Manley EQ - MSMP User Manual

OWNER'S MANUAL

MANLEY

MASSIVE PASSIVE

STEREO TUBE EQ

MANLEY

LABORATORIES, INC.

MANLEY LABORATORIES, INC.

13880 MAGNOLIA AVE.

CHINO, CA. 91710
TEL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

http://www.manleylabs.com

email: emanley @ manleylabs.com

email: service @ manleylabs.com

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 - TEMPLATE FOR STORING SETTINGS 33

INTRODUCTION

THANK YOU!...

for choosing the Manley MASSIVE PASSIVE STEREO TUBE EQUALIZER. This EQ is supposed
to be somewhat different from any EQ you may have used before , as well, this manual may be a bit unusual
in that you may find it worthwhile to read. Even though at first glance the Massive Passive looks fairly
conventional, you should take an hour and read this manual before you jump to conclusions or confusions.
The usual stuff like precautions, hook-up instructions, and operational information is here but also
explanations about how and why this is an unusual animal and hints of how you may find different settings
than you are used to being the key to getting the most out of this box. There is even a little section of EQ
hints or techniques for those who may find that info useful.

As you use this EQ, probably a number of descriptive words may come to you. It has been called "organic",
"natural", "smooth", "liquid", "powerful", "sweet", and "the mother of all EQs". There is no single reason
why it sounds the way it does but more of a synergy of the advantages of passive EQ, the parallel topology,
the tube/transformer amplifiers, the unique shelves and, of course, Manley's construction style and use
of premium components. Like the Manley Variable MU, we have found the Massive Passive can easily
make anything sound better. Perhaps the combination of the "Vari-MU" and the "Passivo" is the killer
combination for music. You may find yourself using it everything. Any gear that you prefer to use on every
sound is a sure sign you bought the right piece.

The Massive Passive is intended as an EQ platform and in the future should offer some interesting custom
options. At some point we expect to offer other EQ cards that can replace some of the passive cards for
particular needs and special applications.

GENERAL NOTES

LOCATION & VENTILATION

The Manley MASSIVE PASSIVE must be installed in a stable location with ample ventilation. It is
recommended, if this unit is rack mounted, that you allow enough clearance on the top of the unit such
that a constant flow of air can move through the ventilation holes. Airflow is primarily through the back
panel vents and out through the top.

You should also not mount the Massive Passive where there is likely to be strong magnetic fields such
as directly over or under power amplifiers or large power consuming devices. The other gear's fuse values
tend to give a hint of whether it draws major power and is likely to create a bigger magnetic field. Magnetic
fields might cause a hum in the EQ and occasionally you may need to experiment with placement in the
rack to eliminate the hum. In most situations it should be quiet and trouble free.

WATER & MOISTURE

As with any electrical equipment, this equipment should not be used near water or moisture.

SERVICING

The user should not attempt to service this unit beyond that described in the owner's manual.
Refer all servicing to your dealer or Manley Laboratories. The factory technicians are available for
questions by phone [phone] or by email at <[e-mail]>. Fill in your warranty

card! Check the manual - Your question is probably anticipated and answered within these pages......

3

THE BACK PANEL

AN EVEANNA MANLEY PRODUCTION

DESIGNED BY HUTCH

SERIAL NUMBER

BALANCED or
UNBAL INPUT

+4dBu / -10 dBv

CHANNEL 2

BALANCED INPUT

9
10
11
12

WHEN RACK MOUNTING:

LEAVE SPACE FOR

VENTILATION AND FOR

MAGNETIC FIELDS FROM

OTHER EQUIPMENT TO
AVOID HUM PICK-UP !

UNBALANCED
ONLY OUTPUT

+4 dBu / -10dBv

CAUTION - RISK OF ELECTRIC

SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN.

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED

PERSONNEL ONLY

BALANCED OUTPUT

REPLACE FUSE

WITH SAME
TYPE AND

RATING

POWER

1 2 3 4

First connect all the cables, then turn on the power, wait 30 seconds, then have fun, as if we had to tell you....

1) POWER CONNECTOR. First verify the POWER SWITCH on the front panel is off (CCW). Use the power cable supplied with your
Massive Passive. One end goes here and the other end goes to the wall outlet. You know all this.

2) VOLTAGE LABEL (ON SERIAL STICKER). Just check that it indicates the same voltage as is normal in your country. It should
be. If it says 120V and your country is 220V, then call your dealer up. If it says 120V and you expect 110 it should work fine.

3) FUSE. Unplug the power cable first. The Fuse Cap needs a push then turn a quarter twist CCW to pull off. Fuses are meant to "blow"
when an electrical problem occurs and is essentially a safety device to prevent fires, shocks and big repair bills. Only replace it if it has
"blown" and only with the same value and type (2A slow-blow for 120V, 1A slow-blow for 220V). A blown fuse either looks blackened
internally or the little wire inside looks broken. A blown fuse will prevent all the LEDS from lighting and will prevent any power and audio.

