What is the IGS Audio Volf Compressor designed for?

The Volf Compressor is a stereo VCA-based bus compressor built to deliver punch, glue, and clarity on mix and drum busses. It’s inspired by classic console designs but refined for modern production standards.

How does the Volf differ from the IGS S-Type or Tubecore models?

While the S-Type offers traditional SSL-style compression and the Tubecore adds tube coloration, the Volf emphasizes transparency and precision. It maintains impact while keeping your mix open and detailed.

Can the IGS Volf Compressor be used for mastering?

Yes – its low noise floor, precise controls, and smooth VCA response make it suitable for both mixing and mastering tasks when used with moderate settings or gradually introducing the compressed signal into the audiotrack by using the dry/wet-mixknob.

What features make the Volf stand out in hybrid studios?

It offers sidechain filters, switchable ratios, and a built-in stereo link, allowing seamless integration into analog-digital workflows. Engineers value it for its fast response and musical compression curve.

Does the Volf Compressor color the sound?

The Volf delivers subtle harmonic richness typical for high-end analog gear, but its design focuses on control rather than coloration – perfect if you want clean, punchy compression.

Is the IGS Volf built in Europe?

Yes, every Volf is hand-assembled and tested in Poland by IGS Audio, ensuring consistent build quality and precision component matching.

What is the Cranborne Audio Brick Lane MC4?

The Cranborne Audio Brick Lane MC4 is a 2U, four-channel analogue Modal PWM dynamics processor. Each channel includes compression and an enhanced noise gate, while flexible routing supports Mono, Stereo, Mid/Side, Series, Dual-Band and De-Esser operation.

Is Brick Lane MC4 an analogue compressor?

Yes. Brick Lane MC4 uses a fully analogue PWM audio-processing path. Its digital system is used for parameter control, display, recall, presets, remote operation and DAW automation rather than for audio conversion.

What compression modes does the Brick Lane MC4 offer?

Brick Lane MC4 includes six Modal PWM compression modes: Velvet, Float, Smash, Tame, Glue and Polish. Each mode provides a distinct timing, detector and gain-reduction behaviour for different tracking, mixing, bus-processing and mastering applications.

Can Brick Lane MC4 process stereo and Mid/Side signals?

Yes. Brick Lane MC4 supports Stereo and Mid/Side operation as well as four independent Mono channels. Its internal Mid/Side encoding and decoding lets engineers process centre and side information independently for mastering and stereo-bus work.

What is analogue lookahead on the Brick Lane MC4?

Analogue lookahead allows the compressor and gate to react extremely quickly to incoming transients. In Polish mode with Lookahead active, MC4 can provide effectively zero-attack compression at 20 kHz, allowing fast peak control without a conventional digital lookahead delay.

What does Stress do on Brick Lane MC4?

Stress adds controllable harmonic enrichment to the compression process. It can be used subtly for extra density and perceived energy, or more aggressively for coloured compression and creative saturation effects.

Can I use external sidechains and inserts with Brick Lane MC4?

Yes. Each of the four channels has its own balanced ¼-inch TRS insert loop and external sidechain input. The sidechain high-pass filter can also be set to Off, 60 Hz, 100 Hz or 200 Hz.

Can the Brick Lane MC4 be controlled from a DAW?

Yes. Brick Lane MC4 supports USB and Ethernet/network remote control. Its software workflow provides hardware control, preset management, DAW automation and recall of complex settings for compatible production environments.

The Cranborne Audio Brick Lane MC4 is a 2U, four-channel analogue Modal PWM dynamics processor with compression and noise gating on every channel. Its flexible routing supports Mono, Stereo, Mid/Side, Series, Dual-Band and De-Esser workflows, while USB/Ethernet control, presets and recall bring modern DAW efficiency to genuine analogue dynamics processing.

The Cranborne Audio Brick Lane MC4 is a highly flexible four-channel dynamics processor designed to cover recording, mixing, mix-bus, mastering and creative sound-design applications from one 2U rack unit. Each of its four channels features fully analogue PWM compression and an enhanced noise gate, while digital control provides recall, automation, presets and detailed visual feedback without placing the audio signal path in the digital domain.

At the centre of the MC4 is Cranborne’s Modal PWM compression architecture. Rather than providing one fixed compressor character, it offers six distinct operating modes—Velvet, Float, Smash, Tame, Glue and Polish—each with its own detector behaviour, timing profile and gain-reduction personality. This gives the unit a wide usable range: transparent levelling, gentle programme control, punchy bus compression, aggressive transient shaping, vocal control and polished mastering dynamics can all be approached from the same hardware platform.

Each channel includes compression and an enhanced analogue noise gate. The gate can clean up microphone signals, close down amp or drum bleed, shape percussion, reduce unwanted room noise or create rhythmic sound-design effects. Its analogue lookahead system allows extremely fast response. In Polish mode with analogue lookahead enabled, the compressor can deliver effectively zero-attack processing at 20 kHz, making it possible to restrain sharp peaks before they pass while preserving control over the final dynamics character.

The MC4 can be configured in several routing modes. Mono gives four independent analogue channels for tracking, drum processing or multichannel sources. Stereo links channel pairs for buses, keyboards, overheads and mix processing. Mid/Side mode includes internal M/S encoding and decoding, allowing the centre and sides of a stereo signal to be compressed independently. Series routing lets channels feed into one another for multi-stage dynamics processing. Dual-Band mode divides a signal into frequency bands and processes them across paired channels, while De-Esser mode uses its detector and routing structure for targeted high-frequency dynamic control.

