Roll Music Systems announces the Super Stereo compressor

[ulysses]

(Minneapolis, Minnesota – 22 August 2005) Roll Music Systems will unveil their new Super Stereo compressor at the upcoming New York AES show (booth #1151). Roll Music Systems is best known for their Folcrom 16x2 passive summing buss, which allows the user to choose a summing amplifier from their microphone pre-amp collection.

The Super Stereo compressor has been designed specifically for stereo mix applications. The sound of stereo buss compression is palpable in today’s music and has created a high demand for stereo buss compressors. Although the demand is high, the majority of models currently available are often unaffordable for today’s home and project studios. This need for quality equipment, coupled with the lack of available funds, has led to a growing “Do It Yourself” (DIY) online community.

Justin Morse, the man behind Roll Music Systems, has always been a hands on studio owner and builder of equipment. “The idea for the Super Stereo actually came from the original customer who commissioned the Folcrom. He asked me to build him an SSL clone from the plans on a DIY web forum,” notes Morse. Instead of creating yet another clone, Morse decided to design his own version of a stereo buss compressor.

The result is the “Super Stereo” compressor. The unit will be 1RU high and have a single set of controls for true stereo application. It will feature a switchable hi-pass filter on the side chain along with attack and release controls, including an option to employ program dependent release.

"It has a short, clean signal path and the kind of smoothly aggressive response my customer was asking for to use on his stereo buss. It looks pretty bad ass, too," says Morse. The unit is currently being beta tested by a few locals, including engineer/producer Tom Garneau (Prince, Sting, George Clinton).

“The High Pass filter in the side chain is great on heavy-bottomed mixes, keeps the kick and bass from pulling down the track. It's got that smack for less (money). I've compared it to its more expensive counterparts and it ran neck and neck, sometimes surpassing.” notes Garneau.

The Super Stereo will be available late 2005.

[jdunn]

Originally Posted by ulysses

It looks pretty bad ass, too," says Morse.

Sounds great. Got a picture?

[ulysses]

Still waiting to get the metal back from the fabricators, but in the meantime here's an artist's rendering...

[Ribbonmicguy]

Looks great!

Is there an option for the knobs to be detented?

What price range are you looking at, for this unit?

Cheers

[jdunn]

Yeah, looks like it's going to be a winner. Good idea.

Both channels track with one knob, so the only reason you'd need detented knobs would be if you were using if for mastering. This is more of a mix compressor, so I see no need for detents.

Just send me the standard one, ASAP!

[ulysses]

Thanks for the enthusiasm. We're working hard right now to have a couple of working units ready for the AES show, and we hope to be shipping units before the end of the year. Our target street price is $1800. I don't intend to let the price go higher than that. The attack, release, and ratio controls are switches (10 positions each for the attack and release, just three for the ratio). The threshold and gain controls are continuously-variable pots. I will consider the request for stepped controls there as I'm considering all of the feedback we're getting. I've already implemented many suggestions from our beta testers, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more changes based on user response. Look for more information on our website in the next couple of weeks.

[Ribbonmicguy]

Originally Posted by jdunn

Yeah, looks like it's going to be a winner. Good idea.

Both channels track with one knob, so the only reason you'd need detented knobs would be if you were using if for mastering. This is more of a mix compressor, so I see no need for detents.

Just send me the standard one, ASAP!

Jdunn,

As a mix compressor, I would want an accurate way to archive the setting for total recall.
Thus, detents are always cooler than not. :D

Cheers

[Bang]

This compressor really sounds kickass. Great for rock metal pop hip hop, anything that needs more balls and glue. Justin does great work. You should all be really excited.

Steve

[Kenny Gioia]

Originally Posted by Ribbonmicguy

Jdunn,

As a mix compressor, I would want an accurate way to archive the setting for total recall.
Thus, detents are always cooler than not. :D

Cheers

I think detents would make the unit too limited.

Recall is important but not at the risk of being stuck between two presets.

Someone may have a better suggestion but could you employ some kind of calibration mode. So us DAWers could put a 1kHz sine wave thru it and recall it that way.

