Elysia Alpha

[Bob Yordan]

Not used it personally, but I have listened to it 2-3 times at a friend
of mine's studio.

He is very impressed with it and how easy it is to get a great sound.

[Tim Farrant]

There was a review in the lastest Resolution magazine by Nigel Jopson and he made the comment "tends to accentuate hi-hats and splattery HF with more extreme settings..."

Have you noticed this at all Lucey?

Tim.

[lucey]

I dont use a lot of compression Tim, maybe 1-2 db (Mid) at the most, so I can't speak to what he was doing at "extreme settings".

If he was using the EQ tilt then I would say yes it gets more 'active' sounding with the eq in ... not quite like Avalon's surface mount smear, or even the midrange of the IBIS ... and it's nothing like SPLs Passeq (which has an IC sound to the gain path, and yet soft inductors). It is neutral but not soft neutral like an inductor eq. It's an "Active neutral" ... hows that for the EQ's effect? I've come to like using S EQ only to pop things out, but almost never both M and S as it's too hard. So no it's not invisible, the eq tilt, but can be very musical.

The actual gain path is very neutral, flatter than anything I've heard or tested at low gains. The sound it has is pleasing, subtle as it is. You should really try it and see... the engineering is respectable to say the least. From talking to them this was a 10 year dream of the designer. No compromises.

(the Feed Forward mode could bring in distortion if slammed ... but that's the point of that mode ... that I never use)

[finetuner]

Hi Brian,
It looks like you have the unit for a year by now. I guess it's your one and only compressor or do you still find use for an other one ?


I'm having the monster on trial this week (after a demo by 'the Elysians' last week).

First impression: a firm kick in the bud and an almost overwhelming amount of possibilities.


I'm comparing it to my STC-8 constantly, to see if it's a sensible replacement.
Not that i'm unhappy with that one, on the contrary, but the easy parallel and m/s modes on the Alpha drew my attention.

So in terms of possibilities, it's almost a no-brainer. Sound wise, it's very clean and it can produce a real tight push in the low end.
For now, i can't get the snap of (drum) attacks quite as bright as the Crane it seems. Probably need a bit more time with it...

Interesting how both hi- and low-pass can work well on the side-chain.

Peter van't Riet
FineTune Mastering

[lucey]

Originally Posted by finetuner

Hi Brian,
It looks like you have the unit for a year by now. I guess it's your one and only compressor or do you still find use for an other one ?

This unit completed my long search for the right chain for my ear and style of working. The simplicity of this chain is a relief, and it's really working well. If no compression is needed, the Alpha has a relay bypass, so I'm all hard wired.

I don't color with compression anymore, that's a mixers job, or I use tube EQ ... so yes the Alpha is the only compression, when compression is needed. For super clean and the most simple MS adjust, switch off the direct signal, and set the threshold and ratios counter clockwise, then adjust only one of the gains up. For compression, the thing you need to play with first is the Mid SC, either to grab based on the low end, or to not grab based on the low end. That's the starting point for the unit as a compressor. There are many tricks and tunings that can happen around that decision, but that's always my first thought, after deciding that some compression is needed.

Tim, back to your question ... it's far cleaner than the STC8 I used to use, or the p38 that replaced the STC. The STC is soft on top and round on the bottom, the P38 is veiled, in comparison.

[Spartacus]

Someone has an idea of the price of that beast in Europe?

[finetuner]

€8000,- approx (excl. VAT)

Peter

[Jack P]

ouch...

[kosmokrator]

Ruben from Elysia was so kind to bring one of the alphas to my studio for checking it out.
It's simply the best mastering comp I've ever used (my own 'favorite' being the CL1B, and having extensively used the Fairman TMC)!
It's incredibly cool!
But, at the moment, no € 8000,- left for that device :-( ...

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by kosmokrator

Ruben from Elysia was so kind to bring one of the alphas to my studio for checking it out.
It's simply the best mastering comp I've ever used (my own 'favorite' being the CL1B, and having extensively used the Fairman TMC)!
It's incredibly cool!
But, at the moment, no € 8000,- left for that device :-( ...

I thank Brian Lucey for pointing this unit out. I am impressed by the specs and philosophy of the alpha. I'd put it on my short list when we have the budget and the chance to listen!

BK

[GYang]

Originally Posted by bob katz

I thank Brian Lucey for pointing this unit out. I am impressed by the specs and philosophy of the alpha. I'd put it on my short list when we have the budget and the chance to listen!

BK

It is one of rare truly designers products in high end audio,
Although I don't do too much mastering and have plenty of great comps in arsenal, I've found it's impossible to get rid of Alpha tutt once you put your hands on it.
It happenned only several times with gears in my life (Brauner VM1 KHE, Gordon preamp, Bill Lawrence pick ups, Bruno guitar amp, TAB V72S and very few others)

[Tibbon]

God this thing is awesome. I check it out just on headphones while at AES 07 and omfg. I was shocked. I heard lots of cool products that day, but this was a new level.

[bcgood]

The samples I heard of this unit sounded horrible, it sounds so plastic to me. But that was just a first impression. Give me smooth optical any day over ultra modern robot.

