Mackie MX3500 2-Channel 2700W Professional Power Amplifier
The MX3500 is the amplifier you put in the rack when the speakers are passive and the job is a permanent install or a portable system that gets used every week. It is a straightforward two-channel design in 2U, with the protection circuitry and the mode switching you need and nothing you do not.
- Power output: 1000W continuous per channel at 8 ohms, 1350W continuous per channel at 4 ohms, and 2700W continuous at 8 ohms bridged.
- Selectable operating modes: parallel, stereo and bridged.
- Independent level control on each channel, with selectable input sensitivity.
- Status at a glance: Signal, Clip and Fault LEDs per channel.
- Protection circuits cover short circuit, under-impedance, over-current and thermal conditions.
- Connections: XLR input and Thru on each channel, with NL4 speaker outputs.
- Forced-air ventilation keeps the amplifier running cool through long sessions.
- Chassis: robust, impact-resistant all-steel 2U rackmount.
- Designed to pair with Mackie DRM Series Passive Loudspeakers, and with the SP260 Loudspeaker Processor for a complete system.
MX Series amplifiers exist to power passive systems, both fixed installs and portable production rigs, without the price of a touring-grade amplifier. The MX3500 is the larger of the pair in terms of output, and it is built on Mackie's own amplifier design history rather than a generic platform.
Power, and how the modes use it
Each channel delivers 1000W continuous into 8 ohms and 1350W continuous into 4 ohms. Bridged, the amplifier produces 2700W continuous into 8 ohms. Three operating modes are selectable. Stereo runs the two channels independently for a left and right pair. Parallel feeds one input to both channels, which is the mode you use when several cabinets need the same signal. Bridged puts all the available power into a single load, typically a subwoofer. Independent level control on each channel and selectable input sensitivity let you match the amplifier to the console output rather than running everything at the top of its range.
Staying alive under load
Forced-air ventilation keeps the amplifier cool during long events, which is where fanless designs start throttling. Protection circuits cover short circuit, under-impedance, over-current and thermal conditions, so a shorted speaker cable or an accidentally low load does not take the rig down with it. Signal, Clip and Fault LEDs on each channel tell you which condition you are in without needing a meter bridge, and Mackie's stated aim is clear, punchy sound that stays distortion-free even when pushed to the limits.
Rack and connections
The chassis is a robust, impact-resistant all-steel 2U rackmount, so it takes the knocks that come with touring racks. Each channel has an XLR input with a Thru, which makes daisy-chaining multiple amplifiers from one console send straightforward. Speaker outputs are NL4, the standard for professional passive systems.
Building a Mackie system
Mackie designed the MX Series around the DRM Series Passive Loudspeakers, and adding the SP260 Loudspeaker Processor completes the chain with crossover, delay and limiting handled properly before the amplifier. That combination gives a fully specified professional system where every component is matched to the others.