Description
The ARX Afterburner is an unusual two-channel compressor which can be used as two mono, one stereo or a single-channel, dual-band compressor. In dual-band mode it splits the incoming signal between the two sections, processing each separately before recombining them. The result is a true dual-band compressor with individual controls for each band
The Afterburner is a VCA compressor with Threshold and Output controls and Ratio continuously variable from 1:1 to ∞:1. It has an Enhance button to “restore spectral balance of compressed signal”. There are in / out switches per-channel plus a stereo link switch and a master Dual Channel / Low-High Mode switch. Output Level and Gain Reduction are shown on LED meters and there’s a sidechain insert jack on the back panel
“I remember a couple of years ago using the Afterburner compressor and at the time I was rather impressed”
“ARXafterburner is way cool…”
“Look for an afterburner they are fantastic”
“I think an afterburner purchase might be in my future too”
I fired up the Afterburner and tried it out with material I know well. Dual Band mode is great on vocals and bass guitar as you can dial back the threshold on the low end, to prevent the low end pumping the signal too much, and have different ratios for the low & high bands. It’s definitely something to experiment with
In Dual Channel mode, with small amounts of gain reduction, it’s a good-sounding compressor that doesn’t draw too much attention to itself. Driven harder, the Afterburner begins to pump nicely and sounds properly compressed. It changes character quite dramatically
Most low-cost VCA compressors are bland & boring. The Afterburner overcomes this with an innovative dual-band mode and lots of attitude when pushed hard. It packs two channels into a 1U space, links nicely for stereo and sounds great
