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Radial Komit
Compressor for 500 Series, FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING
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Fake Price...................................
$600.00
Real Price...............
$499.00
Status: Usually Ships Same or Next Business Day |
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Radial Komit Compressor for 500 Description
In stock now, hear it in the Clipalator gear test page!
Features
- Easy to use auto-tracking compressor-limiter
- Old school bridge diode clipping limiter BDCL
- Brick wall setting for set & forget recording
- Create nasty distortion effects
- Full size discrete components with Hammond Broadcast transformer
The Radial Komit™ is a feature-rich compressor-limiter that simplifies the process of dynamic manipulation while expanding upon creative tone shaping. The minimalist approach should not be underestimated: the design provides exceptional flexibility by introducing various automatic functions that are both musical and intuitive.
The design begins with a feed-forward VCA compressor that is designed to react real-time to program material and is easily adjusted from slight 1:1 compression all the way to 10:1 using a single dial. This is augmented with a dynamic control with program-dependent slow, medium and fast settings of the attack and decay times for voice, instrument or percussion. This is accompanied by a 12 position 'old-school' bridge diode clipping limiter that can be set to 'brick wall' for ultra-clean set & forget digital recording, slight dynamic control with a bit of edge or down right nasty diode clipping when extreme measures are called for.
To ensure absolute signal integrity, full size discrete electronics are employed throughout while the vintage style Hammond broadcast transformer adds extra warmth to the signal path. A variable output control provides gain make-up or can be driven hard to create added distortion. Dual ballistic VU metering makes it easy to simultaneously view compression and output when making adjustments.
Designed for use with all 500 series racks, the Komit can be linked for full stereo operation. When used with the Radial Workhorse, the Omniport is set as a key input for frequency dependent compression, de-essing, ducking or any number of dynamic manipulation effects.
The Komit combines the power of an advanced VCA compressor with the vintage tone of a diode bridge limiter in an easy to use, great sounding format.
Radial Komit 500 Compressor Review / See All ZenPro Audio Reviews Here: Review Page
This unit was originally produced in the USA by a small operation called Burgin McDaniel. More recently, Radial bought the design and have added it to their series of 500 offerings as their first compressor / limiter. The Komit is a one knob style compressor, utilizing two different approaches (clean and character) to controlling dynamics; VCA compression and a diode circuit simply called the "Clipper" since it uses hard distortion to prevent overages. Actually it's more like 2 1/2 ways to stop as there are two limiter modes, one being cleaner ("BW"). The controls we have are ratio from 1:1 (no compression) to 10:1 (limiting), selectable fast / medium / slow attack & release settings, the ability to link two units, +4 / -10 threshold select, switchable limiting levels on the "Clipper" limiter, the preset "BW" brickwall limiter which provides a doubled ratio of control and a cleaner circuit for stopping overages, and +22dB of makeup gain after the compressor (and before the limiter).
The Radial version reminds me of the original, I can tell they didn't monkey with the overall design and tone much. The build quality is quite nice. The meter isn't all that useful, it does a good job at delivering output info but does a pretty low resolution job of reporting gain reduction as you can hear it slamming stuff deep but it will barely register on the meter (use your ears...). All of the switches and pots feel solid, as Radial is known for, and there is an outer case on the unit (rare in 500).
I have to admit I was put off at first by realizing there is no variable threshold or input gain, but quickly realized that rather than solely relying on the source volume output for this that the +4 or -10 setting (detented on the face) actually did a good enough job of giving me the choice of how deep I want to hit things. Set it to -10 if you want more squash! Squash it'll do...just start cranking your ratio up and you will very quickly find the area of control you need and it's quite clean and smooth. You can find wimpy settings to outright pump and smash jobs no problem. Choosing between slow, medium or fast attack release states and a quick further push on the ratio and most things dial in pretty quickly and naturally. I generally preferred medium or fast on all sources, slow was...well a bit slow and didn't catch and control things the way I like. The other two are very good though, it's a one knob compressor that once you get in the groove of offers up control that doesn't mangle the sound and is predictable.
The limiter is another story all together, and it plays well with the compressor. I think I could best describe the limiter as bringing a friend to a party to meet other friends, but he tends to drink and blurt out things sometimes he shouldn't so, you have to watch him. The "Clipper" circuit is just what it says, distortion that stops the dynamic range in its tracks! Mainly a benefit, but be careful you don't ruin a good take by being overly aggressive with it. Mixing is no problem as there are no worries and things are more predictable, tracking it makes sense to keep the limiter in a much higher "oops" range on things like voice. This limiter is unique in that you can flatten things in an extreme manner with certitude (Weiner, D-NY), but depending on how hard you hit it, the result will be soft to outright obvious distortion. The design is closer to what a guitar amplifier does than what a standard limiter does. Keep in mind though, there is always the "BW" mode which switches the entire unit into more of a brickwall limiter.
BW doubles the ratios (10:1 now is 20:1) and has a heavy handed, but clean way of stopping things. The Clipper seems to have more real stopping power, but the brickwall mode is a more gentle mode that delivers more of the original tone beyond it. Overall I prefer using the compressor coupled with the Clipper, because I can balance average control with limiting in a way that can make things very LOUD (the main point of pop music compression, right?).
Conclusion: The Radial Komit brings 2 1/2 modes of control to you, varying from clean VCA to a diode clipper that halts signals with authority and character. Its one knob operation is simple and once you learn that curve and how you can push it into the limiter for ultimate control, you start to realize that everything is more in control and very loud after riding this Komit.
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