Gearhead/Mackie CR-1604 {!components/__archivelogo} {image:cr1604.jpeg} The CR-1604 is a 16-channel, 4-bus mic/line mixer of high build and audio quality. My personal theory is that Greg Mackie developed and shipped this desk to service that sector of the market identified by ~~Alesis~~ with their ~~1622~~ monolithic mixer, a truly abysmal piece of hardware. The CR-1604 is innovative compared with conventional 16:2 mixers in that the per-channel audio muting actually switches the audio to a second stereo bus. Other features include a rotatable jack-pod which can be connected in several orientations (some of which, including the illustrated configuration, require the additional ~~rotopod~~ kit) and high-quality mic inputs on the first eight channels. (There is a kit to provide the rest of the channels with mic inputs.) The mixer is rackmountable in various orientations, and can be mounted flush (useful for top-mounting across a [Gearhead/CP Cases Eurorack] case). The mixer is designed with ~~unity gain~~; every level control (including the fader channels) has a centre-detent at unity. There is a generous total of seven mono sends per channel: each channel can switch between the monitor (prefade) or send 1, and between sends 3+4 or 5+6. There are four stereo returns. The CR-1604 is partially MIDI-automatable; the optional ~~OTTOMIX~~ kit (an internal board plus external 1U rackmount unit) provides channel level, mute, and some aux level control. The main drawback of the mixer is the weak EQ section: each channel features high, mid and low EQ only, with no sweep. The EQ has a clean, American sound, compared with the rich EQ generally found on British desks. Weak EQ aside, I would recommend the Mackie as a high-quality 16-channel mixer. The automation is only partial, which is a drawback, and expensive (for the same price, one could pick up a second-hand [Gearhead/Yamaha DMP7]) but the Mackie quality is legendary. The four-bus, seven-send architecture is simple and versatile, and as a rackmount the mixer is very compact (although those in need of more channels in a rackmount might look at the ~~LM-3204~~ instead). 2005-09-04 22:29:21.0 2005-08-08 21:44:49.0 Mon Aug 08 22:04:58 UTC 2005 Mon Aug 08 21:45:14 UTC 2005