"The Alta Moda Audio Hippo is a high-performance bus compressor designed for the 500-series compatible rack systems. The Hippo is based on a VCA topology made popular in highly successful recording consoles of the 1980's, but includes many modern features not found on typical bus compressors."
"The Alta Moda HIPPO is a fantastic two-mix compressor that works well on virtually any audio source."
"After several months of use I came to the conclusion that there isn't anything this wonder module doesn't sound good on. The box performs flawlessly on bus compression duties. I think this is its true strength.
When tracking drums.... it performed well in every instance. It performed brilliantly on piano and acoustic guitar...... I found the Soft Link mode indispensable.... It also does a stellar job with bass and lead vocals...."
"The WA76 Limiting Amplifier is a modern reproduction of the Classic 1176 Revision D. Every effort was made to remain faithful to the original designs including the use of Reichenbach Engineering’s (now CineMag) transformer designs that were used in the original. The classic 1176 was a major breakthrough in limiter technology — the first true peak limiter with all transistor circuitry offering superior performance with a signature sound — and set the standard for all limiters to follow. The ultra-fast attack time and trademark sound have lured legendary artists and studio moguls alike to the 1176 — Peter Frampton, Joe Satriani, Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell, and Mike Elizondo are just a few names on a list that’s continued to grow, for nearly 50 years. "
From the website:
"The PHOTON 500 is an optical compressor, based on technology from the 60's, first used in the UREI LA-2A limiter and later in the LA4. As homage to these legendary products, we packed this technology into a 500-series module. The PHOTON 500 uses an opto-coupler, which introduces negative feedback in the audio path, taking care of gain reduction. It also has an electronically balanced input with 2520 compatible op-amp in the gain stage and a Carnhill transformer balanced output."
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| Gaumont-Kalee limiting amplifier type 516 |
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| Philips LDC compressor (bigger) |
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| Sela PT8 tube mic w/ Neumann M7 capsule |
"The Vitrum 501 is a microphone preamplifier in standard API 500format, hand-assembled with the highest quality components.The name, Vitrum (Latin for glass), indicates the incredible cleanliness and transparency that this preamp has, with very low harmonic distortion even at high gains. Use whenever clean, dynamic sound is required, such as acoustic instruments and voices. Each component of the circuit has been carefully chosen to ensure the best performances from the input /preamp section (using the finest Op-Amp specifically designed for audio) to the output section, characterized by a special circuitry that allows the typical character given by an audio transformer….."
"Myrtle is stunning sounding and a visual treat. A perfect live mic for old-school stage vocal technique, she's tuned to sound ideal from three inches to a foot away. She has a natural warmth of tone and crisp clarity that combine to make an extraordinarily natural sounding live mic. Cardioid pickup pattern (directional) with great rejection of off-pattern sound and integrated pop filter makes for easy use in a live mix."
"PITCHMAP is a demixing-based plug-in that allows changing melodies and harmonies of any mixed musical recording in real-time, either by transforming them to new ones played on a MIDI keyboard, or by setting freely defined target scales. Based on Zynaptiqʼs proprietary MAP (Mixed-Signal Audio Processing) artificial intelligence technology, PITCHMAP can be applied to a wide variety of tasks, including original music production, remix work, correction of tuning issues and creative manipulation of existing recordings."
"The very first Fairchild limiter that audio genius Rein Narma created on Les Paul’s kitchen table transformed the sound of recording forever. Soon, these 20-tube, 14-transformer, 67-pound behemoths were embraced by world-class studios, many of which still employ their vintage Fairchilds despite the increasing difficulty in maintaining these tube-driven tone machines.
For a half-century, the Fairchild 670 — and its aggressive little brother, the Fairchild 660 — have defined popular music’s most revered vocal and drum sounds. In fact, the world’s elite mixers often employ a 670 simply for the “glow” it brings to their final mixes, even without the compression circuitry engaged."
"In a quest for “audio perfection,” Cliff Maag designed the EQ4 to provide unparalleled transparency and top-end presence while maintaining a true, natural sound. Based on his classic — and long-discontinued — NTI EQ3 from the ’80s (which I've used in the past), the EQ4 features Maag’s legendary Air Band control, a major component to the vocal mix chain on Madonna’s Ray of Light as well as Celine Dion’s Taking Chances.
Designed in conjunction with Brainworx, the Maag EQ4 Plug-In is an expertly rendered emulation of this modern classic EQ for your UAD-2 DSP Accelerator or Apollo-equipped workstation."
"The CalDigit Thunderbolt™ Station allows Thunderbolt™ enabled Mac users to add a variety of peripheral devices to their computers using a single Thunderbolt™ cable. This interface expansion device includes three USB 3.0 ports, audio in and out jacks, an HDMI out port, and a Gigabit Ethernet port."
"As with the original RNC, the RNC500 can exhibit a sonic neutrality while giving the recordist a level-of-control difficult to obtain without adding unwanted artifacts. Unlike the original RNC, however, the RNC500 possesses a sonic "beefiness"—a growl, if you will—that adds a slight, but very compliant, bottom-end to the source material."
"...the main signal path (all dynamic audio processors have two paths: a sidechain/control path and the main audio path) remains firmly in the analog domain thereby avoiding latency and digital conversion artifacts that are sometimes unwanted. Coupled with a faster (40x) processor and higher-resolution (24-bit) arithmetic, sealed switches & relays, multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) the RNLA500 will deliver smooth, controllable and reliable compression for years to come."
"The RNLA500 is, admittedly, much "gentler" and not as apt to grab'n'run with the signal as other, more "modern-sounding" compressors. Like an old-timey photocell, the RNLA500 is a little resistant to responding right away, but requires the signal to be there for a while to get the photocell to act. That slight hesitancy to respond is one of the key performance parameters that causes opto (and opto-like) compressors to be so coveted. Althought the RNLA500 is a VCA-based compressor, our algorithm controls it in a manner that puts the essence of opto-compressors in a more modern and controllable compressor."