MANLEY LABORATORIES

13880 MAGNOLIA AVE., CHINO, CA 91710

PHONE [phone] FAX [phone]

email: [e-mail]

CIRCUIT

GROUND

CHASSIS

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC

SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS

EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE

CHANNEL 1

BALANCED INPUT

IMPEDANCE = 20K OHM NOMINAL

PIN 1 = SHIELD = GROUND
PIN 2 = HOT = POSITIVE PHASE
PIN 3 = LOW = NEGATIVE PHASE

TRANSFORMER BALANCEDOUTS

BALANCED OUTPUT

BALANCED or
UNBAL INPUT
+4dBu /-10 dBv

BALANCED OR UNBALANCED INPUT

UNBALANCED 1/4" OUTPUTS

SLEEVE = SHIELD = GROUND
TIP = HOT = SIGNAL POSITIVE
RING = LOW OR GROUND

UNBALANCED

ONLY OUTPUT
+4dBu / -10dBv

REFER TO OWNERS MANUAL

FOR SWITCHING THIS UNIT

FOR -10dBv SIGNAL LEVELS

5
6
7
8

4) GROUND TERMINALS. You probably don't need to worry about these. Normally there is a metal strip joining CIRCUIT and
CHASSIS Grounds. This is the first place to look if you get a hum. Make sure the strap hasn't fallen off or use a piece of wire to join the
terminals. The CIRCUIT Ground is the internal audio ground (including the 1/4" jack sleeves). The CHASSIS Ground is the metal chassis,
third pin electrical ground and pin 1 of the XLRs. Some studios use special grounding practices and these terminals are meant to make it
easy to hook up this unit for a wide variety of installations. They also help with troubleshooting hum problems.

5) PHONE JACK INPUT. (Channel One or Left) Accepts balanced or unbalanced sources. Factory set-up for +4dBu pro levels. There
are some DIP switches internally that can change this to -10dBv semi-pro or hi-fi levels. The pin out is as follows: Tip = Positive = Hot,
Ring = Negative = Low or ground, Sleeve = Circuit Ground. If you use TRS plugs be sure that the ring is connected to the negative or ground
and not "open". Input impedance is 20K ohms. See page 16 & 17 for the DIP Switch details.

6) XLR JACK INPUT. (Channel One or Left) Accepts balanced or unbalanced sources. Only for +4dBu pro levels. The DIP switches
have no effect on the XLRs. The pin out is as follows: PIN 2 = Positive = Hot, PIN 3 = Negative = Low or ground, PIN 1 = Chassis Ground.
Be sure that the PIN 3 is connected to the negative or ground and not "open" or a 6dB loss or loss of signal will happen. In general, the XLRs
and +4 pro levels are slightly preferable over phone plugs especially if gold plated matching XLRs and good cable are used.

7) XLR JACK OUTPUT. (Channel One or Left) Transformer Balanced and Floating. Only for +4dBu pro levels. The DIP switches have
no effect on the XLRs. The pin out is as follows: PIN 2 = Positive = Hot, PIN 3 = Negative = Low or ground, PIN 1 = Chassis Ground.
Be sure that the PIN 3 is connected to the negative or ground and not "open" or a complete loss of signal will happen. Output impedance
is 150 ohms and output levels can reach +37 dBv (hot) which may distort the next piece in the chain.

8) PHONE JACK OUTPUT. (Channel One or Left) Unbalanced output only. Factory set-up for +4dBu pro levels. There are some DIP
switches internally that can change this to -10dBv semi-pro or hi-fi levels (with a phase reverse). The pin out is as follows: Tip = Positive
= Hot, Sleeve = Circuit Ground. If you use TRS plugs be sure that the ring is connected to the negative or ground and not "open". See page
16 & 17 for the DIP Switch details.

9) PHONE JACK INPUT. (Channel Two or Right) Same as 5 above.

10) XLR JACK INPUT. (Channel Two or Right) Same as 6 above.

11) XLR JACK OUTPUT. (Channel Two or Right) Same as 7 above.

12)PHONE JACK OUTPUT. (Channel Two or Right) Same as 8 above.

