The Chandler Zener Limiter is a 19" rack-compatible TG limiter based on the vintage EMI circuits used to record The Beatles and Pink Floyd at Abbey Road Studios. The limiter can be operated in either stereo or mono mode by turning the link knob on the front panel. You can even connect the two sides of the device together in series using the output of one side to drive the input of the other.
 
The left and right channels can also be fully bypassed individually by pressing the IN LEFT and IN RIGHT pushbuttons in the center of the device. Each channel features a 1200 Ω high or 300 Ω low impedance switch for driving the input circuit at +6 or +12 dB for harder or softer limiting. A THD function switch on each channel enables bypassing the limiter to drive the circuit at 2% THD and higher which adds distortion, warmth, and color to the mix. For controls, each channel features a 21-position input level knob with gold contact taper and a 21-position output knob in 1 dB steps for ± 10 dB of level control.
 
A three-position knob allows you to select between a limiter setting, a fast compressor setting, and a slow compressor setting. The attack limit on each channel is controlled by a knob with selections of 5, 8, 12, 18, 25, 37, 50, 75, 87, and 100 ms. The same knob allows you to select an attack time for the fast compressor setting of 10, 16, 24, 36, 50, 62, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 ms. Similarly, when set to the slow compressor setting, the same knob can select a compression attack time of 28, 47, 68 100, 125, 210, 285, 350, 425, 495, and 570 ms.
 
The release time control is laid out in a similar manner with limiter release times of 10, 25, 50, 65, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 625, 750 ms, and 1, 1.25, 1.5, and 2 seconds. The fast compressor setting has release times of 20, 50, 100, 130, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 ms and 1.25, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4 seconds. The slow compressor setting has selectable release times of 60, 125, 250, 375, 425, 545, 700, 850 ms and 1, 1.2, 1.6, 2, 2.25, 2.5, 2.8, 3.5, 4.25, 5, 7.1, 8.5, and 10 seconds. Each channel also includes a sidechain filter that makes the limiter more flexible by removing low frequency information at selectable frequencies between 30 and 300 Hz. For each channel the unit includes a vintage VU meter for observing the amount of signal reduction or compression at different settings.
 
The Features
Dual Channel Operation
- Offers stereo or dual mono operation for serial compression and limiting
Three Compression/Limiter Models
- Offers one limiter, one fast compressor, and one slow compressor circuit
Input Knobs
- Features 21 positions and gold contact audio taper
Output Knobs
- Feature 21 positions in 1 dB steps for ±10 dB of level control
Bypass Push buttons
- Allows each channel to be fully bypassed via the center pushbuttons so that the processed and unprocessed signal may be compared
Input Impedance Switch
- Enables 1200 Ω high or 300 Ω low impedance loads at +6 or +12 dB for harder or softer limiting
THD Switch
- Bypasses the limiter and drives the circuit to over 2% THD to add distortion and color to the signal
Attack Times
- Provides selectable attack times of 5, 8, 12, 18, 25, 37, 50, 62, 75, 87, and 100 ms for limiting; 10, 16, 24, 36, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 ms for fast compression; and 28, 47, 68, 100, 125, 210, 285, 350, 425, 495, and 570 ms for slow compression
Release Times
- Provides selectable release times of 10, 25, 50, 65, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 625, 750 ms and 1, 1.25, 1.5, and 2 seconds for limiting; 20, 50, 100, 130, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 ms and 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4 seconds for fast compression; and 60, 125, 250, 375, 425, 545, 700, 850 ms and 1, 1.2, 1.6, 2, 2.25, 2.5, 2.8, 3.5, 4.25, 5, 7.1, 8.5, and 10 seconds for slow compression
Sidechain Filter
- Enables selective removable of low frequencies from limiter circuitry at 30, 50, 90, 150, and 300 Hz
Vintage VU Meters
- Provides visual feedback of signal reduction
 
Chandler Limited is the only company in the world authorized to develop, manufacture and market the “Official Equipment” of EMI/Abbey Road Studios.
Chandler Limited and their associated logos are registered trademarks of Chandler Limited, Inc. Abbey Road Studios, EMI, TG, REDD and RS and their associated logos are trademarks of EMI (IP) Limited.