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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 pream-
pli

 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 mic pre-

amps 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 - mut-
ing 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 differ-
ences between pieces of equipment are now instantly perceivable, with a simplicity never previously 
available. This is important for more than just ““knowing your gear”” - it’’s a tool for use on EVERY ses-
sion, 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 utilizes 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 Mic-

MAID 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.

Summary of Contents for MicMAID

Page 1: ......

Page 2: ...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 THE PICKLE REMOTE 9 TROUBLESHOOTING 10 BLOCK DIAGRAM 11 SPECIFICATIO...

Page 3: ...mpli 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 pr...

Page 4: ...LO 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 Parliamen...

Page 5: ...ncy material bass guitar kick drum and the high lit posi tion will work better on full bandwidth material This is a subjective choice of course and a choice that should always be made with your ears C...

Page 6: ...Direct Outputs These outputs simply mirror the signals from the neighboring mic preamp returns Think of each of these as direct outputs from each of your 4 mic preamps Use them to go to your console y...

Page 7: ...er should never be turned on in a connected preamp If the MicMAID detects phantom power from a connected preamp the display will ash bP bad phantom and the offending PRE button will blink until the ex...

Page 8: ...to the left of the P indi cates that the current pickle mode is microphone Any microphone inputs that will be stepped through by the pickle will be lit Pressing a mic button will toggle inclusion in t...

Page 9: ...ed to ride the output level of the Monitor Section Think of this as your MON REC output level control immensely useful for riding the level of a vocal track live to tape for instance The fader should...

Page 10: ...send return is open there will be no sound when that particular signal path is selected Does one or more of your microphones need phantom power If the microphone needs it and the MicMAID is not provid...

Page 11: ...BLOCK DIAGRAM 11...

Page 12: ...RIX Matrix Crosstalk Leakage from adjacent microphone inputs 117 dB 1 kHz sine Leakage from adjacent Preamp sends 107 dB 1 kHz Sine Microphone Inputs terminated with source Z 150 Ohm Preamps sends ter...

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