4

THE FRONT PANEL

SHELF

BOOST

CUT

0

BANDWIDTH

FREQUENCY

100 100

68

47

33

22

OUT

20

DB

150

220

1K

BOOST BOOST

OUT

BELL

CUT

0

DB DB DB DB DB DB DB

BANDWIDTH

FREQUENCY

560

390

270

330

470

180

680

120

3K9

82

SHELF

BELL

20

820

1K2

1K8

2K7

220 ± 10K82 ± 3K922 ± 1K 560 ± 27K

SHELF

OUT

CUT

BELL BELL

20

0

BANDWIDTH

FREQUENCY FREQUENCY

1K5

1K

2K2

680

3K3

470

4K7

330

6K8

10K

SHELF

BOOST

OUT

CUT

20

0

BANDWIDTH

3K9

2K7

5K6

1K8

8K2

12K

1K2

820

16K 16K

560220

27K

IN

0

-6

+4

12K

9K

18K

7K5

OFF

68

39

22

120

OFF

MASSIVE PASSIVE

STEREO EQUALIZER

POWER

IN

0

GAIN

-6 +4

9K

12K

LOW

18K

7K5

PASS

6K

HIGH

PASS

220

6K

OFF

68

39

22

120

220

OFF

22 - 1K

BOOST

OUT

CUT BELL

0

BANDWIDTH

FREQUENCY

150

68

47

33

22

82 ± 3K9

SHELF

BOOST

OUT

20

0

BANDWIDTH

FREQUENCY

220

1K

560

390

270

330

470

180

680

120

82

BELLCUT

20

820

1K2

1K8

2K7

3K9

220 ± 10K

BOOST

OUT

0

BANDWIDTH

1K5

1K

680

470

330

220 560

12345

1) The Power Switch: First things first, turn it clockwise to power up the unit. There is no "power on LED", instead you can
use any of the Boost / Off / Cut switches in Boost or Cut and they light immediately with power on. There is a "warm-up" circuit
that forces the unit into "Bypass" for about 20 seconds, to prevent big thumps from hitting your speakers. This also prevents
the blue LEDs that indicate "EQ IN" from lighting up for that 20 seconds. This is not a total hardwire bypass - if power is not
on, the unit will not pass audio. At trade shows, we have seen a few people turn the "Power Switch" by accident, perhaps
thinking it was a tone control. Not knowing, there is a "warm-up" circuit, and seeing no blue light action, they thought they
may have broken the unit. The lack of a "power LED" is just one of the deliberate ideosyncracies. 4 reasons: there wasn't a
great place to put one, it was redundant with 16 boost/cut LEDs (we were laughing at other panels with dozens of lit LEDs
and a fast turn-on LCD screen also sporting a big power LED), and this unit is meant for professionals that we assume can plug
in a piece of gear, see (or feel) the switch and turn it on, and it may annoy those who want all gear to be just "normal" ;-)

2) EQ IN buttons: Push to activate the EQ circuits. The buttons glow blue when EQ is IN including the Filters and Gain Trims.
The "warm-up" circuit prevents both EQ to be IN and the buttons from lighting when it first gets powered up. In "bypass" (un­lit) the tubes are not in circuit but the input amplifier and balanced output transformer are in circuit. Yes, real blue LEDs.

560 ± 27K

SHELFSHELF

BELLCUT

20

2K2

3K3

4K7

6K8

10K

SHELF

BOOST

OUT

BELLCUT

20

0

BANDWIDTH

FREQUENCYFREQUENCY

3K9

2K7

5K6

1K8

8K2

12K

1K2

820

27K

3) Gain Trims: Intended to help match levels between "Bypass" and "EQ IN" modes so that the EQ effect can be more
accurately judged. It is difficult to compare if the level jumps up or down and easy to prefer EQ when mostly it is just louder.
These trims only have a small range of -6 to +4 dB of gain. With drastic EQ there may not be enough range to match levels
but with drastic EQ this kind of comparison is of little use. The range is small to allow easier and finer adjustments.

4) Low Pass Filters: They pass lows and chop highs. There is a separate filter for each switch setting and they only share the
switch and one resistor. The filters are entirely passive and "inserted" between the boost sections and cut sections.
The 18kHz filter is probably most useful for warming up digital. It seems to remove some irritating super-sonic noise
associated with digital to analog converters. It is designed as a modified eliptical filter down 60dB one octave up (36kHz) on
paper but in real life "only" drops about 40 dB. It is flat within 0.5dB up to 16kHz then very steeply drops. It is sonically subtle.

12kHz position can be considered general purpose hiss killing. It is also very flat up to 11kHz and drops at 30 dB/octave.
9kHz, 7.5kHz & 6 kHz. These are intended for more creative sound sculpting than as utility filters. They have a 1.5 to 2 dB

bump or boost right before they cut at 18dB/octave. This helps compensate for the percieved loss of highs while still allowing
deep HF cuts. This gives them a little color and edge as opposed to just dullness. You may find they help remove some of that
buzzy super high distortion of cranked guitar rigs as well as help some synth and bass sounds. They are also intended to help
with "effects" such as "telephone sound" and vintage simulations and for some techno, rap and industrial style music.

5) High Pass Filters: They pass highs and chop lows. There is a separate filter for each switch setting and they only share the
switch and one resistor. The filters are entirely passive and "inserted" between the boost sections and cut sections. They are
all 18dB/octave (most modern filters are 12), with no bumps and no resonances. We use a large, low DCR, custom inductor.
The 22Hz is very subtle and is designed to remove sub-sonic frequencies that may have been boosted by previous EQ. Most
signal below 25Hz is only good for testing or messing up sub-woofers. You may not hear the effect in the studio, but often
you can see it on the meters. Now that sub-woofers are becoming common in autos and consumer systems, we are hearing more
complaints of excess lows and LF garbage. This filter is in response to these concerns and requests from mastering engineers.
The 39Hz filter can be used similarly, but may be audible with some material. This filter, as with the others, can be used with
the normal boost/cut sections for a more tailored low EQ. This can allow bigger and more effective LF boosts while minimising
the side-effects of excessive woofer excursions and unwanted audible LF noise like air conditioner or subway rumble.
The 68Hz filter is also general purpose and ideal for most vocals and pop removal. Also good in combination with shelves.
120 and 220Hz filters are intended for garbage removal, sonic sculpting, and effects. 120 is useful for some vocals. The 220
is for some close miked hi-hats and percussion instruments. Yup, 220Hz tends to be drastic and only occasionally valuable.

