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Used Orban 424A Revive Audio modded stereo gated compressor limited de-easer
Good Condition
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$525.00
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February 28, 2026.
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in Oceanport, NJ
Sweetwater's Gear
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Item Description
Serial: 12345
Listed 7 months ago
This unit is in really good shape considering its age. Light surface scratches but still looks sweet. It was modded by Revive Audio about 10 years ago. They upgrade the op amps to Burr Brown op amps. They go through the whole unit tweaking to optimize functionality.
The Orban Model 424A is a vintage, dual-channel gated compressor/limiter and de-esser manufactured in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Designed primarily for the broadcast and production industries, it became known for its transparent, "invisible" sound, and its ability to act as a "smart" processor that adjusts its own thresholds based on user settings.
Key Historical & Design Facts
Era: Released in the late 1970s, with many units produced in the early 1980s. It is often referred to as a "blueface" unit due to the original, distinctive color scheme.
Purpose: Developed to provide natural-sounding, transparent compression for recording studios, radio production, and sound reinforcement.
Design Philosophy: Orban designed the 424A to minimize the number of controls needed, allowing attack and release times to interact with the threshold. This was done to ensure the output level remained consistent even when changing settings, making it highly "program-dependent".
The "Gate" Function: The gate on the 424A is not a standard, fast-acting noise gate, but rather a compressor release "hold" function. It prevents the pumping of background noise and hiss during quiet passages.
Distinction from 422A: The 424A is a stereo-linkable, dual-mono unit, while the 422A is essentially the same, but often recognized as a single-channel or non-stereo-linkable version in some contexts, though both are frequently listed together in documentation.
Legacy: Known as an "un-trendy" or "secret weapon" compressor, it is prized for adding a subtle, smooth sheen without significantly changing the frequency balance, making it popular for 2-buss duties or gentle compression.
Current Status: While long out of production, it is still used in studios worldwide and often sought after on the vintage market, with many units being "recapped" (refurbished with new capacitors) to maintain their performance.
Technical Highlights
Controls: Included Attack Time, Release Time, Ratio, and Threshold.
De-esser: The de-esser acts on frequencies above 5 kHz and is positioned before the compressor in the signal chain.
Metering: Featured an illuminated, true peak-reading gain reduction meter.
The Orban Model 424A is a vintage, dual-channel gated compressor/limiter and de-esser manufactured in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Designed primarily for the broadcast and production industries, it became known for its transparent, "invisible" sound, and its ability to act as a "smart" processor that adjusts its own thresholds based on user settings.
Key Historical & Design Facts
Era: Released in the late 1970s, with many units produced in the early 1980s. It is often referred to as a "blueface" unit due to the original, distinctive color scheme.
Purpose: Developed to provide natural-sounding, transparent compression for recording studios, radio production, and sound reinforcement.
Design Philosophy: Orban designed the 424A to minimize the number of controls needed, allowing attack and release times to interact with the threshold. This was done to ensure the output level remained consistent even when changing settings, making it highly "program-dependent".
The "Gate" Function: The gate on the 424A is not a standard, fast-acting noise gate, but rather a compressor release "hold" function. It prevents the pumping of background noise and hiss during quiet passages.
Distinction from 422A: The 424A is a stereo-linkable, dual-mono unit, while the 422A is essentially the same, but often recognized as a single-channel or non-stereo-linkable version in some contexts, though both are frequently listed together in documentation.
Legacy: Known as an "un-trendy" or "secret weapon" compressor, it is prized for adding a subtle, smooth sheen without significantly changing the frequency balance, making it popular for 2-buss duties or gentle compression.
Current Status: While long out of production, it is still used in studios worldwide and often sought after on the vintage market, with many units being "recapped" (refurbished with new capacitors) to maintain their performance.
Technical Highlights
Controls: Included Attack Time, Release Time, Ratio, and Threshold.
De-esser: The de-esser acts on frequencies above 5 kHz and is positioned before the compressor in the signal chain.
Metering: Featured an illuminated, true peak-reading gain reduction meter.
