| Content | The Scarlett OctoPre is the ideal 8-channel expansion for any Scarlett - or other digital interface with ADAT inputs. ADAT is a simple and easy way of increasing the number of simultaneous recording channels available in your studio. With eight channels of Focusrite's 2nd generation Scarlett preamps and precision A-D conversion at sample rates up to 192 kHz, Scarlett OctoPre is the ideal way of increasing the number of inputs in your studio. It also offers eight balanced line outputs, sourced directly from their respective mic preamps for use on stage in a live environment.
Eight natural-sounding 2nd generation Scarlett mic/line inputs deliver high headroom, plenty of clean gain, low noise and minimal distortion - ideal for tracking drums as well guitars, keyboards, vocals and more. The front panel features two newly-designed instrument inputs with extended headroom. ADAT outputs let you connect to any interface or digital system with ADAT optical inputs, and analogue line outputs let you feed an analogue console at the same time as recording with the digital outputs.
- Eight natural-sounding 2nd generation Scarlett mic preamps
- Eight balanced line inputs
- Focusrite precision A-D conversion up to sample rates of 192 kHz
- Dual front-panel instrument inputs
- Pad on every channel for extra headroom - ideal for loud sources such as drums
- Eight balanced line outputs - ideal for live use
- Accurate 5-segment LED input metering
- Simple ADAT connectivity via optical cables
- 48V Phantom power available on every channel for condenser mics
- State-of-the-art digital clocking with Word Clock I/O for synchronisation with external devices
Create studio quality vocals, powerful guitars, luscious keys and huge drums, then mix and master with iconic Focusrite studio hardware – all in the box. Every new Focusrite Scarlett 3rd Gen interface comes with an unbeatable range of tried-and tested studio tools from some of the biggest names in the business:
- Antares Auto-Tune Access
- Relab’s LX480 Essentials
- Softube Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555
- XLN Audio Addictive Keys
- XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2: Studio Rock kit
- Brainworx bx_oberhausen
- Brainworx bx_console Focusrite SC
- Focusrite Red Plug-in Suite
- Brainworx bx_masterdesk
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- FAST – Fast Attack (750us), Fast Release (130ms)
- MF – Medium Attack (2.25ms), Fast Release (130ms)
- MED – Medium Attack (2.25ms), Medium Release (400ms)
- MS – Medium Attack (4ms), Slow Release (725ms)
- SLOW – Slow Attack (10ms), Slow Release (1S)
- AUTO – Medium Attack (5ms), Dual Decay Release (T1 500ms, T2 1s)The LINK switch allows the compressor to be linked to another 535 compressor module via a sidechain control voltage. In link mode, the compressor generating the greater sidechain voltage (resulting in higher amounts of compression) will control the compression of both audio signal paths to maintain proper stereo center image while compressing. Note: it is advisable to always audition the unlinked sound as well, to decide if the benefit of a constant stereo center image is worth the potential trade-off of reduced left / right independence in the stereo field.
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SIDECHAIN HPF
- The S/C HPF switch allows the user to insert a 12dB/octave 150Hz high-pass filter in the compressor sidechain. When this filter is engaged, the compressor will be considerably less responsive to information below 150Hz. For example: if used on a drum kit, the low end of the kick drum would have less proportional effect on the compression than a snare drum or cymbals, since a significant portion of the kick drum’s dynamic energy is focused below 150Hz.
LEVEL AND GAIN REDUCTION METERING
- These two LED meters provide accurate representations of both the output level of the compressor and the amount of gain reduction being applied to the input signal.
| Rupert Neve Designs Portico 542 500 Series Tape FX Standard
FEATURES
- Add depth and character to your sound
- Control the mix of pre and post tape signals
- Send signals through "True Tape" circuitry
- Silk circuit, reduces negative feedback, adding harmonic content as needed
- Red Silk accentuates the saturation in the mid and high frequencies
- Use soft clip to tame overly transient material like drums
- Provides +/- 12dB adjustment of level on incoming signal levels
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Rupert Neve Designs Portico 542 500 Series Tape FX
- Line Amp Specifications (Measurements with tape circuit disengaged)
- Noise: Measured at Main Output, un-weighted, 20Hz-22kHz, Input Terminated 40 Ohms.
- Unity Gain Better than -100dBu
- Frequency Response
- Measured at +10dBu, trim at unity.
