The Alice 538 Lunchbox OPTO Stereo Compressor has

• Ted Fletcher’s historic opto compression design

• Perfect ‘Hard-Wired’ by-pass for instant comparisons

• Wide range ratios from gentle to brutal

• Accurate UV compression metering on a real meter

• Extreme stereo width control

The 538T is designed for creative compression effects that are difficult to achieve with plug-ins. It’s capable of extreme compression just as Ted’s original Joe Meek SC2 V5; amazing drum sounds! It’s also super-quality ‘Levelling Amplifier’ with the sparkle of a well-designed opto compressor

Mechanical

The 538T occupies two spaces in a standard API 500 series rack using normal ins and outs for left and right

Inputs & Outputs

Left and Right balanced or unbalanced inputs

Left and Right balanced outputs via hand matched OEP Z3001C canned transformers

Imaging

Variable width control from full ‘mono’ via true L/R stereo up to 150% stereo width

Metering

Easy-to-read analogue meter reading audio (UV) or compression depth (comp)

Specification

INPUTS · 10K impedance differential balanced. OUTPUTS · Floating balanced 50 ohm.  Max balanced output approx. +26dBu GAIN · Maximum 24dB NOISE · At least 80dB below operating level Dynamic range exceeds 100dB. HARMONIC DISTORTION · Generally within 0.005%. 2nd order harmonic distortion rises at lower frequencies under compression. AMPLITUDE FREQUENCY RESPONSE · Line in 20Hz to 20KHz within 1dB. AUDIO CROSSTALK · the 538 uses M/S processing (sum and difference) with ‘side’ content variable via the width control. With width set at 100% L/R crosstalk can be better than -50dB. COMPRESSOR · Photoresistive servo operated feedback type· Ratio non-linear;  minimum approx. 1.2 to 1 maximum approx. 8 to 1. Sidechain filtered for correct bass compression.Attack time 1mS min. 10mS max. (variable) Release time 200mS min 1.5S max. (variable) CONNECTIONS · via 2 X 500 series sockets. POWER · 3  Watts. Powered from 500 series rack. +ve rail 68mA, -ve rail 106mA. HOUSING · 2 spaces of 500 series rack.