Maybe bypass the Gain Reduction and write down the
Make up Gain setting (ex. +5db)

And than bypass the Make up Gain and write down the
Gain Reduction setting (ex. -5db)

Like I said, they're might be a better way.

But us DAWers like our total recall. And outboard gear on the mix buss can't just be printed.

And the SSL compressor tends to be very sensitive on that threshold knob making recalling it a PITA.

Thanks.

[jdunn]

You could just use a piece of tape with a pen mark for a couple of your most common settings. Mastering engineers do this kind of thing.

I mean, if the other controls are switches, we're just talking about the makeup gain and threshold, right? I still don't think you need repeatable, detented controls there.

Remember, this is the Roll Music Super Stereo Compressor, not a GML.

[Tim Farrant]

Using tight tolerance pots, large knobs and having plenty of marks (lines - not dots) around the knob would make it easier to get a repeat setting. Some sort of dB calibration around the Threshold and Output Gain knobs would be also be advantageous.

Just my 2 cents Justin, good luck with it, see you in New York!
Tim.

[ulysses]

We finally got some metal finished, and it looks pretty freakin' sweet. It's all about lazors. Here's a crummy photo.

[warhead]

Justin, that's awesome looking stuff. Can't wait to hear one! By the way, I like your seemingly extended beta test period approach, more designers should listen to more input LONGER before final releases.

I'd love to hear it...!

War

[Albert]

I agree with produceher, I would not want detented pots on the threshold and gain controls. How about using recall sheets like in the old days? Or just draw the settings on the front panel as has been suggested.

Or perhaps have the detented pots optional for the few that would prefer it. Manley does it that way, for example.

[norman_nomad]

Originally Posted by ulysses

The result is the “Super Stereo” compressor. The unit will be 1RU high and have a single set of controls for true stereo application. It will feature a switchable hi-pass filter on the side chain along with attack and release controls, including an option to employ program dependent release.

"It has a short, clean signal path and the kind of smoothly aggressive response my customer was asking for to use on his stereo buss. It looks pretty bad ass, too," says Morse. The unit is currently being beta tested by a few locals, including engineer/producer Tom Garneau (Prince, Sting, George Clinton).

“The High Pass filter in the side chain is great on heavy-bottomed mixes, keeps the kick and bass from pulling down the track. It's got that smack for less (money). I've compared it to its more expensive counterparts and it ran neck and neck, sometimes surpassing.” notes Garneau.

The Super Stereo will be available late 2005.

So is this just essentially a clone with a few more attack/release settings and a side chain? Does the unit utilize input or output transformers? Are you using modern THAT VCA's or the more esoteric models? I built a clone myself and thought it sounded pretty good... just curious about the differences. Panel work looks good!

[ulysses]

I wouldn't call it a clone, but we're going for that coveted "glue the mix together" sound. We really tried to go balls out with component quality and the construction, maybe we went a little overboard. The rotary switches are really beefy, and they're not even in the audio path at all. Same goes for the pots. It was important to me that the controls feel very solid, which these do. The chassis is all stainless steel, which is ridiculous. It's a very nice box. We tried to expand the range of the controls as much as possible. In addition to lots of attack and release times, there's the switchable sidechain hi-pass at 150Hz and the "dual" mode release time. A lot of compressors have an "auto" setting that makes the release time program dependent - a slower release time for long sections of louditude while keeping a faster release time for short transient bursts. That's what's going on in the Super Stereo too, except it doesn't deactivate the rotary release control. You can have dual release times while still controlling the short-term release characteristic. I think that's pretty cool. There are a couple of other tricks we're working on that may get added later.
The audio path is transformerless and very short and clean. There's only one (film) capacitor in the signal path, and the ouput is DC servo. Gold-pin machined sockets on the top-grade amplifiers, sealed relays for hard bypass, separate audio and sidechain voltage regulators, etc.
The last few generations of THAT VCA modules were not much more than a bunch of SIPs in parallel to reduce distortion. With the quality of the most recent VCAs already having low distortion, this is unnecessary and perhaps counterproductive. There's a bit of debate over whether or not people like to hear the sound of the VCA itself - I'm of the opinion that it's the sidechain that makes the sound of the compressor. There are tons of very different compressors built with THAT VCAs, and it really depends on how you control it. So I went for a clean, short signal path and low distortion in the VCA, but I saw no significant advantage to paralleling them.
If you're going to AES, come by our booth (#1151) and have a listen.