- Main Output +/- 0.25dB from 5Hz to 60Khz -2dB @ 120KHz
- Maximum Output Level 23.25dBu
- Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise:
- @ 1kHz, +20dBu output level Better than 0.0025% @ 20Hz, +20dBu output level 0.07% Typical (2nd and 3rd harmonic)
- Tape FX Specifications
- Noise:
- Measured at Main Output, un-weighted, 20Hz-22kHz, Input Terminated 40 Ohms.
- Saturation @ minimum Better than -100dBu Saturation @ maximum Better than -100dBu
- Frequency Response:
- 15 IPS, Input @ -0 dBu -3dBu @ 28kHz Saturation @ minimum 0dBu @ 10Hz +5dBu Peak @ 60Hz
- Saturation @ maximum -3dBu @ 20kHz -3dBu @ 12.5Hz +2.4dBu Peak @ 60Hz
- 30 IPS, Input @ -0 dBu -3dBu @ 120kHz Saturation @ minimum -3dBu @ 10Hz +3.15dBu Peak @ 125Hz
- Saturation @ maximum -3dBu @ 100kHz -3dBu @ 12.5Hz
- +1.3dBu Peak @ 110Hz
- Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise
- Refer to sweeps on page10 15 IPS, Input @ -0 dBu 0.4% @ 3kHz to 1% @ 175Hz typical
- Saturation @ minimum Greater than 1% below 175Hz typical
- Saturation @ maximum 1% at 6kHz typical 0.3% @ 1kHz to 3% @ 50Hz typical
- 30 IPS, Input @ -0 dBu 1% at 1kHz typical
- Saturation @ minimum 0.6% @ 400Hz 5% @ 20Hz typical
- Saturation @ maximum 1.5% @ 20kHz to 0.4% @ 1kHz typical 0.4% @ 1kHz to 2 %@ 50Hz typical
- Power requirements:
- Supplied by 500 series rack with 110-125 mA @ +/- 16V DC
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The Cranborne Audio 500R8 is, essentially, a studio in a rack. It’s an 8-slot high-current 500 Series chassis, a 28-in/30-out USB interface, an analog summing mixer, a zero-latency artist mixer, and a monitor controller — everything you need to build your dream hybrid analog/digital studio. The 500R8 is fitted with high-performance AD-DA conversion, reference-grade headphone amplifiers, a reference-quality master clock, and more. In fact, there’s very little you can’t do with the Cranborne Audio 500R8. Configure it to suit your preferred analog flavoring for any source. Pack it with vintage-style 500 Series preamps for recording drums; clean, pristine preamps for vocals; and EQ, compression, and saturation modules when it’s time for mixdown.
USB audio interface
Connect the 500R8 directly to your Mac or PC via USB and utilize the 500R8’s onboard 28-in/30-out USB audio interface for recording and playback directly to and from your digital audio workstation of choice.
Discrete summing mixer
Give your mix the crowning touch of analog character by sending submixes and stems back through your 500 Series modules, into the 500R8’s discrete analog summing mixer, and back into your DAW.
Monitor controller
Use the 500R8’s onboard high-headroom monitor controller to switch between two sets of speakers, toggle mono sum, mute, dim, and talkback facilities while monitoring the peak level of your mix on the high-resolution 28-segment LED meter.
 Shown with optional 500 Series modules
Audiophile headphone amps and zero-latency artist mixer
Drive any headphones with 500R8’s two reference-grade headphone amplifiers — they have enough power to drive low-impedance ’phones with gobs of headroom and a linear frequency response to below 1Hz! Use the 500R8’s two aux buses to create pristine analog cue mixes that you can blend with DAW playback and send to the talent with zero latency.
World-class conversion and clocking
For the musician who wants to get down to business, it may be hard to get excited about conversion and clocking. But engineers at Sweetwater get to check out the best of them — and we’re amped about these converters. They’re touted as best-in-class and flaunt truly impressive specs such as under .5 picoseconds of jitter. But none of that really matters when you hear the fullness of your stereo image bloom with jaw-dropping sonic clarity.
Connect the 500R8 to your macOS or Windows computer and capture every nuance of your sources with reference-grade AD/DA conversion and world-class internal clocking. Effortlessly pass audio between analog and digital worlds without the digital artifacts that color, cloud, and degrade your recordings. The only coloration you will hear is intentional — your microphone placements, mixing decisions, and the 500 Series modules you’ve chosen to use. And with word clock I/O, you can even share the 500R8’s world-class clocking with the rest of your digital gear.
