Less than ten years ago, an approach like the one we have before us today would have seemed impossible: an affordable dynamics processor based on a digital environment, particularly given how far integrated VCA circuits were being refined at the time and the good results THAT had achieved, both in quality and in the final cost of each of them.
Other manufacturers preferred to bet on their own research in the digital domain, which in the past had been held back by the difficulty of getting converters of the quality needed to keep quantization noise from coming to the forefront when squeezing the signal, all at a reasonable price. The main companies dedicated to finding affordable digital solutions are in Japan and the United States, where investment in this field exceeds investment in analog design, and Alesis was surely one of their biggest exponents.
The company, which was bankrupt at the beginning of this decade, was bought by Jack O’Donnell, who in turn owns Numark, a manufacturer of DJ equipment. The remodeling of Alesis was felt in the way its products were manufactured and sold, so this encounter with the CLX 440 has a deeper meaning than it might seem. Let’s get to it…
ON THE OUTSIDE
The first impression clearly exceeds the 280 euros plus VAT you have to shell out to have the gadget at home. Completely covered in polished, shiny aluminum, it looks like it will be very striking in the studio rack. With input and output meters, as well as gain reduction and expansion meters for each channel, and plenty of aluminum knobs on a modern-looking panel with a slight retro air, it makes for an appetizing dish. It’s on the back panel that we realize all that glitters is not gold, since all the inputs and outputs, balanced or not, are on jacks and there are no digital inputs or outputs at all, which really surprised me.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
The CLX 440 is a dual stereo compressor, expander, noise gate and limiter, that is, two channels, each of them stereo, with dedicated knobs and switches for each and every one of its functions. With an analog look, its structure is based on Alesis 24-bit dual sigma-delta converters, with a delay of 0.02 ms, which makes it necessary to use the look-ahead function, designed to delay the signal by 2 ms, if we are going to use zero attack times, giving the detector room to trigger the compression. It also includes input and output level controls, a nominal level switch on the back panel (-10 dBV, +4 dBV), and power and bypass switches, so the CLX is extremely complete. In the compressor section we have threshold, ratio, attack, release, detect (between RMS and PEAK), sidechain switch and knee controls. The expander/gate section has threshold, ratio, attack, hold and release times, as well as a knee control. We also find a limiter control with its corresponding LED. All controls are duplicated for each channel.
The noise and harmonic distortion levels are spectacular considering the price, though not if we think about the type of architecture the CLX uses. Whether these levels stay this good when measured with complex signals and not just with a pure 1 kHz tone is another matter; it’s a bit cheeky to love the specs so much that you then have to read the fine print carefully.
On the back we see two inputs (L and R), a direct output, a sidechain input, a key input and the two outputs, all of them per channel. The internal power supply has an IEC connector.
IN ACTION
The first impression is visual, and it is none other than the nice aesthetic effect of the meters, lights and their reflection on the burnished aluminum. Its self-noise is extremely low, and it doesn’t seem as if we had even inserted it. So I fire off a first unmastered stereo signal and get to work looking for an overall full-band squeeze in the best plug-in style, discovering that this may not be the best application, because, while it gave good results, I found it hard to keep the mix from drifting toward a certain dark character. It kept asking me to over-excite the mix beforehand so the stereo image, so well controlled at first, wouldn’t get squashed. In this respect, it must be said that the CLX runs circles around some mastering processors such as the Focusrite Platinum, which costs three times as much and is probably worth somewhat less.
The CLX440 gives a clear and quite accurate result on vocals, where the detection type control (RMS/PEAK) helps a lot, and it willingly accepts heavy compression, although always using relatively shorter times than usual. The expander is really useful for correcting those little "voices" that hide behind a brutal band. With percussion, the result is really good, better on snare and high toms than on very deep kick drums, where with a long release time we found a tendency to pump. Using it on bass is where we hit the first stumbling block, noticing a clear change in tonal color, favorable in the case of hard or pick-played performances, but in any case contrary to the philosophy this type of device should have.
Live, the shortcomings of the CLX 440 are less obvious. It is intuitive, comfortable and very complete to use, far superior to analog units at a similar or even higher price. Here I used the expander section more, having a lot of fun and discovering great functionality, which makes it ideal for mid-to-high-end rental rigs and bands.
This difference in the quality of use is what leads us to understand why there are no digital inputs or outputs on a unit with a digital architecture, so we understand that it is clearly intended for live use. The fact that each channel is made up of a stereo signal is driven more by the use of digital converters in a stereo configuration.
It is worth noting the compressor’s low tendency to pump and breathe, which makes the CLX 440 a cheap but high-performance tool. While it is not ideal for a top-tier professional studio, it is a perfect complement for dynamics racks that are currently sparse or filled with very low-quality products, where our compressor will be like going from night to day.
From now on, there is no excuse for finding no dynamics processing in most small live music clubs. Alesis has shown that there are affordable and extremely complete add-ons on the market, now within reach of almost any budget.From now on, there is no excuse for finding no dynamics processing in most small live music clubs. Alesis has shown that there are affordable and extremely complete add-ons on the market, now within reach of almost any budget.
In the home studio, the CLX 440 is a good option in the analog section when it comes to tracking. However, it is not as necessary if we look at the way people mix today, where plug-ins are king.
CONCLUSIONS
I have already described most of the conclusions; all that remains is to remind you once again where and how you spend your money. Depending on what this unit is for, you will find a whole world of different possibilities, and as you will see in my final rating, the CLX 440 gives a lot for every euro spent. It is not the best, but it is not throwing money away.
The truth is that if I had had something like this ten years ago, it would have made me happy, since similar units cost hundreds of thousands of pesetas. Nowadays, many engineers deserve to have their companies replace all those Composers and the like with a CLX 400. It’s not that expensive…