[norman_nomad]

Originally Posted by ulysses

That's what's going on in the Super Stereo too, except it doesn't deactivate the rotary release control. You can have dual release times while still controlling the short-term release characteristic. I think that's pretty cool.

Wow! That IS pretty cool.. and very different than the original. Can't wait to hear it!

[Bang]

They're here folks. PM me or just visit the page, we'll have a credit card system on the page by Monday but you can put an order in now via Paypal..

Everything you want in a mixbuss compressor, and with the 1.5:1 mode and the 150Hz sidechain filter, its an amazing mastering compressor for the final glue... I am not sales guy and I don't plan to be one, but I will be selling products that I actually USE and LOVE in my mixing... so I want to share the wealth, everyone needs to hear this comp!

www.slatestudios.com/sales.html

[Jax]

Originally Posted by Ribbonmicguy

As a mix compressor, I would want an accurate way to archive the setting for total recall.
Thus, detents are always cooler than not. :D

A good digital camera is my best friend when it comes to recall on the outboard...

Occam's Razor-ish, ain't it?

[Bang]

Here is a link to a mix done with the RMS Folcrom to a Trident S20 then 2buss compressed via the RMS Super Stereo compressor. Mix notes also said Sonalksis eqs were used.

http://www.blacklinerock.com/music/a...edomaster2.m4a

WORKS NOW!! SORRY!

email me if you are interested in our "hear before you buy" system... carry on
producer@slatestudios.com

[TheSweetener]

Originally Posted by Bang

Here is a link to a mix done with the RMS Folcrom to a Trident S20 then 2buss compressed via the RMS Super Stereo compressor. Mix notes also said Sonalksis eqs were used.

http://www.blacklinerock.com/music/a...edomaster2.m4a

email me if you are interested in our "hear before you buy" system... carry on
producer@slatestudios.com

Hey Bang,
the link does not work!

[Bang]

works now, sorry! again, DAW to DA 16 to Folcrom to Trident Mic Pre to RMS Super Stereo Compressor:

http://www.blacklinerock.com/music/a...edomaster2.m4a

[RKrizman]

I'm just getting a bunch of gibberish text. (on a Mac w/ Safari)

-R

[drew]

option click to DL to the desktop. remove .txt if needed.
drew

[Bang]

Originally Posted by RKrizman

I'm just getting a bunch of gibberish text. (on a Mac w/ Safari)

-R

I'm on PC Rick, I just right click and right click and save target as.. I guess follow drew's instructions and see if that works.

[warhead]

I got to hear this comp at AES and it certainly is promising. We also have units en route available by the way.

War

[ulysses]

As you might have guessed by all of the discussion going on, the Super Stereo has begun shipping. There are a very few of them out there now, in the hands of a few of our best dealers. Mercenary, Atlas, Front End, and Slate Studios have each gotten at least one unit. This first run was very small though, and I don't expect these units to be around for very long. Not to worry, we've got a slightly larger production run in the pipe right now and I expect to be shipping them right around the first of the year.

[Fletcher]

I have to say... it's a pretty damn cool box that doesn't sound like anything in the arsenal... now something else has to go from the current offerings in the racks, I'm not sure what it's going to be, but something will be moving out in the next week or two to make room for the new Roll box...

Nice work Justin... nice work.

[Coldsnow]

Is it a take off on the Gyraf Gssl? Looks very similar. I've built a couple, they sound great.

[Bang]

It doesn't sound like the SSL comp. To my ears it sounds BIGGER and puffier on the top end. I love it.