Manley SLAM! 2-channel Tube Microphone Preamp & Limiter Reviews
The Manley SLAM! stands for "stereo limiter and microphone preamplifier" — and it gets loud fast. Starting with the two tube microphone preamplifiers, the Manley SLAM! gives you 48V phantom power, phase reverse, and up to 60dB of gain and 20dB more gain in the limiter - plenty to accommodate virtually any microphone and singer. On the limiter side, Manley combined the electro-optical circuit from the ELOP with a fast FET-based brick-wall limiter and added a handy sidechain. From clean to crunchy to punchy, you can have it with the Manley SLAM! from Sweetwater.
Earn $470 back in Bonus Bucks† OR pay $392/month with 24 month financing*
$470 Earn $470.00 back in Bonus Bucks† on this purchase when you use your Sweetwater Credit Card without financing. Select your offer in checkout. Terms
As low as $392/month
with 24 month financing*
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Sweetwater Reviews
Kenny Bergle
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Highest Rated Reviews
A Truly Sublime Stereo Rig
I may never use my Millennia for a simple stereo capture of a concert hall again. Okay, maybe if I ever get to record in a famous European hall that already sounds perfect. But for most locations, the Manley is nigh unbeatable. It sounds so deep and smooth. My SM81s sound like different mics. Neumann KM-184s sound round. The pres are perfect for recording ensembles at a distance, and the limiters handle peaks beautifully. I patch it in for live streams, too. The tonality is head and shoulders above anything else I've tried for my application.
Everything Goes Through the Slam!
I've had the Slam! for about five years now, and it's become the last stop before the converters for everything I record in my home studio. Now, I would probably never have such an expensive piece, but my friend had one and needed a used car, so we made a trade.
Pros:
- Very clean sound, suitable for almost any source
- Two very different limiters - a slow optical limiter and a fast FET limiter
- A variety of input options, including DI, line in, and high pass filtered mic input
- Good external power supply
Con:
- Not enough gain for quiet sources through a passive ribbon mic
- Priced for pros, those with deep pockets or someone like me that stumbled into a good deal
Although it's a tube preamp, it doesn't noticeably colour the sound of sources, which makes it suitable for any source. I've recorded keyboards, acoustic guitar direct, and an assortment of microphones, all of which sounded great in the Slam!. I've also used it as a line driver by plugging a bass into an LA-610, then into the line level input of the Slam!. It handled all of these sources flawlessly.
Note that it doesn't have enough gain for quiet instruments into a passive ribbon mic, so I've used a two-stage approach starting with a very clean Grace 101 preamp then into the line input on the Slam!, though recently I got an SE Dynamite phantom-powered inline preamp to solve the gain problem properly.
As far as value goes, I can't really say that I would buy this unit if I didn't get it on a trade, even though it's become the centerpiece of my home setup. I think it's top quality in every way. If I were looking to buy some handmade studio gear now, I'd be looking seriously at some of the new Manley gear, such as the Core channel strip.
tasty af
The Manley SLAM is my absolute number 1 go-to preamp for tracking. It works especially well with ribbon mics and is a dream for tracking drums since you can dial in both compression and limiting.
It is also an essential part of my analog mastering bus because it is clean and dreamy.
The Real Thing!!!
The Manley SLAM is one of our most used tools. It is the Swiss Army Knife of our studio. When running our SF-12 stereo ribbon with the limiter wide open there is plenty of gain to capture the quietest string instruments on one day and with a SM7B and BOTH the electro-optical and FET brick-wall limiters grabbing a screaming rock vocal the next. We also use it for synths and drum machines to make them sound HUGE and sit right in the mix. It also works great with almost all program material on a stereo mix together with the Manley Vari Mu. For me there are no plug-ins that can capture the sound of great rack gear. We all use our favorite plug-ins and yes they come close and do sound great but there is nothing like finishing off your mix with the real thing. I can’t say enough about Manley products!!! They stand by their gear with a 5 year warranty. Now that’s something in this day and age.
Manley SLAM
I had this unit for 6 years used in all different kinds of situations. From jazz recording to slamming punk it always gave me the color and character I always wanted. The preamp is sweet and it has a huge bottom. The ELOP, when used correctly, remains unnoticeable, great also on vocals. When recording drums, the FET limiter is a great tool. I also use it on ROOM mics for drums with a touch of limiting........ it rocks!
When mixing, I ran my 2 bus to the SLAM with no compression or limiting and it certainly adds a lot of colors. It's one of my favorite boxes in my studio. It really does a lot for me. Thanks to the Manley Family for this great product.
