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Chandler Limited TG Opto 500 Series Compressor

1-channel 500 Series Optical Compressor with Selectable Sharp and Rounded Knees, Continuous Controls for Input, Attack, Release, and Output, VU Meter, and True Bypass
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Item ID: TGOpto
Chandler Limited TG Opto 500 Series Compressor
Price:$1,298 and 00 cents
Special Financing - Ends Aug 2, 2026. $37/month with 36 month financing*

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Chandler Limited TG Opto 500 Series Compressor
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Price:$1,298 and 00 cents
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EMI/Abbey Road Compression for Your 500 Series Rack

Chandler Limited is the only company in the world authorized to develop, manufacture and market the “Official Equipment” of EMI/Abbey Road Studios. So if you want the rich, warm, punchy sound of the optical compression used on the Beatles' legendary Abbey Road album and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon in the convenient 500 Series format, the Chandler Limited TG Opto is the way to go. This handmade, fully discrete, double-wide module draws its heritage from the EMI TG12413 compressor found on historic EMI TG12345 recording consoles of the late 1960s and early ‘70s. Featuring selectable sharp and rounded knees; continuous controls for input, attack, release, and output; and true bypass, the Chandler Limited TG Opto puts the sweet sound of a legend in your 500 Series rack.

Aggressive or unobtrusive: the choice is yours

At Sweetwater, we appreciate the TG Opto's dual personality. A choice of sharp or rounded knees gives you control over how aggressively the Opto compresses your signal. With the Knee control switch set to sharp, the Opto can deliver explosive drum sounds; set to rounded, it's capable of subtle dynamics control. Continuous controls for input, attack, release, and output (makeup gain) let you fine-tune compression for excellent results with a broad variety of sources.

The sound of a legend

The groundbreaking sound quality of the EMI TG12345 recording console, dramatically richer and more highly detailed than the tube consoles it replaced, left its mark on legendary albums by the rock royalty of the era, including the Beatles and Pink Floyd, as well as solo outings by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. Never commercially available, the TG12345 desks were retired from service in 1983. But the legend lives on — in the Chandler Limited TG Opto.

Chandler Limited and their associated logos are registered trademarks of Chandler Limited, Inc. Abbey Road Studios, EMI, TG, REDD and RS and their associated logos are trademarks of EMI (IP) Limited.

Chandler Limited TG Opto 500 Series Compressor Features:

  • Inspired by the EMI TG12413 compressor in historic EMI TG12345 consoles of the late '60s and early ‘70s
  • Selectable sharp and rounded knees for aggressive or subtle compression
  • Continuous controls for input, attack, release, and output (makeup gain)
  • Vintage styling and VU meter
  • True bypass

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Tech Specs

  • Processor Type: Optical Compressor
  • Number of Channels: 1
  • Controls: Attack, Release, Input, Output
  • Ratio: Sharp/Rounded Knee switch
  • Bypass: True bypass switch
  • Module Slot Size: Double
  • Power Usage: ±16V DC, 100mA
  • Manufacturer Part Number: TGOpto

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Reviews

Great Product, However...
This is GREAT sounding piece of equipment and I highly recommend it. However, If you plan to add this to your Rupert Neve R6 Chassis, I would either sale your R6 and purchase an API chassis or find a different compressor. Since the purchase of this compressor with my R6 I kept having a quiet but noticeable fuzzy sound ONLY when the compressor was activated. That led me to think that the unit was faulty, I had a replacement sent and it was still there. Months later after talking to a handful of technicians at both Sweetwater & Chandler Limited I found from Chandler Limited that this specific compressor does not get along too well with the R6 chassis power supply. Basically I have to purchase a new chassis (API was specifically recommended in the manual of the TG Opto compressor.

As far as the compressor goes, I LOVE it but wanted to make sure no one goes through this specific scenario that I am currently experiencing.
Music background: DJ, Recording Engineer
Great Analog Compressor
I heard about what this little guy does for your dynamics, and after throwing it on a various sources, I can definitely confirm it's quality. It brings a nice fullness and roundness to the low end while still keeping it tight and musical, along with all the benefits of high-grade analog circuitry. Even though there are few controls, it is almost impossible to dial in a bad sound, and simplifies the compression process in a way I really enjoy. However, just like all other high end analog gear, it has it's own sound. I would highly recommend listening to some audio samples before buying, but trust me when I say it will not disappoint you after making the investment.
Good Lord it is nice
Warm, round, smooth...this is great. I tried it on bass, killer, punch, warm, big. I tried it on vocals....crazy nice sounding. What a strong build, beefy. Have it chained with a Pete's BAC-500 very fast attack and release catching peaks at 3 dB reduction then the TG Opto slow attack, medium release...and the combo is dreamy. I tested against a 1176 into an LA2A and this combo is different...but on par, easily. I actually like it better. End of the chain is a pultec...and vocals are just amazing. Best mix I've done was testing it on a vocal over an acoustic. Outstanding.
Music background: More than 30 years in music