elysia xmax Stereo Master Bus Compressor B-stock

Name: elysia xmax Stereo Master Bus Compressor
Brand: elysia
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

2-ch Rackmount Multiband Master Bus Compressor with Soft Clipper and VariLink

Write your review

Item ID: xmaxB

elysia xmax Stereo Master Bus Compressor

B-stock Savings!

Save $224.90 when you buy B-stock! What is B-stock?

The price below reflects your savings.

B-stock Savings:

224

.90

New for $2,249.00

Condition Notes:

Sweetwater's B-stock equipment is subjected to the same standards as a brand new piece of gear and comes with Sweetwater's Total Confidence Coverage™ exclusive FREE 2-year warranty. The images shown do not necessarily represent the condition of this particular item.

! 1 person has this b-stock item in their cart. Order now before it's gone!

Only 1 Left!

Add to Cart

Ask An Expert

Our expertly trained Sales Engineers are ready to help!

(800) 222-4700

What is a Sales Engineer?

Have one to sell?
Check out Sweetwater's Gear Exchange!
Learn More

elysia xmax Stereo Master Bus Compressor

Only 1 Left!

Add to Cart

Add to list

Most Popular Accessories & Related Items

Back to navigation

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

Transform Your Mixes with That Elusive Final 10%

Are you searching for a magic bullet to enhance and improve your mixes? elysia’s xmax will get you past the finish line with flying colors. This stereo bus compressor is the perfect tool for adding heft to your mix, smoothing out errant dynamics, and gluing your tracks together. Discerning engineers will appreciate the xmax’s multiband capability, which is bolstered by a variable crossover frequency and a VariLink function. You’ll be captivated by the hard-driving character of the xmax’s soft clip limiter, as well as its mix-invigorating punch setting. The unit includes a bass-tightening mono maker function, an easy-to-use global release control, and a straightforward 1-knob shelving EQ — it also features a mastering-quality signal path and extensive analog metering. Engineers who find it challenging to achieve that "final 10%" in their mixes will be stunned by what the xmax can accomplish.

Mighty multiband capabilities

Many Sweetwater engineers demand exacting control over their mixes, which is why so many of us hold the xmax in such high esteem. Given its comprehensive multiband capabilities, this stereo bus compressor allows you to process your Low, Mid, and Side bands independently. Moreover, the xmax’s multiband controls work in concert with its X-freq control, which adjusts the crossover frequency between the Low and Mid bands, thereby allowing you to fine-tune your mix’s low end with unparalleled precision. Furthermore, a Link knob controls the xmax’s VariLink function, enabling you to adjust the blend percentage between the three bands.

Powerful mix-enhancing features

With the elysia xmax in your arsenal, you’ll completely transform stale-sounding mixes into punchy, exciting productions. One of its effective features is the S-Clip knob, which engages a soft clip limiter derived from the company’s high-end alpha compressor, enabling you to drive your signal without clipping your converters. If your mix needs more thrust or momentum, the higher-compression-ratio Punch setting is just the ticket. You also get a Lowmo button that tightens your mix’s lowest frequencies by summing them to mono, a smart global release Time knob that makes calibrating the compressor’s behavior a stress-free endeavor, and a 1-knob shelving Tone control to compensate for compression artifacts.

elysia xmax Features:

Stereo master bus compressor for mixing and mastering
Multiband capabilities facilitate independent processing of Low, Mid, and Side bands
X-freq control fine-tunes your mix’s low end with unparalleled precision
VariLink function adjusts the blend percentage between the 3 bands
S-Clip knob engages a soft clipper derived from elysia’s high-end alpha compressor
Punch setting increases the compression ratio for added thrust and momentum
Lowmo button tightens a mix’s lowest frequencies by summing them to mono
Smart global release makes calibrating the compressor’s behavior a stress-free endeavor
1-knob shelving EQ compensates for compression artifacts
Class A compressor with a mastering-quality signal path
Comprehensive analog metering for signal, clip, compression of the individual bands, and the soft clipper

What is B-stock?

B-stock gear is inventory we buy directly from the manufacturer. Most typically, these items are repacks or refurbished units that are in perfect working order. If you are on a budget or don't need the shiny new penny in your arsenal, then B-stock items are a great choice that won't compromise on quality. Best of all, every B-stock item we sell also comes with Sweetwater's exclusive 2-year Warranty, so you can create with confidence.

