Manley Massive Passive Review

[Enrique Fats]

Its taken a while to jump on the UAD bandwagon, but now that I have, there are a few perfect emulations and this is one of them. The silky highs sound like the real deal. i can't understand why I've never heard highs like this on other plugins? There is some good voodoo going on here.

I have watched a number of youtube clips on some eqing of tracks and like the subtle use this plugin can be used for. Its the subtle correction I think im going to like the most from the Manley . Ive actually only used the presets on my own tracks so far and have been able to move along quickly which I think we can all appreciate.

Have a feeling its eating up a lot of cpu though but i guess it is a MASSIVE passive isnt it ?

Quite impressed with how rich of sound you get from this plug. I can't compare to the real thing so I won't say how close it is. It has great presets for some quick tweaks. My only complaint is the high dsp usage!

If you got the mix right ,but your still missing that something in you cant put your hand on ?This is the final Eq .without this ,its not done. filters are wonderful . I will but the real thing out of respect .One of the best Eq's and final Eq period .

What can I say? This the EQ I use on all my most important tracks in every project I ever do. And often an instance on the master as well. This is perfect for the shaping and kneading to get a sound to have the right shape, right character. Very transparent. Love the parallel setup. Give it a bit of extra headroom if the magic isn't happening. Recommended.

I use this unit when mastering but have occasionally used the stereo eq version on synth signals. For mastering I find the unit works best in the signal chain after a stereo equalizer which I use as a surgical tool to address problematic frequencies. This way, it functions as the cream on the cake, and it cetainly excels in that role. I really feel quite privileged to have such a high-end tool available to me at a fraction of the cost of a hardware unit. Simon Hawkins, Stockholm, Sweden.

After demo this EQ i had to buy it, because this EQ is really different from the

others, it can boost high Hi and Mid frequencies very smooth without

harshness. Useful for Mix and Mastering. Good color EQ! Great work UA, congratulations...

awesome emulation of the colour a real massive passive adds. subtle controls adds for great accuracy and control of sound like the original. great job. the massive passive eq is a must for UAD owners.

This eq is very smooth sounding and can shape your sound as you want it, it'll help your mixes have that final touch. I like this eq at the master channel, also I use it to shape some sounds like synths and percussion groups, overall is just one to get!

Once you experience the sound of this plug-in , you won't do without it. I'm a mastering engineer that is re-building my mastering chain with UA's interfaces and plug-ins along with some outboard gear. The Manley Massive Passive EQ gives me just what I need to push my sound over the top in a subtle way on every master that I have completed recently. My clients love it because the sound references well in any device that it is played on, the sound quality is consistent. I use the presets with some adjustments to get the results that I am shooting for. I am able to recreate the depth perception that is very close to the actual hardware utilizing other UA's plug-ins.This is not your ordinary plug-in.

Perfect for mastering but also good for Vocals, Drums,guitars, etc. Its not a clean EQ, its a Color / Saturation device, but sounds clean and Sweet. After DEMO it in my projects in 14 days, i was totally convinced its a "Must Have" plugin. I never used the HW, but this plug is amazing. Congratulations UA.

The results of tweaking the controls differs a little from a typical parametric equalizer as the bands can interact with each other. This is part of the unique operation and sound qualities in a parallel passive eq design. For example an extreme boost of 20dB at 680Hz and another 20dB boost at 680Hz in the next band up does not equate to a 40dB boost. This is the nature of the parallel filter arrangement in the eq. I am still discovering the character of how the bands interact with each other. The mid range is nothing short of excellent, this equalizer can subtly widen the stereo image whilst tonally shaping arguably the most important frequency ranges in any mix down. This is an excellent trait and makes it very suitable as a mastering equalizer.