Check out the curves on page 16 for a little more detail on these filters.

5

BOOST

OFF
CUT

BOOST

CUT

22 - 1K

OUT

SHELF

BELL

LOW SHELF

BELL

BOOST

OFF
CUT

BOOST

CUT

560 - 27K

OUT

SHELF

BELL

HIGH SHELF

BELL

THE 4 BANDS

1
2
3
4

0

DB

BANDWIDTH

20

5

FREQUENCY

150

220

100

68

47

33

1) BOOST / OUT / CUT, TOGGLE. Each band has individual toggles to select whether that band will boost or cut or be
bypassed. "OUT" is a hardwire bypass for that band. Unlike most EQs, you must select boost or cut for each band. There are
several good reasons for this arrangement. First, because the boost part of the circuit is in a different place than the cut part because
it is passive, this allows us to use the same components in both sections but doing essentially opposite functions. The conventional
arrangement of a boost/zero/cut pot (baxandall) circuit was avoided to really make it passive. This switch also allows twice the
resolution of the "GAIN" pot and a much more accurate "zero". The center detent of conventional EQs is rarely the "electrical"
center of the pot so what you expect is zero is often a little EQed. This toggle allows some of us, who use dip EQ to reduce offending
frequencies to verify those frequencies in "Boost" and then switch to "Cut". Finally, it allows us to bypass each band individually,
without losing our "GAIN" pot setting rather than resetting a band to zero or bypassing the entire EQ.

330

470

680

22

1K

GAIN

CCW = FLAT

BANDWIDTH

CCW = WIDE

FREQUENCY

SELECT

20

0

DB

BANDWIDTH

FREQUENCY

3K9

2K7

1K8

1K2

820

5K6

8K2

12K

16K

560

27K

2) SHELF & BELL. The two lowest (leftmost) bands can each be a special Low Shelf or conventional Bell shape. The two
highest (rightmost) bands can each be a special High Shelf or conventional Bell shape. Shelf & Bell describe the EQ's shape. We
included some diagrams to help visualize these curves. Bell curves focus their boost and cut at given frequency and the further
away we get from that frequency, the less boost or cut. The bell curves on the Massivo are moderately wide and the "Bandwidth
Control" does not have a lot of range and it also affects the maximum boost and cut (like a Pultec). Shelf slopes generally boost
(or cut) towards the highs or lows (thus high shelves and low shelves). These are not to be confused with "high or low filters"
which purely cut above or below a given frequency. Shelves also have gain or dB controls which allow you to just boost or cut
a little bit if desired - filters never have these controls. The Massive Passive allows each of the 4 bands to be switched to shelf.
The two mid shelves are almost the same as the outer ones but just have other (interleaved) frequency choices. For example, you
can set up the mid-high shelf to start boosting at 3K3, say 4 dB, then apply another high shelf to boost 12K, say for 10 dB, which
provides a few gentle gradual steps. BTW, the maximum boost in the example is 10 dB (not 14) and occurs around 20 kHz. You
may notice that as you switch between bell and shelf the amount of "grab" may seem to be less in shelf. Not really, both are capable
of 20 db boosts but towards the extremes that boost may be sub-sonic or super-sonic because we "spec" the shelf at the 1/2 way
point (10 dB), not the 3 dB down (or up) or maximum point. When you choose frequencies closer to the mids this "effect" is much
less however if the "bandwidth" is medium to narrow the "effect" is more pronounced. Most EQs don't allow one to switch from
bell to shelf and don't have a functioning "bandwidth" in shelf mode and this may be understandably unfamiliar ground.

3) 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 20 dB is available in Bell modes when the Bandwidth is CW and is about 6 dB when the Bandwidth is CCW.
At straight up "12:00" in Bell mode "narrow" expect about 8 dB of boost or cut. In other words, you shouldn't expect the markings
around the knob to indicate a particular number of dBs. Many Eqs are this way. On the other hand, this interaction is the result
of natural interactions between components and tends to "feel" and sound natural as opposed to contrived.

These 4 GAIN controls have some interaction with each other unlike conventional EQs. It is a parallel EQ rather than the far more
common series connected style. If you set up all 4 bands to around 1kHz and boosed all 20 dB, the total boost will be 20 dB rather
than 80dB (20+ db of boost and 60 dB into clipping). This also implies, that if you first boost one band, that the next three will
not seem to do anything if they are at similar frequencies and bandwidths. Virtually all other parametrics are both series connected
and designed for minimal interaction, which seems to be quite appealing if you wear a white lab coat with pocket protectors ;.)
Actually, there are valid arguements for those goals and there are definately some applications that require them. However, there
is also a valid point for an EQ that is substantially different from the "norm", and for audio toys that have artistic merit and purpose
and not just scientific interest or gimmickry. We tried to balance artistic, technological and practical considerations in the
Massivo, and offer both some new and old approaches that appealed to the ears of recording engineers (and our own ears).

