-high rack full of ’em. That’s what theTHRU jack is for. Simply plug the signal sourceoutputs into the first amp’s INPUTs , patchfrom that amp’s THRU jacks to the next amp’sINPUTs, and so on, daisy-chaining as manyamps as you can afford (assuming your consolehas low-impedance outputs).

A general rule of thumb is tomaintain a load impedance10 times or more than thesource impedance to preventexcessive loading. If your

console has an output impedance of 100 ohms,then you can daisy-chain up to twenty M•1400/M•1400i amplifiers, which presents a load of1000 ohms to the console (input impedance of20 kohms divided by 20 amplifiers = 1000 ohms).

The THRU jacks can also be used to relaythe signal on to other devices such as a DAT orcassette recorder, enabling you to record ex-actly what the audience is hearing. The THRUjacks are wired straight from the XLR and TRSINPUTs — there is no electronic circuitrybetween — so the signal going into the amp isexactly the same as the signal coming out ofthe THRU jacks.

You can use the THRU jackas an input, if necessary,since it’s wired in parallelwith the other input connec-tors. You can also use the

1/4" TRS INPUT jacks as THRU jacks. Simplyconnect the 1/4" TRS INPUT jacks on the firstamplifier to the TRS 1/4" INPUT jacks on thesecond amplifier using 3-conductor shieldedcables with TRS plugs on both ends.Warning: If you use a regular guitar cord with2-conductor TS plugs, you’ll unbalance the sig-nal at the XLR input by grounding the low side(–) of the signal (pin 3).

LOW CUT FILTEREvery woofer has frequency response speci-

fications. It’s usually expressed in Hertz (orcycles per second), like “40Hz–300Hz.” The“40Hz” refers to the low-frequency point (usu-ally, but not always) where the speaker’soutput drops by 3 dB, and will “roll off” com-pletely as the frequency goes down. There is nopoint in sending a woofer any frequencies it

can’t reproduce — you can’t hear it, and worseyet, it’s a waste of amplifier power that can bebetter used reproducing frequencies you can hear.

10Hz1Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz

–15dB

–10dB

–5dB

0dB

5dB

In order to match the output bandwidthwith your particular speaker system, theM•1400/M•1400i amplifier has a tunable LOWCUT FILTER . The frequencies are clearlymarked along the knob’s travel :• Fully counterclockwise, the frequency is

below 10Hz, effectively bypassing the filter.• Center detent is 35Hz and labeled TYPICAL,

since precious few woofers actually gobelow that.

• 3/4 of the way up is labeled STAGE MONI-TOR, 100Hz, perfect for, well, stage monitors(they seldom reproduce below 100Hz;besides, it prevents low-frequency “leak-age” into the house).

• Fully clockwise is labeled 170Hz.So, grab your woofer’s spec sheet and find

the low roll-off spec. Then set the M•1400/M•1400i’s LOW CUT FILTER at the samefrequency.

If you do this correctly (and make sure themeters are happy), you’ll never again seeyour woofer moving sporadically without au-dible signal. Your system will play louder andcleaner, and you may never blow anotherwoofer again!

CONSTANT DIRECTIVITYCompression drivers mounted on constant-

directivity horns require compensation, in theform of a high-frequency boost, with its “knee”set somewhere between 2kHz and 6kHz. Untilnow, you’d have to resort to external crossoversor worse yet, graphic EQ modules. Both ofthese are fraught with limitations, not to men-tion adding cost, rack space requirements andcomplexity to your system.

The M•1400/M•1400i Power Amplifiereliminates the need for any of these externaldevices — they have the compensation cir-cuitry already built in. And using it is a breeze.

Low Cut Filter Frequency Response

19

CD FrequencyYour compression drivers’ spec sheet should

have a suggested frequency for compensationboost. If so, just turn the CONSTANT DIREC-TIVITY switch ON and set its knob to matchthat frequency. If your spec sheet doesn’t havethat information, you can simply adjust theFrequency knob by ear, preferably using thesame music as the actual performance (3.5kHzis a good place to start).

100Hz 1kHz20Hz 10kHz 20kHz

–5dB

0dB

5dB

15dB

10dB

Wait, there’s more: If you don’t have con-stant directivity horns, you can forget all this,and leave the switch OFF.

Or, better yet, you can use this CONSTANTDIRECTIVITY feature to enhance your EQcurve. By setting the Frequency knob fullyclockwise, you introduce a very high frequencyboost to the signal (above 6kHz). And inMackie-land, this gentle boost has a name: AIR,as seen on our SR series of consoles. By boost-ing these high frequencies, AIR will breathelife into your mix, making cymbals brighterand vocals silkier.

Speaking of Mackie SR consoles: If you useboth the AIR feature on an SR console as wellas the AIR feature just described on theM•1400/M•1400i, you may be overdoing it. Youwon’t hyperventilate or anything, but it mightcause your audience to experience ear fatiguefrom too much high-frequency content. Toomuch of a good thing, perhaps.

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL

AIR EQAIR EQ

More on Constant Directivity HornsBack in the early ’70s, radialhorns were the commonmechanism for reproducinghigh frequencies. Radialhorns had a serious problem,though. The high frequencies

tended to beam straight ahead, so if you movedaway from front and center (off-axis), the bril-liance and sizzle quickly diminished to amuffled blur. Constant Directivity horns weredesigned to spread the higher frequenciesevenly throughout the horn’s dispersion pattern.

