It's tempting, if not a little lazy, to view our new 500-series offerings as mere repackages of our tried-and-true products like the RNLA. There is really nothing mere about them. It's not that there aren't obvious connections...the RNLA500's lineage is definitely visible and audible: RED knobs—albeit slightly more (ahem!) refined—provide a visual clue as to its origins while it's THICK & GOOEY sound tell you the RNLA's algorithm is still beating in its silicon heart (brain?)! Okay, it's still an RNLA that you can use to add some compression-induced character (and control) to your vocal/bass/drum/mix/guitar/piano/orchestral/banjo tracks. It's also comfortably responsive to its controls, just like our 1/3 rack version. So what about this isn't merely a repackaging?
First, there's the 500-series thing: small, rugged and convenient analog audio processing modules that fit into just about any recording situation—from pro studios to bedroom venues. Having what you need, when and where you need it is, as "they" say, half the battle. The 500-series format is, well, everywhere. Secondly, although convenience and size are important (this is audio after all), if it doesn't deliver the sonic results, what's the point? Even our dyed-in-the-wool RNLA users notice that there's something more here: THICK & GOOEY, meet CREAMY & SMOOTH! From fully, electronically balanced I/O to higher-resolution arithmetic, the net result is a professional audio compressor that's both responsive, small, rugged and has tone for days! RNLA progeny? Yes. But not merely...