Midas Compression — in a 500 Series Module
Musical dynamics convey the emotion of a performance — but in order to achieve the perfect mixes we all strive for, they need to be controlled. Enter the Midas Compressor Limiter 522 V2. Bringing state-of-the-art Midas dynamics control to the 500 Series format, the 522 V2 gives you iron-fisted, velvet-gloved control over your dynamics. With its Auto and Manual modes, Soft or Hard Knee operation, and Presence control, the 522 V2 delivers everything from subtle compression to brickwall limiting. At Sweetwater, we’ve found that judicious use of the 522 V2’s variable dynamics and Presence control will yield dense, impactful, natural-sounding mixes, rich with subtle nuance.
Related Videos: 522 V2 500 Series Compressor/Limiter
Variable dynamics and Presence
The Presence control boosts around 5k, letting you add air to vocals and solo instruments without noise artifacts or pumping, while reducing feedback risk in live situations — ideal for sounds you want to cut through the mix. The Presence control effectively lets the 522 V2 operate with two different ratios — one for the lows and the other (a reduced ratio) for the mid-high frequencies. The benefit is that you can apply heavy compression while your signal remains natural-sounding. The reduced ratio keeps the mids and highs sounding bright and lively; and because HF make-up gain is not used, you don’t have to worry about howlround or other sonic malfeasance.
Manual and Auto Mode
While operating in its default mode with the Auto switch disengaged, the 522 V2 behaves as a peak-sensing compressor, with tight peak control via instant changes in gain reduction. This delivers more obvious compression, with manually set attack and release times and linear attack curves. With the Auto switch engaged, manual attack and release controls are bypassed and the compressor operates in RMS mode, automatically setting attack and release based on the averaged input signal and the threshold/ratio settings. This produces smoother, more relaxed-sounding compression that is generally considered more natural and musical-sounding.
Soft or Hard Knee
Sometimes, you want subtle dynamics control; other times, you want to use compression as an effect. Compression knee (threshold point) has everything to do with whether your signal is treated gently or crushed like a bug. With the Hard knee switch disengaged, the 522 V2 is in Soft knee mode; this blurs the distinction between over- and under-threshold signals, leaving signals below the threshold alone, while signals just over threshold are compressed at greatly reduced ratios. When signal level rises significantly above the threshold, full-ratio compression is applied. This is the way many vintage compressors worked; they were coveted for their ability to tame unruly dynamics and deliver smooth, natural-sounding results. Conversely, with the Hard knee switch activated, the 522 V2 operates as a limiter, with a more sharply defined transition between under and over threshold. In their wisdom, Midas designed Hard knee mode so that a small amount of Soft knee is retained to keep the sound fairly natural.
Midas 522 V2 500 Series Compressor/Limiter Features:
- Premium compressor/limiter with dynamic presence control
- Variable dynamic Presence preserves mid-high frequencies for natural sound during compression
- Presence control adds air to vocals and instruments without introducing noise or pumping; reduces risk of feedback
- Manual envelope controls with linear peak-sensing compression
- Set-it-and-forget-it Auto mode with RMS compression
- Soft or Hard knee compression response with selection switch
- Selectable Sidechain highpass filter eliminates undesirable low-frequency compression artifacts
- High-performance electronically balanced input stage with high common-mode rejection
- Discrete transistor-driven transformer-balanced output stage
- Precision gain reduction and signal level metering
- True hardware bypass removes all circuitry from the signal path when compression is not required
- Power-up mute relays prevent switch-on thumps
- Premium-quality components throughout for audiophile-grade signal path
- Designed and engineered in the U.K.
- Midas 3-Year warranty