This was accomplished by using a smalleropening to the horn, using straight sidewalls inboth the horizontal and vertical planes (radialhorns typically have curved vertical sectionsthat cause beaming), and providing a flare atthe mouth of the horn to disperse the mid tohigh frequencies.

All high-frequency compression drivers havean inherent roll-off of about 6 dB per octaveabove about 3kHz. The exact frequency atwhich the roll-off occurs (called the massbreakpoint) depends on the materials used,the mass of the moving parts (diaphragm andvoice coil) and the strength of the magnet. TheCONSTANT DIRECTIVITY HORN EQ controlon the M•1400/M•1400i compensates for thisnatural roll-off in the power response of thecompression driver coupled to a CD horn, withthe end result of flat-frequency response (con-stant) with a wide coverage angle (directivity).

AMP MODEThis three-way switch, along with the OUT-

PUT APPLICATION’s three-way switch,determines what kind of amplifier you wantthe M•1400/M•1400i to be (or not to be —what was the question?).

Constant Directivity EQ

20

The AMP MODE switch determines the in-put signal routing within the M•1400/M•1400iamplifier. Shipped from the factory, the switchis set to STEREO. This is correct for about 90%of the applications using an amp like this(hence the TYPICAL indicator near it). Butyou may be in the 10% bracket, requiring spe-cial input routing within the amp.

AMP MODE should be configured beforeoperation — if you must change it during per-formance, turn down the GAIN controls asa precaution to protect the speakers from anyinadvertent pops or thumps.

STEREO mode (separate left and rightinputs, separate left and right outputs) is thetypical setup for amplifying stereo signals.

MONO mode (sometimes called Dual-Mono – one mono input, two mono outputs) isfor sending a mono signal to two differentspeaker sets, with separately-adjustable GAIN

controls.BRIDGE mode (sometimes called

Bridged-Mono – one mono input, one monooutput) uses both sides of the amp to doublethe power to one speaker set. With twoM•1400/M•1400i power amplifiers, each set toBRIDGE mode, you can deliver as much as1400 watts per amplifier.

If you set the AMP MODE switch to MONO or

BRIDGE, use the CHAN-NEL 1 inputs only — theCHANNEL 2 inputs go no-where in this case.

Note: There is one exception to this rule. If youhave the OUTPUT APPLICATION switched toSUBWOOFER, the inputs to Channels 1 and 2are summed regardless of the AMP MODEsetting (see ). Also, BRIDGE mode re-quires special connections at the SPEAKEROUTPUTS .

BRIDGEIn STEREO mode, the M•1400/M•1400i

Power Amplifier can deliver 700 watts per sideinto 2 ohms. If that’s not enough, you can usetwo M•1400/M•1400i’s, each in BRIDGE mode,and deliver 1400 watts per amplifier into 4ohms. Or, you can use one amp in BRIDGEmode to power a monaural system. Finally,BRIDGE mode is also popular for subwoofer ap-plications — but please see SUBWOOFER on the next page for a special subwoofer sur-prise.

To use all the M•1400/M•1400i’s power todrive one speaker cabinet using BRIDGE mode,you’ll have to do four things:1. Turn off the power to the M•1400/M•1400i.2. Set the AMP MODE switch to BRIDGE.3. Connect the positive side of the speaker

cable to the Channel 1 red (+) binding post.4. Connect the negative side of the speaker

cable to the Channel 2 red (+) binding post.5. (Okay, make that five things!) Use only the

CHANNEL 1 INPUT (unless you’re usingthe SUBWOOFER OUTPUT APPLICATION).

The CHANNEL 1 GAIN control adjusts theoutput level of the amplifier. The CHANNEL 2GAIN control has no effect.

Once again: Before making connections toan amp or reconfiguring an amp’s routing, turnthe power off, make the changes, then turn thepower back on.

OUTPUT APPLICATIONThe OUTPUT APPLICATION switch should

be configured before you turn on the amplifier.This switch allows you to choose between threedifferent configurations:

LIMITER ON (TYPICAL). This is the normalconfiguration: full-bandwidth audio with pro-tective limiting (please see ).

LIMITER OFF is also full bandwidth audio,but without protective limiting (please see ).

SUBWOOFER mode, with built-in low-passfilter, no protective limiting (please see ).

LIMITERThe LIMITER is not designed to alter your

sound — it’s just there to protect your speak-ers from clipping. Its effect is virtuallytransparent, meaning you probably won’t evennotice any audible difference. We recommendthat you leave it engaged (via OUTPUT APPLI-CATION ), hence the TYPICAL label below it.

If you’re working at quiet levels all the time,or you’ve already placed a compressor/limiterin the signal path, or if you just hate compres-sion, you can leave the LIMITER out of thecircuit (via OUTPUT APPLICATION ).