The dedicated Stress control adds harmonic enrichment to the compression process. With modest use, it can increase perceived density and energy; pushed harder, it creates more deliberately coloured, saturated dynamics effects. The Enigma parameter opens deeper control over the selected compression mode, including parameters such as knee, attack and release weighting, detector response and high-frequency emphasis. This keeps the front-panel workflow immediate while making the MC4 capable of more specialised, source-dependent behaviour than a conventional one- or two-knob compressor.

Each channel provides ±20 dB input and output gain, a selectable sidechain high-pass filter at 60 Hz, 100 Hz or 200 Hz, plus off. The sidechain filter prevents low-frequency energy from triggering unnecessary compression, helping retain kick and bass punch on a mix bus or stereo drum group. Four dedicated balanced TRS insert loops make it possible to place external EQ, saturation, filters or other processing into each channel’s signal chain. Four external sidechain inputs extend detector routing further, allowing one source to control compression or gating on another.thomannmusic+3

A 5-inch full-colour TFT display, LED-ring encoders and clear metering offer detailed real-time feedback without slowing workflow. The MC4 connects over USB or Ethernet for remote control, plug-in-based DAW automation, session recall, preset management and network operation. This makes it especially practical in high-revision sessions: complex four-channel analogue settings can be restored with the project rather than documented manually.

With a maximum input level of +24 dBu, maximum output of +26.5 dBu, frequency response from 2 Hz to 80 kHz, dynamic range above 118 dB and all-analogue PWM processing, Brick Lane MC4 offers mastering-capable technical performance as well as creative flexibility. It is a serious multi-channel tool for engineers who need four channels of analogue dynamics without being locked into a single compressor topology.

Key features

Four-channel fully analogue Modal PWM dynamics processor
Compression and enhanced noise gate on every channel
Six compression modes: Velvet, Float, Smash, Tame, Glue and Polish
Mono, Stereo, Mid/Side, Series, Dual-Band and De-Esser operating modes
Internal Mid/Side encoding and decoding
Analogue lookahead for extremely fast peak handling
Effectively zero-attack compression in Polish mode with Lookahead at 20 kHz
Stress control for harmonically enriched compression and colour
Enigma deep-edit parameter for advanced timing, detector, knee and emphasis control
Adjustable compression ratio, threshold, attack, release and makeup gain
±20 dB input gain and ±20 dB output gain
Per-channel sidechain HPF: Off, 60 Hz, 100 Hz or 200 Hz
Four external sidechain inputs
Four dedicated balanced TRS insert loops, one per channel
5-inch full-colour TFT display
LED-ring encoders and comprehensive visual feedback
USB and Ethernet/network remote control
DAW automation, preset management and total recall
Fully analogue audio path with digitally controlled parameters
High headroom: +24 dBu input and +26.5 dBu output
19-inch, 2U rackmount chassis
Internal mains power supply

Applications

Four-channel compression for drums, vocals, guitars and instruments
Stereo bus compression and mix-bus glue
Mid/Side processing for mastering and stereo image control
Transparent mastering dynamics with Polish mode
Multi-stage compression using Series mode
Frequency-split compression through Dual-Band mode
Hardware de-essing for vocals, overheads and harsh programme material
Fast transient control and peak management with analogue lookahead
Drum shaping, room-mic control and creative gating
Harmonic compression effects using Stress
Frequency-selective sidechain compression with external EQ in the insert path
Hybrid mixing and recallable analogue outboard workflows

Cranborne Audio Brick Lane MC4 – 4-Channel Modal PWM Dynamics Processor

€3,099.00

VAT Included

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Specification	Cranborne Audio Brick Lane MC4
Product type	Four-channel Modal PWM analogue dynamics processor
Rack format	19-inch, 2U
Audio path	Fully analogue PWM compression and gate processing
Compression element	Pulse-width modulation
PWM switching frequency	250 kHz
Channels	4
Per-channel processing	Compressor and enhanced analogue noise gate
Operating modes	Mono, Stereo, Mid/Side, Series, Dual-Band and De-Esser
Compression modes	Velvet, Float, Smash, Tame, Glue and Polish
Lookahead	Analogue lookahead
Minimum attack time	6 ns standard, with 2 µs processing delay
Polish Lookahead response	6 ns; 0 ns processing delay at 20 kHz with Lookahead enabled
Harmonic processing	Stress control, up to 20% THD depending on operating conditions
Enigma control	Advanced knee, timing weight, detector behaviour and HF-emphasis adjustment
Sidechain HPF	Off, 60 Hz, 100 Hz or 200 Hz
External sidechain inputs	4
Inserts	4 × balanced, normalled ¼-inch TRS send/return loops
Maximum insert return level	+26 dBu, <0.003% THD+N
Maximum insert send level	+26 dBu, <0.003% THD+N
Main inputs	4 × balanced XLR
Main outputs	4 × balanced XLR
Input gain	±20 dB
Output gain	±20 dB
Maximum input level	+24 dBu, <0.003% THD
Maximum output level	+26.5 dBu, <0.003% THD
Frequency response	±0.5 dB, 2 Hz–80 kHz
Noise floor	Below −100 dBu, unweighted
Dynamic range	Above 118 dB
Input impedance	43 kΩ
Output impedance	150 Ω
Compression operating range	200 Hz–6.2 kHz
Remote control	USB and Ethernet/network
Software workflow	Remote control, DAW automation, session recall and presets
Display	5-inch full-colour TFT
Power supply	Internal mains power supply
Operating temperature	+1 °C to +35 °C
Weight	Approx. 6 kg

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