When you buy a B-stock item at Sweetwater, you get:

Sweetwater's exclusive 2-year Warranty!
Products inspected and tested by factory-authorized techs, guaranteed to function like new (or better)!
FREE shipping on most items
Expert Product Support from a dedicated team

Resources

Signal Processing Buying Guide

elysia xmax Stereo Master Bus Compressor Overview

Jun 14, 2025

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

Save money with FREE parts and labor
Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department

Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage

Back to navigation

Tech Specs

Type: VCA Compressor
Number of Channels: 2
Controls: Threshold, Gain, Shape, Control
Inputs: 2 x XLR, 2 x 1/4" TRS
Outputs: 2 x XLR, 2 x 1/4" TRS
Other I/O: 2 x 1/4" TRS (Ext 1/2)
Rack Spaces: 1U
Height: 1.75"
Depth: 9.2"
Width: 19"
Weight: 3.88 lbs.
Manufacturer Part Number: xmaxB

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

(800) 222-4700

Contact Your Sales Engineer

Back to navigation

I'll start by saying that I've historically used a lot of more colorful outboard on my 2-buss - a Curve Bender, FATSO, Vertigo VSM-2 (the real hardware) Smart & SSL compressors (I still have and love my Bus+) etc. I also rarely give 5-star reviews, but I kinda need to for this. I had an all In-The-Box mixing phase for about 5-6 years, and am now just running my 2-buss out some Burl converters, through some analog and back in to get a little analog love back in the mix, and it's been great. Lately however, and especially already having the transformer on / off options on the Burl mastering cards, my ear has been pulling me toward cleaner sounding outboard gear. I bought an xmax after checking out some reviews and really being impressed with the concept. Elysia is really doing some cool stuff. I gotta say, this little thing just sounds fantastic. They're doing a great job with the signal path itself - open, big, hi-fi. Nothing feels dulled or pushed unnaturally. So the starting point is great. Once you start tweaking the controls and getting something happening, that's where you can really shape things and alter the groove, balance and vibe of your track. I will say now that most of the demos I've seen of this thing, including on Sweetwater's site are pretty heavy handed. I'm finding this thing just SINGS when only doing 1-2dB of gain reduction in any one area. Too much of the Mid band, and your vocal will get held down, too much in the Low and your kick can get too smeared or crunchy. You get the idea. But stay in the sweet spot and man, everything just opens up, sounds bigger and more juicy and vibe-y. I really dig this thing. Then the gain and shape controls allow you to rebalance and polish things at the end. I'm finding that this thing lives very well at the very end of my chain, so if I'm using any other EQ, that comes first, followed by any color-box, or other compression, then the xmax. If I need, I might even use a touch of that soft clipper, but with Burl converters and some other devices I use, it's often not necessary, if only to catch the very occasional little flourish of peaks that might go beyond the rest of my chain - maybe that one big drum fill or something.

So I love it, I love it, it's great. However nothing is perfect, so a couple points on that: The available range is WAY more than you need on a 2-buss product. And the detents on the pots are tiny. I would probably prefer if they built in less range of control in exchange for more resolution on the pots. If the range was less you could have fewer detents with the same resolution. A very nit-picky point, but that's something I'm running into - I'm living in the same 10% of the pot range and making these tiny little moves to follow the detents - which are also very light feeling on some of the pots, so it can be easy to not feel where they are at times.

I'm glad that the dots along the pots align with the face of a clock so you can write recall notes as "10:30, 9:15, 12:45" etc, which is very easy to transfer between settings > typed notes > back to recalled settings. On some of their other gear, their panel marks don't line up with their pot detents, nor do the numbers work out to anything easily divisible to take easy notes. That's a pet peeve of mine, so while the panel marks are TINY on this thing, they do follow a logical and divisible layout for easy recall notes or photos. To wrap up, this is a very great box, creatively designed and with excellent sonics. If you only had one 2-buss / mastering unit, I'd start here. In cases where I can't hook up all my usual stuff, I could be pretty happy with only this on my 2-buss. You can do a lot with it, just don't go too far or you can inadvertently undo upstream mix decisions. I chose the rack unit because I didn't want to relay on needing my 500 unit always in my little mastering rack, so it was a convenience thing for me, but if you have a couple open slots in your 500, the price on that guy is pretty hard to beat for how great this thing sounds, and the vertical knob layout is pretty cool on that. ...Go get one. It's a really great unit!

Great unit! Tighten up the low end, lift the sides a bit and a little clipping before heading back into the DAW makes for less plugins on the Master bus. I wish the lowmo button had a variable frequency knob for the high pass (150hz is a bit high for the music I make), but definitely not a deal breaker.

I've been an Elysia fan for a long time. I mean, they have made it particularly difficult to ignore their outstanding build quality and sonically unique "joi de vive" they design into every unit. The Xmax is true to their lineage. It just makes things sound better and more cohesive. I have it currently in my mix chain last and I have been testing the Xmax vs an IGS Multicore to dial in the content and I have been choosing the Xmax for the clarity and sound stage shaping it can add. I love it, and I'm pretty sure you will too.

This is an excellent multipurpose analog device. I've gone back to basic tracks from some old mixes. I played with those projects' stereo tracks, submixes and mixes going through the XMAX just to see what the results would be. Even as a novice on this device, my results were obviously superior to my original mixes.
Sure, with so many options and power you could really screw up your recordings with this thing, but if you are tasteful and minimalist with it, you can get clearer, more balanced between elements, more refined in your stereo presentation, and yes, you can get louder without hearing the processing work at all.
I think it was designed with modern genres in mind, but I put it on entirely live players and singers, and it certainly allows me to seem far more sophisticated than I actually am.
The soft clip on this thing does not create any audible artifacts at all when used intelligently on some sources. It is not similar to anything analog or digital that I have tried. I'm sure it will be overused enthusiastically by many.