When it comes to music production, we’ve become so exclusively reliant on software that it becomes difficult to know where to start in the analogue domain. Let’s take a look at some of the best budget 500 series modules that can become essential tools in your setup.
Key Facts about Budget 500 Series Modules:
- Budget 500-series modules give you access to professional mic preamps, EQs, and compressors in an interchangeable, portable format that is also affordable on a piece-by-piece basis.
- All 500-series modules require a chassis (aka lunchbox), which provides power and a range of different connectivity and signal routing options. Make sure you find one that suits your setup* and application before you start purchasing modules.
- Having a limited budget doesn’t mean you are short of options. Both major brands like MusicTribe and SSL, as well as boutique manufacturers like Fredenstein and Cranborne Audio, have a range of modules for building custom channel strips.
- Ensure you carefully check the power requirements of each module, so you know your chosen chassis is providing sufficient power for all of them. Although 500-series modules run at lower voltage compared to 19-inch rackmount units, manufacturers like Mercury Recording Equipment build high-voltage racks to maximize headroom and reduce the noise floor.
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Choosing the Best Budget 500 Series Modules
The 500 series format does not have the high voltage capacity of 19-inch rack gear, which puts a ceiling on the headroom and dynamic range you can achieve with these units. However, 500 series modules still provide a compact and comparably affordable solution for recording and mixing.
If you’re just starting out with 500 series gear, it’s important to plan your setup according to your workflow and give yourself enough room to upgrade, as you may want to swap out or acquire additional modules in the future.
Selecting the right 500-series chassis is essential, as you might require D-SUB or digital outputs, and there is a wide range of casings available.
Budget 500 Series Modules: dbx 560A
In the 1990s, you couldn’t go into a professional studio without finding at least two of the dbx 160A compressors in the outboard racks. The 560A brings this versatile processor to the 500-series format.
All the important features remain, including selectable OverEasy and Hard Knee settings and inverse-compression ratio modes. Overall, the 560A offers great value for home recording, and it’s useful for live sound applications too.
Budget 500 Series Modules: Fredenstein Artistic Series
Established in 2013, Fredenstein Professional Audio is a boutique manufacturer with a range of impressive 500-series racks and modules in its lineup, including the affordable Artistic Series. Using American steel-core transformers and OPA2 discrete op amps, the Artistic Series offers high-headroom circuitry with analogue warmth without taking a vintage-clone approach.
The Artistic Series includes two versions of a mic preamp module, starting with the basic MicPre SE for under $100, while the MicPre Plus adds a vintage saturation circuit and a DI input with extended headroom. Meanwhile, the Artistic EQ module is a solid-state EQ with an op-amp-powered active filter network that features the same Colour circuit as the MicPre Plus.
For dynamics control, there are two options: the 1176-style Artistic Comp Plus and the Artistic Leveler LA-2A-style opto compressor, both with internal/external sidechain and stereo-link functions that make them ideal for modern recording and mixing workflows. Overall, the Artistic Series provides an impressive level of signal processing, with the average price of each module being similar to some high-end plugins. Get it at Thomann.*
Budget 500 Series Modules: Behringer 73
The Behringer 73 is an affordable recreation of the famous Neve 1073, built for the 500 series format. Using specially designed Midas transformers, the 73 captures the magic of the original with the familiar red rotary switch for precise gain adjustment. Like the original, the design of the 73 module uses discrete Class A circuitry, and you can fine-tune the gain with the trim control.
This 73 module can be used for recording in your home studio, or it can add versatility to your toolbox as a live engineer. With its XLR combo input on the front panel, the 73 also functions as a DI box; all you need to do is select the input with the FR I/P button and choose between high or low impedance accordingly.
Overall, the 73 offers exceptional value for money, allowing you to capture the experience of recording with a legendary mic preamp for a more-than-reasonable price. Rather than expecting the 73 to outdo the original, it’s better to see it as a competitive option in its own price bracket. Get it at Thomann.*
Budget 500 Series Modules: SSL SiX Channel
Our pick of the bunch is the SSL SiX Channel, a complete 500-series channel strip modeled on the SiX range of desktop mixers. You get a mic pre, EQ, compressor, and DI, all in one very well-priced module.
Both the preamp and compressor have LED metering, and the two EQ bands are switchable, providing shelf or bell functionality. Although it might be limited compared to high-end channel strips, the SiX Channel still gives you an excellent front end for the price.
- More from SSL
Budget 500 Series Modules: Lindell Audio “X Series”
Founded by Swedish music producer Tobias Lindell in 2010, Lindell Audio follows a “by engineers for engineers” philosophy in providing an affordable way to get classic gear designs into your home studio. Within Lindell Audio’s “X Series,” you’ll find a preamp, an EQ, and a compressor/limiter module, each with an alternative Vintage Edition (VIN) with OPA1731 op-amps.
At the beginning of the chain is the 6X-500 transformer-coupled mic preamp and EQ module that features a unique passive “boost-only” Pultec-style design for adding flavour to key areas of the frequency range when recording. Meanwhile, the PEX-500 is a 2-band Pultec-style EQ with discrete makeup gain and adjustable bandwidth for the high-frequency boost.
