It’s been few years since the premiere of EMPEROR. Within the time we managed to accumulate few precious remarks and experiences resulting from the reality of studio work. Initially the EMPEROR lacked deliberately the gain reduction indicator. Is was supposed to increase the creativity during work and make one rely solely on hearing and not looking at an indicator.
However this solution makes sense when working only with the EMPEROR, when with more units, during a recording session or mixing it’s worth to actually “see” what is happening on individual tracks and devices. This is why the new version of EMPEROR LIMITER does have gain reduction and output level showing on two big VU meters.
An additional improvement to the new version is introducing selected capacitors, designed specifically for audio processing, in the signal path, which positively influences the quality of processed signal and predisposes the device also to the use in mastering. EMPEROR LIMITER adds depth and tridimensional space to the sound, as well as subtly widens the stereo base. This allows the recordings to sound louder, through the increase RMS level.
Thanks to this our recordings have analogue strong character perfectly complementing the ever present digital technology.
EMPEROR LIMITER is a creative device giving the sound a powerful, analog character. It’s not transparent. EMPEROR uniquely enhances the perceived loudness, warms up and brightens the audio signal, depending on the DRIVE settings.
The very core of the EMPEROR LIMITER is a FET transistor responsible for sound reduction and introduction of a small amount of low order harmonics, and it’s design is inspired by the limiters and transistor compressors from the 60-ties. Apart from that EMPEROR LIMITER includes many original solutions stemmed from a long-term experience of Looptrotter in construction of dynamics processors, which guarantees unique sound.
EMPEROR LIMITER is equipped with two, independently working filters embedded in the control circuit. This gives the possibility to create the timbre without unwelcome phase shifting: in case of cutting the low frequencies in the control signal, the EMPEROR LIMITER acts more transparent and natural with the signals rich in low frequencies like kick drum, or bass guitar. This can decrease the distortion of low frequencies and the pumping effect; while boosting the high frequencies in the control signal the EMPEROR LIMITER acts like an analog de-esser, or very fast compressor for bright and dynamic instruments.
EMPEROR LIMITER offers three factory presets of attack/release:
• FAST – the fastest setting of processor’s attack and release makes the EMPEROR LIMITER work as a limiter. This preset gives rich, dense input signal saturation;
• MED – this preset makes the EMPEROR LIMITER work like a fast compressor;
• SLOW – this preset makes the EMPEROR LIMITER work more like an analog compressor than limiter.
EMPEROR LIMITER has also an independent control over DRY and WET signal. This allows to decide whether the audio tracks need only slight colorization, preserving the original dynamics, or if running the signal through EMPEROR LIMITER in 100% is required.
The signal path of the EMPEROR LIMITER is 100% analog, but all the signal switches and potentiometers are digital. The LINK option allows the control of both channels through left channel only. The 1% potentiometers used guarantee precise concurrency of both channels.
VU meters showing gain reduction or output level - switchable.
EMPEROR LIMITER is an analog device, accurate and reliable.
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