If you're thinking about which mixer to add to your MIDI studio stop thinking. We recently took delivery of a Mackie MS1402-VLZ and it's exceeding our wildest expectations.

Let's first go through a checklist of the essential attributes of a mixer and see how the MS1402-VLZ shapes up.

Signal to Noise ratio - If you're adding noise to your audio signal you're not going to get a very good end result, especially if recording multiple tracks to ADAT or a multitrack. The MS1402-VLZ with a S/N ratio of around 90dB (ref +4dBu) helps keep noise levels down to a minimum ensuring that all you'll hear out the other end is what you put in.

Ease of use - Sometimes you can find yourself spending more time how to work your mixer than actually making music, a this is an area that Mackie Designs seem to have spent a lot of work on, making sure that the all essential functions are easily accessable with the addition of quite a few features normally found only on much higher priced mixers.

Durability - One of the most impressive aspects of all Mackie mixers is the quality of their components. The faders and pots are the the same as those used on their 32 track professional mixing desks, and the way they are mounted to the circuitboard, which can easily fracture if subjected to even minimal impact, is testament to the design skills of people who have been involved with the manufacture of mixers for many years.

The company was founded by Greg Mackie in 1989 and has since grown into one of the worlds biggest manufacturers of sound reinforcement equipment. The giant factories in Woodinville, Washington State (conveniantly located down the road from the Ste. Michel Vineyards and the Red Hook brewery) house state of the art production facilities and are home to world class engineers and technicians.

One aspect of the company that we picked up on when looking for a mixer to add to our in-house studio (which is actually used to field test new equipment, so it needs to be good) is their attitude towards customer satisfaction. They are far removed from those faceless corporate musical instrument manufacturers that never quite seem to get it right, instead Mackie Designs go out of their way to get customer feedback in order to introduce new features in upcoming models.

And don't think that the MS1402-VLZ is only good for work in the studio. Applications such as video post-production, live club performance and multimedia are among the main reasons people choose Mackie.

Mackie also produce two more sizes of compact mixer, the MS1202-VLZ (which has fewer channels but is equally as versatile) and the CR1604-VLZ (which has more channels and many more extras). We went with the MS1402-VLZ because it represents, in our opinion, the best of both worlds and is ideally suited for use in a digital MIDI studio.

As far as configuring the mixer into your studio is concerned, this usually difficult process is made much easier thanks to the awesome users manual that accompanies the unit. In it you'll find most all the applications it could ever be used for, and the diagrams and step by step guide will have you up and running in no time.

Another aspect of the whole Mackie line is the look of the machines, they actually look like the versatile and technically perfect mixers that they are, and this is a direct result of having been involved in the design and production of mixers for some three decades.

For more information we suggest you visit the Mackie Designs website (see below). We are currently putting the MS4102-VLZ through its paces and will bring you review updates, tips and setup help as soon as we have it available. In the meantime check out the following specifications and be sure to let us know if you find a compact mixer that comes anywhere close to a Mackie when it comes to value for money, durability and ease of use.

Specifications

Channels
Fourteen (7 thru 10 stereo)
Main Mix Noise
20Hz-20kHz bandwidth, 1/4" Main out, channels 1ç6 Trim @ unity gain, channel EQs flat, all channels assigned to Main Mix, channels 1 and 3 Pan left, 2 and 4 Pan right.
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
1kHz @ +14dBu: 20Hz-20kHz
Mic in to Main out: 0.0025%
Attenuation (Crosstalk)
1kHz relative to 0dBu, 20Hz-20kHz bandwidth, Line in, 1/4" Main Out, Trim @ unity.
Main fader down: -85dBu
Channel Alt/Mute switch engaged: -84dBu
Channel fader down: -83dBu
Frequency Response (Mic input to any output)
20Hz to 60kHz: +0dB/-1dB
20Hz to 100kHz: +0dB/-3dB
Equivalent input Noise (EIN) Mic in to insert Send out, max gain
150 ohm termination: -129.5dBm unweighted
Common Mode Rejection (CMR)
Mic In to Insert Send out, max gain 1kHz: better than 90dB
Maximum Levels
Mic In: +14dBu
Tape In: +16dBu
All other inputs: +22dBu
Main Mix XLR outputs: +28dBu
All other outputs: +22dBu
Impedances
Mic in: 1.3 kilohms
Channel insert return: 2.5 kilohms
All other inputs: 10 kilohms or greater
Tape out: 1.1 kilohms
All other outputs: 120 ohms
EQ
High Shelving: ±15db @ 12kHz
Mid Peaking: ±12dB @ 2.5kHz
Low Shelving: ±15db @ 80Hz
Power Consumption
120VA.C., 50/60Hz, 25 watts
Fuse Ratings
120V: 0.5A Slo Blo, 5 x 20mm
220-240V: 0.25A Slo Blo, 5 x 20mm

To contact Mackie Designs check out their entry in our Manufacturers department

electronicmusic.com/features/reviews/hardware/1402vlz.html