Manley MicMAID 4x4 User Manual

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................3

MAINS CONNECTIONS........................................................................................................................4

THE FRONT PANEL...............................................................................................................................5

THE BACK PANEL.................................................................................................................................6

THE ROUTING MATRIX.......................................................................................................................7

THE MONITOR SECTION..................................................................................................................7-8

VARIABLE PHASE.................................................................................................................................9

THE FADER.............................................................................................................................................9

TROUBLESHOOTING..........................................................................................................................10

BLOCK DIAGRAM................................................................................................................................11

SPECIFICATIONS..................................................................................................................................12

rev 11.11.10 CD

INTRODUCTION

THANK YOU!...

...for purchasing the Manley MicMAID. This unit was designed to ll a particular niche in the business
that has never really been addressed: auditioning and selecting microphones and microphone pream­pliers. Proper pairing of mics and preamps has always been (and always will be!) a vital step in the
tracking process, but there has never been a simple, accurate way of doing this. Since we are in the
business of providing tools to professional sound engineers, we saw this obstacle as an opportunity to
ex our design muscles and create something that could nally ll this void.

In Ye Olden Tymes, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, records were made in studios. Big studios,
with big consoles, with banks and banks of microphone preampliers. With a console full of micpre­amps available, it was easy to audition several microphones through four almost identical preamps. In
today’s world, however, most people do not have this luxury. In a home studio, most people only own a
few preamps and a few microphones. With a conventional patchbay, auditioning gear takes time - mut­ing monitors, unplugging sources, repatching, adjusting gain for the new microphone or preamp - and
in this time, our memory for the sound we just had a minute ago (or more) has faded. We might recall a
general idea (“breathy”, “boomy”, etc.) but we don’t REALLY remember precisely what we were hear-

ing.

With the MicMAID, this problem is solved. Four mics are plugged in, four preampliers are
plugged in, and that’s it. Hear any mic through any pre, any way you like. For each of the four signal
paths, levels are easily adjusted and saved - this level-matching xes the all-too-common problem we
encounter when we just assume the “louder” signal path is the “better” signal path. Subtle sonic differ­ences between pieces of equipment are now instantly percievable, with a simplicity never previously
available. This is important for more than just “knowing your gear” - it’s a tool for use on EVERY ses­sion, so you know you’re picking the ideal piece of equipment to get the sound you want.

In addition to the four main outputs the routing matrix provides, there is a fth output labeled
MON/REC on the rear panel. Although this is described as a “monitor” output, this output can (and
should) be used for recording purposes - for it is only this output that utilises the active components of
the MicMAID. These include the level-matching capabilities and, more importantly, the Variable Phase
section of the unit. When the continuously variable phase circuit is selected, it allows you to easily
phase-align the selected mic signal (or the front-panel DI signal) with another microphone. This phase
adjustment has an all-pass lter with two selectable center frequencies, making it useful on a variety of

sources.

With four passive hard-wired signal paths and its versatile monitoring section, we think the Mic­MAID can help you nd the sound you’re looking for faster and easier. It’s a tool of the trade, and as
with all tools, you should feel free to be creative and think up new ways to use it that make your life
simpler and your recordings better.

MAINS CONNECTIONS

Your MicMAID has been factory set to the correct mains voltage for your country. The voltage setting is marked

on the serial badge, located on the rear panel. Check that this complies with your local supply.

Export units for certain markets have a moulded mains plug tted to comply with local requirements. If your unit
does not have a plug tted the coloured wires should be connected to the appropriate plug terminals in accordance
with the following code:

GREEN/YELLOW EARTH

BLUE NEUTRAL

BROWN LIVE

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead may not correspond with the coloured marking identifying the termi­nals in your plug proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured GREEN/YELLOW must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is
marked by the letter E or by the safety earth symbol or coloured GREEN or GREEN and YELLOW.

The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the letter

N or coloured BLACK.

The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the

letter L or coloured RED.

DO NOT CONNECT/SWITCH ON THE MAINS SUPPLY UNTIL ALL OTHER CONNECTIONS HAVE
BEEN MADE.

Note: This unit has been factory wired for your country. If you plan to take the unit to countries with a differ-

ent mains voltage you will need to send the MicMAID to a qualied service technician, or contact the Manley

Labs Service Center (email: [e-mail]) for the correct transformer primaries wiring conver-

sion. Alternatively, you may use outboard AC voltage step-up or step-down transformers as appropriate.

100V & 120V Operation: Uses a 1A SLO-BLO fuse.
220 & 240V Operation: Uses a 0.5A SLO-BLO fuse.

***Fuses for ALL VOLTAGES are 5x20mm GDC packaged fuses.***

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

Information for customers:
The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have issued the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. The purpose of the Direc­tive is the prevention of waste of electrical and electronic equipment, and to promote the reuse and recycling and other forms of recovery of such waste. As such
the Directive concerns producers, distributors and consumers.

The WEEE directive requires that both manufacturers and end-consumers dispose of electrical and electronic equipment and parts in an environmentally safe man­ner, and that equipment and waste are reused or recovered for their materials or energy. Electrical and electronic equipment and parts must not be disposed of with
normal household wastage; all electrical and electronic equipment and parts must be collected and disposed of separately.

Products and equipment which must be collected for reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery are marked with the following pictogram:

Small products may not always be marked with this pictogram in which case this is present in the instructions for use, on the guarantee certicate and printed on

the packaging.

When disposing of electrical and electronic equipment by use of the collection systems available in your country, you protect the environment, human health and
contribute to the prudent and rational use of natural resources. Collecting electrical and electronic equipment and waste prevents the potential contamination of

nature with the hazardous substances which may be present in electrical and electronic products and equipment.

Your MANLEY or LANGEVIN retailer will assist with and advise you of the correct way of disposal in your country.

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