Dynamics processing is taken care of by the 7X-500, an 1176-style FET compressor/limiter module with wet/dry mix control for parallel processing and an internal sidechain high-pass filter to avoid low-end components inadvertently triggering the compressor. In each case, the VIN version adds character and midrange bite. Get it at Thomann.*
Budget 500 Series Modules: SPL TDx
With the endless transient processor plug-ins available, maybe it’s time to get some analogue hardware for shaping your drums, percussion, and acoustic guitars. The TDx front panel gives you attack, sustain, output attenuation, and mix controls.
This means you can add an aggressive bite to the sound without processing the entire signal. Overall, an excellent mixing tool to add to your 500-series rack for music production. Get it at Thomann.*
Budget 500 Series Modules: Cranborne Audio Camden 500
The Camden 500 is a versatile preamp module with over 68 dB of gain on tap and two distinctive saturation circuits for sweetening vocals, guitars, and drums.
In addition, the Cranborne 500 has a DI input conveniently placed on the front panel and an 80 Hz high-pass filter. Getting a vintage sound on a budget is often a myth sold by many manufacturers, so it’s rare to find gear of this nature. Get it at Thomann.*
Budget 500 Series Modules: Harrison Audio
Founded in Nashville, Tennessee, in the mid-1970s, Harrison Audio became famous for its in-line consoles, which later became the weapon of choice of engineer Bruce Swedien, known for his work on Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller and Off the Wall albums. The 32 series with its transformer-coupled mic preamps and EQs with proportional Q is still available today in the form of the 32Classic, as Harrison is now under the stewardship of SSL.
Within Harrison’s growing range of designs is a line of 500-series modules, and besides the 32Cpre+ mic preamp, which falls slightly outside of “budget” territory, there is the more affordable MR3eq 3-band EQ, and the versatile Comp VCA compressor. Although it has three bands rather than the four commonly found on the 32 series, the MR3eq does have bell filter modes on the high and low bands, and a variable high-pass filter, which is useful in recording.
Meanwhile, the Comp can switch between transparent peak-limiting and adding character and grit, depending on how hard you push the gain reduction. Overall, the Harrison modules offer extremely straightforward and intuitive sound shaping, with applications in both recording and mixing. It’s a pity the 32Cpre+ costs so much more, but Jensen transformers aren’t cheap. Get it at Thomann.*
Budget 500 Series Modules: Trident Audio 80B EQ
Trident Audio has a prestigious legacy in the recording industry going back to the late 1970s, when the company introduced the 80 Series consoles. The 80B Series continued on this path in the early 1980s, with a more economical design without compromising on the classic Trident sound. As smaller studios were on the rise at this time, the 80B fitted in perfectly.
Today, Trident Audio Developments has taken the design of the channel strip from this legendary line of consoles and made its key functions available in a range of 500-series modules, like the 80B EQ. This versatile 4-band EQ is perfect for tracking and mixing, with two parametric midrange bands, high and low shelving filters, and a high-pass filter at 50 Hz.
Another key feature of this EQ is its proportional Q, which means that the bands get narrower and more precise as you increase the boost or cut. This is one of the factors that gives classic EQs like this their desirable musical character, and makes them sought after by engineers and producers even years later. Get it at Thomann.*
Budget 500-Series Modules: Drawmer
Drawmer was founded in the early 1980s in Yorkshire, UK, and developed a stellar reputation for manufacturing delay lines and noise gates, the latter of which became industry standards in professional recording studios over the following two decades. Today, Drawmer maintains a hand-built, hand-assembled production line, which includes an impressive range of 500-series modules.
The most recent additions to the lineup are the FC1 (FET) and OC1 (Optical) compressor modules, designed to provide quality, affordable versions of the famous 1176 and LA-2A with a range of features to suit modern workflows. This includes BIG (Low-end boost) and AIR (HF boost) modes, as well as a PGM to decrease pumping with ample gain reduction present.
Another highlight in the range of 500-series modules is Drawmer’s modern remake of the legendary Motown EQ, a 7-band inductor EQ with proportional Q, which is available in mono (MQ-1) and stereo (MQ-2) configurations. Meanwhile, the trusty DS101 noise gate continues the Drawmer legacy, with features suitable for modern workflows. Get it at Thomann.*
FAQ
- What are the best budget 500-series modules for home recording?
Choosing the best modules depends on the requirements you have in your workflow. However, affordable mic preamps, EQs, and compressors from trusted manufacturers can produce professional results on a budget.
- Are budget 500-series modules worth buying?
Yes. Many of the affordable modules you’ll find for the 500-series format combine reliability and sound quality. This way, it becomes an accessible route for adding analogue character while recording and mixing.
- Do I need a 500 Series rack or lunchbox to use 500 Series modules?
Yes. Every 500-series module requires a chassis casing with sufficient power for each installed module. The chassis or lunchbox also provides the connectivity for signal routing.
- Which type of budget 500-series module should I buy first?
Usually a mic preamp module is the logical first choice because it comes first in the signal chain. Meanwhile, EQs and compressors are also useful tools for tracking and mixing workflows.
- Can I mix budget and premium 500 Series modules in the same rack?
Yes. You can mix and match modules as long as your chassis provides sufficient power for each one. This gives you the freedom to create a custom recording channel or a stereo mix bus chain from a wide range of modules.
More about Budget 500 Series Modules:
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