6

4) BANDWIDTH. Similar to the "Q" control found in many EQs. A more accurate term here would be "Damping" or
"Resonance" but we used "Bandwidth" to stay with Pultec terminology and because it is a "constant bandwidth" (*) design
rather than "constant Q" and because of the way it uniquely works in both Bell and Shelf modes. In Bell modes, you will
find it similar to most Q controls with a wider shape fully CCW and narrower fully CW. The widest Q (at maximum boost)
is about 1 for the 22-1K band and 1.5 for the other 3 and the narrowest Q is about 2.5 to 3 for all of the bands and most of
the frequencies. On paper, the bell widths appear to have less effect than is apparent on listening and the sound is probably
more due to "damping" or "ringing" and the way it interacts with the gain. Also some people associate a wide bell on
conventional EQs with more energy boost or cut, and at first impression the Massivo seems to work backward compared with
that and narrow bandwidths give more drastic results. On the Massive Passive a narrow bandwidth bells will allow up to the
full 20 dB of boost (or cut) and wide bandwidths significantly less at about 6 dB maximum.

In Shelf Modes the Bandwidth has a special function. When this knob is fully CCW, the shelf curves are very similar to almost
all other EQs. As you increase the Bandwidth control, you begin to introduce a bell curve in the opposite direction. So if you
have a shelf boost, you gradually add a bell dip which modifies the overall shelf shape. At straight up, it stays flatter towards
the mid range, and begins to boost further from the mids with a steeper slope but the final maximum part of the boost curve
stays relatively untouched. With the Bandwidth control fully CW, that bell dip becomes obvious and is typically 6dB down
at the frequency indicated. The boost slope is steeper and the maximum boost may be about 12 dB. These curves were
modelled from Pultec EQP1-As and largely responsible for the outrageous "phatness" they are known for. As you turn the
Bandwidth knob (CW), it seems as if the shelf curve is moving further towards the extreme frequencies, but mostly of this
is just the beginning part of the slope changing and not the peak. This also implies, that
frequencies closer to the mids than you might be used to. These shelf curves have never been available for an analog high
shelf before and provide some fresh options.

5) FREQUENCY. Each band provides a wide range of overlapping and interleaving frequency choices. Each switch
position is selecting a different capacitor and inductor. Only the 22 and 33 Hz on the low band and the 16K and 27K in shelf
mode deserve some special explanation. These have been "voiced" a little different from the rest and are somewhat unique.

you may find yourself using

Why "modify" the way the 22, 33, 16K and 27K shelves work? When we specify that a low shelf is at 22 Hz, it means that
only the half-way point of the boost (or cut) is 22 Hz. If we dial up a 20 dB boost set at 22Hz then 22 Hz is half-way up
the slope or boosted 10dB. The full amount of the boost (20 dB) is only kicking in around 2 Hz. This is dangerous and almost
useless for anything except whale music. Not only that, but now we have a Bandwidth control that seems to push the
frequency lower, and at 12:00 essentially flattens the EQ at 22Hz. So we changed the Bandwidth control for those two lowest
frequencies so that it acts as a HP filter as you turn it CW and tends to prevent boosting excessive sub-sonic frequencies. To
our ears, it seems to "tighten up" the shelf and removes some of the sloppy looseness associated with those sub-sonics.

The 16kHz and 27kHz shelfs were also specially "voiced" for similar reasons. In this case, a 50kHz low pass filter prevents
these shelfs from helping recieve the local AM radio stations. The Bandwidth-Dip frequencies were lowered to about 8 kHz
so that on a single band, you would have more effective control between the balance of "air" and "sibilance". In practice, it
gives you a great deal of air without the usual problem "esses" when you boost a lot of highs.

At extreme high and low frequencies (including 10K and 12K), you might get some unexpected results because of the
Bandwidth/Shelf function. For example, you can set up 20 dB of boost at 12K and it can sound like you just lost highs instead
of boosting. This happens when the Bandwidth control is more CW only and not when it is CCW. Why? You are creating
a dip at 12K and the shelf is only beginning at the fringes of audibility but the dip is where most of us can easily percieve.
It takes a little getting used too the way the controls interact. The reverse is also true, where you set up a shelf cut and you
get a boost because of the Bandwidth control being far CW. In some ways this simulates the shape of a resonant synthesizer
filter or VCF except it doesn't move. These wierd highs are useful for raunchy guitars and are designed to work well with
the Filters. There are a lot of creative uses for these bizarre settings including messing up the minds of back-seat engineers.
There is some example settings near the back page that may help to show how different this EQ is.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

* For the technically minded, there is another and stronger definition of "constant bandwidth" filters but it doesn't seem to
apply to pro audio. In FM radio recievers "constant bandwidth" is a type of filter used in the tuning sections, and the filter
width allows the reception specs to stay constant as the tuning filter is moved. It is unlikely anybody has ever offered this
type of constant bandwidth filter lowered to audio frequencies. Given that we have about 3 decades of frequency in audio,
can you imagine an EQ that had a Q of 0.3 (very wide) in the lows and a Q of 30 in the highs (extremely narrow)? For
perspective, a Q range of 1 to 10 is a pretty wide span. There are a few EQs that get slightly narrower Qs as the frequency
is increased but not even close to true "constant bandwidth" the RF engineers appreciate. This is either deliberate or the result
of trying to squeeze too much range out of a simple inductor. Manley Labs prefers the bell shape to remain relatively constant
at all frequencies and the Massivo uses 14 tap inductors with low DCR to provide this. The only possibly useful "Q variation"
(other than a Q knob) is a circuit that gives a wider Q for boosts and a narrower Q for cuts. This very rare technique is cool
for music. It corresponds to the way many engineers use EQs and reduces audible ringing and EQ "signature".

