B172A FET/Optical Compressor

The Black Lion Audio B172A is a unique and powerful dynamics processor that combines two legendary compressor circuits in a single 2U rackmount unit. It features a "Seventeen" style FET compressor, inspired by the classic '76, and a tube-based optical compressor, reminiscent of the iconic '2A. This combination allows you to have the best of both worlds: the fast, aggressive compression of a FET compressor and the smooth, musical leveling of an optical compressor.

The B172A allows you to use each compressor independently or to chain them together in series for a powerful dual-stage compression. A front-panel switch lets you choose the order of the compressors, so you can have the FET compressor taming the peaks before hitting the optical compressor for overall leveling, or vice versa. The unit features high-quality components throughout, including a Cinemag input transformer on the optical side and custom-wound output transformers on both circuits. The optical compressor features a custom-designed T4BLA opto-cell for a smooth and musical response. With its incredible versatility and pristine sound quality, the Black Lion Audio B172A is a must-have tool for any serious recording or mixing engineer.

Features

• Combines a '76-style FET compressor and a '2A-style optical compressor.
• Use each compressor independently or in series.
• Switchable compressor order (FET into Optical or Optical into FET).
• Custom-wound output transformers on both circuits.
• Cinemag input transformer on the optical circuit.
• Custom-designed T4BLA opto-cell for smooth optical compression.
• Provides a wide range of compression, from subtle leveling to aggressive limiting.
• A versatile and high-quality dynamics processor for any studio.