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OWNER'S MANUAL
LANGEVIN
MINI MASSIVE
STEREO EQ
MANLEY
LABORATORIES, INC.
MANLEY LABORATORIES, INC.
13880 MAGNOLIA AVE.
CHINO, CA. 91710
TEL: (909) 627-4256
FAX: (909) 628-2482
http://www.manleylabs.com
email: emanley @ manleylabs.com
email: service @ manleylabs.com
Rev. MSMPXxxxx
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CONTENTS SECTION PAGE INTRODUCTION 3 BACK PANEL & CONNECTING 4 FRONT PANEL 5,6,7,8 CREDITS 8 THE MASSIVE PASSIVE BEGINNINGS, THE SUPER PULTEC 9 THE PASSIVE PARAMETRIC 10 WHY PASSIVE, WHY PARALLEL 11 PHASE SHIFT, WHY TUBES 12 CURVES 13 to16 TUBE LOCATIONS, ETC 17, 18 EQUALIZING EQUALIZERS (GENERAL) 19 EQUALIZER TECHNIQUES 20 to 24 TRANSLATIONS 25 TROUBLESHOOTING 26, 27 MAINS CONNECTIONS 28 SPECIFICATIONS 29 WARRANTY 30 WARRANTY REGISTRATION 31 APPENDIX 1 - EXAMPLE SETTINGS 32 APPENDIX 1 - T
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INTRODUCTION THANK YOU!... for choosing the Langevin MINI MASSIVE STEREO EQUALIZER. This Equalizer is based on the Manley Massive Passive Stereo Tube EQ and might be described as an evolution and an alternative to the original.The Massive Passive and the Mini Massive share a number of qualities. Both are based on passive circuits comprised of resistors, capacitors and inductors to sculpt tone, in fact for the most part, the exact same circuits. These EQ circuits substantially attenuate the signa
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THE BACK PANEL OUTPUT INPUT IF IN DOUBT USE +4 BALANCED OUTPUT INPUT MANLEY LABS CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 2 & “IRON” IF OPTION IS INSTALLED 13880 MAGNOLIA AVE., CHINO, CA 91710 MINI MASSIVE PHONE (909) 627-4256 fax (909) 628-2482 PIN 1 GROUND INPUT OUTPUT TRANSFORMER LEVELS OPTION PIN 2 HOT + www.manleylabs.com VINTAGE PIN 3 LOW - +4 UNBALANCED BY MANLEY LABS SERIAL NUMBER FUSE 1A @ 117V +4 FUSE .5A @ 220V MINI-MASSIVE IRON BAL CAUTION - RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK TWO CHANNEL EQUALIZER VOLTAGE DO NOT OPEN.
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P P P P THE FRONT PANEL 3 3 2 3 3 BOOST BOOST EQ IN BOOST BOOST LOW FREQUENCY EQ HI FREQUENCY EQ LOW FREQUENCY EQ HI FREQUENCY EQ FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH LEVEL OUT FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH LEVEL OUT FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH LEVEL OUT FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH LEVEL OUT 150 8 3K9 8 150 8 3K9 8 100 220 2K7 5K6 100 220 2K7 5K6 CUT CUT CUT CUT 68 330 1K8 8K2 68 330 1K8 8K2 mini BY MANLEY LABS 47 470 1K2 12K 47 470 1K2 12K massive SHELF SHELF POWER SHELF SHELF 33 680 820 16K 33 680 820 16K BELL BELL 22 1K 0 20 560 27K 0
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5) GAIN. This sets the boost and/or cut depth or amount and works with the BOOST, OUT, CUT, TOGGLE. FLAT is fully counter-clockwise not straight up "12:00" like most EQs. It is more like a Pultec in this regard. Maximum boost or cut is fully clockwise and can be up to 20 dB - but not necessarily. There is a fair amount of interaction with the BANDWIDTH control. The maximum of 20 dB is available in Shelf modes when the Bandwidth is CCW and is about 12 dB when the Bandwidth is CW. The maximum of
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NOTES 1) Do not assume the knob settings "mean" what you expect they should mean. Part of this is due to the interaction of the controls. Part is due to the new shelf slopes and part due to a lack of standards regarding shelf specification. 2) You may find yourself leaning towards shelf frequencies closer to the mids than you are used to and the "action" seems closer to the edges of the spectrum than your other EQs. Same reasons as above. 3) You may also find yourself getting away with what seem
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More Thoughts from the Designer Clean versus colored - Active versus Passive - Tape versus Digital - well it all gets a bit tiresome. Here is the real deal: they are all a bit colored and for the most part remarkably clean. So if anything we are basing our preferences on which flavor of subtle color we either happen to like, or believe we need (based on something we read somewhere) which may be just a slightly familiar sound rather than some magnificient life changing event. No magic, just good
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Just a few notes for plug-in users. One question that gets asked a lot is “Why no ‘Link’ switch “or “Why not a stereo EQ with one set of controls?” The most accurate answer is “you guys are spoiled, ha ha”. To do it in digital is almost a no-brainer and is just a matter of passing a few numbers to the other sides parameter registers. To do it on an analog compressor is a bit more involved but still pretty easy and not pricey. But to do it on an analog EQ, requires big expensive multi-deck swit
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This section is borrowed from the Massive Passive Manual Beginnings "The Super-Pultec" The very earliest equalizers were very simple and primitive by Manley Labs has been building a few versions of the Pultec-style todays standards. Yes, simpler than the hi-fi "bass" and "treble" EQs for many years as well as an updated version of the EQ-500 controls we grew up with. The first tone controls were like the tone (another vintage EQ). These are classic passive EQs combined with controls on an electr