The LIMITER is channel in-dependent; that is, it worksindependently on each chan-nel. It senses when theamplifier channel is about to

be overdriven and attenuates the overall leveljust enough to keep the signal from clipping.Clipping occurs when the output voltage nolonger linearly follows the input voltage and

21

simply stops. This causes a sine wave to“square off,” and the average power going intothe speaker is roughly double that of a sinewave. Square waves sound awful, and couldpossibly damage your speakers and/or yourreputation.

The LIMITER is especially handy whenyou’re working with loud output levels. Havingthe signal spikes (kick drum, for instance) at-tenuated a bit can actually increase theapparent loudness of the overall mix withoutdiminishing the “power” behind the spikes.

Be Forewarned: With theLIMITER engaged, you canstill overdrive the amplifierinto clipping and causedistortion. It just takes a

stronger signal to do it. So even with the LIM-ITER turned on, you should still pay attentionto the OL LEDs .

SUBWOOFERHere’s a special surprise: If you bought the

M•1400/M•1400i amplifier to power asubwoofer system, you just saved yourself thecost of a crossover! The M•1400/M•1400i amphas an active SUBWOOFER filter built in. Youcan use it, along with the variable LOW CUTFILTER in a second M•1400/M•1400i, to re-produce the function of a crossover.

20Hz 100Hz 1kHz 10kHz 20kHz

–15dB

–10dB

–5dB

0dB

5dB

Since most low-frequency energy is mono-phonic (the same in both channels), thesubwoofer circuit takes the signal from bothChannels 1 and 2 and sums them together. Thissummed signal is then directed to both poweramplifier output stages. It doesn’t matterwhether the AMP MODE switch is set toSTEREO, MONO, or BRIDGE, it will sum theinputs when the OUTPUT APPLICATIONswitch is set to SUBWOOFER.

Here’s how to configure it:1. Turn the M•1400/M•1400i’s POWER

off.2. Set the OUTPUT APPLICATION switch

to SUBWOOFER.3. Select a rolloff point, via the FREQUENCY

switch: At “125Hz,” you’ll get the lowsub-harmonics on up to the audible bassrange. At “63Hz,” you’ll get just the lowestfrequencies, more to be felt than heard.You’ll probably want to try this switch bothways.

4. Make sure the LOW CUT FILTER is set toOFF or nearly OFF. If it is turned up abovethe subwoofer cutoff frequency, the outputfrom the amplifier will be greatly diminished.

5. Connect your cords and speaker cables asusual (see “Quick Start” on page 4). Setthe AMP MODE to either STEREO,MONO, or BRIDGE, depending on yourapplication. (STEREO and MONO operatethe same with SUBWOOFER activated).

6. Turn the M•1400/M•1400i’s POWER on.Woof!

CHANNEL 21 CHANNEL

63Hz

125Hz



INPUT

THRUTHRU

INPUTAMP MODE

FREQUENCY

4.5 k HzON

6k Hz2k Hz

MONO(CHS SUMMED)

BRIDGE

LIMITER (CH1 & CH2)

OFF

FULL RANGE

SUB WOOFER

LOW CUTFILTER

LOW CUTFILTER

OUTPUT APPLICATION

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

BALANCEDOR

UNBALANCED

ON

/ BRIDGE / MONO

170 HzOFF

4.5k Hz

6k Hz2k Hz

170 Hz

100 Hz

OFF

STAGEMONITOR

100 Hz

STAGEMONITOR

OFFTYPICAL

ON

OFFTYPICAL

TYPICAL35 Hz

TYPICAL35 Hz

STEREOTYPICAL

STEREOTYPICAL

AIR EQAIR EQ

Subwoofer Filter

22

If you want to use a second M•1400/M•1400i to reproduce the rest of the audiorange, follow this procedure:1. Connect the THRU jacks on the first

subwoofer amplifier to the INPUT jackson the second amplifier.

2. With POWER off, set the OUTPUTAPPLICATION switch on the secondamplifier to FULL RANGE (LIMITER eitherON or OFF).

3. Set the LOW CUT FILTER frequencycontrol to either 63Hz or 125Hz, dependingon the cutoff frequency selected in thesubwoofer amplifier .

Since these exact frequencies are not la-beled on the amplifier, you can guesstimate theposition of the knob. 63Hz is located at about1 o’clock and 125Hz is about 4 o’clock.

If you want to be really accurate, you willneed to use a variable-frequency signal genera-tor along with a frequency counter and a volt-meter or oscilloscope to find the exact positionfor the knob. The voltmeter or o’scope shouldbe capable of measuring low frequencies accu-rately (down to 60Hz).

1. Connect the signal generator to the INPUT of the amplifier and monitor the

SPEAKER OUTPUT with the voltmeteror o’scope.

2. Adjust the signal generator level so youmeasure 1V rms output at 1kHz. (Youshould turn down the GAIN knobs on theamplifier about halfway.)

3. Change the frequency of the signal genera-tor to 63Hz or 125Hz, whichever you’reusing as your subwoofer crossover fre-quency. You may need to use a frequencycounter for accuracy.

4. Adjust the LOW CUT FILTER frequencycontrol until the voltmeter or o’scope reads0.707VAC rms. This is the –3 dB point, andmeans you have now matched the LOWCUT FILTER frequency cut-off point to theSUBWOOFER FREQUENCY switch setting(either 63Hz or 125Hz).

