Pendulum Audio, known for its line of class
A, high voltage vacuum tube products, is introducing the PL-2
Brickwall Analog Peak Limiter at AES in New York. The PL-2 is
the first non-tube product in Pendulum's Pro Audio line, and
uses a transformerless, class A solid state signal path.
"Due to popular demand, I decided
to create a two channel, stand-alone version of the peak limiter
that's in our Quartet II Tube Recording Channel." says Greg
Gualtieri, Pendulum's president and product designer. "Users
have discovered many creative applications for the peak limiter
I hadn't initially imagined, especially on percussion and guitar
tracks."
The PL-2 uses a novel approach to brickwall
limiting in the analog domain, one that is fast enough to prevent
digital overs without using time delay or phase-delay techniques.
"This allows us to keep the analog signal path short, and
keep the limiting circuit 'switched out' of the signal path below
the peak limiting threshold", Gualtieri adds.
It features two modes of peak limiting,
using either JFET or MOSFET devices as the control elements.
While both are equally capable of brickwall limiting, the JFET
tends to be a harder mode of limiting, while the MOSFET has a
softer, more compliant response. The resulting waveforms look
different, and each device has its own characteristic sound.
In addition, the two channels can be linked
for stereo, or used independently. Input and output controls
allow the user to scale the gain structure for a wide range of
applications, from driving the front end of an A/D converter
at +20 dBu, to inserting it as an effect into a +4 dBu patch
bay. The input and output controls are stepped switches, making
the PL-2 mastering-ready.
Each channel also has an expanded 13 segment
LED display which very accurately indicates peak reduction.
For additional information, please see
Greg Gualtieri at Booth #1138 at AES or contact us at Pendulum
Audio Inc., PO Box 339, Gillette, NJ 07933, 908/665-9333, or
www.pendulumaudio.com.
Release Date: October 7, 2005
