FAQs

No, Apple makes only the latest version of Master Fader available.

Yes. There is an optional Rackmount Kit accessory available through Mackie dealers. A Phillips screwdriver is all that is required for installation and the finished hardware takes up nine spaces in a standard 19” rack. Plus, leaving extra room for cabling, a racked up DL Series mixer fits perfectly into most of the flip-top racks on the market. 

All the outputs are full routable so any signal can be patched to any of the 14 analog plus stereo AES physical outputs. By default the main outputs are patched to XLR 13 and 14 but this can change this as needed.

While Mackie does not discuss unannounced products, we always strive to create technology that is used in many products and accessible to all of our users. Like the XDR and Onyx before it, the Onyx+ preamps are Mackie’s latest and greatest preamps and we hope to bring them to additional products in the future.

There are four return channels that can be used for any source desired including USB or Dante playback. Additionally, the three internal FX processors have dedicated return channels.

There is no inserts, instead there is DSP built in to every channel so no inserts are needed.

No.

Yes, there is a color selector to choose from for every channel. Press the channel ID at the bottom of the channel, in the pop-up menu tap Color, and choose the coolest color available.

With the optional Dante card you can link two DL32R’s together for FOH/MON systems with shared IO. The DL1608 will not be able to be linked with the DL32R.

No, the DL32R uses all of its processing for 32 channel operation, instead of limiting its functionality with 32 channels to reserve processing for 64 inputs.

No, you cannot physically plug your iPad into the mixer. The DL32R requires a Wi-Fi router to mix wire- lessly.

Yes. Simply connect the Dante enabled device to an Ethernet switch, using Cat5e or Cat 6 Ethernet ca- ble, and then connect the computer to the same switch.

If there is only one Dante-enabled device to connect to the computer, the switch is unnecessary. Simply connect the two with a Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable.

*For your computer to receive audio via Dante, a driver is required.

https://www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-virtual-soundcard

Input meters are fixed Pre DSP. Output meters are fixed Post Fader.

No.

Yes. By default, the talkback source of the DL32R is Mic Pre 32, but it can be routed from any source using the Input A tab of the I/O Patch view.

Yes! Presets (as well as shows and snapshots) can be exported via Dropbox, email and iTunes.

You can name everything in Master Fader, including aux sends, sub groups, channels, matrix outputs, etc.

No you cannot.

For Mac OS, no driver is needed. The DL32R uses standard Core Audio protocol for recording and play- back.

For Windows computers you will need to download a driver from our website.

Yes, the DL32R has a 100VAC – 240 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz universal power supply.

Yes. You can create snapshots, shows and presets offline with the free Mackie Master Fader iPad app. Presets are only stored on the connected device and can be recalled to a channel when desired. Snapshots and Shows (groups of snapshots) are loaded onto the mixer hardware which synchronizes them to all connected devices. These are then recalled from the hardware from any connected device.

Yes. Phantom power can be turned on and off individually for each of the 32 mic inputs via the Master Fader app.

By default the DL32R uses dynamic IP to get an IP address, but it can be configured to use a Static IP if desired. Access the static IP address settings in the Devices screen by tapping the small i near the name of your DL.

No, you will need a Wi-Fi router to connect to this mixer.

By default every input is assigned to the Main LR mix. By default the Main LR mix is assigned to the XLR outputs 13-14. So the absolute easiest way to get signals through the mixer is to turn up a chan- nels mic pre gain, turn up a channel’s fader and finally turn up the Main LR mix fader. Now you have signal passing out of the XLR outputs 13-14.

There are two ways to record with the DL32R: USB 2.0 streaming to a Mac or Windows computer or directly to a hard drive..

If the DL32R hooked up via USB cable to a computer for audio streaming, it’s used exactly like an audio interface. Select the DL32R as the playback and recording device and use capturing software like Pro Tools or Logic to record the audio.

