Cranborne Audio Audio Brick Lane Compressor 500 Series Module

Brick Lane is Cranborne Audio’s flagship 500 Series PWM compressor, designed in the UK to deliver everything from invisible dynamic control to explosive, harmonically rich character. With six distinct compression modes, a unique Stress control and ultra-fast analogue lookahead, it is a flexible mix and tracking tool for engineers who want modern precision with musical analogue tone.

At the heart of Brick Lane is a custom pulse width modulation compression circuit running at 250 kHz. This topology gives you vanishingly low distortion when you want clean, hi-fi control, but also lets you dial in serious colour using the Stress control for harmonically enriched compression effects. Whether you are tightening a vocal, smashing a drum bus or adding glue to a mix, Brick Lane can be tailored to the source with precise, stepped controls and wide-ranging input and output gain.

Six carefully voiced compression modes – Velvet, Float, Smash, Tame, Glue and Polish – reconfigure ratio, knee, style and rate of change so you can move quickly from gentle levelling to aggressive pumping without getting lost in menus. Attack and Release are continuously variable within each mode, giving you detailed control while keeping the workflow fast and intuitive. A 12-segment input/output meter and 12-segment gain reduction meter make it easy to see exactly what is happening to your signal at a glance.

Brick Lane is also built for modern hybrid and stereo workflows. OptoSync wireless communication and a dedicated ⅛" TRS link allow you to run multiple modules as a perfectly matched stereo or multi-mono compressor, with auto-calibration ensuring consistent performance across units. With selectable sidechain high-pass filters, true bypass switching and impressive technical performance, Brick Lane is a powerful, studio-grade compressor module for any 500 Series rack.

Six Characterful Compression Modes

Brick Lane’s six modes – Velvet, Float, Smash, Tame, Glue and Polish – instantly set the ratio, knee, style and behaviour of the compressor. This lets you move quickly between subtle levelling, transient shaping, heavy parallel-style smash and mix-bus glue without complex setup, so you can stay focused on the music rather than the maths.

Stress Control for Harmonic Colour

The custom Stress control introduces harmonically enriched compression effects, adding up to 20 percent THD depending on settings and programme material. Use it to add bite to drums, presence to vocals or density to synths and guitars, turning Brick Lane from a transparent dynamics tool into a creative tone-shaping processor.

Precision Metering and Stepped Controls

A 12-segment LED level meter and 12-segment gain reduction meter provide clear visual feedback of both signal level and compression depth. Combined with stepped front-panel controls, Brick Lane offers quick recall, consistent stereo matching and a precise, tactile feel that suits professional mix and mastering environments.

Stereo Linking and Sidechain Flexibility

OptoSync wireless communication and a ⅛" TRS link allow effortless stereo or multi-module operation with automatic calibration for perfect channel matching. Four selectable sidechain high-pass filter settings (Off, 60 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz) help keep low-end energy from over-triggering the compressor, ideal for kick-heavy mixes and full-range programme material.

• Custom PWM Compression Circuit - A pulse width modulation compression element running at 250 kHz delivers ultra-clean performance with extremely low distortion, while retaining the musicality and feel of a high-end analogue compressor.
• Six Versatile Compression Modes - Velvet, Float, Smash, Tame, Glue and Polish reconfigure ratio, knee and behaviour so you can quickly dial in the right style of compression for tracking, mixing or bus work.
• Stress Harmonic Control - Dedicated Stress control introduces controllable harmonic content across a 200 Hz to 6.2 kHz range, letting you move from transparent control to bold, saturated character without additional processors.
• Stereo Linking with OptoSync - Built-in OptoSync wireless communication and a ⅛" TRS link enable precise stereo operation between adjacent or non-adjacent modules, with auto-calibration ensuring tight, reliable channel matching.

General

• Format: 500 Series module
• Compression Element: Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
• Switching Frequency: 250 kHz
• Compression Modes: Velvet, Float, Smash, Tame, Glue, Polish
• Controls: Threshold, Attack, Release, Input Gain, Output/Make-up Gain, Mode selection, Stress
• Bypass: True-bypass IN/OUT switching with complete or post input trim modes (DIP switch selectable)
• Front Panel: Stepped controls for quick recall

Audio Performance

• Max Input Level: +24 dBu (<0.003% THD)
• Max Output Level: +26.5 dBu (<0.003% THD)
• Frequency Response: ±0.5 dB, 2 Hz to 80 kHz
• Noise Floor: <-100 dBu (unweighted)
• Dynamic Range: >118 dB
• Input Impedance: 43 kOhms (line)
• Output Impedance: 150 Ohms (line)

Compression Characteristics

• Distortion (THD+N), 0 dB Gain Reduction: <0.0006% THD+N, <0.00025% THD
• Distortion (THD), 5 dB Gain Reduction: <0.00085% THD
• Distortion (THD), 10 dB Gain Reduction: <0.00085% THD
• Distortion (THD), 20 dB Gain Reduction: <0.00085% THD
• Harmonics (Stress Control): <20% THD depending on conditions
• Harmonic Frequency Range: 200 Hz to 6.2 kHz
• Minimum Attack Time (Standard): 6 nanoseconds (2 microseconds processing delay)
• Minimum Attack Time (Polish Mode with Analogue Lookahead): 6 nanoseconds (0 nanoseconds processing delay at 20 kHz)

Sidechain and Metering

• Sidechain HPF: Selectable Off, 60 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz
• Level Metering: 12-segment LED level meter
• Gain Reduction Metering: 12-segment LED gain reduction meter

Gain Structure

• Input Gain Range: ±20 dB
• Output/Make-up Gain Range: ±20 dB

Stereo Linking

• OptoSync: Wireless communication between modules for linked controls in stereo operation
• Link I/O: ⅛" TRS socket for linking non-adjacent modules
• Calibration: Circuit auto-calibration for stereo matching between modules

Power and Environmental

• Current Draw: 140 mA per rail (typical), 160 mA per rail (max)
• Operating Temperature: +1 to 35 degrees Celsius
• Storage Temperature: -20 to 50 degrees Celsius

Physical

• Width: 170 mm (6.6")
• Height: 31 mm (1.2")
• Depth: 133 mm (5.2")
• Unit Weight: 0.4 kg (0.9 lbs)
• Shipping Carton Width: 250 mm (9.5")
• Shipping Carton Height: 200 mm (7.8")
• Shipping Carton Depth: 100 mm (4")
• Shipping Carton Weight: 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs)