Golden Age Project COMP-54 Dual chan Vintage Style Compressor N 2254

Description: Up for sale is my Golden Age Comp 54 compressor which is designed like the Neve 2254 compressor. I’m selling this as a two unit, stereo set up and it also includes the Golden Age Unite 2 two dual rack mount kit. This compressor adds a nice full and rich tone which will really add a smooth and warm texture to counter those digital thin, harsh tones and textures. Use this for lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums after your mic pre going into your DAW or ProTools system to catch peaks and transients that may overload or distort your signal going in. It also works great as a stereo buss compressor to add a big, rich tone to your stereo mix. This is the compressor that was strapped across the stereo buss of Neve consoles to add that final glue to mixes coming off of the console. With the Golden Age Project COMP-54 MKIII Single-channel Vintage Style Compressor, you're one step closer to capturing the essence of those stellar setups. This single-channel compressor is based on classic diode bridge designs and utilizes vintage-style electronics to give it the unmistakable feel and sound of a genuine classic unit. Its transformer-balanced I/O and selectable sidechain filter frequencies combine with standard controls for Threshold, Ratio, Attack, and Recovery to give the COMP-54 MKIII a warm, full-bodied sound that is guaranteed to imbue your mixes with a welcome vintage kick. Are your tracks missing something? Treat yourself to classic compression with the Golden Age Project COMP-54 MKIII Single-channel Vintage Style Compressor. Golden Age Project COMP-54 MKIII Single-channel Vintage Style Compressor Features:Vintage-style single-channel compressorDesign based on classic diode bridge designsTransformer-balanced I/OControls for Threshold, Ratio, Attack, and Recovery3 selectable sidechain filter frequenciesOption to link 2 units for stereo operationTech Specs· Type:Diode Bridge Design Compressor· Number of Channels:Single channel· Controls:Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Recovery, Makeup Gain· Threshold:-10dB to +20dB· Ratio:1.5:1 to 6:1· Inputs:1 x XLR, 1 x 1/4" TRS· Outputs:1 x XLR, 1 x 1/4" TRS· Side Chain Inserts:Sidechain Highpass Filter· Other I/O:1 x 1/4" (stereo link), 1 x 1/4" TRS (insert send/return)· Rack Spaces:1U, Half Rack· Power Source:24V AC power supply (included)· Height:1.67"· Depth:9.96"· Width:8.46"· Weight:4.8 lbs.· Manufacturer Part Number:Comp54mk3· Here’s a quote from SOS review: · “Like the Pre 73, the design follows that of a classic Neve unit very closely. This time it's the Neve 2254 compressor/limiter, one of a family of similar processors (including the 33609 stereo compressor/limiter) that use a diode bridge as the gain-control element. Listening Tests Enough of the construction: what does the Comp 54 sound like? To answer that question, I ran several different mono and stereo sources out of my DAW and through the two Comp 54s. I also used it with GA's Pre 73 to track some vocals. Alas, I didn't have the luxury of a real 2254 to hand, but to check that it offered roughly the right sort of compression characteristics, I used the Neve‑sanctioned 33609 plug‑in model on the Universal Audio UAD platform as a reference point.The first thing to say is that the sound was always silky-smooth but slightly coloured, in a nice way. The attack and release settings behaved in much the same way as those of the plug‑in, and although I needed to set the thresholds differently, the behaviour at different ratios seemed close. Of course, it's perfectly possible for plug‑ins to model compression characteristics, but what tends to make hardware gear sound different from software (and hopefully, for the manufacturers, worth buying) is all the subtle but complex colorations that result from passing audio through real analogue circuitry, and through audio transformers in particular.So how did the Comp 54 perform in this 'analogue warmth' role? Actually, it did very well indeed. With the compression bypassed, I balanced the level of the signal sent to the Comp 54 with the output level to achieve saturation of the stock transformers without any overall gain in level. I didn't have Carnhill models fitted, but the sound was pleasingly familiar — smooth but warm, thick and distinctly analogue — and worked really well, particularly on electric guitar tracks and on the drum bus for rock/pop/blues material (a role in which I often use the UA 33609).The results I achieved were very good. Even with 'cheap' transformers such as these, as long as they're well enough made, there's something about the sound that I don't feel has quite been captured accurately in any software I've used — to the extent that I