If the DL32R is hooked up to a portable hard-drive simply open the menu that looks like a circle within a circle in the upper right hand of Master Fader. In this menu there is a section on the right to name a new recording; select the desired number of tracks to be recorded the recording bit depth. Use the USB tab in the IO Patch view to select the USB sources and then press the Record button to start recording.

Virtual sound check is the ability to perform a sound check without musicians present.

This is accomplished by using a pre-recorded show that is already on a hard drive attached to the mixer. Playing back the recording allows for setting EQ and Compression and Gate settings for every channel without having to have a musician hit or play a specific note repeatedly. It lets the engineer have the flexibility to spend as much time as is needed to get a good mix going and to build a good balance before the band is even on stage.

To play back a stereo song (ripped from CD, downloaded off iTunes), First convert it to a 48kHz .wav file. Then place it on the top level of the Music Folder on the hard drive.

On the left side of the Playback and Recording view, select your desired song and hit play.

The DL32R can also playback any of the recordings done on the unit as long as they are still on the Hard Drive.

To save a specific EQ preset, after the desired changes are made to your EQ, press the Presets button and from the drop down menu, tap Store and give it a name. the preset can then be recalled at a later date. This process is the same for other DSP presets like GEQ compression and gate.

For saving entire channel presets, after the desired changes are made to EQ, Compression and, Gate for the channel, tap on the channel ID at the bottom of the channel and from the pop-up menu, tap Store and give it a name. Channel presets are unique to each channel type.

Every processor has a “Default” factory preset. Simply recall this just as you would any other preset to reset the processor to its default state. There are “Default” presets for each individual processor type as well as for input channels and output channels allowing you to reset the complete channel. Finally, there is also a “Default” snapshot allowing you zero the entire console quickly and easily.

The Input/Output Patch view of Master Fader is where physical inputs are assigned to channels and sig- nals are routed to physical outputs and USB sends.

There are 6 separate tabs: Input A, Input B, Output, USB, Dante, and Talkback.

Input A: Each channel on the DL32R has 2 inputs, Input A and Input B. These inputs can then be switched between on a per channel basis or globally. Select the source for the Input A for each channel in this section. The default is mic pre 1 feeding Ch1’s input A although the user can choose between USB or Dante sources as well.. Input A is also where the User selects the talkback source.

Input B: This is where users select the second input of each channel. The default for Input B is the USB playback. So USB 1 is feeding Ch1’s Input B
Output: This is where users select the source for the physical outputs on the front of the mixer. By default Aux Sends 1-10 are routed to XLR outputs 1-10, Matrix outputs 1 and 2 are routed to the XLR outputs 11 and 12 and the Main LR bus is assigned to XLR output 13 and 14. However the I/O patching section is incredibly flexible and everything can be routed just about anywhere.

USB: This tab is where the signal sources for USB inputs are selected. By default Mic Pre 1 will feed USB 1 and Mic Pre 2 will feed USB 2 etc. This section allows users a large amount of flexibility in what can be routed to the USB inputs.

Dante: This tab is where audio sources are routed to the Dante Card. Dante sends multi-channel lossless audio via a single Ethernet cable.

Talkback: Assigns which bus the talkback microphone is feeding.

A matrix is basically a mixer within a mixer with delay, compression and EQ. The matrix can have several groups, auxes, and mains assigned to it. It can be used to distribute to many locations such as speaker zones (e.g. lobbies, cry rooms), video feeds, CD recorders, and audio interfaces.

Wireless setup is easy. Simply connect a LAN port on your Wi-Fi router to the Ethernet port on the back of the DL Series mixer.

Connect the iPad wirelessly to this network. Almost any off-the-shelf router will work.

Updates start on your device's App Store (iOS/Android) or the Master Fader product page (Mac/Windows).

Once updated, the next time you launch the app and connect to a mixer, the app will indicate the mixer is running old firmware. With a single button press, the app will update the mixer. So be sure to update your mixer after an app update with enough time before a gig.

