In 1973, Eventide Clockworks introduced the Omnipressor^®, the first studio product to encourage the use of dynamics for special effects. It joined the Instant Phaser^® in studios worldwide, with the Instant Flanger^® following shortly after. All were used on countless recordings and are now considered truly classic products. Unlike the Phaser and Flanger, the Omnipressor, with its still-unique dynamic reversal, infinite compression, variable gating and separate “side chain,” was discontinued a few years later. It had become difficult to obtain some exclusive parts and even more difficult to explain it to an industry that was much less sophisticated than it is today.

Mistake! As the few hundred original Omnipressor units found homes with rabid fans or suffered unspeakable fates at the hands of entropy, they became so scarce that the few that were available on resale markets multiplied in value many times, if they could be found at all.

The original Omnipressor was born from an idea that Eventide’s founder, Richard Factor, got while talking to Mark Weiss, one of the scientists investigating the “18-minute gap” of the Nixon Watergate scandal. The side-chain idea that resulted enabled feats of compression that was impossible (and unstable) with the compression architecture of the previous era, but doable with the emerging, more modern hardware of the 1970s. The earlier “white face” (Model 2826) Omnipressor was not just hard to explain, but it was hard to use, and it yielded shortly to the “black face” (Model 2830) unit designed by Jon Paul, another ex-colleague of Mark Weiss. This version, after selling another few hundred units, in its turn yielded to the darkness of commercial necessity – what we now call “supply chain” – and so became a legend to collectors and a desideratum to recordists worldwide.

In those few years of production, the model 2830 was a success. Engineers and producers discovered what was possible by using dynamics as an effect. Many of the original units are still in operation today. They rarely come up for sale; when they do sellers are asking north of $6000! A clamor from those coveting the unique Omnipressor dynamic effects resulted first in Factor developing a hardware emulation using VSIG for the Eventide Orville, and later Eventide’s development team creating an Omnipressor plug-in for ProTools. Fatefully, in an episode of the Gear Club podcast, Factor impulsively suggested that Eventide would reintroduce the rack mount classic.

Today, Eventide announces the golden-anniversary Omnipressor Model 2830*Au. The original hand-drawn schematics were in the Eventide archives, and the new model is a faithful replica designed with the same circuitry and the same sound as the original 2830. With supply chain issues resolved after 50 years, you can now find the 2830*Au for sale and priced about the same as the original, even though in 2023 dollars.

The new *Au model features the ability to link multiple units and is fitted with input and output audio transformers, which were a costly option on the original. Other improvements include a universal power supply and a back-lit meter. More convenient TRS/XLR connectors replace the original terminal strip.

The MSRP for the Omnipressor Model 2830*Au is $1999, and it will ship in January 2024. Pre-orders are available now.

For over six decades, audio transformers have been the bedrock of Mr. Rupert Neve’s audio circuit design philosophy, and Rupert Neve Designs’ bespoke transformers are an integral part of virtually every RND product. Packed with these transformers, the MBT provides a number of features designed to sweeten, enhance, drive, widen, and utterly transform source material, and is intended for use on full mixes, groups, stems, or individual mono or stereo tracks.

The Master Bus Transformer’s INPUT section contains a +/-12dB Trim control, LEDs to indicate input / peak level, and a high-pass filter sweepable from 15Hz to 100Hz. This feeds into a new 2-band Shelf EQUALIZER circuit with 3-octave ranges, gentle slopes, and minimal phase shift. Each band has +/- 9dB of gain control, with the LF EQ corner frequency variable from 30Hz to 240Hz and the HF corner variable from 3kHz to 24kHz.

According to the company, an exciting aspect of using the MBT is discovering how the different sections can interact with each other. Sometimes the EQ can be dialled in first, other times it can be left alone until the other sections are dialled in. We always encourage experimentation.

