Today I heard the Mini Massive!! AWESOME!

[mixerguy]

Today I did the NAMM thing - lucky me. I was supposed to be mixing, but my session got delayed by 24 hours..... it was quite loud, so I wore earplugs most of the day.

I had a long chat with Hutch of Manley, and got to play around with the Mini Massive.... while running a CD thru it. It was somewhat hard to tell on headphones, (especially bottom end) but I could still clearly tell that it sounds FREAKIN' AWESOME! I am totally impressed. I've never heard EQ sound so nice - especially when pushed really, really hard. I was doing crazy stuff to the top end, and when it should have sounded spitty, harsh and brittle, it just sounded WONDERFUL!

I also picked up yet another platinum CD for my wall (this one is 5 x platinum - that is 5,000,000 units sold......)

.... and I met and chatted with Jerry Marotta at NAMM.... (he's a pal of my best pal) .....and had my pic taken with George Clinton - a fun day!!!!

[Darius van H]

Thanks for the report..........The release of this thing is taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r......any news from Manley about a release date?..........i'm interested!

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by Darius van H

Thanks for the report..........The release of this thing is taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r......any news from Manley about a release date?..........i'm interested!

Hutch said "It is in production"

[EveAnna Manley]

It really is in production. We just are backordered 200 other Manley and Langevin products before the first MiniMassive can ship....... ugh. It's been a little "too good" start to the year........

[No4PCs]

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

It really is in production. We just are backordered 200 other Manley and Langevin products before the first MiniMassive can ship....... ugh. It's been a little "too good" start to the year........

Its just an idea, but, why your company dont make a traditional console type with tubes ( you have this like rack type !). Its very difficult transform that rack types in a plan console design, like Toft doing ?
Bests

[mojava]

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

It really is in production. We just are backordered 200 other Manley and Langevin products before the first MiniMassive can ship....... ugh. It's been a little "too good" start to the year........

Hi Evanna:

Great seeing you at NAMM again this year...your mini massive DOES ROCK I played with it for a while when you weren't in the booth....AWESOME piece of equipment....not to mention great retro look.

Great seeing you and thanks for the shirt!!!

Cheers,
Mojava (your pal Moses)

[mixerguy]

I ordered my Mini Massive today - and was told a 3 to 4 month wait

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by mixerguy

I ordered my Mini Massive today - and was told a 3 to 4 month wait

So why did you order it?

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

So why did you order it?

Because it sounds totally awesome, and I'm willing to get in line... and wait.
thumbsup

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by mixerguy

Because it sounds totally awesome, and I'm willing to get in line... and wait.
thumbsup

How did you like it in comparison to the MP EQ?

I heard he changed the front end on this one correct?

Did he mention anything about it?

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

How did you like it in comparison to the MP EQ?

I heard he changed the front end on this one correct?

Did he mention anything about it?

The best info is here:

http://www.manleylabs.com/containerp...nimassive.html

or contact Manley directly.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by mixerguy

The best info is here:

http://www.manleylabs.com/containerp...nimassive.html

or contact Manley directly.

The only thing i don't understand is how is having a hi-Q switch make it Pultec fat in the lows?

A big part of the sound of the Pultec which is omitted here are the transformers(besides the tubes).

And the Manley transformers sound nothing like the one's in the Pultec.

I am curious to hear the Rapture amps and what does it do to the sound.

I gather these EQ will sound closer to a Lang PEQ-2 than a Pultec EQP-1A3.

[mixerguy]

You can get transformers - as an option - with a switch - for approx + $150

that is my understanding

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by mixerguy

You can get transformers - as an option - with a switch - for approx + $150

that is my understanding

Yeah i know.

But they are the Manley Transformers.

And i'm not the biggest fan of the sound.

Its part of the reason that the Manley Pultec doesn't sound like the real thing(even though they own the rights).

They use their own transformers to as they say "improve the sound" but the problem is it takes away the sweet signature"Pultec" sound.

No balls or size left.

I mean in some cases it sounds nice but not for what you would use a Pultec for.

On the Massive Passive you get both standard on the outputs(transformer or transformerless) and the transformers do help the sound in this case.

[EveAnna Manley]

We're so "over" Pultecs around here, Thrill. We never set out to directly emulate a Pultec from the get-go. Our unit is a different thing: different trannies, as you know, less of them, different more "hifi" tube stage, bigger PSU, etc.

We do not own any Pultec "rights". I personally met Gene Shenk in 1989 or 1990 to ask for permissions to use the name, but the trademarks were long expired and he had no interest in even receiving royalties or anything. The point is: we did seek to do things through proper channels from the get-go.

