APHEX SYSTEMS 661 TUBE COMPRESSOR-LIMITER

The Aphex Model 661 is a totally new type of compressor incorporating vacuum tube
technology with the latest innovations in audio compression. This single-channel
compressor/limiter is loaded with features, consolidating for the first time in one rack
space, three patented Aphex circuits: Tubessence?, Easyrider?, and High Frequency
Expander?.

The UNIQUE 661 CIRCUITRY 
Tubessence is a true tube circuitwhich provides that "vintage" tube sound without high
the heat, bulk, short life, fragility, and sonic variability found in traditional tube designs.
Easyrider is an Automatic mode that actually works, consisting of the Wave dependent
Compressor? (WDC) circuit which takes the guesswork out of compressing individual
instruments and vocals especially in live mixes. WDC automatically adjusts attack and
release times according to the complexity of the program material. Its No-Knee?
compression curve makes the transition into compression virtually invisible.
In the Manual mode, the Model 661 provides the full complement of compressor adjustments
such as Ratio, Attack, and Release, for maximum flexibility. Express yourself and get those
“punch“, "slap“, "fat“, "pump“, and "squeeze" sounds fast and clean.
The 661 includes the patented High Frequency Expander? (HFX) which decompresses
high frequencies, with user-adjustable ratio and corner frequency. Add "life" and "air" to your
compressed signals without fear of background noise pumping.
The Spectral Phase Refractor? restores clarity and punch to your tracks. Bass frequencies
are more defined with more apparent power. Higher frequencies also seem to gain more detail
and presence.
Use the Model 661 to control dynamics for mixdowns, protect your sound system's loudspeakers
from transients and distortion or shape the sound of individual instruments and vocals. Compress
dynamic levels without fear of reducing frequency response. Whatever type of dynamics control you're
looking for, it can be done with the Model 661 Tube Compressor / Limiter Expressor?.
 
 APPLICATIONS:
 Music Production - Improve the sound on individual instruments, vocals and mixes
 Sound Reinforcement - A roadable tube compressor/limiter in only one rack space
 Broadcast & Post Production - A great vocal processor and a powerful studio tool
 Project Studios - Improve the sound of digital recorders and workstations
 Musicians - The ultimate compressor for the professional guitar, bass, keyboard instrument rig 

 Features:
 Auto or full Manual operation. In Auto mode, compression parameters constantly change for best sound
 A true tube circuit (Tubessence) in the output stage for a "warm“, "live" and "full" sound
 HFX allows the use of high compression ratios without the loss of high frequencies
 SPR increases the apparent bass energy level, without amplitude equalization or bass boost
 Use Sidechain Access sends jacks for creative processing (de-essing and ducking)
 Stereo, dual mono or master/ slave operation for total flexibility

OPTIMOD-FM 5500 puts coveted five-band and two-band OPTIMOD processing into a single rack unit package and brings it to you at the most affordable price ever.

Quality sound is what 5500 is all about-sound that attracts audiences by providing a polished, professional presentation regardless of format and source material. Exceptional versatility allows you to adjust the processor's audio texture to brand your audio, knowing that the resulting signature sound will remain consistent, cut-to-cut and source-to-source. Branding builds businesses and no other processors have the consistency to brand your sound like OPTIMOD.

With the 5500, your signature sound is just a preset away. An easy, one-knob Less/More adjustment allows you to customize any factory preset, trading cleanliness against processing artifacts according to the requirements of your market and competitive environment. Full Control gives you the versatility to customize your audio further. And, if you're a hard-core processing expert, you can explore Advanced Control to tweak presets at the same level as Orban's factory programmers. This versatility makes the 5500 a superb choice for any format. Its five-band processing is ideal for any pop music format (even the most competitive and aggressive CHR), while phase-linear two-band processing yields ultratransparent sound for classical, classic jazz, and fine arts formats. Regardless of your choice, 5500's optimized technology ensures unusually high average modulation and coverage for a given level of subjective quality. Unlike many lesser processors, the 5500 handles speech particularly well. It's always clean, even when you process for loudness.

If you're concerned about latency because you need to feed live talent headphones off air, be assured that the 5500's ultra-low-latency (5 ms delay) processing will keep the most finicky talent happy. Or use optimum latency (15 ms delay) processing for the most competitive sound with delay that's still low enough to satisfy most any talent.

The 5500 can also be used as a superb stand-alone stereo encoder with latency as low as 2 ms and full overshoot limiting in both the left/right and composite baseband domains.

When used in this mode, the 5500 must be driven (usually via an STL) by a full-featured FM audio processor (like Orban's 8600) that incorporates pre-emphasis aware HF limiting and peak control. In both modes, the 5500's stereo encoder helps deliver a transmitted signal that's always immaculately clean and perfectly peak limited, with full spectral protection of subcarriers and RDS/RBDS regardless of the amount of composite limiting.

It is the ideal choice for network broadcasters who process with Orban's flagship OPTIMOD-FM 8600 at the network origination point and who need a processor at every transmitter to eliminate STL overshoots (using the 5500's stand-alone stereo encoder mode) and/or to process local insertions while also eliminating network STL overshoots (using the 5500's audio processor / stereo encoder mode). Moreover, the 5500's two modes make it easy for large government and network broadcasters to manage its inventory of spares because any 5500 can be used as a stereo encoder with or without audio processing.

Available in both modes, the built-in, defeat-able ITU-BS412 multiplex power controller allows the 5500's output to meet even the most stringent European government regulations.