Note that if a mixer with newer firmware is connected to an older version of the app, it will also indicate this. Make sure to update your app before reconnecting. Aside from installing and updating the app, no Internet connection is utilized in the firmware update process.

The maximum length cat5 cable supported by the DL32R is 100 meters or 328 ft.

There are 24 XLR inputs and 8 XLR/ 1/4” combo jack inputs

The DL32R takes up 3 rack spaces.

No they are completely independent on linked channels. This provides the flexibility needed for stereo sources with different levels.

The Master Fader 5 app allows wireless control from iPod touch (4th and 5th generation), iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S.

It’s perfect for on-stage performers controlling their own mix or for FOH engineers looking for pocketable wireless control. Note iOS11 is required for Master Fader 5.

There is no limitation of what kind of control options we could introduce in the future. We are focused on delivering the most features and the best experience that we can and at this time, that means iOS only.

Yes.

Not at this time.

There is the channel view, the mixer view and the overview. If you are adjusting a specific channel you only need to press the mixer view or the overview to view some or all of your available channels.

There is no limitation of what kind of control options we could introduce in the future. We are focused on delivering the most features and the best experience that we can and at this time, that means iOS only.

Master Fader allows notes to be added to each show. This is easily accessed from the Shows view.

There is no limitation of what kind of control options we could introduce in the future. We are focused on delivering the most features and the best experience that we can and at this time, that means iOS only.

There is no external word clock input or output on the DL32R.

You can back up Presets, Shows, and Snapshots to Dropbox, email or iTunes file transfer.

The monitor outputs are for connection to an in-ear monitoring system for convenient monitory of so- loed signals by the engineer. Because every output of the DL32R is assignable, this output can also act as additional 1/4” outputs for whatever purpose you like.

There are two USB jacks on the DL32R. The DRIVE jack is used to record and play back multichannel audio to and from an external hard drive. The COMPUTER jack is used to stream multichannel audio to and from a computer.

It’s simple. The mixer itself does all the heavy lifting.

Onyx mic pres amplify the signal. High-end AD converters convert this to digital. The powerful DSP chip processes and mixes this through the low latency mix engine.

What’s missing?  Control. And that’s where the iPad comes in. It is the control surface, controlling the DSP and mixer parameters but no audio processing occurs in the iPad at all.

All the magic happens in the mixer itself which is powerful and able to produce undeniably professional sound quality.

The AES/EBU output is a two channel digital output that can be assigned like any other output using the I/O Patch view. It is commonly used for carrying digital audio signals between various devices, for example sending the Main LR to a system processor or amplifier with AES/EBU inputs. This allows the signal to stay completely in digital for the highest sound quality.

The hard drive needs to be formatted to FAT32. The DL32R can format any attached drive by plugging in a drive and pressing the format button.

This LED gives information about network activity. Check the table in the Owner’s Manual to find out what the different combinations of Network and Power LED’s mean.

Talk-back is a method of communication between the sound engineer and personnel on stage or in a recording area. When enabled it sends the talkback source to the assigned destinations. By default, the talk-back input of the DL32R is channel 32, but this can be routed from any input. The destinations can be selected from any number of the output channels. The button does not need to be held down; it toggles on and off when pressed. The talk-back function does not use the iPad’s microphone.

Recording made to the USB2 hard drive are recorded as a 48kHz Multichannel .wav file. When the file is taken off a hard drive it will show up as a single .wav file. These can be easily split apart in DAW’s like Pro Tools or with applications like Sound Devices’ Wave Agent.

Dante is a combination of software, hardware, and network protocols that deliver uncompressed, multi-channel, low-latency digital audio over a standard Ethernet network.

A VCA allows you turn up or down a whole group of faders while maintaining their relative levels throughout. There is no signal processing happening in a VCA just overall volume control. A subgroup is a bus where audio can be routed too. This audio can then be processed (EQ, compression) and acts in a similar manner where the subgroup fader will bring all the volumes of channels in that group up or down.

