Introduction, Lend me your ears – MACKIE M1200/M1400 User Manual

Page 3

Part No. 820-062-00 Rev. A 12/96

Lend Me Your Ears

Exposure to extremely high
noise levels may cause per-
manent hearing loss.
Individuals vary considerably

in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, but
nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed
to suffi-
ciently
intense
noise for a
period of
time. The
U.S.
Government’s
Occupa-
tional
Safety and
Health Ad-
ministration (OSHA) has specified the permissible
noise level exposures shown in this chart.

Duration Per Day

Sound Level dBA,

Typical

In Hours

Slow Response

Example

Duo in small club

Subway Train

100

Very loud classical music

1.5

102

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 of

these permissible limits could result in some hear-
ing loss. To ensure against potentially dangerous
exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recom-
mended that all persons exposed to equipment
capable of producing high sound pressure levels
(such as this amplification system) use hearing

protectors
while this
unit is in
operation.
Ear plugs
or protec-
tors in the
ear canals
or over the
ears must
be worn
when oper-

ating this amplification system in order to prevent
a permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of
the limits set forth here.

INTRODUCTION

amplifier that performs better than conven-
tional designs when presented with adverse
conditions. One of the most difficult things for
a power amplifier to handle is clipping. Con-
ventional designs use lots of negative feedback
to provide stability and lower distortion. When
clipping occurs, this “feedback” causes high-
frequency sticking, keeping the amplifier
“latched” in the clipping state longer than nec-
essary. This results in painfully audible
distortion. Our Fast Recovery design eliminates
this high-frequency sticking and allows the am-
plifier to remain stable when powering highly
reactive loads at high volume levels.

You may wonder why a power amp even

needs an owner’s manual. After all, you just
plug in a few cables and power it up. Well, it’s
almost that simple. There’s just a few things
that we’d like you to be aware of, and we’ll dis-
cuss those right away — please see the Quick
Start

on the next page.

Then go ahead and read the entire manual.

The M•1200/M•1400 amplifiers have a wealth
of useful features, and each of them is explained
in detail.

Please write your serial number here for
future reference (i.e., insurance claims,
tech support, return authorization, etc.):

Thank you for choosing a Mackie Designs

power amplifier! We appreciate your vote of
confidence for the folks in Woodinville who
specialize in awesome and affordable audio.
The Mackie Designs M•1200/M•1400 Power
Amplifiers are designed to fulfill the amplifica-
tion needs of almost any type of application.
They boast a wealth of features you’d expect to
pay extra for — like subwoofer filtering, con-
stant directivity equalization, speaker-protecting
limiter, and gobs of ultra-clean power, to name
a few.

Perhaps the most important feature of the

FR Series™ Power Amplifiers is the attention
to detail in every aspect of the design. At Mackie,
we know what it takes to be roadworthy. After
all, our mixers have traveled all over the world
under the worst of conditions, and we’ve applied
what we’ve learned to the mechanical design of
our amplifiers.

Roadworthiness is only part of the picture.

We know that reliability is paramount to sound
reinforcement. That’s why we use double-sided
thru-hole-plated fiberglass printed circuit
boards. That’s why our engineers have sub-
jected the amplifier to the most rigorous and
punishing tests imaginable, to fine-tune the
design and extend its limits 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