The SC2 Stereo Compressor is a legendary British analogue stereo compressor known for its smooth optical compression and unmistakable sonic character. Inspired by renowned experimental producer Joe Meek in the late 1960’s, the SC2 established its own audio legacy in the late 1990’s and into the 2000’s.
With its striking green livery and being a staple in countless recording setups over the years, the SC2 is prized for its ability to add cohesion and “glue” to vocals, instruments, and full stereo mixes.
Now part of the Trident Audio Developments lineup, the new Trident SC2 500 faithfully incorporates the legendary Joemeek optical compressor design into a modern, high‑end format for both professional and project studios.
The Trident SC2 500 delivers musical dynamics control that enhances clarity, warmth, and punch without sounding harsh or over-processed.
It allows both those that fondly remember the original Joemeek SC2 and those of a new generation of audio creators, access to a classic compressor design, steeped in musical history and heritage.
Optical Stereo Compression with the Joemeek Sound
At the heart of the Trident SC2 500 is a photo-optical compression circuit, which reacts naturally to incoming audio for smooth, organic gain reduction. Unlike clinical VCA compressors, the SC2 500 excels at musical levelling, making it ideal for sources that need control while retaining life and emotion.
Stereo-linked operation ensures consistent compression across left and right channels, preserving stereo imaging and balance.
Key Features
- Stereo Optical Compressor for cohesive, musical dynamics control
- Analog Signal Path delivers warmth, depth, and character
- Simple, Intuitive Controls for fast setup and creative workflow
- Smooth Attack and Release Behaviour ideal for vocals and mix bus use
- 500 Series Format Design suitable for studio and live environments
Ideal Applications
The SC2 500 is a versatile compressor used across many production stages, including:
- Vocals – smooth levelling with added presence
- Acoustic & Electric Instruments – control dynamics without killing tone
- Drum Overheads & Stereo Sources – natural, balanced compression
- Mix Bus & Subgroups – add glue and cohesion to full mixes
Its forgiving nature makes it equally effective for subtle dynamic control or more noticeable compression effects.
Why Choose the Trident SC2 500?
Producers and engineers choose the SC2 500 stereo compressor for its unique combination of simplicity, reliability, and musical tone. It is especially valued by users seeking an analogue compressor with character that enhances mixes rather than flattening them.
Whether you’re building a hybrid analogue/digital setup or expanding your outboard gear collection, the SC2 remains a trusted tool for professional-sounding results.
Who It’s For
- Recording and mixing engineers
- Home and project studio owners
- Producers seeking analogue warmth
- Musicians upgrading from plugin-only compression
Quotes
“Everything I own is a creative tool, and the Joemeek is now something I can’t do without”
“-..I found myself thinking gee, one isn’t going to be enough, I can’t have 24, but I would like to have at least 5 or 6..”
-Jack Joseph Puig – Producer – Rolling Stones, Black Crowes, Barbara Streisand
“For me, it totally did the job. Not only did it add warmth and gain riding, it gave me this indescribable zing, and I thought ‘I don’t know what it’s doing but I like it!’ …”
-Mark Plati – Producer – David Bowie
“I’ve used it on every record I’ve done since I got it”
– Jerry Finn – Producer – Green Day, Cheap Trick, Rancid
Operating The Compressor
Perhaps the hardest studio device to understand, yet one of the most useful, the Compressor’s job is to make quiet sounds louder and loud sounds quieter, or in other words to control dynamic range of program material. It’s a bit like manually riding a volume control, except the compressor does it automatically, responding far quicker and more accurately than you ever could by hand. This can be used in several ways:
1. Make Sounds Stand Out – making quiet sounds louder without the loud bits getting even louder, means you can raise the average level of an instrument or vocal in the mix. This can actually improve vocals for example, by bringing them out in front of the mix, making them sound denser, more even, and more confident!
2. Crank Up the Volume – raising the average volume of whole mixes is what makes rock music, radio stations and TV commercials all sound LOUD!
3. Protect – using fast Attack and Release times to control brief transients is known as “limiting” and is used to protect recorders and monitoring systems from overload.
4. Accommodate – mixes intended for AM and FM radio broadcasts are compressed to fit the restricted dynamic range, which also gives a certain “feel” to the production.
