elysia mpressor

by Andreas Ecker
Recording.de (Germany) – December 2009

The mpressor is built by the German high end manufacturer elysia and has been emulated by the Brainworx team on the basis of the almost 5.000 USD original. Recording.de has tested some products by Brainworx before, and all of them could convince us with their high audio quality. This fact alone is a good reason to have a closer look at the virtual mpressor – but there are also other aspects that lift this tool above the mass of competitors.

The number of existing virtual compressors is not exactly small. The bandwidth goes from emulations of classics that achieve exclusive prices among collectors to simulations of legendary console components to truly new creations. The price and quality ranges are equally stretched. A new product must therefore convince in many aspects in order to be successful. The elysia mpressor has the potential to do so, because its features extend what you would usually expect from a compressor. We also anticipate a good audio quality from the mpressor as it works with internal oversampling (which depends on the specific project sample rate and goes up to remarkable 192 kHz).

Installation
The installation and authorization process requires an iLok and works smoothly. You can go along with this review by downloading the trial version from the manufacturer's homepage www.elysia.com.

Overview
If you own a mouse with a wheel, you will be able to move all controllers with it. All control elements of the original hardware have been included to the GUI of the virtual mpressor. The type size might make you reach your reading glasses, though.

The specific buttons and controllers
Link button: On a stereo track, this decides if both channels will react in sync (triggered by the mixed input signals of left and right channel) or independently from each other. Which variant is better depends on the processed track: working with drums you will achieve a little bit more differentiated dynamics in unlinked mode, while being in sync makes the signal more compact.

Active Button: Switches the plugin from active to bypass mode.

Threshold Controller: The input signal is adapted to the control range of the plugin before actually hits the  threshold control which reaches from -18 to +16 dB. Don't get these values wrong – they are more than sufficient for any type of application.

Sidechain Button: If this button is activated, the mpressor will no longer react to the input signal of the track it has been loaded in, but to an external signal instead. This can be done by copying the audio track and routing it into the external sidechain, which worked perfectly on our test system (Cubase 5.1). With this function you can for example activate the mpressor on a pad and then have its sound mangled and modulated by a Hi-Hat track. Ducking applications with the aim of achieving a differentiated sound structure also come to mind: just think of the standard 'bass drum reduces electric bass sound'. Further applications can be the dynamic control of background subgroups by copying a vocal track or group. By the way, with the mpressor we finally have a flexible sidechain comp for Cubase 5.1 (which can be found in the VST folder 'Dynamics').

Attack and Release: The original hardware is a transistor based compressor running in class-A mode. The plugin has adopted its ultra fast attack and release times. And here it starts to get especially special and interesting: a switchable semi-automation allows to chose a longer attack time without the danger of loosing control on sudden strong dynamic peaks – the mpressor detects them and rapidly reduces the attack time. This is very useful, especially when working with a mix of instruments on a subgroup. With its 'Anti Log' function the release controller offers a special feature, too: The release time shortens after strong signal impulses. In terms of sound, this effect lets the signal swell and somehow appear like played reverse.

If you really want to get the compressor pumping, you should give the negative ratios a try by all means. The scale goes from 1.2 to 10 and from -0.3 to -4. Negative values reduce the output level on rising input levels. Especially on drums, such a setting will accent the spatial information after the specific hit. Combine this effect with short attack and release times and you will be able to create drastic changes of the original sound, and I know of no other virtual comp that can do things like these with such great quality and flexibility.

The Gain Reduction Limiter can tame the compression action of the mpressor. This is another of its specialties, as it is not sitting in front or behind the compression section, but is a part of it instead. A yellow LED shows if the limiter is active. One example of use would be to keep the dynamic peaks of a signal alive.

Instead of a standard parametric of graphical EQ the mpressor has its so called 'Niveau Filter' which  cuts and boosts the frequency range around a selectable center at the same time. You can imagine this filter like a pair of scales. A nicely swung LED curve displays the operation of the mpressor, and the gain controller helps to adapt the output level of the compressed signal.

The logical layout of the GUI should help to get started with the mpressor easily. Working with the special features is also a great benefit without the usual drawback: there is no need for extensive learning and becoming acquainted. 

The sound
The first impressions are already convincing –  not intrusive, warm and very transparent at the same time. Presumably this is one of the results of the oversampling technique mentioned earlier.

We have made some audio demos that present the flexibility of the mpressor:
1. The dry beat
2. Standard compression
3. A little bit more
4. With longer attack and release settings
5. Slap back effect on the snare with Anti Log
6. Drastic pumping effect with negative ratio
7. Echo effect created by Anti Log release and negative ratio
8. A combination of the stylus beat with a home grown creation which has been sliced with Guru (without compression)
9. Now with several mpressor instances like shown in the picture
Finally we have two examples of sound destruction. Again, we start with the dry beat.
10. Sound destruction 1: A new envelope is forced onto the beat by short attack and release time and the use of anti log and a negative ratio. The controllers don't provide a BPM sync scale, but adapting the attack and release settings to the beat of the track is still no problem at all.
11. Sound destruction 2: A little bit smoother.
You can get further audio demos, product information a trial version at www.elysia.com.

Conclusion
The mpressor is absolutely convincing: sound and flexibility are top notch. My earlier favorites, the Chandler TG 12413 and the Tubetech CL1B for Powercore now have to face a serious rival, as because of its special features the mpressor beats them as an allrounder with a good lot of esprit. Yes, and finally there is a reference class compressor with sidechain functionality that works in Cubase 5.1 without any workarounds.

Maybe the 10 times more expensive hardware does sound even a little bit more transparent, and besides its haptic benefits it will certainly pimp any studio just because of its futuristic looks. Anyway, we certainly recommend the plugin to anybody who is looking for a super compressor without having to pay a fortune on hardware. Again, we suggest to download the demo version from the manufacturer's website (www.elysia.com).