Description
Punch, color, weight, and tone. Two channels of iconic diode bridge compression – straight from the Shelford Channel.
Since the early 1970s, Rupert Neve’s vintage 2254 and 33609 diode bridge compressors have been revered for the punch & thickness they bring to drums, instruments, and the mix bus. Originally developed for the acclaimed Shelford Channel, the Shelford Diode Bridge Compressor captures the soul of these coveted compressors while providing a host of modern updates, including advanced timing control, significantly lower noise, fully stepped controls throughout, higher voltage power rails, and internal parallel processing capabilities.
A Note on the Name – a.k.a. “Didn’t this used to be called the 5254?”
This two-channel unit was first released in October 2020 as the “5254 Dual Diode Bridge Compressor” (and you’ll still see it referred to with that name in some older content below). In 2024 we updated the name to “Shelford Diode Bridge Compressor” to better reflect the circuit’s origins. But aside from the name change on the faceplate, the rest of the unit – inside and out – is identical to the 5254 many of you already know and love.
What is diode bridge compression?
Where the VCA compressor found in the Master Buss Processor provides unmatched clarity, the weighty, harmonically rich tonality of diode bridge compression can be essential in pushing key sources like vocals, electric guitars, bass and drums to the forefront of a mix.
By understanding the limitations of vintage units like the legendary 2254 & 33609, painstaking effort was taken to reproduce the unique tone of these classics while improving the noise floor & accuracy, expanding inflexible time constants, adding full wave sidechain detection for improved dynamic response, and widening the range of threshold and ratio controls.
Delivering the powerful sound of these iconic designs with enhanced flexibility for the modern age, the Shelford Diode Bridge Compressor is a dynamic tool equipped to make a bold statement on virtually any mix or track.
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