Cranborne Audio Brick Lane 500 Compressor

Cranborne Audio Brick Lane 500 is a 500 Series analogue PWM compressor that introduces a new approach to dynamic control through its Modal PWM Compression architecture. Designed as a step forward in analogue processing, it offers six operating modes and a dedicated Stress control, transforming the compressor into a versatile creative tool as well as a precision processor.

Using pure analogue PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology, Cranborne Audio Brick Lane 500 maintains complete signal integrity while avoiding the artefacts and distortion associated with traditional compression methods. Its Modal Compression system gives engineers detailed control over compression envelopes, onset behaviour, and response characteristics, enabling an exceptionally broad palette of dynamics shaping.

The six operating modes, Velvet, Tame, Float, Glue, Smash, and Polish, cover a wide sonic spectrum, from smooth Vari-Mu warmth to punchy FET aggression, transparent opto-style control, and mastering-grade limiting. Polish mode also introduces Cranborne Audio’s Analogue Lookahead technology, which uses predictive voltage detection to anticipate transients with zero latency. This ensures precise clipping prevention, making it especially effective for mastering and limiting tasks.

The Stress control adds another creative dimension by altering harmonic behaviour in each mode, ranging from subtle, tube-inspired warmth to bold and aggressive harmonic colour. This flexibility makes the Cranborne Audio Brick Lane 500 equally valuable as a sound design tool and a mastering-grade compressor.

For stereo work, the unit incorporates Cranborne Audio’s OPTOSYNC system, enabling wireless optical communication between linked modules. With OPTOSYNC engaged, one unit acts as the master and automatically synchronises all controls to the slave, with the option to link multiple units for larger setups.

Built for reliability, the Cranborne Audio Brick Lane 500 features rugged industrial construction, precision 41-way detented pots, and automatic calibration of all analogue saturation paths, ensuring consistency and long service life.

It represents a redefinition of analogue compression, combining innovative technology, creative flexibility, and precision performance, making it equally suited to tracking, mixing, and mastering applications.