A 10 MHz frequency reference input allows the stereo pilot tone frequency to be locked to GPS or another high-accuracy frequency standard. This improves the performance of single-frequency networks in areas where coverage of the transmitters overlaps.

The 5500's built-in stereo encoder, AES/EBU digital inputs and outputs, and analog I/O permit hasslefree interfacing to any broadcast plant, whether the 5500 is located at the studio or the transmitter. Tight band limiting to 15 kHz means you can use any uncompressed digital STL to pass 5500- processed audio from studio to transmitter without compromising on-air loudness - there's no need to use STL's having 44.1 or 48 kHz sample-rate.

The stereo encoder's stereo sub-channel modulator can operate in normal double sideband mode and in an experimental compatible single sideband mode (SSB/VSB) that is offered to enable users to compare and assess the two modes.

Analog Fallback to Digital control that allows Silence Sense to switch the active input from Analog to Digital if silence is detected in the analog input signal but not on the digital input signal. This function works vice versa as well on both analog and digital AES input. The silence sense parameters apply to both simultaneously and both detectors are available to drive the 5500's tally outputs and sending SNMP Traps/Alerts.

If you want to locate the 5500 away from the studio, you'll be pleased by its three separate remote control ports - GPI contact closures, RS232 serial and built-in Ethernet for TCP/IP networks. The serial and Ethernet ports are supported by the supplied 5500 PC Remote Control application. This Windows® 2000/XP/Vista/7/8 application allows you to do even more with the 5500 than you can do through its front panel, making remote control a pleasure.

5500 PC Remote software allows you to access all 5500 features and allows you to archive and restore presets, automation lists, and system setups (containing I/O levels, digital word lengths, GPI functional assignments, etc.)

Built-in clock-based automation lets you automatically day-part the processing. You can control many other 5500 operating parameters too.

The 5500's feature set fully exploits the processor's DSP and computer-based control architecture. To ensure absolute accuracy, you can automatically synchronize the clock to an Internet timeserver. It has a cool-running, energy-efficient switching power supply and uses the latest dual-core DSP chip technology from Freescale Semiconductor.

Interactive Reference-Class 2-Channel Expander/Gate/Compressor/ Peak Limiter with
Integrated De-Esser, Dynamic Enhancer, Tube Simulation and Low Contour Filter 

Whether you?re recording, mixing or mastering, the COMPOSER PRO-XL MDX2600
gives you total dynamic control. It includes all of the features you would expect from
a reference class compressor?plus a voice-adaptive de-esser, a new dynamic
enhancer, authentic tube emulation and much more. These are some of the indispensable
tools for producing clean, consistent audio with virtually no loss in signal quality.

Features:
Switchable IKA (Interactive Knee Adaptation) program-adaptive compression circuitry
combines the advantages of hard-knee and soft-knee characteristics
Integrated de-esser with switchable male/female voice recognition removes excessive
sibilance from your vocal tracks
IGC (Interactive Gain Control) peak limiting circuitry combines clipper and program
limiter for reliable and inaudible protection against signal peaks
Switchable dynamic enhancer for brilliant, lively audio even with heavy compression
IRC (Interactive Ratio Control) expander/gate circuitry for virtually inaudible
noise suppression
Switchable tube simulation for the extra warmth and transparency of classic
tube circuitry
Automatically or manually adjustable attack and release times
Switchable low contour filter prevents "pumping" due to low-frequency
dominated compression
Stereo couple function with independent output level settings
Switchable side chain input with side chain monitor function
Ultra low-noise 4580 operational amplifiers and state-of-the-art THAT¬ VCA's
Separate 12-segment LED meters for input/output levels and gain reduction
Dedicated "traffic light" threshold and de-esser level displays
High-quality detented ALPS¬ potentiometers and illuminated switches
Servo-balanced inputs and outputs with ? in. TRS and gold-plated XLR
connectors
Relay-controlled hard bypass switch with auto bypass function in case
of power failure
Manufactured under ISO9000 certified management system
 

Product Features:

Ultra-high resolution 24-bit/96 kHz mastering processor featuring 32/40-bit floating-point DSP technology
Audiophile 24-bit/96 kHz A/D- and D/A converters offering 113 dB dynamic range
4 concurrently selectable EQ modules (31-band graphic EQ, 10-band parametric EQ, Feedback Destroyer plus 3 Dynamic EQs per stereo channel)
Ultra-high resolution 61-band real-time FFT analyzer with additional auto EQ function for room and loudspeaker equalization
Unique VPQ (Virtual Paragraphic EQ) option allows parametric control of graphic EQs
State-of-the-art compressor/expander with peak limiter per stereo channel, additional stereo imager and stereo delay for delay line applications
Multi-functional level meters (peak/RMS, VU and SPL meter with dBA/dBC weighting via RTA/Mic input)
64 user memories for complete setups and/or individual module configurations
Separate mic/line input with phantom power for RTA and Auto-EQ applications
Balanced inputs and servo-balanced outputs with gold-plated XLR connectors, stereo aux output, AES/EBU and S/PDIF inputs and outputs (XLR and optical)
Professional Wordclock input and MIDI connections for full remote control, preset dumps and system updates
Open architecture allowing future software updates via MIDI
"Planet Earth" switching power supply for maximum flexibility (100 - 240 V~), noise-free audio, superior transient response plus low power consumption for energy saving
High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life
Conceived and designed by BEHRINGER Germany