Manley СORE REFERENCE CHANNEL STRIP - MCORE001-025 4/2014 - 5/2014 - Manual (Page 7)

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7. Limiter
Diagram 5
The FET output limiter is a powerful, high-ratio, peak limiter. It can
be used for many creative effects, as well as for setting a maximum
output ceiling to avoid overloading the next piece of gear in the chain.
The LIMITING controls the amount of limiting. The Limit LED lights
when the signal crosses the threshold, and goes off when the signal is
both below the threshold and the release time completed.
The RELEASE controls how FAST or SLOW the limiter returns to full
volume.
The release time control has purposely been made with a very wide
control range. Very fast release times can create distortion effects.
This is an active gain stage following the FET limiter than can both
attenuate and amplify the Main (2) output over a range of 10dB.
The Final OUTPUT GAIN control gives a range of 10dB. This is an active
gain stage following the FET limiter that can both attenuate and
amplify the Main Output. This output is available from XLR O/P 2.
(Refer to Diagram 7, pg.7)
When Limiting is set to “Minimum” the Limit light acts as a general
overload indicator at +20 dBu.
0
LIMIT
MAX MIN
LIMITING
RELEASE
SLOW FAST
OUTPUT
GAIN
-6 +4
dB
LIMITER
8. VU Meter
Diagram 6
Three positions are selectable on the analog VU meter. Use the selector
switch to meter the desired output.
O/P 1- indicates the direct output of the preamplifier
and compressor section.
O/P 2 - indicates the main output of the CORE.
GR - indicates the amount of compressor gain
reduction, this position stays at “0 VU” when
there is no gain reduction, and moves to the left
to show the amount of compression.
Because the VU meter is mechanical and really just shows the average,
it can't follow every signal exactly. In fact, things like snare drums are
not displayed very accurately at all. The VU meter might only be
ticking over at -10, but the actual peak level may be 20dB higher. This
is OK, as every workstation has a digital peak meter. And it's a good
idea to keep all of your peak levels in the DAW to around -6dBFS
anyway. There is no reason to go to 0dBFS on the individual tracks, and
the final result will sound better and actually combine better if the
tracks are recorded with some headroom below zero.
Also, it's a good general practice to look at the VU meter occasionally
when recording and try to keep the majority of the track on the scale
of the meter – not a hard and fast rule – but if you are pinning it all the
time (unless as an intentional effect) or the needle isn't moving at all,
you might need to adjust the input gain of the CORE.
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O/P 1 GR
O/P 2
REFERENCE CHANNEL STRIP
6