Black Lion audio has announced Seventeen 500, a hardware take on what they think the 1176 could have been. We have the details.
Background
This is what they say;
“Black Lion Audio is proud to announce availability of Seventeen 500 as its 500-series spin on what the classic ’76 compressor could have been — benefitting from today’s technology to feature a redesigned and improved IC-based front end effectively rendering incredible detail and nuance not normally possible with a ’76-style compressor, yet taking things further still by bringing some features unavailable on original ’76s to the production party, packaged conveniently in a space-saving standardized format for modular signal processing — as of May 16…
Duly differentiating it from the classic ’76 compressor to which it owes its inspiration, Seventeen 500’s updated front-end circuit is coupled with Black Lion Audio’s custom-designed output transformer to achieve a huge bottom end that balances out its open top end nicely. Needless to say, that new IC-based front end furnishes Seventeen 500 with a clean, punchy, modern sound under light compression and a more colorful vintage character when pushed.
By bringing a proprietary power decoupling to the production party — providing an incredibly low noise floor, while also using high-grade Nichicon signal capacitors considered to be some of the best quality caps available, the boutique audio company concerned could easily have stopped there. But Black Lion Audio being Black Lion Audio, Seventeen 500 instead includes some significant additions and upgrades, such as a frequency-adjustable side-chain for preventing unwanted over- compression triggered by big low-frequency signals (such as kick drums) and a COMP MIX (wet/dry mix) knob for blending the dry signal with the compressed signal. But beyond offering a palette of tones unavailable anywhere else on the market, Seventeen 500 also includes all-important stereo LINK functionality.
Finally, Seventeen 500 allows for an ‘all-buttons-in’ mode, making it much easier to simultaneously engage multiple RATIO controls than on classic ’76 compressors, for instance. Indeed, Seventeen 500 makes use of modern buttons that are actually intended to be simultaneously depressed. After all, push-buttons styled on vintage automobile radios are arguably well past their sell-by date... unlike Black Lion Audio’s 500-series spin on what the classic ’76 compressor could have been.
Features
500-series version of Black Lion Audio’s take on the classic ’76 FET compressor/limiter
Improved and redesigned IC-based front end delivers:
Clean, punchy, modern sound under light compression
Colorful vintage character when pushed
Proprietary power decoupling for an impressively low noise floor
Employs high-grade Nichicon signal capacitors
Frequency-adjustable sidechain high-pass filter
Wet/Dry mix knob allows for parallel compression not available on vintage rackmount units
Stereo-linkable
Technical Specifications
Type: 500-series FET Compressor
Attack: Continuously variable 20uS to 800uS
Release: Continuously variable 1200mS to 50mS
Sidechain HPF: OFF, 100Hz, 200Hz
Ratio: Pushbutton selected 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, 20:1 or any other combination
Voltage: ± 16v
Dimensions: Width:76 mm (3”) Height: 178 mm (5.25”) Depth: 229 mm (9”)
Weight: 1.47 kg (3.25 lbs)
Manufacturer Part Number: Seventeen 500
A note on the Attack control: The Attack control on the Seventeen works a little differently than you may have encountered on other ‘76-style compressors. Turning the Attack knob to the left (counter-clockwise) will yield faster attack times; slower times result when turning to the right (clockwise). We’ve found this control scheme to be more intuitive; akin to a volume knob decreasing level to the left and increasing to the right.
Attack: Continuously variable 20uS to 800uS
Release: Continuously variable 1200mS to 50mS
Pricing
Seventeen 500 is available to purchase via Black Lion Audio’s growing global network of dealers/distributors (https://www.blacklionaudio.com/dealers) with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $499.00 USD and an SRP (Suggested Retail Price) of €665.00 EUR (including VAT).