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Chandler Limited RS124 Compressor

SKU: APA2023-00322
  • free shipping icon
    Free Shipping
  • 36  Instalments
  • 2 years warranty
    2 Years Warranty
  • free shipping icon
    Free Shipping
  • 36  Instalments
  • 2 years warranty
    2 Years Warranty
3.439 €
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The Beatles’ valve compressor, as Abbey Road heard it

The RS124 is one of the most coveted valve compressors ever made. It was designed at Abbey Road in 1960 by Bill Livy, Len Page and Mike Bachelor, starting from the Altec 436Bs EMI had acquired in the late ’50s. It was present on almost every Beatles session and in almost every Abbey Road control room photo of the period, yet it was never commercially available.

Chandler Limited studied the studio’s historic units and their handwritten modification notes to capture the character of three favourite RS124s still in use there, serial numbers 60070B, 60050A and 61010B, in a single unit. To the classic Input, Output, Recovery and Hold controls it added adjustable attack, selectable output impedance and the SuperFuse mode.

Abbey Road’s mysterious compressor

The RS124 was born out of necessity. The Altec 436Bs EMI had brought in did not satisfy Abbey Road’s engineers, so the studio’s technical department redesigned them. The result became the studio’s main compression tool for tracking, bus work, mixing and mastering.

Smooth character

The RS124 is known for the smooth way it tames transients without muffling the sound, even at heavy compression. Vocals, bass, drums and piano gain cohesion and presence while keeping their natural breath.

Three historic units in one

Over the years the studio’s RS124s were modified many times and each unit developed its own character. Chandler had access to the units and to Abbey Road’s notes. The 9-position attack selector includes three settings matching units 60070B, 60050A and 61010B, and Recovery offers 6 positions plus the distinctive Hold function.

Modern capabilities

Selectable 200 or 600 Ω output impedance changes the response depending on the following stage, and SuperFuse mode adds another shade. Two units link for stereo via a 1/4" jack, XLR inputs and outputs pass through custom-wound transformers and the power supply is internal.

Chandler Limited RS124 Compressor
Specifications
  • Mono valve compressor recreating the EMI/Abbey Road RS124
  • 6BC8, 6CG7 and 6AL5 valves
  • Continuous Input and Output (stepped on special order)
  • 9-position Attack, including 3 settings from historic Abbey Road units
  • 6-position Recovery plus Hold
  • SuperFuse mode
  • 200 or 600 Ω output impedance
  • Stereo linking of two units via 1/4" jack
  • XLR inputs and outputs (pin 2 hot), balanced with custom-wound transformers
  • Internal power supply
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