[inlinenl]

I played a few hours with it on a dance track ( so not really a fair shoot-out ) .... It just did not sound like a compressor ... they need a lot off options on this box to make you buy it ... it just did not do any compressor mojo on the track IMHO .. it's to clean, and for that I'll take any day the Weiss DS1-MK2 even with the up-sampling when working in 44.1Khz. On a accoustic track it it sounded pretty okay ... but for that money ... it better should be. it is just not my cup off tea ..
I want a compressor to sound like a compressor, that's one off the reasons I use a comp. I really lushed for some fatness, some vibe like a tubetech smc-2b when twisting/turning the threshold on the elysia, some punchyness of a c2 with the sidechain enabled, or just the single-malt flavour off a manley, nothing there for me.

it's like a BMW motorbike , and I jut love Ducati

[GYang]

Originally Posted by bcgood

The samples I heard of this unit sounded horrible, it sounds so plastic to me. But that was just a first impression. Give me smooth optical any day over ultra modern robot.

Gimme excellent condition 1959 Mercedes 300 SL over Bugatti Veyron.
Both in 1 M bux ballpark, both allow humans to move from point A to point B with less efforts than by foot.
Actually, I like them both

[inlinenl]

Originally Posted by GYang

Gimme excellent condition 1959 Mercedes 300 SL over Bugatti Veyron.
Both in 1 M bux ballpark, both allow humans to move from point A to point B with less efforts than by foot.
Actually, I like them both

GYang, I read that the standard off living really progressed since the last time I was there ( 1981 )

[lucey]

Originally Posted by inlinenl

I want a compressor to sound like a compressor, that's one off the reasons I use a comp. I really lushed for some fatness, some vibe like a tubetech smc-2b when twisting/turning the threshold on the elysia, some punchyness of a c2 with the sidechain enabled, or just the single-malt flavour off a manley, nothing there for me.

It's clean but not lifeless like the Weiss, that's why I like it's tone. Compression is to me about dynamics. Color compression is another story. The ability to simultaneously tweak MS, while compressing the M only over 500 and tilting the side EQ down below 200, adding an analog limiter, and running the cleanest active parallel ever (active parallel is different than the 'bloated' passive) is what this box is about. So small gains that add up, fast and easy to use, 'clean' but not sterile. It was never meant to be the kind of compression you like.

[yareck]

I've tested the mpressor and what can I say about the sound...the compression style is versatile, good for many styles. It has that "german" punch and analog warmth, something like an old Virus B synthesizer (maybe not so good comparision). It's clean, a little bit saturated in a very clean way, has ability for detailed controlling of the sound, but produces some artefacts using short release times... I know, no tubes, no opto, but this should not happen with such a classy unit. For the sound, I would not replace it with my SMC2B and Glory Comps.

I'm going to test full alpha on Tuesday, will posts some impressions here...

[lucey]

Originally Posted by yareck

It's clean, a little bit saturated in a very clean way, has ability for detailed controlling of the sound, but produces some artefacts using short release times... I know, no tubes, no opto, but this should not happen with such a classy unit. For the sound, I would not replace it with my SMC2B and Glory Comps.

The Mpressor was designed to make to make artifacts at extreme settings. It's capable of more aggressive actions in a mix. Mixers found the Alpha boring so they juice it up on the Mpressor.

[yareck]

I've just tested the Alpha, it was a short test, but here are my impressions.
Of course there is no "dirt" which is present in Mpressor.
Some of that dirt effect may be added by using Soft Clipping, I'm not sure this is the same effect though.
Like Brian said at the beginning, this is no whole new impression after the STC8. However the sound is different.
Besides all those interesting features and blinking lights, there is 1 thing missing for me. The sound of tube'y and opto units has more open and warmer character than Elysia. That's what I mainly look for in hardware units. I think that the next revision (if there will be any) should contain a tube or opto option (not only the tube gain stage , then maybe spending 8k EUR would be more reasonable.

[inlinenl]

Nice observation Yareck,

maybe it sounds a bit German, like SCOOTER says " it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice"

on accoustic music it ( elysia ) revealed nicely details in the upper-mids ... I thought "He what's that"

Like lucey said, it's not the kind off compression I am looking for ( at this moment ) ...

[PrinsJan]

Originally Posted by inlinenl

maybe it sounds a bit German, like SCOOTER says " it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice"

[GYang]

Originally Posted by yareck

I think that the next revision (if there will be any) should contain a tube or opto option (not only the tube gain stage , then maybe spending 8k EUR would be more reasonable.

It is hardly reasonable to spend 8k Eur on almost invisible compression, but it would not be non-compromise concept to add 'cheap tricks' just to get love from wider audience.
1,3-1,5 k Eur can buy nice colored compressor, so adding that to 8 k sounds reasonable, if 'character' is objective.

[Gravity8058]

UBK showed me the Alpha at PotLuckCon last weekend.






Crap ......



........ local college is fine for the boys, honey

[inlinenl]

Hi Doug,

do you like you're maselec multiband ... does it get a lot off use ... ??
just curious.

[Gravity8058]

Originally Posted by inlinenl

Hi Doug,

do you like you're maselec multiband ... does it get a lot off use ... ??
just curious.

Yes it does -- saved my arse yesturday in fact. The Alpha is a very different animal both very powerful.

[William Bowden]

So here's an ancient thread to resurrect, but Brian's original question still stands. Is anyone into the Alpha at all?

Anyone?

The King

[jackthebear]

Originally Posted by William Bowden

Is anyone into the Alpha at all?

Anyone?

The King

No.

[Virtalahde]

What's the point in that ash tray in the middle of the front panel?