Manley Labs today introduced the all analog CORE channel strip. The Manley CORE is a mic preamplifier, equalizer, compressor, and limiter into one 19″ two unit high rack.

The CORE incorporates the high quality characteristic Manley circuitry design. It has an intuitive layout and is handmade in Southern California. I’ll dive straight into the details here by summing up the main features of the CORE.

Mic/Line Preamp
Hand-wound Manley IRON® input transformer
Class A tube amplifying stage circuit topology
All-triode high voltage vacuum tube circuitry
Regulated 300 Volt B+ supply

Hi-Z 1/4″ Jack DI
All-discrete solid-state circuit
10 Mega Ohm input impedance (for guitars, bass, etc)

Front Panel Controls
48V Phantom power
120Hz High Pass Filter
Phase Invert
Variable Input Attenuator
Mic Pre with selectable Gain (Gain > 70dB)
Line Amp with 20 or 40dB selectable Gain

Compressor
ELOP technology
Compressor placed pre mic preamp
Ratio 3:1
Attack, Release, and Threshold
Bypass

Limiter
FET brickwall limiter with fast attack
Threshold and Release
Peak indicator
Output gain control with 10dB range

Equalizer
± 12dB Low and High Baxandall shelves (80 Hz and 12 kHz)
± 10dB Sweepable Mid Bell-curve EQ (100 Hz – 1 kHz) or (1–10 kHz)

Meter
Large illuminated analog display
3-way meter select to read Compressor gain reduction, Mic Preamp Output level, and Main Output audio levels.

I/O
Balanced XLR mic input
Balanced XLR line input
Front panel DI input
TRS jack insert send/return (between Mic Preamp/Compressor and EQ/Limiter)
Balanced XLR direct output (after Preamp/Compressor)
Balanced XLR main output

Manley has not put the CORE information on their website yet except for a introduction on their Facebook page. It will be available in Q2 of 2014 at $2250 US.