The COLOR COMP is an all-new optical compressor design which excels at accentuating the non-linear distortion and ‘colourful’ characteristics of the Opto cell. The ratio can be set to 2:1 for subtlety or 5:1 for more dramatic reduction, the high-pass side chain filter is sweepable from 20Hz to 350Hz to allow low frequencies to pass through uncompressed, release time is variable from 100mS to 1.5S, and the BLEND control provides the ability to compress in parallel with the source material. A green LED indicates gain reduction, and 20dB of Class-A make-up gain is available, intended not only for level-matching but also to drive the interstage transformers found in the SUPER SILK section.

While the WIDTH section was inspired by the Stereo Field Editor (SFE) found in the award-winning Portico II Master Buss Processor, the MBT’s circuit has undergone further refinements and now includes a greater additive range for more extreme operation. It also includes a variable high-pass filter from 50Hz to 800Hz, so lower frequencies can remain unaffected and centred in the mix as the mids and highs are spread out.

Finally, SUPER SILK builds on the popular ‘Silk’ harmonic saturation circuit found in many of the company’s products. With the MBT, both Red and Blue Silk modes are now available simultaneously for independent control over both lower and upper frequency harmonics, and an interacting ‘Harmonics’ control determines the overall musical harmonic saturation from this section. A red LED illuminates when the signal level reaches the optimal range for Silk operation, and a new Zener Drive circuit can also be engaged to introduce a more aggressive tonality as the signal approaches the edge of the MBT’s headroom.

The OUTPUT section includes a +/-12dB Trim control and a pair of 16-segment LED meters to show output level. The MBT includes Class-A input and output amplifiers to maintain optimal gain staging throughout the MBT, fully drive the custom interstage & output transformers, and accurately match the pre / post signals.

The Master Bus Transformer is made in the USA and is now shipping worldwide, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of US$3,999 (excl. taxes).

In 1998, the SPL Transient Designer created a new breed of dynamic processors. Level-independent processing of attack and sustain of audio signals has revolutionised music production in a significant way. The newest generation of the Transient Designer 4 features the same processing qualities as its predecessor, but comes in a new design and has an even better feel due to the solid aluminium knobs. The Transient Designer 4 Mk2 offers four Transient Designer channels in one 19-inch device.

Transient Designing

SPL Transient Designer – the revolution in dynamics processing. With the Transient Designer it is possible to manipulate the envelopes of audio signals level-independently, with no threshold. Accelerate or slow down transients, lengthen or shorten sustain times with just two controls, attack and sustain. All time constants are automated in a musical way and optimise themselves adaptively according to the characteristics of the input signal.

Features:

• Attack. Attack can be used to increase or attenuate the transient phase of a signal by up to 15 dB. A positive attack value increases the amplitude of the transient response. Negative attack values lead to an attenuation.
• Sustain. Sustain can be used to increase or attenuate the sustain phase of a signal by up to 24 dB. Positive sustain values extend the sustain. Negative Sustain values shorten the sustain.
• On. The On switch activates the respective Transient Designer channel. This allows you to quickly switch between processed and unprocessed signal. To minimise switching noises, switching is performed directly after the balanced inputs and outputs. This relay hard bypass circuitry also provides immediate redirection of inputs to outputs in the event of a power fault on the primary or secondary side of the power supply, or if the device is powered off.
• Signal LED. The Sig LED (Sig) indicates whether an audio signal is present at the input which has a level higher than -20 dB.
• Link. Channels 1 & 2 as well as 3 & 4 can be linked for processing stereo signals. The respective left channel becomes the master.
• The Differential Envelope Technology. Differential Envelope Technology (DET) enables, through differential envelopes, level-independent processing of dynamic signal characteristics. Only two controls are needed to control the transient response. The envelope trackers align the working processes with the natural signal characteristics. This ensures optimum results for every moment.
• Inputs & Outputs. The four channels of the Transient Designer are equipped with Neutrik XLR sockets with gold-plated contacts. The signal transmission is electronically balanced at a nominal level of +6 dB.
• Looks Great, Feels Great, Lasts A Lifetime. The Transient Designer 4 Mk2 has a 4 mm thick, black anodised aluminium front panel and aluminium knobs milled from solid. The housing is made of high-quality steel and is powder-coated in elegant black.
• Sounds Good. With all SPL devices we develop not only according to plan, but also by ear. Many important components are installed on the circuit boards using through-hole technology. This way we can ensure that we can use the best sounding components.

