Classic Dynamics Control

The ACP88 delivers the classic analog compression that helped establish PreSonus as a leading signal-processor manufacturer. With eight independent, full-featured compressor/limiters and gates, the ACP88 can solve a host of thorny studio and live-sound problems.

Each channel provides a fully variable compressor with a sidechain send and return to enable spectral processing and ducking. In addition to the usual attack, release, ratio, threshold, and makeup gain controls, each compressor offers selectable soft- or hard-knee compression and an Auto Attack feature that overrides the manual controls and applies preset attack and release curves. A six-segment LED meter displays the amount of gain reduction.

The compressor/limiter is followed by a full-featured gate with attack, release, and threshold controls; a gate-range switch, which determines the amount of level reduction that occurs when the gate closes; and a sidechain/key insert loop that enables the gate to be opened, or “keyed,” in response to a modified version of the program signal or some other external source.

Professional Features

With eight dynamics processors in one unit, you can employ tricks that aren’t possible with lesser processors. The Channel Link feature lets you lock together as many channels as you wish, so that all processors follow the setting of the master processor. Since you can create multiple simultaneous link groups, you could link a stereo pair of channels plus a group of four processors and still have two unlinked channels for other applications.

Each channel can be independently bypassed so you can audition signals with and without processing. And since the ACP88 is designed to work smoothly with a variety of professional and semipro gear, you can select +4 dBu or -10 dBV operating levels independently for each channel.

Old Skool Rules

Some people say they don’t make signal processors the way they used to. Nonsense. The ACP88 is a superb old-skool processor, with physical knobs and switches for every parameter, shoehorned into two rackspaces, and it delivers a pure analog sound that will always be in style.

So if you want a professional analog dynamics processor that is every bit as powerful and sonically pleasing as the famous vintage processors were “back when,” try the ACP88. Because great sound never gets old.