Manley CORE Reference Channel Strip

Manley’s experience and insight working with the industry’s top recording engineers and musicians culminates in the CORE. At this price, there is no other channel-strip with higher headroom or more seductive sound than the CORE. Handcrafted in the USA, built like a tank, built to endure, the epicenter of your recorded art will be the Manley CORE.

The signal enters through our renowned hand-wound MANLEY IRON® input transformer with nickel laminations in a mu-metal can. The tube amplifying stage is the latest implementation of our famous Class-A circuit topology found in the VOXBOX® and Manley Dual Mono & Mono Microphone Preamplifiers. This all-triode vacuum tube circuit runs on a regulated 300 Volt B+ supply yielding huge headroom and relentless output drive capability.

48V Phantom power switch
120Hz High Pass Filter switch
Phase Invert switch
Input Attenuator (Variable Pad)
Mic Pre Selectable Gain 40dB or 60dB
Line Amp Selectable Gain 20dB or 40dB
DIRECT IN: Similar to the DI in the Manley SLAM!®, this all-discrete solid-state circuit with 10 Meg Ohm input impedance is perfect for guitars, bass, keyboards, etc.

COMPRESSOR:
Featuring our successful ELOP® technology also found in our famous Manley VOXBOX®
Compressor is uniquely before the Mic Preamp making it virtually impossible to clip
Ratio 3:1
Continuously variable Attack, Release, and Threshold controls
Silent Bypass switch

INPUTS & OUTPUTS
Balanced XLR Mic Input
Balanced XLR Line Input
Front Panel Direct Instrument 1/4" Input
Insert point between Mic Preamp and EQ/Limiter via ¼” TRS jack
Balanced XLR Direct Output (after Preamp/Compressor section)
Balanced XLR Main Output
Deluxe CNC-machined 1/4" thick faceplate with inlaid laser-engraved inserts adorn the rigid 2U steel chassis – all locally sourced in Southern California.

- ALL-TUBE preamplifier audio path using 1 x 12AX7 for gain and 1 x 6922 White Follower
- Balanced Transformer Coupled XLR Microphone Input Impedance: 1200 Ohms
- Balanced XLR Line Input Impedance: 10 kOhms
- Unbalanced 1/4" Direct Input Impedance: 10 Meg Ohm
- Hi-current drive Direct XLR output Impedance: 50 Ohms
- Silent conductive plastic INPUT attenuator
- Microphone preamp high pass filter starting at 120Hz with a 6dB/8va slope
- Compressor Maximum GAIN REDUCTION: 16 dB
- Compressor ATTACK time: 60ms slowest CCW, 30ms at 12:00, 5ms fastest CW for 6dB compression
- Compressor RELEASE time: 1.5s slowest CCW, 1s at 12:00, 100ms fastest CW from 6dB compression

- Maximum Input Mic input (Low Gain Setting): -5 dBu or 435mV RMS @ 0.5% THD
- Maximum Input Mic input (High Gain Setting): -25 dBu or 44 mV RMS @ 0.5% THD
- Maximum Input Line input (Low Gain Setting): +13 dBu or 3.5V RMS @ 0.5% THD
- Maximum Input Line input (High Gain Setting): -8 dBu or 300mV RMS @ 0.5% THD
- Maximum Input Direct input (Low Gain Setting): +24 dBu or 12V RMS @ 0.5% THD
- Maximum Input Direct input (High Gain Setting): +17 dBu or 5.5V RMS @ 0.5% THD
- Maximum Input Insert return: +20 dBu or 7.8V RMS @ 0.5% THD
- Maximum Preamp Output (Insert Send): +35 dBu or 43V RMS @ 0.5% THD
- Maximum Preamp Output (Insert Send): +22 dBu into 600 Ohms
- Maximum Main Output: +20 dBu
- Insert Send output impedance: 50 Ohms
- Insert Return input impedance: 13 kOhms
- Main Output Impedance: 50 Ohms
- Direct Output Headroom (referenced to +4 dBv): 31 dB
- Main Output Headroom (referenced to +4 dBv): 16 dB
- Dynamic Range: >90 dB
- Frequency Response: 10 Hz to 20 kHz ±0.5 dB

- Large LED illuminated VU METER
- Meters switch to read Direct Output (1) from preamp, Output (2) from - Main Out, or Compressor Gain Reduction
- THD & Noise (1kHz @ +4 dBm): 0.02% at Low Gain setting
- Noise Floor (Gain set to minimum): -70 dB wideband typical
- Gain via Microphone Input: 40 or 60 dB
- Gain via Line Input: 20 or 40dB
- Maximum Gain of EQ & Limiter section: 10 dB
- AUTOMUTE warmup delay: 30 Seconds

- Power consumption: 35 watts
- Operating mains voltage: 90 to 254 VAC (internal universal supply)
- Mains Voltage Frequency: 50-60Hz
- Dimensions: 19" x 3 1/2" x 7" (occupies 2u)
- Unit Weight: 8.3 lbs.
- Shipping weight: 11.5 lbs.

US and EU parcels ship via UPS, ETA 1-7 working days from pickup day zero. That also applies to most locations worldwide.

All shipments are fully insured.

Bigger shipments requiring pallets or custom made crates ship to US, CA, JP, CN, AU and other outside of EU locations via DHL Air Freight, ETA is normally approx. 7-14 working days from pickup day zero.

Big shipments inside EU ship via different freight companies, recently mostly via ACE Logistics. Freight forwarders can use different courier companies for deliveries to final destinations.

Palletising and crating time can vary depending on the size of the shipment and packaging queue. We pack all our shipments with great care.

You are most welcome to pick your order up yourself from our Retrosonic Pro Audio showroom, studio and warehouse in Tallinn, Estonia.

We ship worldwide – contact us for a personal shipping quote or any other questions.

VAT (Value Added Tax) can be deducted if you have a company with a valid EU VAT number or if you're based outside of the EU. Non-EU buyers pay all and any import tax and duty as regulated by their local customs.