After you’ve completed this exercise, youshould mark the position of the control witha stick-on arrow or label so you don’t haveto repeat it should the control accidentallyget moved.

23

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

AC POWER CONSIDERATIONSBe sure the M•1400/M•1400i is plugged into

an outlet that is able to supply the correct volt-age specified for your model.

If the line voltage should drop below about97% of the rated voltage, the M•1400/M•1400iwill no longer be able to supply rated power. (Itwill continue to operate down to 50% of therated line voltage, but it just won’t be able toreach full rated power.)

Be sure the AC outlet can supply enoughcurrent to allow full power operation of all theamplifiers plugged into it. The outlet should bea socket that matches the power cord.

WARNING: Bypassing the plug’s ground pincan be dangerous. Don’t do it!

The AC current demand of an amplifier var-ies depending on several factors, including thecrest factor and the duty cycle of the programmaterial. Under typical conditions reproducingrock music where musical peaks are just belowclipping, the M•1400/M•1400i requires the fol-lowing average currents:

RACK MOUNTINGThe M•1400/M•1400i amp requires two

rack space units (2 IU = 3.5"). It also requires16.25"(M•1400) or 16.38" (M•1400i) depth in-side the rack, including the rear supports.When designing your rack, put the heavieritems at the bottom and the lighter items to-ward the top.

Secure the front panel of the amplifier tothe front of the rack using four screws with softwashers to prevent scratching the panel. In ad-dition, because of the weight of the amplifier,you must secure the rear support brackets ofthe amplifier to the back of the rack. You coulduse a support rail or shelf across the back ofthe rack, or angle brackets attached betweenthe rear support brackets and the rear rails ofthe rack. This is recommended for all compo-nents mounted in a rack that is going to bemoved frequently (or thrown in the back of apickup truck and transported down a bumpygravel road to that outdoor festival!).

THERMAL CONSIDERATIONSThe M•1400/M•1400i amp is fan-cooled and

brings air in through the front and out throughthe sides. Make sure that cool air is available atthe front of the amplifier, and that there isroom on each side for the warm air to exit fromthe amplifier and dissipate. If rack-mounted,make sure there is room for the warm air tocirculate around the side and out through therear of the rack. In a typical rack, there will bea space of 1 to 2 inches on either side of theamplifier. This is adequate to allow the warmair to exit from the amplifier.

The M•1400/M•1400i’s unique T-DesignConstant Gradient Cooling Tunnel providessubstantially better cooling for the output tran-sistors than conventional designs that simplyblow air through the chassis, getting dust andother contaminants over all the internalcomponents. The Cooling Tunnel provides ashorter, more directed path so the cool air con-centrates on the heat produced by the outputdevices. This results in increased reliabilityand longevity for the amplifier.

Average Peak Current Current

Amplifier Loading Required Required120V 240V 120V 240V

2 ohms per side or 4 ohms bridged 8A 4A 25A 12.5A4 ohms per side or 8 ohms bridged 5A 2.5A 16A 8A8 ohms per side or 16 ohms bridged 3.2A 1.6A 10A 5A

It is recommended that a stiff supply of ACpower be used because the amplifier places highcurrent demands on the AC line. The more powerthat is available on the line, the louder the ampli-fier will play and the more peak output powerwill be available for cleaner, punchier bass.

Under typical conditions, reproducing rockmusic where musical peaks are just below theclipping point, you can safely connect morethan one amplifier to an AC service. Use the tablebelow as a guideline:

Maximum Number of Amplifierson a 120V/15A Service

Amplifier Loading (or 240V/7.5A Service)2 ohms per side or 4 ohms bridged 24 ohms per side or 8 ohms bridged 38 ohms per side or 16 ohms bridged 5

Due to in-rush current, you should avoidturning them all on at the same time. Rather,sequence them on, one at a time, to preventpopping the circuit breaker.

24

The extension cord used to supply power tothe “amp rack” should have a third wire safetyground to avoid presenting a safety hazard. Wealso recommend using a cord that has conduc-tors large enough to avoid severely limiting theamplifier’s ability to supply high currents ontransients.

Power amplifiers can havemomentary peak current re-quirements many timesabove the nominal averagecurrent draw. According to

Ohm’s Law, the greater the resistance of thelinecord, the more input power is lost betweenthe AC outlet and the power amplifier (acrossthe linecord). And to further aggravate thematter, this relationship is nonlinear. Theamount of power lost across the linecord in-creases exponentially as the current demandincreases. So if the current demand doublesmomentarily because of an exceptionally loudbass note, the amount of AC input power lostacross the linecord increases four times. Youcan see that it is very important to keep theresistance of the linecord to a minimum. That’swhy we recommend using a heavy gauge exten-sion cord (like 14 gauge or bigger). Remember,wire gets thicker as the gauge number getssmaller (10 gauge is thicker than 14 gauge).

AC Power DistributionIn order to minimize ground loops, the safety

grounds for all the outlets should be connectedto a common (“star”) grounding point, and thedistance between the outlets and the commongrounding point should be as short as possible.

If lighting is used in a show, it is preferableto power the lights from a different AC circuitthan the one powering the audio equipment.This will help minimize noise from the lightscoupling into the audio (particularly if SCRsare used).

