Now here is a unit that truly performs well beyond its asking price. Many pros have this (and the original VLA) in the rack for a reason: it works and has a very decent sound to it. The new version II also has a stepped pot for gain and other settings, so recall ability just got a little easier also. You now get full control over attack and release settings too. Optical compression tends to be a smoother sound when dealing with dynamic range control.

For tracking, the VLA II offers a fairly predictable circuit for voice and acoustic sources. It does not darken the source too much, which some opto units are known for. The noise floor is also quite low on these units, although you gotta admit the whole tube output section is really more of a marketing thing. On drums you can get a classic crunch with fast attack / release times, and the VLA II is capable of serious levels of gain reduction with character. It can do gentle pretty well, 2:1 isnt a bad place to start with 2 buss mixing compressors and the VLA II is the most buss compressor youll find in this price range. It does a decent job of providing obvious or fairly clean compression, all with the opto sound which is a bit slower than VCA designs.

Conclusion: The perfect entry level compressor for the home studio, and a great addition to pro and project studios who need two more channels of control during mixdown on the cheap. ART nicely improved from the original version as well, the VLA II is worth every penny.

The guys at Chameleon decided to take a sort of clone approach but also implemented features that well, the people who would buy this unit were asking for. Mainly setup as a mix buss compressor, the 7720 is stereo linked at all times (you can use it in mono just by using the left channel) so its always going to give you that tightly matched left / right relationship image. It features the same VCA used by many high end 2 buss compressors and clones (THAT Corp) and has a selectable hi-pass filter that helps keep bass heavy sources from overly pumping the unit. The sidechain input also allows you to affect the compression circuit externally, triggering its response to any element of the mix you like for effect.

For 2 buss linked operation, it really is quite simple and doesnt change the tone of the original source much (it does have a sound but its a subtle character). For mix buss I typically like the 1.5:1 or 2:1 ratio for its more gentle and predictable action. However, you can actually hit this thing pretty hard without losing the overall original sound while bringing an exciting new sound. On drum buss, hit it 10:1 (come on dont be a baby!) and check it out with a fast attack and release time (crank em down) and you can get that driven crunch that brings an edge to snare and cymbals and room detail and energy to the surface. On clean guitars, the 7720 can also hold them in place squarely while bringing a cool yet subtle tone of its own. It can even be a pretty decent vocal compressor!

Conclusion: Its not just for 2 buss, although that is mainly what it was tuned up for. Control from clean to somewhat driven is possible, and there is enough room in the attack and release times to keep things as affected or unaffected as you like. Overall it has a tight image and sound stage, and brings a subtle character of its own that mostly stays out of the way of your vision when used gently.

OK the short review would be this: On vocals, a 4:1 ratio with drive around the 1:00 position, attack / release turned to the fastest position = so close to an LA2A youll get sick of switching back and forth between the two (like me). So is there any more review needed than that? Sure, why notits got more features and controls! Also, on other sources  its not as LA-2A like.

The 7802 is a remarkable optical compressor, with a tube drive section that is utterly dial-in-able (and doesnt just turn into a stomp box grunge sound). It uses the Vactrol brand optical cell for gain reduction, has 5 preset attack / release times (tied together, yet program dependent too) and the 12AX7 drive circuit acts not only as color control (ie distortion) but when pushed is another gentle stage of dynamics control to my ears. The output transformers seem to be helping out with a pretty big sort of sound (although I admit I am wondering what another brand of output transformers might do).

I love the balance between somewhat tweakable and ease of use, very well thought out overall. It has that smooth opto control, it doesnt do lightning quick but its quick enough for control over drums, bass and vocals which would be the main reach for this unit. The drive circuit is always in line, you can keep it pretty low so its not overly noticeable but its always there. Overall the 7802 does have a sound to it, from the compression character (pumpy action is very obvious when dialed in) to the drive character (a nice tingly tube sound with a good range of push rather than clean or fuzz box). The range of compression and distortion character are very nice, plenty to reach for and theres a lot of clean makeup gain after the drive circuit. The 7802 does darken things up a little bit overall. Drums are held in place nicely but expect pump to be fairly obvious (not a bad thing for rock and pop!), snares get that bit of splat (hit snare with the drive a bit harder). On drums I prefer the attack set slow at times (the LA2A does more of an average compression on things like the whole drum kit or room mic, the 7802 has a bit more obvious attack and release character in this position), but overall for that classic sound the fastest setting gets it. Kick drum and drum kit I typically liked using the hi pass filter on the sidechain to keep low end from eating things up too bad.

