Midas has announced the Compressor Limiter 522, a 500 Series outboard processor for live sound and music recording.
The Compressor Limiter 522’s range of mid-high audio frequencies is centred around 5kHz. Asits Presence control is adjusted above minimum, mid-high frequencies are increasingly boosted during compression, allowing a sound or instrument to cut through or seem more present in the mix. This variable presence function enables the 522 to effectively operate with two different ratios, one for low frequencies (LF) and the other for mid-high frequencies (reduced ratio).
When operating in its default mode (Auto switch not engaged) the 522 functions as a peak-sensing compressor, providing peak control via instantaneous changes in gain reduction. This allows manually adjustment of the attack and release times, so that the unit operates in peak mode with linear attack curves. When the Auto switch is engaged, the manual attack and release controls are bypassed and the compressor operates in RMS mode, automatically adjusting the attack and release based on the averaged input signal and the threshold/ratio settings. This produces a smooth, more relaxed compression that is perceived as more musical and natural sounding.
By default, the 522 is set to Soft knee compression (switch out) – only at the point where the signal level rises significantly above the threshold is full-ratio compression applied. This performance is similar to that of many vintage compressors due to non-linearities in gain reduction. When the Hard knee switch is activated, the 522 operates with a more sharply defined transition between under and over threshold for limiting style compression. In this mode a small amount of Soft knee is retained to keep the sound reasonably natural.
More: www.midasconsoles.com