The Massive Passive is Hutch's creation, and again is a totally different animal from anything else. I can see you like the sound of transformers, although some people don't, depending on the occasion if they want a tighter punchier sound or a looser flabbier sound. That there's choice available for everyone is a good thing.

All this is described on our web pages for these products...

MiniMassives are in production, but we're backordered almost 200 other units so we're having a hard time getting to the new stuff when we have so many orders swamping us on existing stuff. We're doing our best to ramp up production to meet demand. Hiring more people, etc. It's been a good sales year so far!

The Rapture amps are super clean and fast. I wouldn't compare the MiniMassive to a Lang PEQ-2 or Pultec EQP-1A3 at all. It's more on the lines of a GML, in terms of speed and neutrality, and the passive EQ section is obviously from the Manley Massive Passive, bands 1&4, with some twists in the highest freqs....... the trannies introduce some harmonics or "color" but not too much. Again they're optional. We'll probably build the first lots with them and see how guys are actually using them and decide then whether or not to leave 'em in later on.

[True North]

Originally Posted by mixerguy

I also picked up yet another platinum CD for my wall (this one is 5 x platinum - that is 5,000,000 units sold......)

Which recording was it? Judging by your tag is it safe to assume you mixed it?

Sorry of this is supposed to be some sort of secret but you seemed proud enough to post it so.........


Cheers!

[SiliconAudioLab]

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

It really is in production. We just are backordered 200 other Manley and Langevin products before the first MiniMassive can ship....... ugh. It's been a little "too good" start to the year........

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

....(snip)......the trannies introduce some harmonics or "color" but not too much. Again they're optional. We'll probably build the first lots with them and see how guys are actually using them and decide then whether or not to leave 'em in later on.

I do hope that the first batch has the trannies, and that the Mini Massive that I have already ordered comes from that batch..... then I'd be such a happy guy!

EveAnna for President!! thumbsup thumbsup thumbsup

[Jules]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

How did you like it in comparison to the MP EQ?

I heard he changed the front end on this one correct?

Did he mention anything about it?

Hutch told me that with a MP when you lift highs you are still lifting lower upper mid frequencies too.. This has been adddressed on the MM - so as to be more 'mastering HF sheen' spesific.. it is able to lift just the high 'air' stuff (if that's what you want...)

As I understand it, it's creation was driven by two things

1) People often just wanting to add 'air' / sheen + a touch of sub to their mix bus
2) Lots of people using the Massive Passsive for this job when it wasnt really designed for it.

I also LOVED the sound of it..

I want one! Great product!

[macca]

BUMP ......

Seems like the minis are becoming more available but I haven't heard anything about them recently, so I was hoping some of you who have already taken the plunge would share your experiences using it on the 2 buss . . .strengths? weaknesses?

Thanks

[EveAnna Manley]

They are NOT available yet because we chose to purposefully withold them from shipping until AFTER April 1st, in order to be able to qualify for NEXT year's TEC awards, on the MiniMassive and TNT (instead of only having a month of qualification for this year). And besides we have been too swamped with other orders for all our other products anyway. Production/QC has been running off 200+ units on backorder all year but they are starting to ramp it up and get the gear out faster.... I think... I am starting to see cork behind the order boards again at least.

Busy busy over here! And that's a good thing.

Anyway I will spam my dealers after April 1st to gather their opening orders for the MiniMassives and the TNTs... hang tight a few more weeks. Thanks for your patience!

[macca]

Thanks for the update, EveAnna.

I saw the unit advertised for sale in retailer catalogs and on retailer websites, so I incorrectly assumed that you had started shipping already. I look forward to hearing more about the Mini in the next few months.


Bill

Thrill What is your PROBLEM DUDE?

How dare you read PULTEC and expect it to sound like a pultec


You KNOW BETTER. YOU KNOW NONE of manley's other stuff sounds like a pultec, not even their "PULTEC" Get it through your thick skull LOL IT's just words

So what's with you?

Next you'll be runnin around expecting people to be honest


"we are so over pultecs"

[rwhitney]

Originally Posted by Jules

...As I understand it, it's creation was driven by two things

1) People often just wanting to add 'air' / sheen + a touch of sub to their mix bus
2) Lots of people using the Massive Passsive for this job when it wasnt really designed for it....

This has been my experience, too. The MP has been great on individual sources but not a buss eq on pop music, so far.

[TanTan]

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

We're so "over" Pultecs around here.

around where ? gearslutz ? i don't think so , sound engineers ? i don't think so either, you must be kidding because if you are not , i have to make this quote my new signature !