INPUT WIRINGUse a high-quality 3-conductor shielded

cable to connect the signal between the signalsource (mixing console, equalizer, etc.) andthe balanced inputs to the amplifier. If you’reusing the unbalanced inputs, use a high-quality2-conductor shielded cable. Your MackieDealer can recommend a suitable cable foryour application.

OUTPUT WIRINGUse heavy gauge, stranded wire for connect-

ing speakers to the M•1400/M•1400iamplifier’s SPEAKER OUTPUT terminals.As the distance between the amplifier and thespeakers increases, the thickness of the wireshould also increase. Speaker wire has resis-tance, and when electricity passes through aresistor, power is lost. The thicker the wire, theless resistance it offers, and the more poweractually gets to the speakers.

The thickness of wire is rated in gauges.Use the chart below to determine the correctgauge of wire to use according to the distancebetween the speakers and the amplifier, andthe impedance of the load the amplifier is driv-ing. This ensures that the power lost across thespeaker wire is less than 0.5 dB.

Load Gauge ofWire Length Impedance Wire

Up to 25 ft. 2Ω 14 gauge4Ω 16 gauge8Ω 18 gauge






25

70V CONSTANT VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

CH 1

RC NETWORK

CH 2

RC NETWORK VALUESC1 = C2 = 680µF @ 250VDCR1 = 4Ω @ 100W

Note: You can substitute a single capacitor for C1/C2. C3 = 330µF @ 250VDC, NON-POLARIZED.

C1 C2+

+ +

–

+–

+

–

FR SERIESPOWER AMPLIFIERIN BRIDGE MODE

+

–

+

–

70V LINE

CONSTANTVOLTAGE

TRANSFORMER

POWER TAPSWITCH

2.5W 5W 10W

2.5W 5W 10W

2.5W 5W 10W

R1

ALTERNATE RC NETWORK

C3

R1

70V DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMSA distributed sound system uses a constant-

voltage, high-impedance network that feeds anumber of tapped transformers which, in turn,deliver power to individual speakers. Each tapis rated in watts, so you can select the amountof power delivered to the speaker. Developedfor distributed paging and public address sys-tems, one benefit of such a system is that iteliminates complicated impedance calcula-tions when setting up a multi-speaker system.You just add up the total wattages of all thespeakers in the system and make sure that itdoesn’t exceed the total power rating of theamplifier (allowing at least 10% for insertionlosses). Another benefit is that by using highvoltage and low current, losses in the speakerdistribution wiring are kept to a minimum.Standard voltage levels include 25V, 70V, and100V, but 70V systems are most commonly usedin commercial sound distribution systems.

Because of the high power capability of theM•1400/M•1400i amplifier, it can be used todirectly drive 70V constant-voltage distributionsystems without the use of a step-up trans-former. When the M•1400/M•1400i amplifier isoperated in BRIDGE mode, it can produce850 watts into 8 ohms, or 82.5V. This is slightlyhigher than the standard 70.7V for which thesystem was designed. You can recalculate theactual power delivered to each tap by multiply-ing the tap’s rated wattage by a correctionfactor (K). The correction factor is P1/P2,where P1 is the power delivered by the amplifierinto 8 ohms (BRIDGE mode), and P2 is thepower delivered by 70.7V into 8 ohms (625W).

M•1400i: K = 850W/625W = 1.36. Thus, a2.5W tap becomes 3.4W, a 5W tap becomes6.8W and a 10 W tap becomes 13.6W.

CAUTION: A characteristic of many tappedtransformers is that they saturate at very low fre-quencies, which causes their impedance todecrease, approaching the DC resistance of thecopper wire. This can result in overloading theamplifier if the signal contains lots of low frequen-cies. When using an M•1400/M•1400i amplifier ina 70V distribution system, set the LOW CUTFILTER to 100Hz or higher. In addition, in-stall an RC network at the SPEAKER OUTPUT

of the amplifier, as shown in the figure below.

26

APPENDIX A: Service Info

• Is the SHORT LED lit? Turn the POWERoff, check the speaker connections andmake sure that there are no strands of wireshorting across the speaker terminals.

• Is the HOT TEMP STATUS LED lit?Make sure there is cool air available at thefront of the amplifier. Make sure there isroom at the sides of the amplifier for warmair to exit. Allow the amplifier to cool off.

• Are there fuses in the speaker or in-linefuses in the speaker wire? Check ’em to seeif they’re blown.

• Make sure the speakers are workingproperly.

One side is way louder than the other!• Do the M•1400/M•1400i’s meters

read the same on both sides? If not, yoursource signal may be delivering an out-of-balance stereo signal.

• Are both GAIN knobs set to the sameposition?

• Are the speaker(s) impedancesmatched?

• Try swapping sides: Turn off the amp,swap the speaker cables at the amp, turnthe amp back on. If the same side is stilllouder, the problem is with your speak-ers or speaker cabling. If the other sideis louder now, the problem is with themixer, the amp, or the line-level cabling.

The stereo music sounds kind of sideways,and the bass frequencies diminish whenstanding center, but get louder as youapproach one side!• Check the polarity of the speaker cable

connections. You may have your positiveand negative connections reversed atone end of one speaker cable.