7

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 seems like massive amounts of boost. Where the knobs end up, may seem scarey
particularly for mastering. Keep in mind that, even at maximum boost, a wide bell might only max out at 6 dB of boost (less for the lowest
band) and only reaches 20 dB at the narrowest bandwidth. On the other hand, because of how transparent this EQ is, you might actually
be EQing more than you could with a different unit. Taste rules, test benches don't make hit records, believe your ears.

4) Sometimes the shelfs will sound pretty wierd, especially (only) at the narrow bandwidth settings. They might seem to be having a complex
effect and not only at the "dialed in" frequency. This is certainly possible. Try wider bandwidths at first.

5) If you seem to be boosting all 4 bands at widely separated frequencies and not hearing much "EQ" as you might expect (except for level)
this is a side-effect of a passive EQ and probably a good thing. To get drastic sounding EQ you should try boosting a few bands and cutting
a few bands. In fact, it is usually best to start with cutting rather than boosting.

6) A reasonable starting point for the Bandwidth for shelves is straight up or between 11:00 and 1:00. It was designed this way and is roughly
where the maximum flatness around the "knee" is, combined with a well defined steep slope.

7) The Massive Passive has some internal dip switches for better optimised -10 applications however it is a slightly flawed implementation

- it reverses the phase or polarity so we only recommend using the +4 factory setting. If one must use -10 unbalanced mode, please consider
using special cables where the input is wired ring hot or using the phase switch on the console or workstation. On the other hand, if a set­up requires -10 levels and can't deal with +4 pro balanced signals, then maybe, absolute polarity issues are a relatively minor problem.

8) The Massive Passive may sound remarkably different from other high end EQs and completely different from the console EQs. Yes,
this is quite deliberate. Hopefully it sounds better, sweeter, more musical and it complements your console EQs. We saw little need for yet
another variation of the standard parametric with only subtle sonic differences. We suggest using the Massive Passive before tape, for the
bulk of the EQ tasks and then using the console EQs for some fine tweaking and where narrow Q touch-ups like notches are needed. The
Massive Passive is equally at home doing big, powerful EQ tasks such as is sometimes required for tracking drums, bass and guitars, or
for doing those demanding jobs where subtlety is required like vocals and mastering.

CREDITS

PRODUCED BY EVEANNA MANLEY
EveAnna suggested that we work on a "tube parametric", and had a lot to do with the look of the Massive Passive including the
back-lit panels, engraved inserts and the name. She cleverly allowed the designer almost total freedom in the execution.

NAMED BY: RANDY PORTER & JUSTIN WEIS
We were less than thrilled by the working names we were using which included "Furthermore", and "Antiqualizer" so we ran a
"name this EQ" contest on our website with a cash or credit prize (good reason to check out www.manleylabs.com once in a
while). We got hundreds of names (most featuring the letter Q) but Randy and Justin separately came up with Massive Passive
and they both won and they both applied their credit towards the EQ they named. The nickname "Massivo" comes from
"Massivo Passivo" which the Manley assemblers prefer to call it.

DESIGNED BY "HUTCH"
Craig Hutchison came up with the concepts, circuits, and boards. Given that the Massivo is quirky, eccentric and over-the-top,
you can pretty much guess what the designer is like. He used SPICE3, WAVES plug-ins and several complex looking
breadboards and many listening tests in the process. Again, blame him for this long-winded, opinion-filled manual.

OTHER VALUED CONTRIBUTORS
Baltazar helped with circuit boards, mechanical drafting and proto-assembly. Michael Hunter helped develop all the inductors
(which was a major task). Dave Hecht (Record Plant), George Peterson (MIX), Seva (WAVES) and Ross Hogarth (Freelance
Engineer) were valuable sounding boards in the concept stage and Dave was the first to really evaluate it. Elias Guzman
fabricated all the circuit boards including several protos. Pre-production beta-testers include Larry, Rick, Don & Spencer at
Precision Mastering, Dave Collins at A&M Mastering, and Eddie Schreyer at Oasis Mastering, all known for their ears and
honest opinions. Last but not least, our dealers for their faith in us, especially, Barb and Al at Studio Tech in Texas, Raper
Wayman in the UK, Coast in Hollywood, and many more.

8

Beginnings

"The Super-Pultec"

The very earliest equalizers were very simple and primitive by
todays standards. Yes, simpler than the hi-fi "bass" and "treble"
controls we grew up with. The first tone controls were like the tone
controls on an electric guitar. They used only capacitors and
potentiometers and were extremely simple. Passive simply means
no "active" (powered) parts and active parts include transistors,
FETs, tubes and ICs where gain is implied. "Passive" also implies
no boost is possible - only cut. The most recent "purely passive EQ"
we know of was the EQ-500 designed by Art Davis and built by a
number of companies including United Recording and Altec Lansing.
It had a 10 dB insertion loss. No tubes. It had boost and cut positions
but boost just meant less loss. Manley Labs re-created this vintage
piece and added a tube gain make-up amp for that 10 dB or make­up gain to restore unity levels. It has a certain sweetness too.

