Heritage Audio TUBESESSOR

In the tradition of the great tube optical studio compressors

The Heritage Audio TUBESESSOR clearly follows in the tradition of the great tube optical compressors that have become indispensable on vocals, basses, and sources requiring elegant smoothing without losing the emotion of the performance. Introduced by Heritage Audio in late 2022, it captures this high-end spirit while adding greater flexibility and more tonal coloration options, with an approach reminiscent of the most sought-after Danish references in this segment.

An obvious choice for engineers, producers, and studios looking for depth

The TUBESESSOR is primarily aimed at musicians recording in ambitious home studios, producers, and engineers who want a compressor capable of enhancing a lead vocal, anchoring a bass, adding density to a guitar, or giving a solo track more stability. It excels both during recording and mixing, with that rare blend of smoothness, control, and presence that easily finds its place in a serious analog chain. Its rackmount format and stereo linking capability also make it an excellent candidate for broader processing on buses or pairs of sources.

Optical compression enhanced with genuine creative tools

Where many optical compressors focus on simplicity, the TUBESESSOR opens up a wider range of possibilities. It features up to 30 dB of gain, a variable ratio from 2:1 to 10:1, an adjustable threshold, and continuously variable attack and release times. Three operating modes for the attack and release let you choose between fixed, manual, or hybrid behavior. The sidechain section offers 5 filter positions to prevent overly generous low frequencies from triggering excessive compression, or conversely to target specific areas of the frequency spectrum in a more creative way. These features are joined by a VU meter monitoring selector, a link function for coupling two units in stereo, and a hard bypass that completely removes the circuit from the audio path.

The sound

To the ear, the TUBESESSOR delivers very clean, smooth, and unobtrusive optical compression, with a sense of depth and stability that immediately brings a source to the forefront. It can remain subtle on a vocal or bass while preserving the nuances of the performance, then become more assertive thanks to the Tube Saturation section, which adds harmonics and extra attitude without pushing the signal into artificial harshness. It is precisely this balance between transparency, warmth, and personality that makes it such an appealing tool for anyone looking for a true studio compressor capable of being either restrained or expressive depending on the context.

Technical specifications

Category

compressor

Number of channels

1

Type	tube optical compressor	Manual attack	0.5 ms to 300 ms
User-replaceable tubes	2 tubes	Manual release	0.05 s to 10 s
Frequency response	20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.15 dB	Fixed mode	1 ms attack, 50 ms release
Signal-to-noise ratio	greater than 94 dB	Attack and release modes	Fixed, Manual, Fix/Man
Noise level	-75 dBu, ±1 dBu	Sidechain filter	80 Hz, 160 Hz, 1 kHz, 3 kHz, 5 kHz
THD+N at 1 kHz, -6 dBu input with maximum gain and 24 dBu output	less than or equal to 1 percent	Line input	gold-plated female XLR
Input impedance	600 ohms	Line output	gold-plated male XLR
Output impedance	20 ohms	Stereo link connection	6.35 mm TS jack
Gain	-10 to +30 dB	Format	19-inch rack, 3U
Ratio	2:1 to 10:1	Dimensions	482 x 134 x 153 mm
Threshold	Off to -40 dB	Weight	3.643 kg