Ample I/O and configurable front end
The 500R8 has generous I/O to integrate with all of your analog and digital hardware, so you can mix and match your 500 Series modules and find the best combinations during recording and mixing to help create your own signature analog sound. You can even integrate your 19" rack units via the 500R8 s dedicated per-slot TRS insert jacks.
C.A.S.T. away
Spec’d with Cranborne’s innovative C.A.S.T. system, the 500R8 does away with excess cable spaghetti, delivering a cost-effective, low-maintenance, plug-and-play solution by transmitting four channels of balanced analog audio over shielded Cat 5 Ethernet cable directly to the destination of your choice.
Handy source select
Re-patch your 500R8 at a flick of a switch. Dedicated source select switches for each 500 Series slot adjusts signal routing to send analog, C.A.S.T., or USB sources through each of your modules. Unused 500 Series slots? Bypass them using the 500R8’s dedicated slot-bypass switch.
 Shown with optional modules and Cranborne 500ADAT
Expandable, in the studio or on the road
When you’re ready for additional 500 Series connectivity, connect your 500R8 with Cranborne Audio’s 500ADAT via ADAT for 16 channels of 500 Series modules. Housed in a 19" 4U rack-mountable rugged steel frame, the 500R8 makes an ideal 500 Series chassis for mobile recording setups. Packed with cool, useful features, the Cranborne Audio 500R8 is one of the more innovative pieces of pro audio gear we’ve seen at Sweetwater. Trust us — you will be impressed.
Cranborne Audio 500R8 8-slot 500 Series Chassis and USB Audio Interface Features:
- 28-in/30-out USB interface, summing mixer, artist mixer, and monitor controller
- Low-latency USB 2.0 interface:
- Compatible with macOS and Windows computers
- ADAT I/O (16x16 channels @ 44.1/48kHz, 8x8 channels @ 88.2/96kHz)
- S/PDIF I/O; 5-pin MIDI I/O
- High-performance A/D conversion:
- Dynamic range: 121dB A-weighted dynamic range, 20Hz–20kHz
- Frequency response: 2.2Hz to >80kHz (-1dB)
- THD+N: <0.00032% (-110dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz–40kHz (1kHz, A-weighted)
- Max input level: +24dBu
- High-performance D/A conversion:
- Dynamic range: 121dB A-weighted, 20Hz–20kHz
- Frequency response: <1Hz to >61kHz (-1dB)
- THD+N: <0.0003% (-110.5dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz–40kHz (1kHz, A-weighted)
- Max Output Level: +24dBu
- Reference-quality internal master clock:
- Sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192kHz; <0.5ps jitter
- Dedicated word clock I/O via BNC
- External sync options using word clock BNC, S/PDIF, or ADAT
- Monitor controller with talkback:
- Speaker A/B switching, mono check, dim, mute, and 28-segment peak meter
- Dedicated talkback input with phantom power, push-to-talk activation, and automatic routing to all headphone and C.A.S.T. facilities
- Easy-access illuminated front panel controls for all monitor controller functions
- Analog summing mixer:
- 8x2 analog summing mixer with +26.5dBu of headroom and dedicated ADC
- Balanced 1/4" jack outputs
- C.A.S.T. link port for increasing Summing Mixer to 16x2 using Cranborne Audio 500ADAT
- Zero-latency Artist Mixer:
- Analog Artist Mixer with per-channel physical level/pan controls and DAW return blend controls
- 2 high-power headphone outputs with independent blend and level controls
- Reference-grade headphone amplifier:
- THD+N: <0.0006% (-104.4dB) @ 20dBu, 1kHz A-weighted, 300 ohm load
- Output wattage (1kHz): 250mW x 2 @ 600 ohms, 650mW x 2 @ 220 ohms, 1.21W x 2 @ 100 ohms, 500mW x 2 @ 32 ohms
- Frequency Response: <1Hz to >70kHz (1dB)
- High-current 8-slot 500 Series rack:
- Per-slot current: 250mA , 2A total for all slots
- XLR inputs, XLR line outputs, and TRS Inserts (pre-ADC) per 500 Series slot
- Module source switching options to send Analog, USB or external C.A.S.T. signals through 500 Series modules
- Per-slot module bypass switches allowing 500R8 to be used without 500 Series modules installed
- C.A.S.T. compatible:
- C.A.S.T. ports per channel for routing analog I/O using passive or active C.A.S.T. breakout boxes via standard Cat 5 cable
- External power supply:
- 24V, 5A external locking power supply for improved analog audio performance and heat dissipation
- Designed and engineered in the UK:
- Each 500R8 is extensively tested by a team of dedicated engineers to ensure reliability and consistency.
