FMR Audio RNLA500 Really Nice Levelling Amp, 500 Series
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The store is open 10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am - 5pm Sunday and bank holidays.
The stock information shows the quantity of units that are available to purchase at the Guildford store and the quantity of units that are available at our off-site Guildford warehouse. These stock levels are updated in real time.
Our Click and Collect service is available at our Guildford store from 10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am - 5pm on Sunday. You can either choose click and collect as your delivery option online or, during store opening hours, call our sales team at 01483 456777 to place a 10% deposit.
If you have placed your order online, you will receive a confirmation email of your order and a separate follow-up text or email to confirm when your item is ready for collection.
Please do not come to the store before you have received the follow-up message, as your order may not yet be ready at the store.
If the only available stock is in our off-site warehouse it can be brought to the store location for you to try - you just need to contact the store within opening hours. Please note any requests received after 3.30pm will not arrive at the store until the following morning.
Please be aware that, unless you have paid a deposit to reserve the item, it will continue to be free, both online and in-store, for another customer to buy. Therefore we would advise you to place a 10% deposit by either using the on-line click and collect service or calling us 01483 456777.
SKU: RNLA500
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Product Description
Here’s What FMR Audio Say About the Really Nice Levelling Amp, 500 Series:
What It Is
It's tempting, if not a little lazy, to view our new 500-series offerings as mere repackages of our tried-and-true products like the RNLA. There is really nothing mere about them. It's not that there aren't obvious connections...the RNLA500's lineage is definitely visible and audible: RED knobs—albeit slightly more (ahem!) refined—provide a visual clue as to its origins while it's THICK & GOOEY sound tell you the RNLA's algorithm is still beating in its silicon heart (brain?)! Okay, it's still an RNLA that you can use to add some compression-induced character (and control) to your vocal/bass/drum/mix/guitar/piano/orchestral/banjo tracks. It's also comfortably responsive to its controls, just like our 1/3 rack version. So, what about this isn't merely a repackaging?
First, there's the 500-series thing: small, rugged and convenient analog audio processing modules that fit into just about any recording situation—from pro studios to bedroom venues. Having what you need, when and where you need it is, as "they" say, half the battle. The 500-series format is, well, everywhere. Secondly, although convenience and size are important (this is audio after all), if it doesn't deliver the sonic results, what's the point? Even our dyed-in-the-wool RNLA users notice that there's something more here: THICK & GOOEY, meet CREAMY & SMOOTH! From fully, electronically balanced I/O to higher-resolution arithmetic, the net result is a professional audio compressor that's both responsive, small, rugged and has tone for days! RNLA progeny? Yes. But not merely...
How It Sounds
Okay, THICK, GOOEY, CREAMY & SMOOTH. Got it. For most of us, this means that it sounds good, but what does that mean? The RNLA500 is, admittedly, much "gentler" and not as apt to grab'n'run with the signal as other, more "modern-sounding" compressors. Like an old-timey photocell, the RNLA500 is a little resistant to responding right away, but requires the signal to be there for a while to get the photocell to act. That slight hesitancy to respond is one of the key performance parameters that causes opto (and opto-like) compressors to be so coveted. Although the RNLA500 is a VCA-based compressor, our algorithm controls it in a manner that puts the essence of opto-compressors in a more modern and controllable compressor.
How It's Done
Like all of our dynamic audio processing products, we've replaced sidechain electronics with chunks of software to accomplish both a bill-of-materials cost reduction while simultaneously improving dynamic performance accuracy and consistency. The beauty of this approach is that the main signal path (all dynamic audio processors have two paths: a sidechain/control path and the main audio path) remains firmly in the analog domain thereby avoiding latency and digital conversion artefacts that are sometimes unwanted. Coupled with a faster (40x) processor and higher-resolution VCA control, sealed switches & relays, multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) the RNLA500 will deliver smooth and controllable compression for years to come.
Features
- Single-channel, 500-series version of the RNLA.
- Balanced input & output.
- Linkable for stereo operation.
- Maximum input/output levels of +28dBu.
- Overcurrent protection circuits safeguard 500-series rack operation in case of power supply faults.
- Linear & Logarithmic Release modes.
- Accurate signal level metering via power-saving "dot" gain-reduction display.
- Sealed, C&K sub miniature toggle switches.
- Red-anodized, machined aluminium knobs.
- Controls calibrated in the coveted
- Tufnel scale for maximum something