As soon as the music gets loud, the ampshuts down!• Check the M•1400/M•1400i’s meters .

Be sure that OL is not lighting upfrequently or continuously.

• Can the amp breathe? The M•1400/M•1400iamp draws its ventilation air in from thefront and out through the side panels. Itneeds plenty of fresh air to stay cool.Do not block the ventilation ports.

If you think your amplifier has a problem,please do everything you can to confirm it be-fore calling for service, including readingthrough the following Troubleshooting section.Doing so might save you from the deprivationof your Mackie amplifier and the associatedsuffering.

Of all Mackie products returned for service(which is hardly any at all), roughly 50% arecoded “CND” — Could Not Duplicate, whichusually means the problem lay somewhere elsein the system. These may sound obvious to you,but here are some things you can check:

TROUBLESHOOTING

No power!• Our favorite question: Is it plugged in?

Make sure the AC outlet is live (check witha tester or lamp).

• Our next favorite question: Is the POWERswitch on? If not, try turning it on.

• Is the green light next to the power switchilluminated? If not, make sure the ACoutlet is live. If so, refer to “No Sound”below.

• The AC line fuse inside the cabinet isblown. This is not a user-serviceable part.Refer to “Repair” on the next page to findout how to proceed.

No sound!• Are the GAIN controls turned all the

way down? Slowly turn them up and see ifyou hear anything.

• Is the signal source turned up? Make surethe signal level from the mixing console (orwhatever device immediately precedes theamplifier) is high enough to produce soundin the amplifier. The SIG LEDs shouldbe blinking to indicate that signal ispresent.

• If the speakers are wired for BRIDGE mode,make sure the AMP MODE switch isset to BRIDGE .

• If the OUTPUT APPLICATION switch isset to SUBWOOFER , make sure the LOWCUT FILTER frequency control is set toOFF or nearly OFF. If it is turned up abovethe subwoofer cutoff frequency, the outputfrom the amplifier will be diminished.

27

• Is the SHORT LED lit? If so, you’ve gota dead short somewhere in your speakersetup, or the total impedance of the load istoo low. Turn the amp off and rectify thatright away.

Something’s missing in the mid and highfrequencies!• If you’re using horns with compression

drivers, please read CONSTANTDIRECTIVITY .

It hurts when I touch my arm, or my leg, oreven my head!• You have a broken finger.

Bad sound!• Is it loud and distorted? Turn down the signal

coming from the mixer or signal source.• Is the input connector plugged completely

into the jack? Check the speaker connec-tions and verify that all connections aretight and that there are no stray strands ofwire shorting across the speaker terminals.

• If possible, listen to the signal source withheadphones plugged into the console. If itsounds bad there, the problem’s not in theamplifier.

Noise/Hum• Check the signal cable between the mixer

and the amplifier. Make sure all connectionsare good and sound.

• Make sure the signal cable is not routednear AC cables, power transformers, orother EMI-inducing device.

• Is there a light dimmer or other SCR-baseddevice on the same AC circuit as themonitor? Use an AC line filter or plug theamplifier into a different AC circuit.

• If possible, listen to the signal source withheadphones plugged into the console. If itsounds noisy there, the problem’s not in theamplifier.

For additional up-to-date informationplease visit our website at www.mackie.com.

REPAIRService for the M•1400/M•1400i amplifiers

purchased in the USA is available only fromone of our authorized domestic service sta-tions. It is also available at the factory, locatedin sunny Woodinville, Washington. (Service forMackie amplifiers living outside the UnitedStates can be obtained through local dealers ordistributors.) If your amplifier needs service,and it lives in the United States, follow theseinstructions:1. Review the preceding troubleshooting

suggestions. Please.2. Call Tech Support at 1-800-258-6883, 8am

to 5pm PST, to explain the problem andrequest an RA (Return Authorization)number. Have your amplifier’s serialnumber ready. You must have an RAnumber before you can obtain service atthe factory or an authorized service center.

3. Keep this owner’s manual. We don’t need itto repair the amplifier.

4. Pack the amplifier in its original package,including endcaps and box. This is veryimportant. When you call for the RAnumber, please let Tech Support know ifyou need new packaging. Mackie is notresponsible for any damage that occursdue to non-factory packaging.

5. Include a legible note stating your name,shipping address (no P.O. boxes), daytimephone number, RA number, and a detaileddescription of the problem, including howwe can duplicate it.

6. Write the RA number in BIG PRINT on topof the box.

7. Ship the amplifier to us. We suggestinsurance for all forms of cartage. Ship tothis address:

Mackie DesignsSERVICE DEPARTMENT

16140 Wood-Red Rd. NE Ste. 5Woodinville, WA 98072

8. We’ll try to fix the amplifier within fivebusiness days. Ask Tech Support forcurrent turn-around times when you callfor your RA number. We normally sendeverything back prepaid using UPSORANGE (three-day air). However, if yourush your amplifier to us by Next Day Air,we’ll ship it back to you UPS RED (NextDay Air). This paragraph does not necessarilyapply to non-warranty service.

