The Force...oh, and versatility...my numbers 2 and 3 are extremely good at what they are good at, but my number 1 is good with multiple source types...if I could, I'd own all three...disclaimer, the CAPI is the only one I haven't heard real time or owned, but I own a VP28 and love it

I have been gassing for a Cali 76 lately

I have a Compulator, What was the mod?

I have the Elysia M-pressor and it is a wonderful piece.Not a 500 but in general the company is great and I imagine the 500 is on par. The build is really solid and it has many sound options from subtle to aggresive and everything in between.

I bought the JLM LA500A. Really happy with it. Can't comment on the others.

just my 2 cents but the jlm la500 sounds amazing. It sounds big, airy, and have something of like cleaning the dirt and sit perfectly in the mix. the slow attack mod makes a great low end. And cherry on the cake the price is really nice.

SO I had to be back home so I could dig my notes on the compulator:
Basically I introduced a switch so I could a wima polypropylene 0.01uF cap or a Muse High Quality Bipolar 0.47uF cap on the input.

That way you have guitar or Bass input and changes everything.

Indeed it is a reasonably fast OPTO compressor for a Bass..
it used a VTL5C10 opto which is 1ms att/1.5sec release if I am not mistaking
A VTL5C2 is given for 3.5ms / 500ms.
So one could experiment in changing the Opto and see what happens.

But just the input cap worked for me.
I really don't know why I sold it!! Aagggrr It was a keeper..

Opto are always Keepers.
I have a Art levelar .. completely modified. used unbalanced and sometimes balanced with an external unit.
this unit is absolutely fantastic: yet one would think it is a $50 piece or crap.
But with the right mods and a fantastic hand selected tube.. man it is brilliant.

I find the cali76 expensive for what it is.
Luckily I can use it combined also with a balancing unit so it become my poorman's studio 1176.
But I love opto for bass. still.
I have a Xotic sp. it is ok on guitar super small, a bit useless on Bass unless I use it in conjonction with effects. But ultimately I can't make up my mind whether I like it.
I've ordered a Xotic driver which is suppose to be fantastic. I will make up my mind then wether both pedals together are worth keeping in a pedal board. My guess it will be great on a small rig to get the sound you want in very smal footprint and a clean amp or even a PA possibly.. Will see

Thanks Martin

I was thinking of the Cali TX version for balanced out to track direct into source.

thanks again

I suppose it is fine. they use nice transformer or you can choose it If I remember.

Personally I do balance everything I need myself because I have few active faders from TAB an Neumann. and they are superb for that . all it needs is a unbalanced insert . Those are going really cheap and really good to have.

Something to bare in mind always with digital and DAW recording.
Although I love hardware equipment
Be aware that going in and out of the box adds the device noise particularly a compressor limiter.
More importantly it adds all the nastiness of the ADDA converters each times.

I don't really like plug ins but it has to be said that in most situation it is more appropriate these days. Unless you record analog on tape all the way of course.

I've ordered a capi FC526 that has already landed in France so i should get it soon. I think there's quite a lot of work due to the three opamp to build and the calibration to do but as soon as it woks i'll let you know my thoughts compare to the la500a.

brilliant.. I am looking forward to hear from You Ludovic. Actually I still haven't purchase.. I've had to make some drastic changes in my studio.. I am now on New MacboocPro, Aurora on Thunderbolt and I am about to purchase a Raven MTi2 which I will review.

Aurora is not in my budget but everything they make looks so tasty! I would love to use their products!

interestingly I haven't paid for any equipment for few years now. it is all budgeted from item sold and from few equipment I make and shift on regular basis. So I build an asset for audio that way and I offset it from tax.. it is all good.
But I am reasonable anyway.
I bought the aurora16 a few years ago £1400 which were a bargain then.
I used AES16e-50 pcie card on PC and AES loom with aurora. the sell of the pcie paid for the thunderbolt card. I must confess this system is elegant. and I really like aurora converters. It is important to have a good converter to rely on..

my secondary interface is USB Komplete Audio 6..
One would thing Dj stuff .. not PRO.. well it is a really good interface with very low latency and good quality audio. in a list of small interfaces It ticked a lot of boxes for £100 second hand.
Since I will never require micpre from an interface. I am fine.. but I digress.haha
still going on about it.. imagine you can have 12xaurora16 daisy chained with 2 thunderbolts on a Macbookpro...haha crazy.192 analog io..
BTW one aurora16 thunderbolt delivers 16 analog io but also an other 16 AES io also. just infos..

Oh i'm sorry i have misunderstood. I thought you were using some aurora audio stuffs. My bad

oh.. no.. can't afford that..

The la500 from jlm is a no brainer, the sound it gives makes it worth 3x what you pay, let alone for the kit.

Yes really, plus the change with the euro zone is much more interesting than with the us dol.

Got my matched pair two days ago and made a short clip ot both units in action...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMnTUl8t_aY