Recording - May 2017 - 47

even when in bypass mode the VU
meter still registers what the reduction
would be if activated.

In use

I spent a few months with the
mpressor 500, using it on snare drum,
bass guitar, electric and acoustic guitars,
Rhodes piano, Moog Voyager, mono
drum bus, mono room mic, and of
course vocals. In any scenario, what
becomes quickly apparent is that the
mpressor can lift, thicken, and make
a source push through in a big way...
and yet, the mpressor is very clean and
doesn't have a sound of its own.
What is also apparent is that this is a
precision machine on every level. With
the uber-detailed gain reduction meter
and 41-position stepped pots, it is very
easy to dial in the perfect amount of
attack, release, ratio, level, and so on.
Many of the sections benefit from this
level of detail; all the sections, from the
attack and release to GRL and the negative
ratios and Antilog setting, work together
in tandem and offer a wide scope of
problem-solving and creative uses.

Release it!

Normally I don't make special mention
of a compressor's release function, but
like the other parameters, the mpressor 500's release is so accurate and
fine-tunable, it can make things sound
slower in time! Sources sound like they
are stuck in molasses, all while holding
the sound in place without sounding
soft or undefined; it actually seems to
induce the illusion of subtle slow motion
without being out of time.
Turning the attack to super-slow in conjunction with slow release can give drums,
bass, and guitars a slow and swampy
sound. At super-fast settings, sources
get very tight, even and punchy, and the
THD Boost is great for dirtying them up.
On vocals, the precision of the attack,
release, and GRL are worth their weight
in gold; you can tailor each of them to
the exact phrasing of the vocals-
compressing them without sounding
compressed, even when digging deep.
The THD Boost can appear subtle on
drums and guitars, since those
i n struments often start with a bite of
their own. However, on extremely
RECORDING May 2017

47

dynamic vocals or clean instruments
like piano and acoustic guitar, you can
hear grit and clipping as peaks dig in,
like when 1960s-1970s singers would
overdrive an input channel. It's very musical,
to use an often overused phrase.

Color me mpressed

The mpressor 500, like its big brother,
is an impressive (and mpressive) box,
especially when you consider that it
retains 80% of the original's functions
for less than $800. There is really only
one drawback to be aware of: you
can't link the thresholds on a pair of

mpressor 500 units. You can still set up
a pair to use in stereo, thanks to the
stepped and precise controls, but that's
not the same as an actual link.
The mpressor 500 has an exceptional
broad throw and is easily one of the
most diverse and versatile compressors
on the market. You owe it to yourself to
check it out.

PRICE: $749
MORE FROM: elysia,
www.elysia.com
http://www.elysia.com http://gikacoustics.com
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