SPL’s BiG expands the series 500 product portfolio with a double-slot module for stereo stage processing. BiG enlarges the stereo image in a new manner and opens up new creative ways of sound shaping. 

Intuitive with just three controls:

• Range Control selects the frequency range to be processed
• Stage Control moves the frequency range backwards and forwards on the stereo stage
• BIGNESS Control adjusts the intensity of the processing

Another highlight is the BASS function, which users may already know from the SPL IRON Mastering Compressor. This bass boost is created by a passive filter, which is implemented in a similar circuit to the AirBass function of the IRON. BiG was also developed not only according to plan, but also by ear. All components are installed on the circuit boards using through-hole technology, so that the best-sounding components can be used. 

As with all SPL devices, BiG is manufactured in the company’s own production facility in Niederkrüchten on the Lower Rhine, Germany.

Solid State Logic announces THE BUS+, the most versatile incarnation of its Bus Compressor ever. The Bus Compressor, which is relied upon by many of the world’s top engineers and producers for making their mixes sound bigger and more complete with drive and energy, is perhaps the most significant, single piece of analogue processing equipment that is synonymous with the SSL sound. THE BUS+ is a new 2U rack unit that builds on the original bedrock design of the Bus Compressor, which first appeared on SSL’s 4000 B console in 1976. Remaining faithful to the original circuit design, THE BUS+ features 2181 THAT VCAs in its audio path and offers the classic time constants and compression ratios which have glued records together for over four decades. 

Analysing feedback from key-users and looking at modern production workflow, including how the plug-in equivalents are being utilised, several new processing tools and sonic colouration options feature on THE BUS+ including four modes of operation: Classic Stereo, Σ S/C Stereo, Dual Mono and Mid-Side, and three distinct compression colours: LOW THD, F/B and 4K MODE.
New time constant settings, including ‘Auto 2’ and compression ratios are also added to the THE BUS+ to create ‘the compressor package’.

Andy Jackson, Product Manager Studios comments: “From the outset of this project, our goal was to make the best incarnation of the Bus Compressor ever and we are happy that we have achieved this. Using our original Bus Compressor design as the foundation, we’ve extended its sonic palette to make THE BUS+ an eminently versatile cornerstone piece of equipment for the modern studio and one that is ready for any genre of music.” He continues, “We’ve enhanced the Bus Compressor in almost every aspect. New Attack/Release settings, 3 compression colours which can be used individually or combined and an extremely powerful analogue Dynamic EQ section – these take THE BUS+ right to the forefront of what dynamic processors are capable of.”

In addition to its compression versatility, THE BUS+ features an all-new 2-band parallel Dynamic Equaliser (the D-EQ), with compression/expansion modes and adjustable frequency selection. To round things off, innovation is found in almost every area of THE BUS+, including the use of stepped pots, read by a microcontroller that manages the analogue circuit, making make THE BUS+ not only perfect for mixing but also for precision-tasks such as mastering.

THE BUS+ key features:
• 4 modes of operation – Classic Stereo, Σ S/C Stereo, Dual Mono or Mid-Side.
• The authentic SSL Bus Compressor circuit, including 2181 THAT VCAs for superior analogue performance.
• 100% analogue circuit, controlled digitally using stepped front-panel pots
• Three distinct compression colours: LOW THD Mode, F/B Mode, 4K Mode.
• Negative Ratios – for creative pumping effects and control of particularly loud signals.
• New Attack and Release options, including the new ‘Auto 2’ setting.
• MIX control for instant parallel compression.
• External side-chain inputs and sends.
• An all-new, powerful 2-band analogue Dynamic EQ (D-EQ).
• Unlockable Transient Expander.

THE BUS+ is available now through SSL’s network of authorised dealers and priced at £1699 ex.VAT / US$2899 / €2099 ex.tax