Black Lion Audio Level-Loc

The Black Lion Audio Level-Loc is a boutique re-creation of the classic, hard-to-find hardware compressor developed in close partnership with Shure, the original developer. Today's Level-Loc is a heavy effect compressor and saturation module with the tonal qualities of the original - plus modern connectivity and control options.

The original Shure Level-Loc of the 1960s was designed as a simple, affordable compressor/limiter intended for speech reinforcement and levelling in live sound and broadcast applications and was quite successful at its intended purpose.

As years rolled on, the original Level-Loc became an increasingly popular secret weapon of studio engineers due to its sledgehammer approach to compression while doubling as an optional saturation module. The heavy hand of the Level-Loc imparts some serious grind to anything you throw at it - it sounds particularly aggressive on a drum bus. Once word got out, prices of the Level-Loc skyrocketed on popular auction sites, and plug-in emulations predictably began to pop up.

But now, thanks to a close collaboration with Shure, Black Lion Audio has brought the Level-Loc back to the masses with all the heavyweight slam of the original... without the auction site price tags or questionable reliability inherent in buying anything that was already in used condition sixty years ago.

• Creative effects tool for heavy compression, saturation, and distortion
• Modern re-imagining of the hard-to-find and expensive Shure Level-Loc, designed in close partnership with Shure
• Mix control for instant parallel compression
• Modern connectivity options include TRS and XLR Outputs and a Combo jack input, plus +48v for condenser mics; a pad, and a release time mod