Avgatzeblouz
Well-known member
Awesome compressor, very versatile full of punch. Originally a broadcast compressor, it has been used by the music industry, especially by Bruce Swedien, and more especially on "Thriller" (not the specific unit I own 
). 600$ Lowered to 450$ only, ships from Canada.
From audio guru Jim Williams : "It was one of the first dual slope limiters made. It will compress then hit the limiter, sort of a bend and then a flat line if viewed on a graphic gain reduction chart. These were very popular in LA studios in the 1980's.
It used discrete bipolar transistors in front of a LM748 opamp on the VCA module. Early models were potted up, later ones exposed for "tweaking". There is another 748 on the input and some axial coupling caps then an output transformer mounted on the rear panel.
It can sound agressive if set that way, sort of a dirty dynamite. My friend Rick Luxenberg has one we tricked out. I replaced those opamps with something new and quiet, added new coupling caps with film cap bypasses, then I replaced the audio path VCA transistors with low noise Hitachi discretes.
Jim Woods designed these for Innovonics in Santa Cruz, CA back in the late 1970's. He told me the last run of 5 units was built in 1995. He still services them I think. They might still also have parts.
Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades"
And Larry from Silvertone : "Killer on kick and snare... extend the note for days...
Not a one trick pony at all IMHO. Compress, limit, hold the note in the limiter section to extend it (a nice feature they added), great for guitar solo's, kick, snare, vocals... one of the best VCA comps ever made, again IMHO.
Until you play with one and use it during a tracking or a mix session, you really can't appreciate what these compressors can do. Sit there with an electric guitar some time and dial it in while you play, guaranteed you'll have a lot of fun."
). From audio guru Jim Williams : "It was one of the first dual slope limiters made. It will compress then hit the limiter, sort of a bend and then a flat line if viewed on a graphic gain reduction chart. These were very popular in LA studios in the 1980's.
It used discrete bipolar transistors in front of a LM748 opamp on the VCA module. Early models were potted up, later ones exposed for "tweaking". There is another 748 on the input and some axial coupling caps then an output transformer mounted on the rear panel.
It can sound agressive if set that way, sort of a dirty dynamite. My friend Rick Luxenberg has one we tricked out. I replaced those opamps with something new and quiet, added new coupling caps with film cap bypasses, then I replaced the audio path VCA transistors with low noise Hitachi discretes.
Jim Woods designed these for Innovonics in Santa Cruz, CA back in the late 1970's. He told me the last run of 5 units was built in 1995. He still services them I think. They might still also have parts.
Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades"
And Larry from Silvertone : "Killer on kick and snare... extend the note for days...
Not a one trick pony at all IMHO. Compress, limit, hold the note in the limiter section to extend it (a nice feature they added), great for guitar solo's, kick, snare, vocals... one of the best VCA comps ever made, again IMHO.
Until you play with one and use it during a tracking or a mix session, you really can't appreciate what these compressors can do. Sit there with an electric guitar some time and dial it in while you play, guaranteed you'll have a lot of fun."
