Description
Aphex carved a niche in the signal processing market, first with the Aural Exciter, then with a series of superb compressor / leveller units such as the Dominator. They are all super-transparent units with no discernible “sound”. They use proprietary Aphex algorithms to determine attack & release times and to hold gain reduction when required. Aphex units were popular in American broadcast setups and many sat in racks for a decade or more controlling levels to the transmitter. They are beautifully-made with substantial front panels & steel cases, balanced XLR inputs & outputs and very high quality circuitry
The Studio Dominator 700 is a multiband unit with adjustable high and low eq with switchable crossover frequencies. The equaliser is pre-compressor so affects the amount of gain reduction
Predictably, release time has a huge effect on the audibility of gain reduction. With slow release times the Dominator 700 will coast like an Aphex Compellor, always with some gain reduction going on but, at shorter settings, it can get quite aggressive with audible pumping
The peak limiter allows a maximum output level to be set and the output won’t exceed that level. Increasing drive makes gives more compression and makes the signal denser. Whether this is very audible depends mainly on release time. It also has a switchable TEC “Transient Enhancer Control” which is an Aphex tweak designed to allow transients to be less affected by the limiting process
Output level is set by a rotary switch and has two ranges to allow operating levels to match most external equipment. It’s a little confusing at first but, when you realise Aphex were thinking about broadcast, it makes sense – set a maximum output level then use the drive pot to get the required amount of gain reduction
Front panel controls are:
- Drive
- Process (off / on)
- LF EQ (+/- 6)
- LF crossover frequency (80 / 160 Hz)
- HF EQ (+/- 6)
- HF crossover frequency (1700 / 4500 Hz)
- Release Time
- Stereo tracking (off / on)
- Output ceiling switch
- Range (low / hi)
- TEC (off / on)
- Gain Reduction metering
Unusually for Aphex, the 700 can be made to sound quite dramatic. The later Dominator 720/722 models are a lot subtler which may or may not be a advantage for you
Tested & working well with one caveat: One setting of the output ceiling switch has no output. All other settings are OK, so everything works fine if you avoid that setting. Photos show the compressor for sale
