Lisson Grove R-124

The Lisson Grove R-124 is a vintage-style tube compressor that mimics the sound of a legendary circuit with a storied past – a late-1950s American remote-cutoff tube compressor design that was highly modified by engineers at a famed British recording studio in the early-1960s. The engineers at this studio made only a handful of these units to their exacting specifications and used them extensively on most of the Beatles recordings. These original units were an integral component to the signature Beatles sound.

The R-124 recreates the sound of a bygone era and updates it with additional functionality and modern conveniences. These updates make the R-124 ready for modern recording environments and applications while preserving the rich tube sound of the past. Each unit is hand-crafted in the USA using the highest quality components available to ensure many years of faithful service.

Input
The Input control sets the pre-compression level.

Output
The Output control attenuates the post compression output level.

Attack
The Attack control sets the speed at which the compression reacts to the source material.  The attack control potentiometer is also a push-pull switch.  Pulling the switch bypasses the compression circuit, without bypassing the other stages.  Allowing the user to employ the rich tube sound of the R-124 without compressing the signal.

Release
The Release control determines the speed at which the compression returns to unity after the input signal falls below the set Threshold. The Release control also features “Infinity” settings between each Release setting. The “Infinity” settings exhibit an extremely long release time. There are a variety of uses for this feature, such as using it to “prime” the amount of compression before a take. This is done by placing the Release control in an “Infinity” position (one click up or down from the desired setting), having the performer play or sing a note before recording, then switching to the desired Release setting when the performance begins. Another use of “Infinity” would be to prevent an increase in gain during silent passages, to maintain the desired level and compression amount through the entire composition. The R-124 also features a ¼” jack on the rear panel, to allow hands-free use of the “Infinity” setting via a foot-switch. 

Balance
The Balance control provides an easy way to even out the two sides of the gain reduction tube, thus minimizing distortion and feed-through thumps. Simply press the front panel push-button and a pulsing sound will be heard.  Adjust the front panel trim potentiometer until the pulsing sound reaches the lowest possible level. The Balance control provides a practical means of gain reduction calibration, minimizing interruption while in session.

O/P Load
The O/P Load control adjusts the R-124’s output impedance from 200 ohms in the control’s leftmost position to 600 ohms in the rightmost position. The change in impedance will result in a change in the unit’s overall tonality, with a darker tone at 200 ohms and a slightly livelier tone at 600 ohms. This design approach allows the user to choose the tone they desire, without introducing any incongruous circuitry.

Link
The R-124 is equipped with a ¼” TRS jack to link units for stereo use.

Meter
An analog Hoyt meter monitors gain reduction in dB.