The Standard Audio Level-Or Mk2 is a 500 Series JFET limiter inspired by the infamous Shure Leveloc, providing aggressive compression and distortion. The Standard Audio Level-Or mk2 boasts several improvements over Standard Audio's offering, most notably a 12-15dB lower noise floor without sacrificing the tone and vibe of the original unit. The Level-Or mk2 now features a bypass position which offers true-bypass operation. At the core of the Level-Or is the mode switch which lets you choose between Level and Crunch modes. The Level mode is ideal to heavily compress your audio signal thanks to is extreme JFET limiter. The Crunch mode uses a series of Class A amplifier stages with discrete transistors to provide subtle harmonic enhancement or complete destruction of the audio signal. Another improvement is included with the speed switch which now offers a choice of three release times (SLOW/MEDIUM/FAST) instead of two (SLOW/FAST) and the ability to control a three-way low-pass filter on the output stage. This new function is useful to minimise harshness that can occur while distorting. It offers a choice of two frequency points of between 15kHz in MEDIUM position and 8kHz in the SLOW position while it remains bypassed when set in FAST mode. A DI input has also replaced the original Line in level making the Level-Or mk2 much more useful for guitarists and bassists. When a ¼” jack is connected to the input, the unit automatically switches to DI Mode. In this mode, the Bypass function sends a Clean DI signal to the output and can be boosted with the output level control.
