manley reference cardioid?

[otobianki74]

I have one of these and they rock. funny enough I've been contemplating selling it due to mounting studio debt. please PM if you're interested... might be able to work out a good deal.

best.

oto

[NathanEldred]

GREAT mic. 'Warmer' (thd) than the Brauner (which is also a great mic, just a lot different).

[mltamisin]

I have a Brauner Phantom AE and also the Manley Cardioid Reference. The Manley sounds much better on every vocalist I've tried to A/B the mics. It was a no contest situation every time. The 2 mics are completely different animals. The Brauner sounds so obviously solid state and the Manley definitely has the tube vibe going on. I've not had a problem with either mic being too sibilant. But then again I'm using a Neve Portico compressor after my preamp. It has this uncanny ability to eliminate sibilance. I have no idea how, but it does it. Hope that helps. Oh, have you tried that Brauner on overheads yet? It's my favorite OH mic right now.

[gainreduction]

My town is flooded with Manley mics, they are the hype around here for some reason. So consequently I get a lot of Manley tracked vocals to mix.

They sound very good when everything is said and done but it usually takes some surgery to get there.

My gripe is the midrange. They're a little scooped, leaving a hole where the fundamental character of a voice is. So you need to get that dialed back in.

Once you've succeeded with that it's usually smooth sailing. Nice air on top.

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by gainreduction

My gripe is the midrange. They're a little scooped, leaving a hole where the fundamental character of a voice is. So you need to get that dialed back in.

Isn't the Manley loosely based on the ELAM type sound? That would explain why an airy top rather than a strong midrange (i.e. like from something based on a 67 or 47).

[gainreduction]

Yeah, I get that feeling too. Nothing wrong with that, it's all a matter of taste.

I just happen to like a meaty midrange.

[mltamisin]

Been running it through an API and it helps with the midrange thing. Also, a notch cut at around 2k helps out on some voices.

[Audionaut]

I love what they do on the high frequencies... I'm sure it's just distortion, the high end has this smooth, almost grainy quality to it that really shines on some vocals. I tried the Manley Gold Ref mic for comparison and it's not there... Perhaps the gold is too clean?.
Swappin' out the stock 12ax7's with other (telefunken, mullard) NOS tubes makes a big difference too.