28

SPECIFICATIONS M•1400/M•1400i

Continuous Average Output Power, bothchannels driven:250 watts per channel into 8 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz,with no more than 0.012% THD

425 watts per channel into 4 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz,with no more than 0.025% THD

630 watts per channel into 2 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz,with no more than 0.050% THD

Bridged mono operation:

850 watts into 8 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz, with no morethan 0.025% THD

1260 watts into 4 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz, with nomore than 0.050% THD

Maximum Power at 1% THD:

300 watts per channel into 8 ohms500 watts per channel into 4 ohms700 watts per channel into 2 ohms

1000 watts into 8 ohms bridged1400 watts into 4 ohms bridged

Note: Power ratings are specified at 120VAC (U.S. andCanada) and 240VAC (Export) line voltages.

The M•1400/M•1400i power amplifier draws largeamounts of current from the AC line with continuoussine wave testing. Accurate measurement of power re-quires a steady and stable AC supply. This means theline impedance must be very low to insure that the peakAC line voltage does not sag to less than 97% of its value.

If driving highly reactive loads, we recommend that thelimiter circuit be engaged.

Power Bandwidth:20Hz to 70kHz (+0, –3 dB)

Frequency Response:20Hz to 40kHz (+0, –1 dB)10Hz to 70kHz (+0, –3 dB)

Distortion:THD, SMPTE IMD, TIM < 0.025% @ 8Ω

< 0.050% @ 4Ω< 0.150% @ 2Ω

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:> 107 dB below rated power into 4 ohms

Channel Separation:> 80 dB @ 1kHz

Damping Factor:> 350 from 0 to 400Hz

Input Impedance:20kΩ balanced bridging

Input Sensitivity:1.23 volts (+4 dBu) for rated power into 4 ohms

Gain:30.25 dB (32.5V/V)

Maximum Input Level:9.75 volts (+22 dBu)

Rise Time:< 4.4µs

Slew Rate:Voltage Slew Rate > 50V/µs

> 100V/µs bridged

Current Slew Rate > 32A/µs at 2Ω

CMRR:> 40 dB, 20Hz to 20kHz

Load Angle:8(±jx) time independent at 8Ω4(±jx) time dependent, T > 6 min. at 4Ω2(1±jx) time dependent, T > 2 min. at 2Ω

Transient Recovery:< 1µs for 20 dB overdrive @ 1kHz

High Frequency Overload and Latching:No latch up at any frequency or level.

High Frequency Stability:Unconditionally stable driving any reactive or capacitiveload.

Turn On Delay:3 seconds

Variable Low-Cut Filter:10Hz (Off) to 170Hz, 2nd Order Bessel

Subwoofer Low-Pass Filter:Switched: 63Hz/125Hz, 3rd Order Bessel

Constant Directivity High Frequency Boost:2kHz to 6kHz (+3 dB points)6 dB/octave high-frequency shelving filter,(shelving occurs at approximately 30kHz)

Limiter Section:Complementary Positive and Negative Peak Detecting

APPENDIX B: Technical Info

29

OL

–3

–6

–9

–20

–3

–6

–9

–20

SIG

OL

SIG

CH

1

30

28

26

202218

2416

14

8

0 0


GAIN/dB CH

2PROTECT

COLD HOT

SHORT

TEMP STATUS

INTERNAL STATUS

CH1

CH2

CH 1& 2

ON

OFF

POWER

3v

2v

1v30

28

26

202218

2416

14

8

0 0


GAIN/dB3v

2v

1v

PROFESSIONAL POWER AMPLIFIERFULL SYMMETRY DUAL DIFFERENTIAL HIGH CURRENT DESIGN

19.00" (48.3cm)

17.25" (43.8cm)

15.2

5" (3

8.7

cm)

3.50

"(8

.9cm

)2U

16.2

5" (4

1.3cm

)

M•1400WEIGHT 36 lbs.(16.3 kg)

Indicators:6 meter LEDs per channel

SIG (Signal Present), –20, –9, –6, –3, OL (Overload)

CH 1 & 2PROTECT LEDsSHORT LEDs

TEMP STATUSCOLD/HOT LEDs

Power Consumption:65 watts at idle

900 watts with musical program fully loaded(2 ohms per side, or 4 ohms bridged)

550 watts with musical program fully loaded(4 ohms per side, or 8 ohms bridged)

850 watts at full power into 8 ohms(continuous sine wave)



AC Line Power:U.S./Canada 120VAC, 60HzEurope 240VAC, 50HzJapan 100VAC, 50/60HzKorea 220VAC, 60Hz

AC Drop-out Voltage:At approximately 50% of rated line voltage

Physical:Height 3.5 inches (89mm)Width 19.0 inches (483mm)Depth 15.25 inches (387mm)Overall Depth 16.25 inches (413mm)Weight 36 pounds (16.3kg)

Since we are always striving to make our stuff better atMackie Designs by incorporating new and improved ma-terials, components, and manufacturing methods, wereserve the right to change these specifications at anytime without notice.

