Members WhisperinDonkey Posted May 28, 2007 Members Share Posted May 28, 2007 I own a Mackie 1604 VLZPro, which I bought new around 2001 and have not used very much. The manufacured date posted on the bottom of the mixer is "0M1012" maybe this means 10/12/2000? Also it is "Made in USA". I was wondering if this Mackie 1604 had the ribbon cable design flaw everyone has been talking about, or is my board OK? Is it just a matter of time before it breaks down on me? I am considering unloading this mixer and all the rack gear for a powered mixer for simplification, since I mostly just jam at home with my kids or at family gatherings. If I go the powered mixer route, which powered board would you recommend for good equalization and effects, maybe with compression. I would like to have panning, high pass filters and some halfway decent outputs for some recording capability? Is the Yamaha EMX5000-12 a good board? I run through two Peavy 112 International Series III speakers, 8 ohms, 250W rms, 400W program. They are 3 Way speakers with a mid-range horn that pokes out through the middle of the 12" woofer. These sound incredible for vocals and acoustic guitar, but how long will they last, how old are they and if they broke could I still get replacement parts?). If I ever replace these speakers will I be able to match their incredible Vocal/Acoustic Guitar sound? I may add a subwoofer in the future. I would appreciate any advice or opinions. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted May 28, 2007 Members Share Posted May 28, 2007 Ribbon cables aren't the only problems unfortunately. There's the headphone amp problem, mute problem and the input stage problem. BUT, they aren't terribly unreliable given the number of units in service. I wouldn't worry about it unless you have a problem or really want to simplify. A working mixer is always worth more than a non-working unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dravenzouk Posted May 28, 2007 Members Share Posted May 28, 2007 Mine did. I did major surgery on it and have not had any problems since but I won't be surprised when the problems return. I think it would interesting for anyone that HASN'T had any problems with their 1604s to post. See how many of you are out there (if any). So, happy problem-free 1604 owners - you out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted May 28, 2007 Members Share Posted May 28, 2007 I use to own a 1604 VLZ. I used it alot for about 4 years before trading it in and never had a problem. In the past I also had a 1402vlz, a cfx-16 and a sr24-4. I did have the 24-4 repaired once but had no problems with any of the others. I now own a 1640 onyx and after a year it works fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pdiddy Posted May 28, 2007 Members Share Posted May 28, 2007 Rest assured ribbon cable issues are not exclusive to the Mackie brand. I had similar issues with my Soundcraft "spirit" powered mixer. Unfortunately, the real issues are seldom the actual ribbon cables but more often the ribbon cable RECEPTACLES that develop cracks in the solder joints. Just reflow the solder and you're good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted May 28, 2007 Members Share Posted May 28, 2007 The Mackie problems are not the solder connections. That's pretty much a Soundcraft exclusive due to the poor wave soldering of single sided board with oversized holes and small anular rings. Mark has had this problem with several of his Spirit consoles. I have serviced a couple of Spirit Live's with this problem as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pdiddy Posted May 29, 2007 Members Share Posted May 29, 2007 The Mackie problems are not the solder connections. That's pretty much a Soundcraft exclusive due to the poor wave soldering of single sided board with oversized holes and small anular rings. Mark has had this problem with several of his Spirit consoles. I have serviced a couple of Spirit Live's with this problem as well. Thanks, good info! I'm getting ready to retire the unit in the next year or so. Sounds like they arn't getting any better? Oversized holes = easier assembly, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WhisperinDonkey Posted May 29, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 29, 2007 I heard that the pins on the boards were toleranced too small for the connectors on the ribbon cables therefore not providing a good connection. Is this the case? If so, would this mean that if the board was moved around a lot, i.e. for live gigs as opposed to just sitting in a studio, that it would be more prone to failure? Or is it more just a function of time the mixer is used that causes the ribbon cable connections to fail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted May 29, 2007 Members Share Posted May 29, 2007 no, all the problems I have seen related to the tolerances and tooling of the IDC (insulation displacement) portion of the connector, having nothingto do with the pins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dravenzouk Posted May 30, 2007 Members Share Posted May 30, 2007 I think it would interesting for anyone that HASN'T had any problems with their 1604s to post. See how many of you are out there (if any). So, happy problem-free 1604 owners - you out there? Well, so far the score is......1. One 1604VLZ owner who hasn't had a problem. hmmmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted May 30, 2007 Members Share Posted May 30, 2007 I've got 3 out of 8 in installations that have been trouble-free. I stopped using them about 5 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Greazygeo Posted May 30, 2007 Members Share Posted May 30, 2007 I've had alittle trouble with mine. One channel was acting up and I reseated / cleaned the connectors and it worked fine. Now the left side of the tape input is acting up, probably the same thing..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WhisperinDonkey Posted June 3, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 3, 2007 I've got 3 out of 8 in installations that have been trouble-free. I stopped using them about 5 years ago.3 out of 8 - not terribly terrible reliability I guess. ----- Well, with these odds I think I'll keep my 1604 VLZPro and hope it doesn't break down on me. If it does I'll buy another unit at that time. Although it is a bit tempting to sell it now while it's still worth something. Should I?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted June 3, 2007 Members Share Posted June 3, 2007 No, not terribly reliable. I wouldn't want to own one personally, but when they work, they can be a pretty good solution for many applications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tubedude Posted June 3, 2007 Members Share Posted June 3, 2007 I am one of the lucky ones I guess. I have an old CR1604 with the mic expander. I bought it used in 1998 and and zero problems with this unit. It has done smokey house gigs for years, thrown in the back of the trailer and move across the state and hot outdoor gigs. I wish it had better routing options but a denpendabily and sound this is the mixer that I will not part with. I am almost 50 and don't play house gigs anymore but, it will be doing another outdoor gig Friday. It really is one piece of gear I never worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WhisperinDonkey Posted June 5, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 5, 2007 Thanks for all the information and advice. I will keep checking this thread for more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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