In fact, in most respects the VLZ4 mixers can be looked at as updated versions of their VLZ3 predecessors, as they offer very similar feature sets.

This new fourth generation of VLZ mixer comes in configurations that offer anything from four to 32 channels.

Despite the 'colour', the distortion figures for the Onyx preamps are extremely low, with the frequency response extending up to 50kHz, so whatever magic they impart must be pretty subtle. I've always felt that the Onyxes sounded just that little bit less 'cold' at the low end than that VLZ mixers: a hint 'fatter', shall we say, but not in a hyped way. The consoles in Mackie's flagship Onyx range, meanwhile, were more expensive and employed a different preamp design - still based on the same XDR circuit, but including parts custom-made to Mackie's specification. For example, when reviewing the 1604 VLZ3 for SOS, Hugh Robjohns remarked that they 'have always been amongst the best of any budget console and, for that matter, nipping at the heels of many high‑end consoles”. The more affordable was the VLZ series, the first three generations of which received plenty of praise. The latest generation of Mackie's VLZ mixer range incorporates their premium Onyx preamp design.įor some years now, Mackie have manufactured two ranges of analogue mixers.

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