Peavey is moving into the signal-processing market with some very new, feature-packed units at more-than-competitive prices. So we are going to look at three of these devices, which are completely different in function but share a build quality and finish well above what you would expect from such affordable products.
CEL 2A - Dual Compressor/Expander/Limiter
The CEL-2A can be run as two independent compressors or as two linked compressors, for example to get precise compression on a stereo signal with true summing. To keep distortion low and sound quality high, it uses a high-quality voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) and RMS detection circuitry. The result is two channels of compression with de-esser, expander (or gate, depending on the setting) and limiter in a single rack space, which gives us a great deal of control over the dynamics of the signal we are working on.
Let's take a look at the specs and what this unit can do:
Let's start with connectivity. Each channel has its own input and output, with balanced XLR connectors paralleled with balanced jacks, plus a single-jack balanced input and output (something many units lack). There are also two jacks for externally controlling the side-chain of each channel (see the article on Rane's C4 and G4 for an explanation).
The controls on each channel are: a low-cut filter (for the side-chain only), which keeps the compressor from reacting to unwanted low-frequency noise from the studio or stage; a de-esser filter, though with no adjustment; and a switch to trigger the side-chain from an external signal. We also get the usual threshold, ratio and gain controls found on every compressor, along with an LED bar showing when the signal is below the threshold and when, and how much, the compressor is working, plus another LED bar showing the input level (or the output level, depending on the switch setting). There are also attack and release controls that set how long it takes the compressor to kick in once the signal has crossed the chosen threshold, and how long it takes to stop compressing once the signal falls back below it. In addition, there is a bypass switch and a control for choosing the threshold at which the limiter engages. Finally, a switch lets us link the channels so that the first channel acts as master and the second follows every adjustment made on the first.
REVIEW
I tested the CEL 2A against a very similar but better-known unit, the DBX 166, and one with comparable features made in Spain, the Altair CN-220. Although the dynamic range of the 166 is somewhat greater, I think this is a very respectable unit that responds to adjustments with great precision and gives us very good control over the signal. I really like how closely the LED bars match the actual result of our tweaks.
SPECIFICATIONS
Input impedance is 20 kohms balanced and 10 kohms unbalanced. Output impedance is 100 ohms maximum, balanced or unbalanced. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 64 kHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio of -97 dBu. THD is less than 0.1% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, measured at 0 dB.
LM 16S - Eight-Channel Stereo Line Mixer
The LM-16 S is about as simple as a stereo line mixer gets. In a single rack space, this unit gives us a complete line-level mixer along with headphone monitoring of the output signal.
Let's take a look at the specs and what this unit can do:
Let's start with connectivity. On the rear panel there are two unbalanced jack inputs for each channel, plus a pair of unbalanced jack outputs for the master mix. On the front there is a stereo-jack headphone output with its own volume control.
The controls are a volume knob for each channel, another for the master output and a third for the headphone output. There is also an LED that shows whether the output signal is clipping.
SPECIFICATIONS
Input impedance is 10 kohms. Output impedance is 600 ohms or more, and the headphone output needs a minimum load of 8 ohms. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio of -92 dBu. THD is less than 0.005% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, measured at +4 dBu.
REVIEW
I put the LM-16S through a short test and, although I couldn't compare it with a similar unit, I found its performance right on target, and the audio quality doesn't suffer the way it does on some other units this simple. For a product that is so easy to use and so versatile, the sound quality is surprising. The finish is very good too, and the volume controls have a welcome smoothness that allows more precise adjustment. We often wonder how to put together a rig for an installation that will use power amplifiers but obviously needs a mixer for the various audio sources (CD, tape deck, radio, etc.). This is certainly a unit to keep in mind for doing that quickly and simply, without taking up much space and without spending much. We are used to seeing these units with RCA inputs and outputs only, and it's nice to have one with jacks, which will always be a bit more professional. That said, the best thing about this unit is its price.
Feedback Ferret II
The Ferret II is a stereo digital feedback eliminator with sixteen digital dynamic filters at 1/12-octave resolution (or thirty-two in dual mode) running at 24 bits. It automatically controls feedback without sacrificing volume or tone. According to Peavey, “This feedback eliminator uses sophisticated algorithms to tell the difference between music and feedback,” so it won't ruin your sound.
The Ferret II also has four presets for saving settings for the most common venues.
Now let's look at the specs and what this unit can do.
Let's start, once again, with connectivity. On the rear panel there are two balanced combo (XLR + jack) inputs, plus an output on two balanced XLRs or two balanced jacks. There is also a Sub-D9 connector for an RS-232 connection, used to update the unit's software.
The controls are as follows:
On the rear panel, each input and each output has a +4 dBu / -10 dBV level switch. There is also a switch for locking out the front-panel controls once the Ferret II is set up the way you want it, and another that determines whether the unit recalls its last settings or preset 1 when powered back on.
On the front panel, we first see two signal-detection LEDs that show whether signal is coming into the unit and whether it is clipping. Next is a switch that sets the unit to stereo mode or dual-mono mode, in which case it works as two separate units. There is also a reset button that re-initializes the filters (first the dynamic ones, 9 through 16, and then the fixed ones, 1 through 8). Pressing the stereo and reset buttons at the same time puts the unit into bypass. Then there is a button that selects whether the filter works over a wider bandwidth, and a panic filter button, which lets the unit react when extreme, sudden feedback appears. Once the unit is dialed in for the room you are working in, a “normal” button switches it from setup to operation. As I mentioned earlier, there are four presets that can be saved with a button. Finally, there is a “lock” button so the Ferret II keeps working without changing the filters already set.
SPECIFICATIONS
Input impedance is 40 kohms. Output impedance is 120 ohms. Frequency response is +/- 0.5 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. THD is less than 0.005% at 1 kHz. The sample rate is 48 kHz and the converters are 24-bit.
REVIEW
I put the Ferret II through a short test, and it has to be said that it is very simple to use: you just slowly raise the level of the signal you are processing, and as feedback appears, the unit eliminates it and sets a filter, starting with number one and adding another each time it is needed, up to sixteen. The first eight filters are fixed and stay set after this process until we reset the unit. The remaining eight are dynamic and adjust as needed. Once that's done, we switch the unit to normal mode and move on to other things. Feedback detection is quite fast, and so is its removal. After making different adjustments in different rooms, I tried switching the unit between bypass and active, and I found that you can barely hear the difference between the original signal and the processed one. During my tests in normal mode, the dynamic filters kept adjusting continuously to the feedback I provoked and eliminated it quickly and precisely. Still, I don't want to mislead anyone: this is not a magic box that means you will never get feedback. It is a tool that can never replace the engineer, only make the job easier. If extreme, sudden feedback occurs, you will always hear it, although the Ferret II will quickly eliminate it.
CONCLUSIONS
You can tell the brand is keen to offer a new, high-quality product compared with other makers' units at similar prices, and it shows in the finish and quality of these three very different units. I really like how easy it is to get at all the functions you need, and the simplicity Peavey has built into many of the features. Peavey has always given us versatile units aimed at one specific job, and always at a very affordable price.
