Vintage-Style Tube Mastering Compressor

SPL tells us that the newest member of their 120V mastering series, the IRON mastering compressor, is now available in stores in black (Model 1520) and red (Model 1524) versions.

A spokesperson told Sonic State, "The goal of the company was to conceive a compressor that provided a pleasant, melodic-sounding, transparent compression, inspired on the vintage compressors of the radio era. And it had to be versatile enough to adapt perfectly to the needs of modern mastering studios. Thus, the IRON combines not only the sonic virtues of legendary vintage tube compressors with the advantages of the High Dynamic 120V operating voltage in a single unit. It also sets a new benchmark in terms of tube compressor technology, with the innovative implementation of a parallel dual-tube circuit."

Technical specs:

• Variable-bias tube compressor
• Parallel dual-tube circuit
• Tubes are selected and matched using a PC measuring system especially developed for the IRON
• Custom-made Mu-Metal iron transformers
• Feed-forward resistive opto-isolator in the control path of the variable-bias tube circuit
• Six different rectifier settings
• Sidechain with bypass, four EQ presets for the internal or an external sidechain signal
• All functions can be adjusted via buttons or detented potentiometers
• Stereo Link mode to control the Threshold, Tube Bias, Attack, Release, Rectifier, and Sidechain EQs with the right side (channel 2) of the unit
• Passive 120V equalizer with two presets for the output signal
• High-dynamic 120V operating voltage
• Made in Germany

Pricing and Availability:
See local retailer

More information:

• IRON

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