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Audio Review: Mackie 2404-VLZ3 Compact Mixer
The mics pre's and EQs sound fantastic and Mackie has fixed the frequencies of the shelves in useful, musical locations.
My church is a portable "church-in-a-box" that leases time in an elementary school gymnasium in Gilbert, Ariz., so the terms "compact" and "portable" and "lightweight" sound like music to my ears (particularly since I am usually one of the guys who haul our gear in and out of the gym). But at the same time, since I'm also responsible for the quality of the audio, I am skeptically optimistic at best when it comes to the fidelity of bantamweight gear with a "small footprint." On those extraordinary occasions when the smaller, lighter stuff actually sounds great too, I have a grin that must be surgically removed from my face.
Mackie has introduced the latest update to its VLZ series of mixers, with two models available, the 2404-VLZ3 and the 3204-VLZ3. These have 24 and 32 input channels, respectively, and the "04" designation refers to the fact that these are both four-bus mixers. There are six other, smaller mixers in the line, ranging from 4-16 inputs, but the 2404 and the 3204 bring three new tricks to the party that none of the others have-two onboard effects processors, USB connectivity with your computer, and onboard compressors. The inclusion of these items is gaining popularity with other manufacturers as well, and rightfully so. If the processors sound good, that's two less rack-mounted units I have to lug into the gymnasium. If the compressors sound good, that's a few less compressors to add pain to my lower back. And certainly having a built-in USB interface not only lightens my load, but also facilitates a really quick turn-around in terms of getting a sermon podcast online. Since the recording can be made directly to the computer, it can be uploaded very quickly, even if basic editing and processing are desired.
The 2404 that I evaluated isn't actually a super lightweight device-it does have a bit of heft to it, since it's largely composed of metal. That's fine, because it's not huge and isn't that heavy, but it is solidly constructed and feels sturdy. Each channel strip from 1-20 features a 60-mm fader, signal routing and solo buttons, a mute button and pan knob. Above that is the mixer's three-band equalizer, with low shelving fixed at 80 Hz, high shelving at 12 kHz, and mids sweepable between 100 Hz and 8 kHz. Up to 15 dB of boost or cut is available on each. Above the EQs are knobs representing the mixer's six auxiliary sends. Sends one and two are intended for monitors, as they are fixed in pre-fader mode. Three and four can be switched between pre- and post-fader mode as a pair, and five and six are a bit unique. As a pair, they can be toggled between feeding the two internal effects processors or a pair of output jacks for external processing. This pair is fixed in post-fader mode, so they're not particularly useful for monitors. Another really cool and unique feature here enables the sending of auxiliaries five and six to your computer via USB for a "unique stereo recording" (as stated in the mixer's manual), but it's important to remember that since auxiliaries five and six are fixed in post-fader mode; fader adjustments will change this "unique" recording.
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John McJunkin is the CEO of Avalon Podcasting in Chandler, Arizona, which offers high quality podcast production and consultation services to a broad range of clients. He’s also the host of the Podcast Pro Tech & Tips Podcast at www.avalonpodcasting.com.
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