slightly preferred the GA Comp 54 in this role to the UA 33609. Of course, these things are quite subtle in the context of a mix (more subtle than, say, differences due to mic selection or placement), but in an exposed vocal recording in a minimal arrangement, they could be quite noticeable. That said, the Pre 73 already coloured the vocals nicely, so I found that I wanted rather less of this effect from the Comp 54 in that application.The stereo linking, in practice, worked fine. It was a simple matter of plugging in the (not supplied) jack cable and engaging the Link control on the front. It's a shame that this function doesn't enable you to match the output gains of the two units precisely — only the threshold and time constants are linked, so you have to set levels by ear. To do so, though, isn't difficult, and implementing more complex linking would probably have been prohibitively costly.Having a stereo pair for testing also enabled me to check for (in)consistency between the two units. As you'd expect at this price, although the two devices were built to the same specification, they weren't perfectly matched. Indeed, on one, the detented threshold control pointed to the gaps between the legend markings, whereas on the other it pointed directly at the dots. GA say that this is a known issue on the first batch and will be addressed. GA also told me that on this initial batch, the meter reading for output level was not trimmed well enough in the lower range. However, they are publishing instructions on their web site to correct this using the two meter trimmers inside the unit. At the end of the day, though, both units sounded alike, and caused no audible problems when used on stereo material. As you can probably tell, despite a couple of compromises that keep the price down and enable GA to fit the electronics into a half‑rack box, the Comp 54 impressed me a great deal.Firstly, although in these days of 24‑bit recording, compression while tracking is no longer strictly necessary (the noise floor in 24‑bit digital audio is so low that you can afford to leave lots of headroom) a good‑sounding compressor like this can still make sense if you plan on using it to add coloration. There are some very affordable clean‑sounding hardware compressors for even the tightest of budgets, but this is a nicer 'character' compressor than any other I've heard at this price point. Secondly, the upgrade kit should get you quite close to the sound of the 2254 — although I didn't have the opportunity to test that in practice, and was happy with the factory setup. Thirdly, the side-chain filter is a very useful addition. Finally, having previously arrived at the conclusion that in 2011 a hardware compressor at this sort of price could no longer be a match for a decent analogue-modelling plug-in, Golden Age (with more than a wee bit of inspiration from Rupert Neve) have forced me to reconsider that opinion. To compare hardware with software is like comparing an elephant with a porcupine. They're different creatures: hardware is usually easier to use while tracking, and is more hands‑on and immediate, whereas plug‑ins offer recall, stereo operation, automation and multiple instances. In my studio, there's still a place for both, and if you're looking for a nice outboard compressor to fit a project-studio budget, the Comp 54 is a bit of a no-brainer choice. ProsIt's based on a classic, and it's a tried and tested design.Almost unbelievably good for the price.Compressor bypass means you can use this box simply for adding 'analogue flavour'.Solid construction.Easy to upgrade the transformers.Auto-release options and side-chain filter.Review:“I owned and used this compressor for quite a few years, and it was stellar. Excellent for bass and kick drum, and has a nice side chain filter area for vocal de-essing. Awesome on vocals too, especially those needing more thickness. Love the fact that you can just push the transformers with no compression for extra grit. Would highly recommend! “ I'd not had experience with hardware diode bridge compressors before, but wanted to add something to my vocal chain. Since it caught my eye, I got it, and WOW. It really added a 'something' to the recordings being added after my LA-610mk2 (tried SM57/58, Cascade Vin-jet ribbon, and Miktek CV4... all to great satisfaction). Like many say, hardware just has a mojo that plugins don't. I love this thing, though it has made me think of replacing my stuff with a Neve Shelford now as it would sound even better. A perfect companion for my single channel Grace 101 pre. Smoothed out my direct guitar recordings like magic. Great box, great value.

Price: 599 USD

Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia

End Time: 2024-09-23T18:03:51.000Z

Shipping Cost: 45 USD