Zia Faruqi has extensive experience leading engineering and design teams and bringing audio equipment to market. Over his career, he has designed and developed numerous products for Manley Laboratories including the CORE Channel Strip (2014), The Force four-channel vacuum tube microphone preamplifier (2015), the NuMu tube-based compressor (2016), and the ELOP+ signal processor (2016). He has also designed products for other companies such as the Tube Technology Fulcrum DAC and transport (2002). Zia has worked in the audio engineering field since 1988 and has made significant contributions to product design and development.

1. Zia Faruqi
A Brief History of Work Experience

2. As V.P. of Engineering & Design, Zia carried out the industrial design and led a
team of engineers to complete a range of products for Manley Laboratories. A
manufacturer of Pro Audio equipment, including microphones, signal processors,
dynamic range processors, equalizers, digital converters, and specialized mastering
products. The company also manufactures High Fidelity Vacuum Tube based
consumer audio equipment.

3. Zia’s first industrial design and fully developed product for Manley, the CORE Channel
strip, prototype to final stage, bench proof of electrical design, and mechanical design
of final assembly and wiring.
MANLEY CORE - 2014
Channel Strip, Microphone Preamplifier, Opto Compressor, EQ, FET Limiter.

4. NAMM 2014 CORE Launch
Inspecting the first production
run with the Factory
Operations Manager

5. Zia designed the display stand for the
FORCE 2015 NAMM Launch.
Second product Zia designed for Manley. Zia
carried out the industrial design, development
for production and named the product, The
Force.
Force wins 31st TEC Award in 2016, Four
Channel Vacuum Tube Microphone
Preamplifier.

6. Video Link to NAMM 2016 Product Launch
2016 – MANLEY NU MU
Zia carried out the industrial design and
development of the NuMu, which is a tube
based compressor with a solid-state FET
output stage. Zia designed and prototyped
the metering system for easy manufacture
and named the product.
Dual Channel Limiter and Compressor. Recording engineers rely on signal processing
equipment like this, for the process involved in mixing and recording music.

7. 2016 – ELOP+
Zia redesigned an older unit the ELOP which had
slowed down in sales. The revised version added
extra features and a heavily reduced BOM,
which resulted in reducing the retail price by
30%. Sales of this unit increased by 500%!

8. Some comments on the Gearslutz Forum from the President of Manley Laboratories

9. Zia designed the
Manley Headphone
Amplifier with the full
support of his team. A
very complex unit with
sophisticated micro
controller electronics
combined with
vacuum tubes and a
switched mode PSU.
Prototype
development and CES
launch in 2016

10. CES 2012, Tube
Technology Synergy
Carbon debut. The
industrial and
electronic design was
executed by Zia.
The Synergy was originally designed by Zia in the 90’s, its captivating design
drew attention finding a spot in a BBC drama! It was the worlds first tube
amplifier to have a remote control. The Synergy Carbon was a spin on the
original design as Zia worked with a UK Silverstone F1 Racing Carbon Fiber team.

11. Zia designed the Tube Technology
Fulcrum DAC and Transport in 2002 .
He worked closely with Robert Watts
from Chord Electronics to develop the 64
Bit Digital Engine, Vacuum Tube Output
Stage & Upsampling CD Transport.

12. Zia has been involved with Industrial
Design and development of Audio
Products since 1988. Here is a small
selection of products & technology
designed & brought to final market by
him.
SME PSU