My personal experience is that the upper mid range is best used for reducing harshness or providing a very gentle presence boost. With it's 27kHz high band setting air can be introduced in a fairly transparent manner if required to add a sense of space and "expense" without being obvious. Just passing audio through the device offers a gentle widening effect courtesy of the valves and transformers in the input and output signal paths. This is an added bonus. Thus far I have no negative experience with the eq at all, it has all the qualities I was expecting of a broad brush strokes mastering grade equalizer and then some. I would probably use another equalizer for more surgical eq duties. I am sure this will be in use daily for many years to come. Of course such high end equipment does not come at a low price. However when you take into account the quality of the machine and spread it over 5 years of ownership as an investment it seems more than reasonable.

These devices are sought after and unique and I believe they can add something special to the music making process. Whilst plug ins have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years they still cannot quite capture the full complexity of an 'alive' signal path, especially ones which exude the qualities of devices such as the MANLEY Massive Passive.

This review was written by Barry Gardner who operates SafeandSound online mastering a low cost, high end mastering studio based in London, UK.

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Manley's Massive Passive is an equalization monster. You can expect the best strengths of Pultec-style equalizers as well as choice console, parametric, and graphic EQs - all the radical shaping you'll need for the most demanding of sessions as well as the delicate, subtle shadings needed for vocals and mastering. The 2-channel, 4-band Massive Passive features a passive tone-shaping portion of the equalizer design and uses only the best components, for its ultimately huge, high-headroom performance.

Premium design with passive components

As you can expect from Manley, no corners were cut with the design of the Massive Passive, and there's no unnecessarily complicated circuit - Massive Passive features basic passive components and uses only metal film resistors, film capacitors, and hand-wound inductors to sculpt the sound. And thanks to its more natural design, you can expect more natural, organic tone.

2-channel, 4-band EQ for everything from the radical to the subtle

The Massive Passive equalizer excels at everything from the drastic shaping needed for tracking to the most subtle of shadings needed for affecting vocal tracks or the whole mix. Although different in nature, its 2-channel, 4-band design offers a tremendous amount of sonic sculpting, incorporating the best strengths of Pultecs, choice console EQs, graphic equalizers, and parametric equalizers - but it doesn't throw color all over the audio. Get creative with it, or get logical and surgical with it - the Manley Massive Passive is ready to make the most of whatever you toss its way.

Five steep highpass filters and four steep lowpass filters

The Manley Massive Passive is packed with five highpass filters and four lowpass filters, and you can bypass either or both. The filters are steep, so you can pull out the junk without touching the real music. It's also great-sounding when combined with other bands. Ultimately, Manley went for "what's useful" when designing the Massive Passive, not "what's standard" - it's a welcome design departure that produces seriously massive results.

MANLEY POWER Power Supply

The MANLEY POWER power supply is an innovative design developed specifically for Manley Labs, specifically for High Voltage vacuum tubes, and specifically for audio by the world expert team in this technology led by Bruno Putzeys. Proven reliable and sonically superior in the Manley CORE, this power supply provides 300 Volt DC rails to run the vacuum tubes, beefy 6 Volt lines to power them up, along with several other voltage rails for the phantom power and various solid-state control voltages. High Voltage = High Headroom, folks. You will not get near this sonic performance with in any 500-series design. Trust us. This is Massive audio excellence which starts with this superior power supply. All lines are importantly regulated, low impedance, efficient, and super-quiet in this low radiating high frequency design. The universal mains input accepts any voltage or frequency from anywhere in the world making travel with the Massive Passive a breeze.

Since the very early days of tape transfer and vinyl cutting, the humble equalizer is still one of the most powerful tone shaping tools a Mastering Engineer has at their disposal. The search for the ultimate synergy of sound and functionality is a decision made early in ones career, and the right choice is often a lifetime investment. Indeed, here we are in 2012 and the Sontec 430 series equalizer from the late 70s is still in use by many top Mastering Engineers. Yet now there are a few other contenders clipping at its heels, including one from New Zealand that I have front of me, the Buzz Audio REQ 2.2 Resonance Mastering Equalizer.

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