You have probably heard of passive crossovers and active crossovers
in respect to speakers or speaker systems. Each has advantages.
Almost all hi-fi speakers use a passive crossover mounted in the
speaker cabinet. Only one amp is required per speaker. Again,
passive refers to the crossover using only capacitors, inductors and
resistors. Active here refers to multiple power amplifiers.

One of the main design goals of the Massive Passive was to use only
capacitors, inductors and resistors to change the tone. Pultecs do it
this way too and many of our favorite vintage EQs also relied on
inductors and caps. In fact, since op-amps became less expensive
than inductors, virtually every EQ that came out since the mid '70's
substituted ICs for inductors. One is a coil of copper wire around a
magnetic core and the other is probably 20 or more transistors. Does
the phrase "throwing out the baby with the bath water" ring a bell?

Another design goal was to avoid having the EQ in a negative
feedback loop. Baxandall invented the common circuit that did this.
It simplified potentiometer requirements, minimised the number of
parts and was essentially convenient. Any EQ where "flat" is in the
middle of the pot's range and turning the pot one way boosts and the
other way cuts is a variation of the old Baxandall EQ. Pultecs are not
this way. Flat is fully counter-clockwise. For the Massive Passive,
Baxandall was not an option. The classical definition of "passive"
has little to do with "feedback circuits" and we are stretching the
definition a bit here, however, it certainly is more passive this way.

We only use amplification to boost the signal. Flat Gain ! What goes
in is what comes out. If we didn't use any amplifiers, you would need
to return the signal to a mic pre because the EQ circuit eats about 50
dB of gain. Luckily, you don't have to think about this.

We visited a few top studios and asked "what do you want from a
new EQ ?" They unanamously asked for "click switch frequencies",
"character" rather than "clinical" and not another boring, modern
sterile EQ. They had conventional EQs all over the console and
wanted something different. They had a few choice gutsy EQs with
"click frequencies" that were also inductor/capacitor based (which
is why the frequencies were on a rotary switch). Requests like
"powerful", "flexible", "unusual" and "dramatic" kept coming up.

We started with these goals: modern parametric-like operation,
passive tone techniques through-out, and features different from
anything currently available and, most importantly, it had to sound
spectacular.

Manley Labs has been building a few versions of the Pultec-style
EQs for many years as well as an updated version of the EQ-500
(another vintage EQ). These are classic passive EQs combined with
Manley's own gain make-up amplifiers. Engineers loved them but
we often heard requests for a Manley Parametric EQ with all the
modern features but done with tubes. Another request we had was
for a "Super-Pultec". We briefly considered combining the "best of"
Pultecs into a new product but the idea of some bands only boosting
and some only cutting could only be justified in an authentic vintage
re-creation and not a new EQ.

The next challenge was to make an EQ that sounded as good or better
than a Pultec. With all the hundreds of EQs designed since the
Pultec, none really beat them for sheer fatness. We knew why. Two
reasons. EQP1-A's have separate knobs for boost and cut. People
tend to use both at the same time. You might think that this would

just cancel out - wrong.... You get what is known as the "Pultec

Curve" . The deep lows are boosted, the slope towards "flat"
becomes steeper, and a few dB of dip occurs in the low mids. The
second reason for the fatness and warmth was the use of inductors
and transformers that saturate nicely combined with vacuum tubes
for preserving the headroom and signal integrity.

Could we use a "bandwidth control" to simulate the "Pultec Curve(s)?
The Pultec curve is officially a shelf and shelf EQs don't have a
"bandwidth or Q knob"- only the bell curves. So, if we built a passive
parametric where each band could switch to shelf or bell and used
that "bandwidth" knob in the shelf modes we could not only simulate
the Pultecs but add another parameter to the "Parametric EQ" We
found that we could apply the "Pultec Curve" to the highs with
equally impressive results. This is very new.

The Massive Passive differs from Pultecs in several important areas.
Rather than copy any particular part of a Pultec, we designed the
"Massivo" from the ground up. As mentioned, each band being able
to boost or cut and switch from shelf to bell is quite different from
Pultecs. This required a different topology than Pultecs which like
most EQs utilize a "series" connection from band to band. The
Massive Passive uses a "parallel" connection scheme.

A series connection would imply that for each band's 20 dB of boost,
there is actually 20 dB (more in reality) of loss in the flat settings.
Yeah, that adds up to over 80 dB, right there, and then there is
significant losses involved if one intends to use the same components
to cut and to boost. And more losses in the filter and "gain trim". That
much loss would mean, that much gain, and to avoid noise there
would need to be gain stages between each band and if done with
tubes would end up being truly massive, hot and power hungry.

Instead, we used a parallel topology. Not only are the losses much
more reasonable (50 dB total!) but we believe it sounds more
"natural" and "musical". In many ways the Massive Passive is a very
unusual EQ, from how it is built, to how it is to operate and most
importantly how it sounds.