5. Modify – a compressor can be used to change the dynamics, or “envelope” of a track.
Technical Specifications
Input impedance 15kohm
Common mode rejection 70dB
Equivalent input noise -91dBu (unweighted, no make-up gain)
Distortion (THD+N) 0.003% (below Compressor threshold 0dBm Input)
0.002% (below Compressor threshold +15dBm Input)
Frequency response <10Hz to 40kHz (-3dB)
<10Hz to 20kHz (-1dB)
Maximum input level +22dBu
Max output before clip +28dBu (10k load)
Nominal output level +4dBu (electronically balanced)
Output impedance 47 ohm
Compressor threshold -15dBu to +22dBu (variable)
Compressor ratio 1:1 to 8:1 (variable)
Slope ratios 1=3:1; 2=4:1; 3=5:1 and 4=8:1
Compressor attack time 1 msec to 20 msec (variable, adaptive)
Compressor release time 0.1 sec to 3 sec (variable, adaptive)
GR / VU Meter Analogue movement
Output noise floor -85dBu (typical, unweighted)
I/O connections XLR: pin 2 +, pin 3 -, pin 1 ground
Current requirement 130mA (maximum) per rail
Size and weight 2 x standard 500 Series, 1.2 kilos
*In the interests of product development, Trident Audio Developments may change technical specifications without notice.
By Michael Molinda EM Editors Choice Awards January 1997
Occasionally, a piece of audio gear caresses your ears with such tenacity that you can’t help but be hopelessly entranced. The Joemeek SC-2 is like one of Ulysses’ sirens in that regard: plug it in and you’re doomed. You will not be able to live without the aural majesty that this stereo compressor bestows upon signals.
What the SC-2 delivers is attitude. It is not transparent– not by a long shot. It imposes an aggressive sheen on signals routed through its solid-state circuitry and ends up sounding more “retro” than most tube compressors. The musicians we recorded for our tests became almost giddy with delight after hearing how the SC-2 enhanced their vocals, guitars, basses, drums, and everything else they played. Instruments exploded off the tape with exquisite detail and punch. It wasn’t a surprise, then, that all the studio pros (and semipros) who bought an SC-2 after reading our face-off in the July 1996 EM contacted us in advanced states of euphoria.
Not bad for an idiosyncratic device that turns its back on conventional controls such as Ratio and Threshold and instead dares the user to experiment with huge knobs identified as Slope and Compressor. (You just twist the controls up for more stuff and down for less.
The SC-2 is an expensive, no-frills compressor that does one thing well, but that one thing is so tremendous you’ll soon forget about your savaged bank account.
User List
- The Tonight Show
- Sony Corporation
- Sony Mastering
- Jack Joseph Puig-Engineer/Mixer
- The Dust Brothers- Producers
- Bill Schnee – Whitney Houston/Rod Stewart
- BECK
- Hanson
- The Rolling Stones
- Rod Stewart
- Jellyfish
- Barry Rudolph
- Joe Chicarelli -Producer/Engineer/Mixer
- Mark Plati – Producer
- Paul Hartnoll – Producer
- Tim Lawrence – FOH Mixer Steve Earl
- John Jurgenson-Elton John
- Black Crows
- David Bowie
- Presidents Of The United States
- Dire Straits
- Jerry Finn-Engineer/Mixer
- Dave Way-Engineer/Mixer
- Ocean Records-Burbank California
- David Pack “Ambrosia”
- Pulp
- Alan Parsons
- Boyz II Men
- Jeff Lorber
- Spice
- Hellcasters
- Los Lobos
- Felix Cavaliere
- Henry Gross
- Tina Turner
- Brian May
- Hootie & The Blowfish
- NRG Studios-North Hollywood
- Elliot Peters – FOH Mixer Boys II Men
- MGM Grand Hotel FX Show Las Vegas
- Terry Britten
- The Hunger
- Patty Smith
- Hank Williams-Nashville
- Mark Knopfler
- Pat Buchanan-Nashville
- Peter Gabriel
- ZZ Top
- Joe Hardy-Engineer/Mixer
- Green Day
- The Record Plant
- Larrabee Studios-North Hollywood
- Chung King Studios-New York
- Oceanway-Hollywood
- Take That
- Lisa Stansfield
- Simply Red
- Paul Weller
- Cheryl Crow
- “Wind In The Willows” The Movie
- Roy Thomas Baker
- Edwin Collins
- Tribe Studios
- INXS
- Micheal Zimmerling-Engineer/Mixer Japan
- Blankjet City-Toshiba/EMI
- Therapy
- Videosonics-London
- Tricky
- East 17
- Leftfield
- Deep Forest
- Noise Labs
- John Gagne Mixer – Cactus
- Sear Sound
- John Travis
- NFL Films
These are known users of Joemeek Products This list does not suggest that any endorsement for their use has been made or agreed upon.
Trident Electronics Warranty
Trident Audio Developments Limited Warranty Statement
The following outlines the warranty periods for all Trident Analogue electronics. All warranty service requires Proof of Purchase. Proof of purchase is the original Bill of Sale or Sales Invoice from an authorized dealer.
Trident Audio Developments electronics are covered by a limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship (parts and labor) for a period of One (1) Year from the date the unit is sold to the Dealer or original purchaser only.
Acceptable registration is met by registering online – click here
The terms and conditions of this limited warranty are:
- The warranty applies to Trident Audio Developments Electronics purchased from Trident Audio or authorized Trident Audio dealers.
