Aphex Compellor Goes Digital

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At Winter NAMM, Aphex Systems announced that its industry standard Compellor is now available with both digital and analog input/output. The new Model 320D combines the feature set of the Aphex Compellor in a format accessible to "all-digital" facilities. The Compellor is especially useful for those digital applications that receive or send bit rate reduced audio.

The Compellor's circuitry provides level controlled audio through the use of simultaneous, complementary intelligent compressor action, leveling and peak limiting. Patented control circuits continuously analyze the input signal and vary the control characteristics to provide for virtually undetectable operation, regardless of program dynamics. The 320D enhances transient qualities, making even heavy processing imperceptible and is the ideal solution for recording studios and duplication facilities as well as in broadcast studios and live-sound applications.

Many modern audio applications employ bit rate reduction, and dynamics processing either before or after the bit rate reduction often generates audible, annoying artifacts. The reasons that make the Compellor so 'invisible' are the same reasons that it will not 'unmask' the masking algorithms of upstream bit rate reductions and will feed a signal to the downstream bit rate reductions that will not create more artifacts.

The Model 320D also features a high quality D/A and A/D. A rear panel switch selects digital or analog input and both the digital and analog outputs are always live. The AES3 digital output is sampled either at the same rate as the digital input up to 96kHz or, if there is no digital input, either at 32, 44.1, 48 or 96kHz. Two completely independent channels of processing are available in mono mode to accommodate independent monaural signal feeds. In the Stereo mode, controls signals can be linked to just the leveling control or to both the compression and leveling. A front panel metering system displays input level, output level or gain reduction levels.

The Model 320D features include: "Invisible" compression characteristics assuring tighter dynamics and virtually transparent performance; Automated Gain Control (AGC) for consistent program levels; and the Aphex adaptive control circuits allow fast, easy set-up and require no readjustment for varying program dynamics.

The new Aphex Model 320D is available now at a suggested retail price of $1495.

For more information, visit their web site at www.aphexsys.com.