Manley SLAM! User Manual download pdf (Page 4)

The Swiss Army Knife

The SLAM! is an unusual product that doesn’t quite t into a simple

catagory. We get questions like “Why have a mic-pre on a limiter?”,

and “Why so many input and output jacks?” and “Why no hard-wire

bypass on this mastering processor?”. And the only answer is “It’s not

just a ....., it does a lot more”. It isn’t a channel strip - no EQ, besides

being stereo. It isn’t just another front-end for the workstation. It isn’t

just a mastering processor. Maybe the SLAM! is a new category.

The SLAM! is a an outboard limiter and a new low-noise high gain

tube mic-pre, and a mastering processor, and a DI. As a mic pre it

offers about 70 dB of gain and a new circuit, unlike any previous

Manley Preamp. The gain stages are based on a circuit developed by

Mitch Margolis for the Steelhead phono preamp. The SLAM! can be

used as a mastering processor (not a multi-band limiter), a processor

that real mastering engineers use to create loudness without messing

up the mix. As a DI or Instument Input it offers 2 impedances (100K

and 10 meg ohms), plenty of gain, limiting, and if you want to have

fun use both channels with your fave EQ inserted between...

First Things First

We only have a few simple suggestions for your rst few dates with

the SLAM!.

1) Don’t rack mount it until you are familiar with the back panel and

have experimented a bit with the jacks and switches that you might

use later. No problem racking it, but this way is easier at rst.

2) Watch those levels. There is a lot of gain and ways to manipulate

gain on the SLAM!. We have seen guys set up 30 dB of boost to a

line signal, 30 dB of limiting and were not aware of how drastic those

settings might be because they were unfamiliar with the box. On he

LED meters, one segment = 1 dB (approximately), and if you see the

LEDS go half way down, you are hitting 13 dB of limiting which is

generally drastic. Most engineers prefer 6 dB or less limiting. You

need to use your ears, and your eyes. Common mistake.

a) Unity gain for line inputs is near 12:00 for the INPUT and

OUTPUT controls. Begin with the ELOP and FET thresholds

fully clockwise (5 oclock). A good starting point.

b) To set INPUT levels start with the VU on INPUT and the

VU attenuator at the “0dB” especially as you become familiar

with the SLAM!. You have to be aware that practically all the

knobs and switches affect level and gain and that you want to

start off on the right foot, so get the INPUT set rst. Then set

Thresholds and Output level. Most early confusion has been

due to level settings.

c) The LED PEAK METER (audio mode) is most useful to

view when setting up the limiters and comparing how much

louder it can get while hitting the same peak level. Compare

your original peak level in Bypass to the level possible with

limiting engaged.

3) This is a limiter and limiters generally can create weird distor-

tions especially when the gain reduction is deep and releases

are fast. The SLAM! FET limiter has very fast releases so it can

be dangerous. The OPTO is easier to use because the attack &

release are slower which is why opto’s have always been popular.

Sometimes we want the ease of opto and the speed of FET, and

using the FET gently to ‘clean up’ the overshoots of the opto is

pretty easy too. With the FET limiter alone, some experimenta-

tion and critical listening is a must. Different songs and sounds

seem to want different settings and one may often be surprised by

the optimum setting.

4) Because the SLAM! is old-school analog, the limiters won’t

have the ‘precision’ of a digital limiter that can be easily set to

hold peaks within 0.1 or 0.2 dB of clipping. If you intend to use it

as a brick wall limiter before the A to D converter as a method to

be safe/lazy/ clever, in an attempt to get hot levels within .2 dB of

digital clipping you may be creating the worst case scenario for

an analog box. It is difcult to set the SLAM! up to do that. It can

be pretty good IF you take the time to carefully set the controls.

Foolproof and easy - no, but if you want ‘easy’, then the safest

way is to accept -2 to -5 dB DFS (23+ bits), and use a digital

limiter like an L1 or L2 for the last few dBs. The combination

provides the best of both worlds. Another approach is to try the

“CLIP” setting plus the OPTO which is a bit easier and may or

may not be as audible. It might not be worth being obsessed with

hitting -.1 dB DFS and focus on the sound instead.

5) Once you have found your favorite back panel settings, feel

free to rack mount the SLAM!. Yes, you can leave Phantom on

all the time. Old consoles didn’t have phantom switches and it

was always on - no problem.

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Manley SLAM! User Manual Page 4

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