Manley Core Reference Channel Strip

Manley’s experience and insight working with the industry’s top recording engineers and musicians culminates in the CORE. At this price, there is no other channel-strip with higher headroom or more seductive sound than the CORE. Handcrafted in the USA, built like a tank, built to endure, the epicenter of your recorded art will be the Manley CORE.

The signal enters through our renowned hand-wound MANLEY IRON® input transformer with nickel laminations in a mu-metal can. The tube amplifying stage is the latest implementation of our famous Class-A circuit topology found in the VOXBOX® and Manley Dual Mono & Mono Microphone Preamplifiers. This all-triode vacuum tube circuit runs on a regulated 300 Volt B+ supply yielding huge headroom and relentless output drive capability.

FRONT PANEL CONTROLS + DIRECT INPUT

• 48V Phantom power switch
• 120Hz High Pass Filter switch
• Phase Invert switch
• Input Attenuator (Variable Pad)
• Mic Pre Selectable Gain 40dB or 60dB
• Line Amp Selectable Gain 20dB or 40dB
• DIRECT IN: Similar to the DI in the Manley SLAM!®, this all-discrete solid-state circuit with 10 Meg Ohm input impedance is perfect for guitars, bass, keyboards, etc.
  

COMPRESSOR

• Featuring our successful ELOP® technology also found in our famous Manley VOXBOX®
• Compressor is uniquely before the Mic Preamp making it virtually impossible to clip
• Ratio 3:1
• Continuously variable Attack, Release, and Threshold controls
• Silent Bypass switch

EQUALIZER

• Low and High Baxandall Shelves (80Hz and 12kHz) with ±12dB range
• Sweepable Midrange Bell EQ (100Hz – 1kHz) or (1kHz – 10kHz) with ±10dB range

LIMITER

• Fast attack FET “brickwall” limiter
• Continuously Variable Threshold and Release controls
• Peak Limit LED indicator
• 10dB range output gain control

METER

• Large illuminated analog display
• 3-way meter-select switch shows Compressor Gain Reduction, Micpre Output Level, and Main Output audio levels.

INPUTS & OUTPUTS

• Balanced XLR Mic Input
• Balanced XLR Line Input
• Front Panel Direct Instrument 1/4" Input
• Insert point between Mic Preamp and EQ/Limiter via ¼” TRS jack
• Balanced XLR Direct Output (after Preamp/Compressor section)
• Balanced XLR Main Output
• Deluxe CNC-machined 1/4" thick faceplate with inlaid laser-engraved inserts adorn the rigid 2U steel chassis – all locally sourced in Southern California.

SPECIFICATIONS

• ALL-TUBE preamplifier audio path using 1 x 12AX7 for gain and 1 x 6922 White Follower
• Balanced Transformer Coupled XLR Microphone Input Impedance: 1200 Ohms
• Balanced XLR Line Input Impedance: 10 kOhms
• Unbalanced 1/4" Direct Input Impedance: 10 Meg Ohm
• Hi-current drive Direct XLR output Impedance: 50 Ohms
• Silent conductive plastic INPUT attenuator
• Microphone preamp high pass filter starting at 120Hz with a 6dB/8va slope
• Compressor Maximum GAIN REDUCTION: 16 dB
• Compressor ATTACK time: 60ms slowest CCW, 30ms at 12:00, 5ms fastest CW for 6dB compression
• Compressor RELEASE time: 1.5s slowest CCW, 1s at 12:00, 100ms fastest CW from 6dB compression
• Maximum Input Mic input (Low Gain Setting): -5 dBu or 435mV RMS @ 0.5% THD
• Maximum Input Mic input (High Gain Setting): -25 dBu or 44 mV RMS @ 0.5% THD
• Maximum Input Line input (Low Gain Setting): +13 dBu or 3.5V RMS @ 0.5% THD
• Maximum Input Line input (High Gain Setting): -8 dBu or 300mV RMS @ 0.5% THD
• Maximum Input Direct input (Low Gain Setting): +24 dBu or 12V RMS @ 0.5% THD
• Maximum Input Direct input (High Gain Setting): +17 dBu or 5.5V RMS @ 0.5% THD
• Maximum Input Insert return: +20 dBu or 7.8V RMS @ 0.5% THD
• Maximum Preamp Output (Insert Send): +35 dBu or 43V RMS @ 0.5% THD
• Maximum Preamp Output (Insert Send): +22 dBu into 600 Ohms
• Maximum Main Output: +20 dBu
• Insert Send output impedance: 50 Ohms
• Insert Return input impedance: 13 kOhms
• Main Output Impedance: 50 Ohms
• Direct Output Headroom (referenced to +4 dBv): 31 dB
• Main Output Headroom (referenced to +4 dBv): 16 dB
• Dynamic Range: >90 dB
• Frequency Response: 10 Hz to 20 kHz ±0.5 dB
• Large LED illuminated VU METER
•  Meters switch to read Direct Output (1) from preamp, Output (2) from Main Out, or Compressor Gain Reduction
• THD & Noise (1kHz @ +4 dBm): 0.02% at Low Gain setting
• Noise Floor (Gain set to minimum): -70 dB wideband typical
• Gain via Microphone Input: 40 or 60 dB
• Gain via Line Input: 20 or 40dB
• Maximum Gain of EQ & Limiter section: 10 dB
• AUTOMUTE warmup delay: 30 Seconds
• Power consumption: 35 watts
• Operating mains voltage: 90 to 254 VAC (internal universal supply)
• Mains Voltage Frequency: 50-60Hz
• Dimensions: 19" x 3 1/2" x 7" (occupies 2u)
• Unit Weight: 8.3 lbs.
• Shipping weight: 11.5 lbs.