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Nitrous Review

I have been setting up a project studio over last 2 years-and have optical
(buzz audio) and VCA compressor (neve portico). The missing link was a FET
for drum squashing. I could not throw the money for a purple (would be close
to $6,000AUS here for 2 channels), and I know what the 1176 squash is on
snare and I could not get with the buzz or the neve.

So when I saw the Sebatron Nitrous, FET, with sidechain, and suggestions of
a 1176 flavour, I decided to roll the dice-and bought 2-on basis of 30 day
return policy-so even though there have been no reviews at all-I thought it
worth the risk, given you can get 2 channels for some $2,400AUS.

Input has a input gain lever selector-with 12db, 0 and 6db boost options.
Sidechain is dialled between 40hz to some 440hz on a rotary dial. Usual
attack and release, and threshold, and there is output makeup rotary gain.
Metering has a red input clip, and the usual output leds. For gain
reduction, you press and it reverses, so the gain reduction turns lights off
right to left. I found odd-but you get used to it-has been set up to
distinguish leds being on GR or voltage output-and the more I use it the
more cool I find it.

The metering for output and GR is very basic-no numbering-you just get a
feel about what the unit is up to with LEDs once you get a handle on the
unit. The switchgear markings are basic to say the least-will be a real
problem to record switchgear settings if doing outboard sub mixes/mixes. A
nice touch is both units have a different power on LED-1 green and the other
red, and is therefore easy to allocate the red one to right channel. Another
nice touch is a nice power on switch-on front pannel-(Mr Neve-take note).

The input gain toggle and output gain toggle provides dollops of clean
gain-to my ear it is very very clean-with no colour. OK-lets get to the
chase-if you like playing with knobs-you gonna like this unit. This unit's
controls are incredibly tactile-you turn attack-release-threshold-and hey
hallow-it is like you are sculpting the sound with your fingers. Unlike the
neve portico-where release/attack has a real narrow band and when you are
outside band -it does nothing-Nitrous is so linear in the controls. Only
with ratio once past 3'oclock (do not know what it is -some 15.1 plus?) is
there (with attack fast) a total nuking. But go back from 3 oclock-and
sculpting is in.

If you engage side chain, and pull it back from 440HZ down, it has the
further effect of more GR (like another threshold working on lower
frequencies). There is also a tight switch-which is great for parrallel
smashing.

On drums nitrous retains the lower end -with kick/snare. On snare you get
that nice 1176's ktwack with thick body-which I just could not get with
neve/buzz. Hello sunshine-this was what was missing in my studio. As
noted-the gain is very clean -the character, and it has oodles-is the FET
operation and the incredibly tactile and linear
attack/release/sidechain/tight settings.
I did some serious a/b with neve-and the nitrous was more thick/tight lower
down.

by Gavin Jensen