Manley Labs Variable MU Mastering with MS Modification Option

The Mastering Version of our Variable Mu Limiter Compressor incorporating detented and logable steps built with 1% metal film resistors on sealed gold-contact Grayhill switches is available. NO, we will not mod a "normal" unit to the Mastering Version. The Mastering Version of the Variable Mu Limiter Compressor uses expensive Greyhill rotary switches with gold contacts where conductive plastic pots were used. The steps are determined with a large number of 1% precision metal film 1/2 watt resistors. The best conductive plastic pots only have 10% or 20% tolerance. The ten fold improvement in precision helps a great deal in left-right matching. There is a subtle audible improvement with stepped switches as well. Audiophile HI-FI often uses that technique to wring the last drop of performance out of a preamplifier. And I bet you wanted stepped switches mostly for resets.

The INPUT LEVEL is a five position switch with a generic optimum setting of "0" in the 12:00 position. Each step in either direction is 2 dB. For reference, Unity Gain is "0". The OUTPUT Attenuators are in half dB steps. Reference Unity is -11.5 or fully counter-clockwise. You might think of these as "gain makeup". They are marked technically, in that "0" or fully clockwise has zero attenuation in the circuit. The tube circuit actually has 15.5 dB of gain. The Input attenuator at "0" removes 4 dB and the Output attenuator removes the last 11.5 producing "unity". With a little compression the "gain make-up" available with the Output Attenuator is very handy.

The Threshold is in half dB steps calibrated to LIMIT mode. In Compress the steps are approximately 1/4 dB. There are 24 steps so LIMIT gets a 12 dB range and Compress has a 6 dB range of adjustment. In some cases it is common to use the Input Attenuator to find a good starting point. Some Mastering engineers find using the combination of Input, Output and Threshold to achieve a little different "drive". Another good reason for stepped gains.

The Attack Time has been slightly extended in both directions compared to a regular Variable Mu and divided into 11 steps. The Recovery 5 position switch is exactly the same as a regular Variable Mu.

The switches specifically are like this: Input: -4 to +4 in 2 dB steps Output: -11 to 0 in 1/2 dB steps (24 detents) Threshold: -11 to +1 in 1/2 dB steps LIMIT(24 detents) and 24 x 1/4 dB steps in COMPRESS Attack: 11 positions CW (fast) 15mS, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90mS (slow) CCW Release: 5 positions CW (fast) 200mS, 400mS, 600mS, 4S, 8 Seconds (slow) CCW

MID/SIDE MODIFICATION (a.k.a. Vertical/Lateral, or Sum/Difference) This modification opens the door to stereo encoding and decoding as well as exciting image enhancement processing capabilities. For instance, setting to compress only the in-phase information allows the augmentation of the stereo image as the out-of-phase content is left untouched. Or, conversely, if you need a "more-mono" mix for broadcast, or vinyl-cutting for instance, you can set it to kill off more of the out-of-phase info which leaves more in-phase material in the final result. Read more about the MS Mod in the Owner's Manual.

In order to add both M-S and the HP SC mods, we move the power switch to the rear panel and install both channels' HP SC switch to the center hole where the power switch was. The M-S switches then flank this switch.

• Manley input & output transformers with pure nickel laminations in mu-metal case with flat frequency response

• 20 Hz - 25 kHz frequency response

• Balanced inputs & outputs

• Independently regulated B+ and heater supplies

• Includes HP sidechain modification as standard

• Hard-wire bypass switch

• Silent conductive plastic input attenuator

• Recovery 5 steps: 0.2s, 0.4s, 0.6s, 4sec., 8sec. (Not a 12-step recovery)

• Variable attack: 25msec - 70msec

• Continuously variable threshold

• Switch for limit or compress modes

• Front panel mounted meter adjust

• Limit (4:1 to 20:1) or compress (1.5:1)

• Large illuminated sifam meters

• Stereo link switch

• Maximum gain: 35 dB

• <0.1% THD @ 1 kHz Noise floor: -85 dB typical

• Max. output +30 dBm (26 V RMS) 26 dB Headroom

• Power consumption (120/240 VAC): 80 watts

• Dimensions: 19" x 3.5" x 10" (occupies 2u)

• Shipping weight: 23 lb

(PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME SPECIFICATIONS WILL CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHICH MODIFICATIONS ARE ADDED. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR DETAILS)