| FEATURES
- 12-way precision rotary switch controls gain from 0 to 66 dB in 6 dB steps
- Continuously variable +/-6 dB level control
- Silk circuit, reduces negative feedback, adding harmonic content as needed
- Red Silk accentuates the saturation in the mid and high frequencies
- Same presence and sweetness found in standard Portico Series modules
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Number of Channels |
Single |
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Inputs |
1x XLR, balanced |
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Output |
1x XLR, transformer-balanced |
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Maximum Output Level |
+23dBu |
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Meter |
8 segment LED meter |
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Power Requirements |
Power Requirements @ +/-16VDC 100mA |
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Dimensions |
Not specified by manufacturer |
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Box Dimensions (LxWxH) |
10.2 x 7.8 x 2" |
| The product that started it all for Empirical Labs. Born of founder Dave Derr’s love of classic compressors like the 1176, LA-2A and Gain Brain (among others), the Distressor incorporates his favorite sonic characteristics of these, along with other unique and interesting features that have made it a staple for audio engineers all over the world. With over 28,000 units in the field, it’s safe to say that the Distressor is one of the best selling high end compressors of all time… if not THE best selling. A prominent recording engineer recently wagered that there probably was not a top 40 record made in the last five years that didn’t have at least one Distressor on it.
Besides providing a wide range of control and a unique feature set, the Distressor offers a warm, vintage sound by using a custom designed gain control circuit. This “warmth” or “vintage sound” has become a major issue in the last few decades, as the super clear and linear digital technology does next to nothing to soften “harsh” sounds, nor emphasize the bass frequencies in music sources. Conversely, older analog tape, vinyl records and tube equipment could not be prevented from coloring the sound, often to the frustration of recording engineers. However, many people now realize that this coloring can be extremely pleasant and musical. Digital technology is often referred to as “cold” and “brittle” among other terms (although we prefer “unforgiving”).
Unique Compression Curves
All eight of the Distressor’s curves are unique and distinctive, from the 1:1 mode that simply warms up signal with low order harmonics without intentional compression, to the “Nuke” setting – a brick wall limiting curve that shines on live drum room mics. Each curve has its own personality and several actually use different circuitry, and are effectively different compressors. Most exceptional is the 10:1 “Opto” ratio which uses separate detector circuitry to emulate the oldest (and valued) “light controlled” devices, such as the LA-2A.
Distortion (Color) Modes
Another large part of the Distressor’s personality and power derive from three modes that color the signal, even without compression. These extended audio modes were designed to allow emulation of some very old and expensive vintage compressors & limiters, and let the Distressor deliver a classic “knee” sound all its own by providing user programmable, warm harmonic distortion. In addition to the basic distortion mode, Distort 2 emphasizes tube-like 2nd order harmonics, while in Distort 3 setting the distortion becomes dominated by 3rd harmonics more closely resembling tape. Two HP filters – one in the audio path, one in the detector path – are also available to help with low frequencies that can cause pumping and breathing.
Go Stereo
For many Distressor owners, one is never enough – in fact, one extremely successful engineer has twelve of them! For those who want (at least) a stereo pair, ELI offers the EL8-S, a pair of Distressors that are matched at the factory, and come with the cables you need to lock them together.
- Frequency Response – 2 Hz to 160 kHz in clean audio mode (+0, -3 dB). Response is shaped in distortion modes (Dist 2, Dist 3).
- Dynamic Range – 110 dB from max. output to min. output in 1:1 mode. Greater than 100 dB signal to noise in distort 3 mode.
- Distortion – ranges between .02% and 20% depending on distortion mode and release times set on front panel.
- I/O – DC Coupled input and outputs.
- Time Constants – Attack range 50uS – 50mS. Release range .05 sec to 3.5 seconds, normal modes and up to 20 seconds in 10:1 opto mode. Time constants are dependent on ratio.
- Power Consumption – 15 Watts Max.
- Metal Chassis – single height 1.75″ high, 10″ deep, 19″ wide.
- Shipping info – 24.2 lbs Stereo pair. Stereo Pair box dimensions 22.5″ x 18.5″ x 6 1/4.
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