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Manley Variable Mu Stereo Compressor Limiter with M-S and T-Bar Mods
Q&A|Item #:1500000369248 POS #:117928432
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View AllTom Elmhirst and the Manley Stereo Variable Mu
Description
The Manley Variable Mu Stereo Compressor Limiter is the glue that holds the mix together while crystallizing it into a professional, final product. This compressor limiter is all-tube, all transformer, with a high pass side chain mod. It is one of the very few compressors that has become a real standard in mastering studios and contributed to most hit records over the last decade. It works by using the remote cut-off, or re-biasing of a vacuum tube to achieve compression. The unique 5670 dual triode is at the center of the peak-reducing and compression action constantly being re-biased by the vacuum tube rectified side-chain control voltages which cause this tube to smoothly change its gain. The compress mode is soft-knee 1.5 to 1 ratio while the sharper knee limit mode starts at 4 to 1 and moves to a more dramatic ratio of 20 to 1 when limiting over 12dB. Interestingly, the knee actually softens as more limiting is used. Distortion can be creatively used by turning up the Input and turning down the output while using very little or no compression.
Features
- T-Bar Mod for smooth limiting curves, lower THD, and optimized per-channel phase and stereo channel matching
- M-S Mod provides rock-solid mono compatibility, plus a range of stereo processing techniques
- Variable Gain vacuum tube (per channel) has 2 x 12BA6 or 6BA6 single pentodes wired in in triode mode
- Manley input and output transformers with pure nickel laminations in mu-metal case
- Flat frequency response from 20Hz–25kHz
- Balanced inputs and outputs
- Fully differential all-tube circuitry using one 5751, 7044, and 12AL5 per channel
- Independently regulated B+ and heater supplies
- Includes HP side chain modification as standard
- Hard-wire bypass switch
- Silent conductive plastic input attenuator
- Continuously variable threshold
- Switch for limit or compress modes
- Front-panel mounted meter calibration
- Limit (4:1 to 20:1) or compress (1.5:1)
- Stereo link switch
Specs
- Type: Vacuum tube limiter/compressor with MS, T-Bar mods
- Number of channels: 2
- Controls: Threshold, ratio, attack, recovery
- Ratio compress mode: 1.5:1
- Ratio limit mode: 4:1 to 20:1
- Frequency response: 20Hz-25kHz
- Inputs: 2 x XLR
- Outputs: 2 x XLR
- Side chain inserts: Side chain high pass Filter
- Tubes: 4 x 6BA6, 2 x 5751/12AX7, 2 x 12BH7, 2 x 12AL5
- Rack spaces: 2U
- Power source: Standard IEC AC cable
- Height: 3.5"
- Depth: 10"
- Width: 19"