We designed these circuits using precise digital EQ simulations,
SPICE3 for electronic simulations, and beta tested prototypes in
major studios and mastering rooms for opinions from some of the
best "ears" in the business.

9

"The Passive Parametric"

For years, we had been getting requests for a Manley parametric
equalizer, but it looked daunting because every parametric we knew
of used many op-amps and a "conventional parametric" would be
very impractical to do with tubes. Not impossible, but it might take
upwards of a dozen tubes per channel. A hybrid design using chips
for cheapness and tubes for THD was almost opposite of how
Manley Labs approaches professional audio gear and tube designs.
Could we combine the best aspects of Pultecs, old console EQs and
high end dedicated parametric EQs?

What is the definition of a "Parametric Equalizer"? We asked the
man who invented the first Parametric Equalizer and coined the
term. He shrugged his shoulders and indicated there really is no
definition and it has become just a common description for all sorts
of EQs. He presented a paper to the AES in 1971 when he was 19.
His name is George Massenburg and still manufactures some of the
best parametric EQs (GML) and still uses them daily for all of his
major recordings. Maybe he originally meant "an EQ where one
could adjust the level, frequency and Q independently". He probably
also meant continuously variable controls (as was the fashion) but
this was the first aspect to be "modified" when mastering engineers
needed reset-ability and rotary switches. The next development was
the variation of "Constant Bandwidth" as opposed to "Constant Q"
in the original circuits. "Constant Q" implies the Q or bell shape
stays the same at every setting of boost and cut. "Constant Bandwidth"
implies the Q gets wider near flat and narrower as you boost or cut
more. Pultecs and passive EQs were of the constant bandwidth type
and most console EQs and digital EQs today are the constant
bandwidth type because most of us prefer "musical" over "surgical".
Lately we have seen the word "parametric" used for EQs without
even a Q control.

We can call the Massive Passive a "passive parametric" but .... it

differs from George's concepts in a significant way. And this is
important to understand, to best use the Massive Passive. The dB
and bandwidth knobs are
Q of the bell curve widens when the dB control is closer to flat. More
significantly, the boost or cut depth varies with the bandwidth
control. At the narrowest bandwidths (clockwise) you can dial in 20
dB of boost or cut. At the widest bandwidths you can only boost or
cut 6 dB (and only 2 dB in the two 22-1K bands). Somehow, this still
sounds musical and natural. The reason seems to be, simply using
basic parts in a natural way without forcing them to behave in some
idealized conceptual framework.

not independent. We already noted that the

Another important concept. When you use the shelf curves the
frequencies on the panel may or may nor correspond to other EQ's
frequency markings. It seems there are accepted standards for filters
and bell curves for specifying frequency, but not shelves. We use a
common form of spec where the "freq" corresponds to the half-way
dB point. So, if you have a shelf boost of 20 db set at 100 Hz, then
at 100, it is boosting 10 dB. The full 20 dB of boost is happening until
below 30 Hz. Not only that, like every other shelf EQ there will be
a few dB of boost as high as 500 Hz or 1K. This is all normal,

except.........

Except we now have a working "bandwidth control" in shelf mode.
With the bandwidth set fully counter-clockwise, these shelves
approximate virtually ever other EQ's shelf (given that some use a
different freq spec). As you turn the bandwidth control clockwise,
everything changes and it breaks all the rules (and sounds awesome).
Lets use an example. If graphs are more your style, refer to these as
well. Suppose we use 4.7K on the third band by switching to "boost"
and "shelf" and turning the "bandwidth control" fully counter­clockwise. Careful with levels from here on out. Just for fun, select

4.7kHz and turn the "dB" control to the max - fully clockwise. This
should be like most other shelf EQs, except with better fidelity, (if
you can set them to around 5 kHz!) . Now, slowly turn the "bandwidth"
clockwise. Near 12:00 it should be getting "special". It also sounds
higher (in freq). Keep turning. At fully clockwise it seems to have
gotten a little higher and some of the sibilance is actually less than
in "bypass". It sort of sounds as if the bandwidth is acting like a
variable frequency control but better. More air - less harshness.

Compared to "conventional parametrics" in all their variations, the
Massive Passive has just "upped the ante" by adding a few useful
new parameters. The first is the use of the "bandwidth" in shelf
modes. Second is the ability to switch each and every band into shelf.
The original parametrics were only "bell". We have seen some EQs
that allow the lowest and highest bands to switch to shelf. Now you
can use two HF shelfs to fine tune in new ways without chaining
several boxes together. Lastly, each band can be bypassed or
switched from boost to cut without losing a knob setting. This allows
twice the resolution from the "dB" pots and allows one to exagerate
an offending note in order to nail the frequency easier, then simply
switch to "cut". You can always check, without losing the dB setting
by switching back to "boost" for a minute. You can also have
absolute confidence that the "zero" position on the dB pot is "flat"
which is not the case with center detented pots. Mechanical center
and electrical center are rarely the same.

"SPICE" printout

"Normal Shelf" Wide Bandwidth

"Special Shelf" Medium Bandwidth

"Pultec Shelf" Narrow Bandwidth

Bell Cut Narrow Bandwidth

10