Electro-Harmonix NY-2A
The Electro-Harmonix NY-2A was a dual-channel optical tube compressor. It is a serious studio outboard unit, not a synth, whatever archive category it sometimes gets filed under. Almost no official documentation has survived. The model is known mainly through a handful of studio-gear reviews from the mid-2000s.
EQ Magazine (June 2004, p.54) introduced it as a dual-channel optical tube compressor at $2,995. Its eight glowing tubes were clearly part of the appeal. Mix Magazine (August 2004, p.110) described the same stereo unit as a blend of modern, retro, and audiophile-grade parts.
The compression circuit is the interesting part. Instead of a variable-gain amplifier (VGA), the NY-2A uses passive opto-couplers to control signal level. That is why it has no ratio, attack, or release controls. EQ Magazine (June 2004, p.56) noted that offering those adjustments across three opto-couplers would have meant complex switching or dedicated knobs for each, likely at prohibitive cost. He also cautioned that high-impedance sources could introduce distortion and popping when switching in (June 2004, p.55).
The NY-2A made a strong impression on reviewers, and it was still showing up in the Pro Audio Review buyer's guide as a compressor as late as March 2006 (p.56). EQ also pointed out that the NY-2A was not the only higher-end processing product in the Electro-Harmonix lineup at the time, citing the Bi-Filter as a sibling. Beyond those reviews, the record is thin. No detailed production history or official spec sheet has surfaced.
Known specs (from period reviews)
- Dual-channel optical tube compressor
- Stereo unit
- Original price: $2,995
- Eight vacuum tubes
- Opto-coupler gain element (no VGA)
- No ratio, attack, or release controls
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