New York, NY, October 26, 2023 – In 1973, Eventide Clockworks introduced the Omnipressor, the first studio product to encourage the use of dynamics for special effects. It joined the Instant Phaser® in studios worldwide, with the Instant Flanger® following shortly after. All were used on countless recordings and are now considered truly classic products. Unlike the Phaser and Flanger, the Omnipressor, with its still-unique dynamic reversal, infinite compression, variable gating and separate “side chain,” was discontinued a few years later. It had become difficult to obtain some exclusive parts and even more difficult to explain it to an industry that was much less sophisticated than it is today.
Omnipressor was the first dynamics effects processor of any kind, suddenly making possible a new, wide range of dynamics effects unlike anything that had come before it. Originally invented by Eventide’s founder, Richard Factor (and later redesigned for production by Jon Paul), the Omnipressor made a host of dynamic effects possible. It featured variable control of all aspects of dynamic modification. It also introduced the notion of the ‘side chain’ and foretold techniques that today we take for granted like ‘look ahead’ processing. One of Eventide`s first customers was Brian May, the lead guitarist of Queen.
Eventide now announces the golden-anniversary Omnipressor Model 2830*Au. The original handdrawn schematics were in the Eventide archives, and the new model is a faithful replica designed with the same circuitry and the same sound as the original 2830.
The new *Au model features the ability to link multiple units and is fitted with input and output audio transformers, which were a costly option on the original. Other improvements include a universal power supply and a back-lit meter, as well as more convenient TRS/XLR connectors replace the original terminal strip.
Features
Dynamics Processing — capable of creating otherworldly sounds
Dynamic Reversal — the first of its kind, soft signals come out loud and loud signals come out quiet, simulating tape reversal, a unique attribute of this versatile compressor
Function Control — sets a ratio over a continuous range allowing extreme expansion, to infinite compression, and is even able to push further into dynamic reversal
Variable Control of attack and release time
Variable Control of maximum gain and maximum attenuation
Side Chain allows the level detection of the Omnipressor to be driven by another audio source
Gating — amplitudes of signals that fall below a set threshold are ‘squooshed’
Expansion — widen a signal’s dynamic range, louder gets louder, softer gets softer
Compression offers variable control of compression ratio
Infinite Compression — if you want everything to come out at the same level, this is the feature for you
Limiting — a fast, versatile limiter, useful for maintaining a loud sound
Intuitive Interface — clean and easy to operate
