[fez]

Dear readers,


I'm a musician and not a engineer with a lot of experience with expensive gear. Therefore I haven't owned the original LA2A unit myself and don't have the money buying one or other high-end gear on a regular basis. However I will try my best describing its character and define what I hear in my music.


My Leveller

I have the latest version of the HCL Solution S2 (Leveller) with choices added on request. Those options are stereolink of the meters, transformer balanced outputs. Also I have white LED's above the meters, although you can have other colours. The price for those options are about €59,- each which in total of the unit costs me €1067,-. The transformer balanced output are a extra output and does not replace the “standard” output.

Outside

Previously owning budget dynamic processors like the Mindprint T-Comp, Focusrite Compounder the build quality, like knobs and switches, surely is important for me. The Leveller is build like a tank! The switches are well chosen, the knobs are big and really slides, not stiff but just right for me. The unit has Neutrik connectors on the I/O. It really feels heavy and Albert Sherbina (founder) posted earlier what kind of thickness they use on the unit if I'm correct. Furthermore on the top there're ventilation holes drilled with the letters 'HCL' with a grill straight beneath the letters. On the bottem is a backplate with, yet again, ventilation holes. A really nice touch of HCL I must say.

Inside

Well on the site of HCL itself there are a lot of pictures featuring the innards. When the unit arrived from Kiev I opened up to make sure all tubes were fitted correctly because the huge distance it made. The tubes are being held in place tight enough with a spring mechanism. But still pulled them out for inspection and in my opinion most of the people can pull/fit them correctly without damaging.

The sound

My setup with the Leveller is very simple. Connected with the I/O of my M-Audio Delta 1010 straight into Cubase 4. Used it on the mixbus or as tracking unit in the last months. And almost everything comes out better sounding. Using the unit solely with digital instruments has it effect but doesn't deliver for me. A note ; what I prefer is 'a big sound' and when running the whole digital mix with the Leveller it adds some color to the mix but still sounds quite the same. Running the mix with better quality sound sources it's a totally different story! Such setup is with hardware modules like the Emu sampler and Novation Ks-rack. It really makes the sound more defined and lush with the Leveller then on the mixbus.

When going into detail the mix alters quite a bit when switching between hard/softknee setting. With softknee the mix becomes bigger but more blurred with busy mixes and with hard setting more defined but less width. It also depends on how hard you drive the unit with the general sound characteristic. So with higher gain the mix comes more to life in my opinion. Moving on are of course the PEAK and RATIO control. When using them you truly have to find that 'sweet spot' of the instrument and setting with the unit to make the most out of it. Its effect is very transparent but clearly audible when bypassed. When bypassed you clearly don't hear the harmonics it produces and I find those very pleasing to hear. A beautiful warm/clean tone is what you can expect.


The good, the bad

What I haven't wrote down are the cons. Using the (optional) transformer balanced output will not work with the bypass switch. Too bad but isn't a real problem for me because it still can be bypassed within C4. The meters do their work but they go crazy with drums alone with set to reduction. I rather see LED's.

The good points are obvious when having one.; The Sound. It paid off waiting for the unit and still doing his job perfectly. The exterior is really thought out well and built like a tank principle.

End word

Surely I haven't told everything about it but most of the missing info can be found on the HCL website. You can mail Albert himself or ask me for further information. I'll be here some time and hoping that there is time enough for more clips.


I hope you enjoyed the review,
Dennis