Bass guitar tracks that need some fattening up and harmonic content, with pumpy control will benefit from the 7802 also. Solo guitar with long sustained notes can be dialed in nicely for some Spinal Tap ah-h-h-h-h sustain. At the time of this writing I have not used on 2 buss, I will reserve judgment for that when that day comes.

Conclusion: For tracking and mixing of individual sources  the 7802 really can achieve ballpark LA2A style control with only a couple of differences: an LA2A retains a touch more top end when compressingbut also has about twice the self noise. The LA2A also has a bit more of that wooly bottom end size to it. In general, I would go so far as to call this unit the poor mans LA2A for vocal use all day long. Not the same exactly, and more percussive sources widen the gap, its but capable of getting close enough that the price tag is well justified on the 7802.

Lightning quick (attack time of 250 microseconds, not milliseconds!), capable of large amounts of gain reduction without imposing its own tone on things too much, the FET II is one of those control it and stay out of my way compressors that does its job and does it well. Its capable of that fast 1176 style of control, but also gives you the option of slowing the attack down a lot (63ms, compared to the 1176 which reports its slowest attack time at .8ms!) as well as the release (.5 to 1.5 secs, compared to the 1176 50ms to 1.1 secs) as well as offering unique release modes that Daking claims are modeled after classic Neve, A&D and Fairchild compressor limiters (of which I cannot personally testify to their accuracy).

The FET II is one of the few compressors that do everything at least well. It has that classic Daking clean but with vibe sound to it concerning the tone it outputs. It can pound a drum kit into the ground without thinking twice, or gently control a vocal, or just about anything in between. Every single setting is a switch, so its also 100% repeatable for recall later. It can do very obvious and driven sounds if pushed, but you really have to push it before it gets into artifacts. On 2 buss a linked pair certainly gives great control with the 1.5:1 or 2:1 ratio without too much squish.

Conclusion: Fast, clean with light character, and versatility make the FET II a great reach for total control. It will flat out reign in the dynamic range and do its best to stay out of the way, but the artifacts you do hear are pleasing in that classic Daking way.

This unit has been around for quite some time, formerly as the “MX60” although the only change is in appearance and name. Drawmer is one of those tried and true audio companies that have been making great gear for decades and have earned a stellar rep for their gates, compressor / limiters, preamps and equalizers. It's even still made in England! The MXPRO60 is a solid state channel strip featuring an all discrete mic pre / DI with +60dB of gain (an additional +/-15dB of gain is available on the output fader pot), a one knob gate with fast and slow release, a De-Esser with male / female select, an auto mode VCA compressor, a 3 band equalizer (100hZ shelving low, 4.25kHZ shelving high, and a fully parametric midrange band ranging from freq 150hZ to 16kHZ, Q width of .3 to 3 full octaves, and +/- 18dB of gain per band) as well as a tube emulation / 3 band equalizer that brings low / mid / hi boosts as well as simulated tube harmonics, and a separate soft / hard limiter stage (always in line) to protect from overload. Wow...that was a long sentence, but it's only because it's got everything but the kitchen sink.

The preamp section is low noise with plenty of punch and smooth clarity, an all discrete design (not an IC based pre!) that delivers a healthy signal on all sources. Phase reverse, hi-pass (100hZ), a DI input with a bright mode (as well as +20dB mode) round off the input section. We simply liked everything we heard through it.

The dynamics section is very simple, the gate is quite smooth and it never chattered on us, a great thing to have to kill background noise for voice (it was not quite as fast as you'd want for most drum use, but was still useful to a degree there). The compressor is an AUTO style except you can choose the ratio (1:1 to infinity:1) and threshold and while it is somewhat hit and miss on its own, seems to couple nicely with the soft / hard limiter circuit which is always in line. At first the compressor seems a bit unruly until you find that balance. Pushing a compressed signal into the limiter using the makeup gain gives you two levels of control to maximize average volume and stop peaks. It worked well with voice and instruments, the compressor is definitely a bit slow for things like drums but the limiter is very fast and can be exploited easily if needed. The limiter is always in line before the output fader, it cannot be disabled or bypassed (not a bad thing when setting it to protect your digital converter input).

