The Manley Massive Passive Stereo EQ is a highly regarded and versatile equalizer known for its unique, organic sound. It is an analog powerhouse that’ll make your tracks sing. Whether you need to sweeten vocals, carve out mids, or add some extra analog mojo, the Massive Passive delivers. It is a must-have tool for professional audio engineers and musicians.
Karl Barnes, Mixing and Mastering Engineer at Loom Sound Studio, has created an exciting set of presets for the Massive Passive in the Analog Matrix Plugin. This preset collection offers a range of options to get you started quickly and efficiently and help you achieve the sound you are after
When using the Analog Matrix Plugin, you are connecting to the actual hardware in the cloud and streaming in real-time to a robotically controlled Manley Massive Passive.
The Massive Passive presets are designed to enhance your audio mixes and expedite your creative process, offering a rich palette of sounds catering to various musical genres.
From warm and lush reverberations to crisp and clear vocal enhancements, each preset carries a unique flavor, adding a distinct touch to your mixes.
From the “HIP HOP – OLD SCHOOL KICK,” which offers a deep textured bass with an excellent midrange click, to the “MIX BUS – LOW END THEORY,” popular for low-end power with a nice dip in the muddy frequencies, there is something for every audio project.
Deep textured bass with nice midrange click. Low Pass filter engaged for a warmer tone.
Big push in body of snare, mid-range crack, and gentle top-end boost with 18k lowpass filter engaged to warm the top end and reduce any piercing from our shelf boost.
A reasonably narrow boost at 150Hz helps bring out and fatten the kick drum. Boosts at 1kHz and 1.2kHz brighten and bring life to the snare. A boost at 8kHz livens up the hi-hat a little.
A pretty experimental patch that works well on anything. Basically, boost the lowest Bass (100hz) a ton and then cut the second lowest bass a ton (180). The curve from the boost and cut interact with each other for a full and cleaner bass. A small top-end boost is used to complete the mix. Should work on everything! You just need to experiment with how much gain is boosted/cut in the low end with identical amounts. This is a Pultec trick on steroids!.
Does what it says on the tin. Works on a boxy mix. You just need to dial in your bass and treble. Simple but effective. Manley does the midrange better than most - the API EQ does it similarly but not as transparent.
4.7kHz on band #3 is a great way to cut all that Ice-picky harshness around guitars, drum kit, electronic perc, or synths - even male sibilance. It’s the golden cut on this box for most to smooth and soften—a great way to level up pop-rock and similar genres.
A popular setting from many Gear Space users. Low-end power (much lower than other patches) with a nice dip in the muddy frequencies and midrange push (4.7) to open the track up.
Low-end and top-end are strongly filtered out, along with a nice low mid boost for body. Usually, folks will filter this out on their reverb, but they won’t get the tube saturation and nice body from this eq. Just sits better in the mix.
All low-end and low midrange. A Gear Space favorite setting.
Low-end shelf reduction at 60hz so kick can come through and healthy upper bass boost for warm low end and gentle presence at upper midrange for strings and bite.
Boosts at 330Hz and 820Hz and more significant boosts at 1kHz and 16kHz (Shelf) bring more body and air to the piano. The High Pass filter is set at 120Hz to clean up space.
A boost with a wide bandwidth at 330Hz helps add heft, and narrower increases at 2.2kHz and 12kHz add brightness and air. The High Pass filter is set all the way up to 220Hz to get rid of unneeded frequency information below that.
Low shelf taking the 100hz and below down a few db (smoother than a filter). Vocal body added and a lot of 8k for crispy present vox. Fits nicely into a pop track.
This is to highlight the magic 150hz band on vox. Nice midrange boost at 3.3k for a forward vocal and a touch of top end. Subs filtered.
Takes the blanket off speaker; enough said.
The Massive Passive is a modern classic for a good reason – its meticulously designed circuitry enhances every nuance and detail, allowing you to fine-tune your audio with unparalleled precision. From delicate melodies to thundering bass lines, this EQ will unlock the true potential of your tracks. While digital EQs have their place, the Massive Passive brings an organic, three-dimensional quality that makes tracks leap from the speakers.
Karl Barnes’ expert Massive Passive presets collection showcases the very best of this exceptional EQ and offers a solid foundation for beginners and seasoned professionals. Give them a spin and hear your mixes come alive!
Enjoy experimenting and happy mixing! There is a preset for every need!