Wi-Fi range depends on the router hardware and the environment. Obviously, each router is different and some will be better than others. We recommend sticking with a brand name you trust. If possible, purchase an 802.11n router that works over 5 GHz, though 802.11g works.

In addition to choosing a good router, the Wi-Fi signal can be obstructed and its strength reduced if there are many walls or other obstructions it must pass through.

A room full of people each with a variety of wireless devices in their pockets can also negatively affect your performance.

This table gives good coverage estimates: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ IEEE_802.11#Protocols).

Wi-Fi repeaters can be added to extend the wireless range for large venues, and many routers (such as the Airport Extreme) have this feature built in allowing you to simply use multiple routers to extend your coverage.

The Dante Card is the only card that has been announced at this time.

iOS 7.1 or greater is required to run Master Fader 3.0. This means that iPad 2, iPad (3rd generation), iPad (4th generation), iPad Mini/2/3, iPad Mini Retina/2, iPad Air/2 are supported.

In Technical Support the routers that have the greatest rate of success are the Apple routers. Specifically the routers they have made that include LAN ports and WAN ports. So any AirPort Express post-2012 that has both LAN and WAN ports. Any Airport Extreme model.

No. The 3G and LTE iPads use high performance cellular transmission for their data transfer. These networks both cause no interference with audio signals or electronics in the DL Series mixer and other audio gear. However, if you are using your 3G iPad in an area with poor 3G or LTE coverage, the iPad may fall back to a lower speed older network called GSM.

GSM communication uses data bursts to communicate with the network and these bursts can cause interference with audio called TDMA noise. This sounds like low level digital beeps in your audio. This will be present to some degree in virtually all audio equipment if the source of the TDMA interference is close enough and the severity will depend on the mechanical and electrical design of both the source and audio gear itself. We have designed the DL Series to reject this noise quite well. But there are still some situations where the interference can still occur based on the current conditions.

The solution if you do hear this noise in your audio, is indeed to turn off the cellular data functionality in your iPad for the show. Again, in most large metropolitan areas the iPad will get good 3G or LTE signals and this problem should not occur.

You can use a tool on your Windows PC such as Advanced IP Scanner to check your mixer's MAC address. Similar tools are also available for macOS.

In the upper left hand of the Master Fader app there is a selector to choose between the three different main views. The Overview shows every single channel, group, and output. The Mixer View shows the selected mix’s channel faders. Channel View shows processing, routing and gain settings of a selected channel. The mixer view is the place where you do the majority of work switching to the channel view to adjust the processing on one channel at a time.

The gain control on a specific channel adjusts the pre-amp gain for a microphone plugged into that channels input. This is the same exact control as the gain knob you are used to seeing at the top of an- alog mixers except it is under digital control. The trim is a digital gain stage that occurs after the signal is converted to digital. It is commonly used for your USB playback or Dante inputs that have no analog gain control allowing you to adjust signals that are coming off your USB hard drive that are too loud or too quiet.

To start, check your USB cable. If using a USB-C equipped mixer or microphone, make sure that you're using the USB-C to USB-A cable that came in the box. Though it may seem counter-intuitive, you cannot use a USB-C to USB-C cable. If you need to connect the unit to a USB-C port on your computer, you can use a USB hub or USB-A to USB-C adapter.
 
For ProFXv3, VLZ4, Onyx, DL, or DLZ mixer owners running Windows, make sure that you're using the latest driver for your product. Without the correct driver installed, Windows will not recognize your mixer. You can get the latest driver from two places:

• The Drivers/Downloads section of our Support dropdown
• Your specific mixer's product page found in the Products dropdown

My Fader will work will iPhone 6 and Plus.

No. Shows created on the DL1608 or DL806 cannot be used on the DL32R. Presets created on any mixer can be used on any other mixer.

Check out our library of resources at the links below!

Videos: https://loudaudio.netx.net/portals/loud-public/#category/12019

Tutorial Guides/FAQs: https://loudaudio.netx.net/portals/loud-public/#category/11475