| TL Audio Ivory 5021 2-Channel Tube Compressor
The TL Audio Ivory 5021 2-Channel Tube Compressor provides everything you would expect from a TL Audio compressor - first class audio quality, bags of flexibility and a price tag so modest you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a printing error! Now the new 5021 features hard and soft knee modes, four attack and release times, an improved optical gate design and an optional digital output. Like the C-1 compressor, the 5021 uses our own special transconductance amplifier design that avoids the use of VCAs - ensuring maximum audio transparency. So whether you’re hitting the end stops or just providing gentle dynamic control, the 5021 delivers super-smooth results every time!
The 5021 employs two valve stages per channel, in the form of a Sovtek ECC83/12AX7A twin triode valve run from a stabilised 150V DC supply. One stage is in the preamp, and the other is in the gain control element of the compressor.
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Optional Extras
Reviews
TapeOp
5021 : Review
"... the 5021 just plain sounds good, and you needn't fear using it on everything. You could easily record all of your tracks through the 5021 and still end up with a mix that's clear and coherent. Which is why the 5021 is a great first (or only) compressor, and why it's also a great go-to compressor even if you have a bunch of other, more specialized compressors in your rack.
But no matter how I patch the 5021 into my recording chain—or what source I'm processing—the input and output gain controls, as well as handy LED indicators for "drive" and peak levels of the tube stages, allow me to set up the compressor for clean, transparent gain-riding; sweet, bigger-than-life presentation for an up-front sound; or a bit of textured distortion for subtle aggression—and this vast range of behaviors is available at low or high compression ratios. Plus, a make-up gain knob, independent of the output knob, makes it easy to A/B the compressed versus uncompressed sound.
But if you're a veteran engineer, don't let my recommendation to compressor newbies stop you from checking out the 5021. The 5021 sounds great and is very flexible. It can give you clean, or it can give you character. And more importantly, it never sounds pinched. I own $30,000 worth of compressors, but the 5021 is still my favorite all-around compressor. I don't hesitate to use it on just about everything—which is why I own two now. Like all TL Audio products, the 5021 is manufactured in the UK. "
Sound on Sound
5021 : Magazine Review
"The compressor has the same gentle but flattering character as other TL Audio units I've tried. Though there are only two time constant buttons on the compressor, I didn't have any trouble at all getting the effect I wanted. Using the slow attack setting gives instruments such as acoustic guitar, bass and clean electric a bright, well defined attack, while choosing the faster setting produces a warmer start to the note. At modest settings, the compressor is both subtle and musical, while with high ratio settings and a fast attack time, it makes an effective limiter.
....On balance, the 5021 is an exceptional performer at the price....the compressor is a great all-rounder that sounds flattering, yet still very natural, and the tube warmth circuit goes just far enough without letting you overdo the effect. Having an instrument input also means the 5021 works well as a deluxe DI channel, and I used it successfully with both electric guitar and bass. Once again, a British manufacturer has proved that you don't have to buy an expensive import when the home grown equivalent is often both better and cheaper."
Studio Sound
5021 : Magazine Review
"An illuminating moment with the 5021 came when I plugged it up to a vocal track, and before I'd even brought the threshold down to make it do something, one of the band asked 'what have you done to the vocal? It sounds great.' For whatever reason, and whatever you think about valves, the voice sounded bigger and more lifelike, and I was then able to add compression to as gentle or as brutal degree as I wanted. The 5021 is just as happy on overall stereo programme compression, and here I found its high-level matching useful. The fact that DAT will produce +22dBm at digital full scale can be a worry to some equipment, and it is good to see this acknowledged by a circuit that can avoid being driven perilously close to its limits......Once again TL Audio has produced a compressor that, despite its price, could find itself among the first choices in a rack rather than the last resort workhorse. Recommended."
The Mix
5021 : Magazine Review
"During a mixdown session, the 5021 sat across the mixing desk's outputs, feeding the signal directly into a DAT machine. The right amount of compression added in this way can add the finishing touches to a mix, making it sound more produced and professional, and the 5021 was certainly up to the job, creating a nicely polished result. Also, good results came from single source processing of vocals, guitar and drums. Smooth compression proved that the lack of continuously variable attack and release controls was not a drawback....this is quality at a reasonable price." |