- The warranty covers any defects in materials and workmanship and is limited to the repair or replacement of the original registered product. In its sole discretion, Trident may either repair or replace the product with a product of the same model or replace the product with a new model of a similar specification when the same model is no longer available.
- The warranty does not cover any of the following: damage caused by the user: spillages or moisture damage; neglect, abuse, or misuse, including but not limited to the failure to use the product(s) for its normal purpose in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions for use. Failure to properly maintain the product in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, and/or the failure to use the products in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications; normal wear and tear; use of products with incompatible or faulty equipment; unauthorized modifications; repairs conducted by unauthorized persons or service center’s; the model and/or serial number is altered, removed or made illegible; accidents; acts of God or any cause beyond the control of Trident Audio Developments. It does not cover damage caused by connecting to an improper power voltage supply, cosmetic defects, such as paint finish, and general wear and tear, as well as certain consumables not covered under warranty such as fuses, faders, pots, switches, and meter bulbs. Mechanical components including but are not limited to a consumable item; potentiometers, faders, and switches are covered by a 90-day warranty. Failure to maintain, damage; neglect, abuse, or misuse of any mechanical components in this time will result in a void warranty. Trident recommends regular service of the product and in particular; regular service of the mechanical components such as potentiometers and faders.
- The warranty is applicable to the original purchaser throughout the warranty period as stated above or until the original owner resells the product. If a unit is received for warranty repair, and after complete examination and testing, no problem is found with the unit, the customer will be charged for time labor plus return shipping costs, presuming initial user error falsely caused the unit to be determined faulty.
- The warranty does not affect any statutory rights the original purchaser may have in accordance with the law applicable in the jurisdiction where the product was purchased, or any rights the original purchaser may have against the authorized dealer pursuant to their original purchase agreement. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights, which vary from state to state, and or country to country.Any claim pursuant to this warranty from the date of purchase of any Trident Audio Developments product must be returned, together with the original proof of purchase, to the authorized Trident Audio dealer that sold the product, or to the Trident Audio service center in the USA or our UK service center. All returns to Trident Audio, or any Trident Audio Service Center must be in the original packing, accompanied by the issued Repair Authorization, and must be shipped to the address specified on the Return Authorization via insured freight at the customer’s own expense. Factory original packaging can be ordered from Trident Audio, Inc. Customer will be charged for new factory original packaging if the customer fails to ship product to Trident Audio in the original factory packaging. Trident Audio will not pay for express or overnight delivery.
- Once the product has been received, the authorized Trident Audio service center will assess the warranty claim and arrange to either repair or replace it in accordance with the warranty procedure prescribed by Trident Audio for their authorized service center network. The warranty replacement will be conducted by the authorized Trident Audio service center as promptly as possible and within a reasonable time from the date of submission of the warranty claim. In all circumstances, a claimant under this warranty will be liable for all costs in delivering their Trident Audio brand product to the authorized service center for warranty replacement and for all costs in collecting the repaired/replacement Trident Audio product from that authorized Trident Audio service center. Trident Audio service center may waive the cost of return shipping after full inspection to determine the cause of the warranty.
- Trident Audio will not accept any warranty replacement without the original proof of purchase of the Trident Audio product, and without the registration of the Trident Audio product within 30 days of purchase by mail, or online. It is the original purchaser’s responsibility to keep the original proof of purchase or copy safe at all times, as Trident Audio is not obliged to provide a replacement of the original proof of purchase.
- The warrantor assumes no liability for property damage or any other incidental or consequential damage whatsoever which may result from the failure of this product.
- A Trident Audio product that was not purchased through an authorized and legitimate sales channel is considered “Grey Market”. Warranties for Trident Audio Products purchased outside the USA will be covered by its Trident Audio UK Service Center. Trident Audio product originally sold to the USA market and consequently resold overseas forfeits its warranty. “Grey Market” purchases are not covered by any warranty. In the case that a Trident Audio Product must be returned, it should be returned to the original place of purchase, or the Trident Audio factory, with a proper return authorization. Returns from outside the USA, the customer shall adhere to specific shipping, customs, and commercial invoicing instructions given with the Return Authorization. Trident Audio will not be responsible for transportation costs or customs fees related to any importation or reexportation charges whatsoever.
- Trident Audio shall not be liable for damages in excess of the purchase price of the Trident Audio product arising out of the use or inability to use the Trident Audio product.
Governing Laws
Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be decided by arbitration in Los Angeles, California, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association (the “Association) then in effect. Any award rendered by the Association shall be final, binding and not subject to appeal, and may be enforced by any court of competent jurisdiction.
For Tech Support and Repair Authorization, please contact: US Service & Sales 1845 W. 169th Street Gardena, CA 90247 at +1 (310) 323-9050 or sales@tridentaudiodevelopments.com
Trident Audio Developments is a registered trademark of PMI Audio Group
©2026 PMI Audio Group Features and specifications are subject to change without notice.