The equalizer section actually had us looking at one another a bit stunned, in a good way! That midrange control is simply one of the most versatile and smooth in combination with excellent SOUND one could hope for. Sure it has a fixed low and high band, but the critical midrange is handed to you on a silver platter here with huge control available. It works very fast also, and can do incredible amounts of gutting or cranking, as thin or super wide as you want. We get to hear a ton of gear around here, and we were expecting this EQ to be a bit of an afterthought by Drawmer. Very pleasantly surprised here, it's got what you want for most jobs from voice to instruments to drums.

The “Tube Sound” circuit is an emulation of tube harmonics, as well as 3 boosting eq circuits for low, mid and high. I would definitely consider this something worth using sparsely to make a change, but not push too hard. It's kind of a fuzzy EQ in most ways, used a little at a time and it can bring a little hair to sources. The output gain section seems clean and quiet, allowing another nice boost of volume.

Conclusion: It's been around a long time, pleasing users for many years for voice recording (including you voice artists) with its many features tailored for it. However, the MXPRO60 sports so many incredible features that it makes it useful as a channel strip in general to track pretty much anything. Easy to use, sounds great, and protects your digital recordings from clipping? Winner.

A modern classic for a reason, the Distressor (DISTortion compRESSOR) has earned every bit of its "wow" reputation for acting like a real dynamics control box and providing other goodies such as variable distortion characteristics as well as doing a pretty good imitation of classic FET and OPTO designs when setup right (super easy though!). Using digital controls of analog circuits (no digital in the audio path...) Dave Derr has brought a unique bad ass to life and there ain't no stopping it now. Super fast or super slow or anywhere in between, sculpting the envelope is done with authority here. The ruler knobs I have to say are such a defining look too, it makes you feel like you're part of a special club just looking at owning one of these boxes.

Like a good comp / limiter should the Distressor STOPS STUFF in a predictable manner. I don't mean most of the time, I mean you'd have to be a real novice not to get it to absolutely lock down any signal you've got to toss at it. The average volume coming out is higher than most other compressors for this very reason, it smacks peaks hard and allows you to ride the average signal even tighter. Every time I reach for a knob on the Distressor and turn it, it does what I want. The Distortion modes are of course not for everybody or every signal, but they can be dialed in from subtle to square wave and bring cool harmonic color which adds life and fizz to tracks.

The FET and OPTO presets are killer if you like one knob compression. Just pop the attack and release into place (refer to the manual here) and enter the right ratio / mode, and you've just boiled all of your future decisions down to a single knob (threshold) which again, just stops stuff. While it's not just like an 1176 or LA2A / LA3A it sure does come close enough to render the Distressor a "Swiss Army Knife".

Conclusion: You have to have one, at least one. If you're a control freak you'll want a whole room full. I find the Distressor to be better where at least some obvious character is wanted, but it will remain pretty clean when needed to. From fast transients to slow swells of volume, nothing gets past the Distressor.

Dennis Fink, owner of Fink Audio, has been designing gear all the way from the old Urei days to Universal Audio and beyond. Eventually it seems he got the idea to wrap up some very cool designs into one do-all box and start his own company...which he did. This USA built stereo all tube preamp / DI / line level / equalizer / compressor is a stunning achievement in sound (and quality) based on the time I've spent with this unit. You've got an original Bill Putnam based tube preamp / input section, a tube 1176 style compressor limiter, and a Pultec style EQ (with all the same controls) so what more could you ask for? Well, all three of those things are holy grail status items so I think the only fair answer is "not much more" in one box anyhow.

Overall I find the preamp / input section to be a quintessential tube sound but not of the dirty type found in some lower cost units. It's a high quality open sound that is very dimensional and full, with that very slightly compressed sort of sound you expect from a good tube amp section. It still delivers nice detail and space, along with subtle character. The 1176 based FET comp / limiter rocks as you would expect! Dennis even tossed a SOFT ratio in there for gentle use on sources such as 2 buss, so yes this box can carry you start to finish from tracking to final mixdown. It has that great grab and energy of an 1176, capable of medium fast to VERY fast action of course, but that energetic hold it puts on things is unmistakable. The Pultec style EQ is perfect for simple "garnish" but can also do broad and deep strokes very nicely, and deliver a FAT sound that brings drive, that slight electric sounding "splatter", and a bottom end that you can really widen up a lot by pushing the boost and cut at the same time. Of course it doesn't really "sculpt" as no Pultec really does, but man can it add some balls to anything you got.

