Black Lion Audio - B172A Compressor

When it comes to dynamic processing in the studio, two names keep coming up: the 1176 and the LA-2A. One for its responsiveness and ability to control transients, the other for its incomparable smoothness and musicality.

Black Lion had the clever idea of combining these two legendary approaches in a single device: the B172A. This hybrid compressor in 2U format combines a FET section derived from the famous Seventeen with an optical section inspired by the legendary LA-2A. The result? A highly effective sound sculpting machine, capable of adapting to any situation.

What makes the B172A particularly flexible is its modifiable internal routing. Thanks to a simple switch on the front panel, you can choose to process the signal first through the FET and then through the opto, or vice versa. A third position even lets you use each circuit independently, as if they were two separate devices. And for stereo mixing, each section has a link function.

When it comes to components, Black Lion has spared no expense: Cinemag transformer on the opto side input, Chicago wound output transformers, high quality capacitors... And above all, a custom-designed T4 optical element, the T4BLA, the result of numerous internal adjustments. You can feel immediately, both listening and in use, that the circuit has been designed to be musical, precise and warm at the same time.

The B172A can be used anywhere: on vocals to combine punch and roundness, on bass to control dynamics while retaining body, or even as a stereo bus to bring coherence and depth to a mix. For anyone looking to add a dual dynamic solution inspired by the best studio classics to their arsenal, this model is the obvious choice.