Mackie SR244 / SR324 Owner's Manual - Page 64

APPENDIX G: Service Appendices PLEASE! SAVE THE SHIPPING BOX! Yes, we know that it's slightly larger than the suitcase you're living out of, but you will need the entire carton and internal foam if your mixer ever needs service at some time in the future. If your kids make the box into a gerbil palace and cut holes in it - or if you stuff it in the dumpster of the fast-food place next door to your studio, we may have to sell and ship you another packing box later on. Don't end up buying an empty box! SERVICE Mackie mixing systems are notoriously bulletproof and reliable. But, hey... stuff happens. Any electronic product with as many parts as an audio mixer can occasionally have a minor casualty somewhere inside. And even if we could build our products to never break, there are those acts of nature that tend to visit mixing boards on occasion: spilled coffee, toppling monitors, lizard infestations, etc. This section covers how to get your Mackie SR24•4 mixer healthy again. TROUBLESHOOTING It benefits everyone if you do a bit of basic troubleshooting in advance of panicking and sending the unit back. Some low-key detective work will determine whether or not your mixer is really malfunctioning. First, it saves you downtime and embarrassment if, for example, you discover that the only thing wrong is an unplugged power cord. Second, it will save money. If you ship your mixer to Mackie and we can't duplicate the problem, you may get slapped with a service charge (plus shipping costs). We could write a whole manual on troubleshooting, but our main point is that there are a few obvious things you can easily look for: Power connections. This sounds insultingly simple, but if the whole mixer is completely dead, it's time to make sure that: the power cable is connected into a live source of power, the mixer is turned on, the fuse is OK, etc. Intermittent signal problems. Faulty plugs and cables are often the culprits. A TRS plug can sit in a socket for months doing its job and then suddenly decide (based on the phase of the moon and barometric pressure) to short or stop conducting. If you're having trouble with an individual channel, send or return, for gosh sakes swap cables before sending the mixer in for service. Check patching and switch positions. The SR24•4 is not a Boeing 777 (the Glass Cockpit pride of the Northwest) but it is possible to have a switch in the wrong position and not notice it. How about the TAPE TO MASTER switch? Or, have you plugged something into a channel or bus Insert jack? Finally, it doesn't hurt to call our Technical Support Department at 800/258.6883 (8:00 AM-5:00 PM Pacific Time) to see if they have any ideas as to what might be wrong. WHERE IT GETS FIXED Service and repairs of Mackie SR24•4 mixers are to be performed only at our high-tech, rainforest factory. Unauthorized service, repairs or modification will void your warranty. TO OBTAIN FACTORY SERVICE: 1. Call Mackie Customer Service at 800/258-6883 (Monday through Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Pacific Time) to get a Return Authorization Number (RA number). Please have your serial number ready. Products returned without an RA number will be refused. ® 62