30

CH 1

BALA

NCED

LINE

INPU

T(T

RS)

CH 1

BALA

NCED

LINE

INPU

T(X

LR-F

)

LIM

ITER

LIM

ITER

ON OFF

LOW

CUT

FILT

ER

LOW

PASS

FILT

ER(S

UBW

OOFE

R)

+ –80

VDC

+ –90 V

DC

TORO

IDAL

POW

ERTR

ANSF

ORM

ER

LAM

P

FUSE

MAC

KIE

DESI

GNS

M•1

400

BLOC

K DI

AGRA

M(#

0225

98DF

)

FREQ

CD E

Q

FREQ

OUTP

UTAP

PLIC

ATIO

NSW

ITCH

AMP

MOD

ESW

ITCH

63 H

z

125

Hz

FREQ

TOLI

MIT

ER

ON OFF

LOW

CUT

FILT

ER

FREQ

CD E

Q

FREQ

CH 1

GAI

N STER

EOM

ONO

BRID

GE

CH 2

GAI

N

INVE

RTIN

GUN

ITY

GAI

NAM

PLIF

IER

ON OFF

SUB ON OF

FSU

B

NC NCNC

MUT

E

CH 1

PROT

ECT

LED

CH 1

SHOR

TLE

D

MUT

E

CH 2

PROT

ECT

LED

POW

ER

AMPL

IFIE

RCH

1SP

EAKE

ROU

TFU

SE–8

0VDC

FUSE

+80V

DC

DC O

FFSE

TDE

TECT

SHOR

TDE

TECT

MET

ERDR

IVE

POW

ER

AMPL

IFIE

RCH

2SP

EAKE

ROU

TFU

SE–8

0VDC

FUSE

+80V

DC

DC O

FFSE

TDE

TECT

TO C

H 1

MUT

EOL –3 –6 –9 –2

0SI

G

CH 1

SIG

CH 2

SHOR

TLE

D

SHOR

TDE

TECT

MET

ERDR

IVE

TO C

H 2

MUT

E

TO C

H 1

MUT

E

TO C

H 2

MUT

E

OL –3 –6 –9 –20

SIG

CH 2

SIG

SIG

(TO

CH 1

MET

ER D

RIVE

)

SIG

(TO

CH 2

MET

ER D

RIVE

)PD

's LE

ASH

HOT LED

COLD

LED

TEM

PSE

NSOR

(ON

HEA

TSIN

K)

FROM

CH

1SH

ORT

DETE

CT

FROM

CH

2SH

ORT

DETE

CT

CH 1

MUT

ECO

NTRO

L

CH 2

MUT

ECO

NTRO

L

4 SE

C DE

LAY

(TUR

N-ON

)

CH 1

AMP

OUT

CH 2

AM

P OU

T

PROG

RAM

DETE

CT

AND

OR

60ºC

DETE

CTOR

FAN

SPEE

D CO

NTRO

L

HI D

CV

LO D

CV

CH 1

MUT

E

CH 2

MUT

E

POW

ERSW

ITCH TO

CH

1 AN

D CH

2

MUT

ETH

ERM

ALPR

OTEC

T

THRU

(XLR

-M)

CH 2

BALA

NCED

LINE

INPU

T(T

RS)

CH 2

BALA

NCED

LINE

INPU

T(X

LR-F

)

THRU

(XLR

-M)

80º

C M

UTE

55ºC

UNM

UTE

FAN

TO H

USKY

ST

ADIU

M

BLOCK DIAGRAMM•1400/M•1400i

31

COLOPHONManual written by Jeff Gilbert and Dave

Franzwa, with tidbits borrowed from almosteverywhere, including huge chunks of techni-cally baffling text contributed by Rick Chinn.Manual then defaced with proofreading pens inthe hands of Mackie’s legendary Tech Supportstaff (Paul Larson), New Products Engineeringstaff (Cal Perkins and Cameron Jones), andour incomparable Art Department (SaraDelahan). Back cover collage composed byJayme Delma.

Manual composed with No. 4 blue sidewalkchalk on the banks of beautiful SammamishSlough by Mackie’s notorious Technical Writingstaff, then converted to this amazing pieceof work using a 13-story 1000 gigawhatMacintosh, powered by its own dedicated ACsupply with extensive voltage regulation andnoise filtering to insure pure, undistorted text.Please, feel free to let us know if you find anerror or stumble over a confusing paragraph.Thank you for reading the entire manual (weknow you have, or you wouldn’t be here).

Mackie, The Running Man, and FR Seriesare either trademarks or registered trademarksof Mackie Designs Inc.

Speakon is a registered trademark of Neutrik.All other brand names mentioned are

registered trademarks or trademarks of theirrespective holders, and are hereby acknowledged.

©2001 Mackie Designs Inc.All Rights Reserved.

®

®

®

®

™

Mackie Designs Inc.Mackie Designs Inc.

16220 Wood-Red Rd. NE • Woodinville, WA 98072 • USAUS & Canada: 800/898-3211

Europe, Asia, Central & South America: 425/487-4333Middle East & Africa: 31-20-654-4000Fax: 425/487-4337 • www.mackie.com

E-mail: [email protected]

Some of thepeople at our

factory who helpeddesign, bui ld, sel l ,and support your

product.

Some of thepeople at our

factory who helpeddesign, bui ld, sel l ,and support your

product.

m•1400/m•1400i owner’s manual mackie.pdf · (mono bridge) 1000 watts 8 ohm load (stereo) 500...

Documents