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

Our unit is a different thing: different trannies, as you know, less of them, different more "hifi" tube stage, bigger PSU, etc.

i have no issue with manufactors calling their EQ's Pultec as long as they go with the pultec design even with today's cost effective trannies , but when using less of them it's just not a pultec design anymore

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

I can see you like the sound of transformers

basicaly it's like sayin' "i can see you like the sound of microphones"

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

although some people don't, depending on the occasion if they want a tighter punchier sound or a looser flabbier sound. That there's choice available for everyone is a good thing.

you can get them both with transformers and you know it well , but good tranformers are pretty hard to find these days and they are expansive , i'm using custom made trannies for my gear and using my ears to decide on the trannies that sounds best with the circuit , but to me it never sound better without them , unless they are crap .

[PeterG]

Hey,

I wasn't around when the Pultecs were new, and I haven't used restored original units, so I can't really comment on what they really sound like. But it seems if you want an authentic Pultec you should just get one and restore it, do the searching, restoring, paying etc. just like those ELAMs that you can't get any more. I know TubeTech's EQ is preferred by some for more of that vintage transformer sound and I've watched guys on dealer floors "duke it out" over comparisons. I guess the Chandler has caused some more recent fuss, too, although it seems like they're getting dumped on eBay too.. why, I don't know... The fighting never stops. I do know that Manley (originally old VTL) fought for tubes while I was still wading through people trying to sell me ADATs and the like. Now, tubes are back, but all you can get are still cheap Chinese repros of old designs. Nobody's making a real old school equivalent of a Telefunken or the like.

Hey, I'm not a design engineer just an eccentric musician sound-artist, no hit records or any kind of Hollywood clout, just trying to start our stuff up again, but the Manley sound doesn't sound so bad to me 10 years later and we're incorporating a fair few pieces of their gear into the set-up we're building right now, including the pseudo-Pultec based little tube board that they made for me years ago. In addition, we'll use DIFFERENT GEAR, and get other sounds.

With all the moving and practicalities of maintaining a tube console, well.. I can't say a small operator (as opposed to Ocean Way, or whatever) should do what I did and I know Manley only makes their little purist mixer now, nothing like what they did for me all those years ago, but unless you're a big-time facility, a tube console is cool, but SO MUCH WORK. Right now, I need to get it fully operational again, but I do know original Pultecs would never fit in the frame and Manley is still a viable company that provides support, unlike vintage gear.

Once everything is fully operational, we WILL be patching the Pultecs into our rack as well as mixing the Myteks through them (and P&G faders) for final 2-track. Thus, we have no automation, only one real output bus, lots of money invested, whereas my friend just mod-ed an old Soundcraft. Are we crazy? Probably. Are we crazier than someone who doesn't just audition a bunch of EQs and buy what they like? Hmm, well I have a friend who just got diagnosed with HIV and uses a little Protools rig and a Rode to keep himself making music. There's no outboard clock and he uses plug-ins etc. etc. but his viral count is now undetectable and I'd rather see that, than watch him stress over transformer coloration.

Music is the point right? That's why we're here. Maybe.. more music, less fighting.

Good luck, everyone, sorry for the long-winded post.

Peter G

P.S. Hi EveAnna, thanks for the maintenance work on that gear, hope everything is good, I'll email you later and maybe some day soon-ish get some pix of the board to you once things settle down.

[22busy]

Originally Posted by Jules

Hutch told me that with a MP when you lift highs you are still lifting lower upper mid frequencies too..

Wow, I got a different result. Quite some time ago, to verify what I thought I was hearing, I ran a 1k tone through the unit and measured its level at the output with all controls set flat. Then boosted 16k with a bell-shaped curve and measured 1k again. On my unit 1k drops in level in proportion to the amount of boost at 16k.

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by EveAnna Manley

.... (snip)..... MiniMassives are in production..... (snip).... the trannies introduce some harmonics or "color" but not too much. Again they're optional. We'll probably build the first lots with them and see how guys are actually using them and decide then whether or not to leave 'em in later on.

So - EveAnna...... do you think you will, in fact, "build the first lots (of the Mini Massive) with them"

?

I hope so!! I have one on order!!





EveAnna for President!!!!

[EveAnna Manley]

Yes we will ship the first lots of MiniMassives with the transformers.

They'll start shipping next week!

Hi Peter G!!!!!!!!!! Good to see ya still around.

[Fat larry]

EveAnna
Does the Mini Massive have stepped controls? If not do you intend to make a mastering version?
Regards
Fat Larry