Inovonics 201 Compressor

The Inovonics 201 is a vintage compressor/limiter that is for use in the recording studio. It's an analog piece of equipment and will take up a single space in a traditional rack case. The make up of the Inovonics 201 isn't too hard to follow, but I wouldn't say it's the simplest compressor/limiter that I've used. Since it's an older piece of gear, the labeling on the parameters isn't the standards that we're used to today, but there still the same parameters that experienced users will be used to. These parameters are for input gain, limit, peaking ceiling, and for attack and release. It also has switches for 'ripple cancel' and 'response'. A manual might be a good idea if you just bought one of these, but if you come across it on the stop you should be able to figure out how to use it without the assistance of a manual.The sound of the Inovonics 201 definitely makes it a unique compressor when compared with many of the models out today. It seems to hit the signal pretty hard, of course in varying degrees depending on how you set the parameters, but in general it's a pretty heavy sounding compressor/limiter. Not sure that it would be suitable as an all purpose compressor, as it has it's own sound that should be utilized in situations where it might fit in best. This thing is awesome on drums if you're going for a certain type of sound, but as I said, I wouldn't use it all over the place. The Inovonics 201 is a really cool looking and sounding compressor/limiter, but it's definitely got it's own color and isn't the most transparent sounding dynamics processor out there. Chances are you're not going to find many of these out there, but if you're interested in acquiring one there seems to be one for sale every now and again. In the end, while this wouldn't be the best choice for a lot of situations, it's got a cool sound that's all it's own.