In 1969, Spectra unveiled the Model 610 Complimiter, a revolutionary audio compressor and limiter. At the heart of the Model 610 was the 601 Compressor/Limiter module. This module allowed users to employ The Model 610’s compressor and limiter circuitry independently or simultaneously. Its low noise floor, ultra-fast peak limiting and intelligent compression earned the 610 its status as a classic studio compressor that is used by some of the best-known engineers in the industry.
The Spectra 1964 Model V610 Complimiter can be considered an evolution of the original Model 610, utilizing the very same 601 module with updates to fit in 21st Century workflows that include tracking, mixing and mastering. With amplifier stages based around the low-noise 110A amplifier circuit, the V610 is capable of 65dB of gain and +24dBu, making it a deft mic preamp in addition to its Complimiter functions.
In mastering applications, the V610 has detented/switched controls for precise recall of all parameters. The ultra-fast, fixed-timing peak limiter circuit operates fully within a 180 nanosecond range, transparently eliminating voltage transients without applying compression and effectively increasing the headroom of any device placed after the V610 in the signal chain.
The compressor circuit has a fixed attack around 100 nanoseconds, and variable release timing from 50 milliseconds to 10 seconds with full bandwidth at ratios from 1.1:1 up to 100:1, making it capable of both extremely transparent compression and hard compression. For tracking and mixing, the V610 can be used to do anything from subtle, automatic gain control, to invisible peak limiting for safeguarding analog-to-digital converters, or to dial in aggressive, fast-release, compression to add color to your sonic palette.
Though the heart of the Model V610 was designed nearly 50 years ago, its brilliant design still has specifications that go unrivaled in today’s industry, proving Spectra Sonics founder William G. Dilley was decades ahead of his time. And now, a new generation of engineers is discovering the Spectra Sonics sound for themselves.