Conclusion: From kick drums to vocals to 2 buss, the Fink Audio CS2-FA is a great single reach when vibe and depth and old school are what it's all about. It's nice to have designs based on classics designed and built by a guy who was actually around designing with those folks too! The price might seem high but go price out 2 channels of tube preamp, Pultec style EQ and 1176 compression and you'll be begging to drop the cash on this USA tone monster.

Brad Avenson has been around a while and designs for himself and other companies. Ive always found Brad to be very insightful and striving to do something unique without boasting or having an attitude or ego. If Brad had an ego he could certainly use it to boast about this compressor, which hits many a nail on many a head effortlessly! The BAC-500 is a transformer out balanced FET compressor for the API 500 format and features switchable ratio select (2:1, 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, 20:1, INF:1), variable attack and release times, 3 sidechain selections (flat, low-cut, upper mid boost to help with de-essing), a true relay bypass and a distortion circuit to bring more character and grit when needed.

I find the BAC500 to be very flexible in use on many sources. It has a thick character to it for sure, no straight wire with gain stuff going on here. Not a straight distortion kind of character but a smoother, more rounded sound overall. The attack time is fast and faster, if you want to you can really latch a signal down QUICK. The release time however can be adjusted very wide for super long times if needed. With the ability to perform light gain reduction to essentially acting like a limiter, it exhibits lots of control. In standard operating mode it brings smooth control over vocals and instruments and drums, but if you kick in the distortion switch it adds an edge to the sound that bites slightly and helps define the outline of the sound better. Things like el gtrs, drums and loud vocals LOVE the distortion switch! It can sing nicely for sure. The input gain is pretty hot, I find the BAC 500 typically works best no trying to send it super hot signals as the lower portion of the input gain pot can be a bit finicky.

The sidechain choices are great, I really like position # 3 on vocal use as it exhibits tons of control but also acts as a de-esser too for a very balanced sound. When trying to achieve that flat-lined and in your face vocal, this setting comes in handy so the Ss dont rip your ears off. Drums can be crunched up nicely with faster release times. Bass guitar is handled very well, and the sidechain # 2 position doesnt get too pumpy either. Overall this compressor has a glue-y sound and a thick sonic space that is unique. I kind of think of the BAC-500 as the FET compressor you wish you always had: it holds stuff in place very well without that hard sort of midrange sound that many classic FET compressors exhibit.

Conclusion: When it comes to ease of use and character, the BAC500 just does it. I like the versatility and the fact that it can be very heavy handed when needed. For vocal mixing with character and in your face sound, as well as bass guitar controlit is a great reach.

The P1 is literally the first piece of gear I ever refused to review, only because instead I opted to start importing it exclusively. My relationship with Robert is many years now, and the P1 continues to be used daily in my studio. Having a clean and robust mic pre, a single knob expander, a 3 stage compressor that is almost impossible to make sound bad and a limiter that absolutely will prevent your converters from ever clippingputs the P1 in the gotta have category for tracking voice, bass and other acoustic sources. The built in monitoring section might seem kind of eh to some, but think about it; the ability to blend a vocalist within a stereo feed from the DAW in absolute real time with no latency has a LOT of value in todays computer recording environment.

Ive always felt the P1 strong suit was in tracking vocals in particular, singing / speaking / screaming it can handle it all and the multi stage compressor delivers it soooo naturally and still with nice size to it. I can set my P1 up with a 3 or 4:1 ratio, attack time of 15ms, and I am just varying the threshold at that point to cover any vocal duties that walk through the door. Dont believe me? Ask any P1 owner, this thing flat out delivers on voice. The expander is super easy to dial in, does great at removing background noise from fans and HVAC systems. The set and forget limiter, I normally leave about 2dB of space between where it turns on and the input of my analog converter hitting 0, and Im done for life. A small screwdriver and a 1k test tone and you no longer worry about overloads. Oh, and the limiter can be full on engaged and simply does not square wave like other designs. Its a look ahead style design but completely analog; it detects hot signals and momentarily turns the volume down rather than a hard clip.

Conclusion: Voice, bass, acoustic guitar, drums, you name it the P1 will handle it and control the dynamic range without giving you a small, pinched sound like other compressors. Its so easy to dial in too, it keeps you working. One man engineer / songwriters will love the fact that you can dial it up so nicely with little effort. A must for any studio doing voice work.