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"The Passive Parametric" Another important concept. When you use the shelf curves the frequencies on the panel may or may nor correspond to other EQ's For years, we had been getting requests for a Manley parametric frequency markings. It seems there are accepted standards for filters equalizer, but it looked daunting because every parametric we knew and bell curves for specifying frequency, but not shelves. We use a of used many op-amps and a "conventional parametric" would be common form of spe
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Why Passive? And Why Parallel? If you hate tech talk, just skip this section - it has to do with The Massive Passive is a "parallel design" as opposed to the electronic parts and circuits and design philosophy. far more common "series design". A few pages back, we mentioned the main reason for going with a parallel design All EQs use capacitors. They are very easy to use, predictible, was to avoid extreme signal loss, which would require extreme cheap and simple. Some sound slightly better than
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Phase Shift? Mini Massive and Massive Passive - Similarities & Differences Deadly topic. This is probably the most misunderstood term floating The Mini Massive is obviously based on the lowest and highest about in the mixing community. Lots of people blame or name phase bands from the Massive Passive. In fact, they share about 95% of the shift for just about any audio problem that doesn't sound like typical same components and about 85% of the same circuit board layout. distortion. We ask that y
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LOW SHELF CURVES Just like most EQs, a 100Hz low shelf doesn't reach "max" until about 10 Hz. Normal Shelf Wide Bandwidth (slope =about 4 to 5 dB/oct) Special Shelf Medium Bandwidth (slope = about 8 to 10 dB/oct) "Pultec Shelf" Narrow Bandwidth Bell Cut Narrow Bandwidth (just for reference) 13
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MORE 100Hz SHELVES SHOWING BOOST AND CUT WITH VARIOUS BANDWIDTHS THIS IS ABOUT +1.5 DB AT 300 Hz AND NEGLIGIBLE LOW SHELF +20 WIDE BW LOW SHELF +20 MED BW LOW SHELF -20 MED BW LOW SHELF -20 WIDE BW SPICE SIMULATION CURVES THESE CURVES SHOW ONE OF THE IDEOSYNCRACIES AND IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A LF BOOST TO SOUND AS IF IT HAS LESS LOWS DEPENDING ON THE FREQUENCY AND INSTRUMENT. SIMILAR CURVES APPLY TO THE HIGH SHELVES AND PARTICULARLY 10K AND 12K CAN BE STRANGE WHEN THE BW IS NARROW 50 100 NOT
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TYPICAL BELL CURVES "dB" set at max (20 dB) and changing the Bandwidth Narrow Bandwidth Bandwidth at 12:00 Wide Bandwidth Wide Bandwidth Bandwidth at 12:00 Narrow Bandwidth Changing "dB" and Changing Bandwidth Max Boost Narrow Bandwidth 12:00 Boost Narrow Bandwidth Max Boost Wide Bandwidth 12:00 Boost Wide Bandwidth 15
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THE GUTS 1) To Open:There should be little or no reason to open the Mini Massive - No user servicable parts, no tubes to change and about the only reason to take the top off is unity gain adjustments. One can access the fuse on the back panel power connector without removing the top. A few Phillips head screws hold the perforated top in place and when these are removed the top should easily slide back. Other than mains voltage at the power switch and towards the right side of the
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AC MAINS VOLTAGE SELECTION This may involve soldering jumpers and cutting of printed circuit board traces. Danger : There is a possibility of electric shock if power is connected and danger of damage to the Mini Massive if the procedure is done wrong. This should only be done by a trained technician and ONLY ever be done with the power cable removed.
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Equalizers The only significant digital variation on the parametric concept, has been the linear phase equalizers. These are the first EQs ever EQs range from simple bass and treble controls on a hifi system to (including nature) that can change the spectral shape and not change pretty tricky parametric EQs and 1/3 octave graphic EQs. As an the phase response in turn. Sometimes this can be appropriate or audio freak, you have probably tried quite a few EQs and have gotten sound better this time
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EQ TECHNIQUE If mic choice is a mystery, you might want to research some Steve Albini or George Massenburg interviews. Rather than guess wrong, One of the best things about almost all EQs is that you don’t really some engineers compare 3 or 4 probable choices. Some choose the need an instruction manual. You plug it in, turn a few knows and mic that minimizes EQing later, some hear the mic’s transient or when nothing happens you take it out of “bypass” and the rest is dynamic character and antici
