Manley Tube Direct Mono & Dual Mono DI's

The Manley TUBE DIRECT INTERFACEmodels feature exceptionally clean and quiet tube circuits which will warm up any electric guitar, bass, violin, and especially those sterile sounding synths. Unique with the Manley Tube DI's is the added 5-position high pass shelf EQ, there to fight unwanted resonances. As splitter devices, the transformer-coupled balanced XLR output can be sent directly to a mic level input, such as through your console channel, while the 1/4" output drives the guitar amplifier cabinet which can be miked and mixed with the direct feed. Low impedance outputs, Ground lift and Console Out Boost switches make these units both versatile and compatible. Keep your Manley DI close at hand to get that noisy high impedance guitar cable into quiet lo-Z territory fast!

We offer both Mono Single Channel and Stereo 2-channel versions.

Features & Specifications

• Vacuum Tube: 5751
• Gain: -6dB or -26dB
• Input Z: 10 megOhm to 1 megOhm
• Output Z: 150 Ohm xfmr
• Frequency response: 12 Hz - 15KHz (-3dB)
• EQ: LF rolloff -3dB points: 12, 42, 100, 250Hz
• Transformer-Coupled Balanced XLR Output
• Console Out Boost Switch
• Ground Lift Switch
• Factory set for 100V, 120V or 220-240VAC operation for original destination country's mains voltage.
• Operating Mains Voltage changeable with power transformer re-wiring and fuse value change.
• Mains Voltage Frequency: 50~ 60Hz
• Mains power consumption Mono Tube DI:
  • 0.050 Amps (50 milliamps = 50mA) @ 120V = 6 Watts
  • 0.025 Amps (25 milliamps = 25mA) @ 240V = 6 Watts
• Mains power consumption Stereo Tube DI:
  • 0.0750 Amps (75 milliamps = 75mA) @ 120V = 9 Watts
  • 0.0375 Amps (37.5 milliamps = 37.5mA) @ 240V = 9 Watts
• Dimensions:
  • Mono Tube DI: 1.75" x 13.5" x 4"
  • Stereo Tube DI: 1.75" x 19" x 10" (Occupies 1U)
• Unit Weight:
  • Mono Tube DI: 3 lbs.
  • Stereo Tube DI: 6 lbs.

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price

• Tube Direct Interface With EQ: $900
• Stereo Tube Direct Interface With EQ: $1500

Question's and Answers

Here's a cool question picked off an email:

I have a VoxBox® which I use as my main input into my PT system, recording not only vocals through it but most anything else too. To achieve a stronger level from guitars you suggest running it through an effects pedal before the VoxBox®.Would running it through a Di first be better? And if so, would you recommend active or passive or indeed your Dual Mono Di?

And Hutch's reply:

My comments were meant to address the low-ish gain of the VoxBox DirectInput and the possibility that some axes are quieter than average. In thosesituations, one might need to boost the gain before it hits the VoxBox. Manystomp boxes have gain or volume controls with more than enough range toprovide some seriously impressive levels.

Now a direct box is a completely different animal from a stomp box. The DI'sbasic function is to turn an instrument signal into a mic level signal (or abalanced line level signal). In the case of the former. A DI generallyreduces the voltage (-20dB) to be appropriate for a mic pre, which means youwould plug the DI into the Mic Input, and my comment wouldn't be relevantbecause it was pointed at the Instrument Input. Might also be weird to gothru adapters to drive a stomp box with a signal now dropped 20dB to raiseit back +20 to +40 dB again.

However, one could use most direct boxes to drive the mic input and haveplenty of gain in most cases. One wouldn't put a stomp box after a DI, butif you like there is nothing to stop you putting it before the DI. In factone could "insert" the stomp box between the VoxBox Mic Pre and EQ sectionsthough that signal may be a little hot, but workable. (or not)

And then there are some active Direct Boxes that convert an instrumentsignal to line level, and the appropriate place to patch these is into theVoxBox Line Input.

As to Active or Passive DI's - whatever works - whatever sounds right toyou! Basically they all sound a bit different, have strengths and weaknessesand a few right ways to use them, plus many wrong ways.

The idea of the VoxBox Instrument Input was to allow most guys to not haveto require a Direct Box - just plug the axe into the front panel - bingo.Several top session bass players do just that routinely. This doesn't ruleout that if you prefer, you can use a direct box that you love and patch itinto the Mic or Line Input, whichever is more appropriate for that box.

But the only point of all this is "Are the levels that YOU are getting hotenough, OK or too hot?" If they are OK, no problem, if too hot, turn downthe gain, if not hot enough, then there are solutions maybe requiring astomp box or DI. And only YOU can really judge "better" and that onlyrequires listening and playing, rather than getting bogged intechnicalities, patching and electronics. Have fun, make music.....

-hutch

Question: I will soon buy a Mic preamp. The Dual Mono Mic Preamp could be the right one. But it is very important for me, to chose a Preamp that I can use for different things. Can I use the Dual Mono Mic Preamp to warm up my recorded digital tracks too?What is the Difference to the Dual Mono Tube Direct Interface? Can I use the Mic Preamp as DI too?

Yes you can pass a line level signal into the Manley Dual Mono Mic Preamp via the Direct Inputs and come out the XLRs to get the sound of tubes and the output transformer. If you keep the gain at the lower settings (with most global feedback being used) then you also have more rich sound which might be the thing you are looking for to warm up your digital tracks.

Yes of course you can use the Manley Dual Mono Mic Preamp as a DI. That's what the front panel Direct Inputs are there for! Bass players especially like the sound of those DI jacks. There is 20 to 40dB of gain available on those DI jacks.

The Tube Direct Interface has no gain. It is specifically for instruments passing through it to get from high impedance to low impedance for low noise and to be used as a splitter for the 1/4" to feed an amp head while the XLR goes to the console (or external mic preamp) MIC INPUT. You would use a Tube Direct Interface in addition to a Microphone Preamplifier.

Cheers,

EveAnna Manley

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