Manley SLAM! - Manual (Page 4)

The Swiss Army Knife
The SLAM! is an unusual product that doesn’t quite fit 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 first 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 first.
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 first. 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 difficult 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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