Neve 2254/A Compressor Racked Pair #6100/K:6385/K (Vintage)

The inherently rich and colorful tone of the Neve 2254/A helps glue tracks together. Great for thickening up a thin or smaller sounding source.

Features

• Gain make up: 0 to 20 dBm
• Separate Limit and Compress switches
• Bypass
• Meter: In / Control / Out

Limiter

• Ratio: more than 100:1
• Level: adjustable from +4 dBm to +12 dBm in increments of 0.5 dBm
• Attack time: Fixed at 5ms
• Recovery time: 100 ms, 200 ms, 800 ms, Auto

Compressor

• Ratio: 1.5:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 6:1.
• Threshold: -20 to +10 dBm
• Attack time: Fixed at 5ms
• Recovery time: 400 ms, 800 ms, 1500 ms, Auto

History

One of the landmark innovations in audio gear. Since its first appearance in 1969, the Neve 2254 Mono Limiter/Compressor has become a legend. With all-discrete Class A circuitry, transformer-coupled inputs, and many innovations - like its bridge-driver design - the 2254 created a totally unique sound that can only be described as 'Neve'.

The famous 2254 series of compressor limiters had its birth in the Neve 2253, which was a limiter designed for broadcast use in accordance with the Experimental and Development Department (EDD) of the Independent Broadcast Authority (IBA), a regulatory body set up in the UK in 1972.

By adding a compression side chain to the original design, the 2254 was born. In its original configuration, the 2254 was used in both broadcast and recording consoles as built-in units, usually as part of the meter bridge.

Unlike many other compressors, the 2254 does not use a FET, opto-attenuator or VCA to create gain reduction, but employs a diode bridge for this purpose, which is biased by the compressor and the limiter. This creates about a 40dB loss at the attenuator and another 20dB at the gain make up stage, thus requiring about 60db of gain, which is accomplished by lowering the attenuation.