This is not an instant gratification processor like the other two MDN plugins. The first time I tried it on vocals out of the I was surprised it added tons of saturation and distortion. So I had to pick up the manual and study the situation through and through because I couldn't believe it could break that easily.
Once I understood the signal flow and the proper gain staging I was able to finally harness the real power of this little guy: yes, it breaks earlier than other compressors, yes it shines on electric bass DI, yes it's the reason why punk rock music sounds the way it sounds since the 70's, but Ziad was able to make it sing in a cleaner rounder way, that adds an analogue vibe and injects life into any material we throw at it. A jazz ensemble starts "breathing" more, a vocal can be pushed back or pulled forward in a beautiful way and when pushed a bit more it starts adding harmonic content that can be blended in to add mojo to an otherwise clean performance. I wouldn't use it as a mastering compressor, and I prefer the MOD version which is a bit more open in the high frequencies, but this little guy can find its own place on most tracks in various genres, when used properly.
P252MDN Diode
Attitude, aggression and power.
Marc Daniel Nelson and Pulsar Modular once again partner for an exciting new plugin. In Marc’s search for unique, history-driven studio gear, he purchased this extremely rare 2252 from a former tech of the famous Wessex Studios in London. Incredibly famous for producing the majority of the 1970’s and 80s punk albums for artists like The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Pretenders, Queen and many more. This 2252 was present for all of it. It is a 1968 Neve design that ran for one short production window before germanium gave way to silicon and spent decades in the room where music history was made. After nearly two years of development, Pulsar Modular and Marc Daniel Nelson designed one of the most unique compressors on the market. What was once described as unusable in its early days became a staple for the sound of Attitude, Aggression and Power.
Germanium diode bridge, feedback: a beautiful character to behold
Attitude, Aggression and Power. Freaking sweet…
As an extension of my previous plugin releases, the P455 MDN Sidecar and the P821 MDN Tape, I wanted to embark once again on a journey down memory lane to talk about my history and passion for the sounds within music.
It all started well over 26 years ago when I became obsessed with the magic and personalities of sonics, why some albums sounded powerful and unique, while others felt more intimate and organic.
In my search for unique, history-driven studio gear, I have found many things to be constant. Sometimes it’s a piece of history, whether that be studio gear used on a historic album. Other times, it’s something very familiar and easily accessible. My passions have always connected to one-of-a-kind gear. Things that are incredibly rare, both in design and in the number ever made. The secret weapon.
I purchased this 2252 from a former technician of the famous Wessex Studios in London, a studio renowned for producing many of the iconic punk albums of the 1970s and ’80s for artists such as The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Pretenders, Queen, and many others.
In 1968, the studio purchased Rupert Neve’s third console ever built. Along with that console came two 2252 modules. Throughout the 1970s, the Neve console was eventually sold off, but the two compressors remained in racks at the studio, continuing to serve as the spearhead trailblazers of the facility’s main tracking compressor chain.
Like the API console at Sausalito Record Plant or the Stephens 821 tape machines from Producer’s Workshop, this new plugin of mine carries a massive history and represents something incredibly unique and rare.
The first Neve 2252 was introduced in 1968 and was designed by Rupert Neve himself. It was one of his earliest compressor designs and helped lay the foundation for legendary models such as the 2254 and the 33609. Unlike those later designs, however, the 2252 utilized a Germanium diode-bridge topology.
At the time, this was an unpredictable and aggressive design. It introduced distortion and artifacts into the signal, ultimately making it a very short-lived compressor. I believe it was a very limited, short run before Neve moved on to silicon diodes shortly afterward.
What makes this so special? My answer is simple: personality and character.
Unlike the more stable diode compressors that followed, this unique beauty used Gardner octal-based transformers, quite different from those found in the better-known 1073 modules. The combination of these transformers and the Germanium diode design gives this compressor a remarkably explosive and firm sound.
My love for unique-sounding gear has been a lifelong journey, and when I found this 2252 and learned its history, I instantly fell in love with it.
It is not only my go-to compressor for bass guitar, but also for rock vocals, drums with attitude, and piano, anything that needs a firm grip and some serious personality. It adds just the right amount of fur to the music and always puts a smile on my face.
No other compressor sounds like this.
After nearly two years of development, Pulsar Modular and I designed what I believe to be one of the most unique compressors on the market. What was once described as unusable in the early days of its life, during an era dominated by the stuffy British broadcast engineers of the 1960s, ultimately became a defining part of the sound of Attitude, Aggression and Power.
Freaking sweet…
A unit like this cannot be captured by a static curve, an impulse response or a one dimensional profile, because the 2252 is not a moment. It is a moving system, where the signal, the feedback path, the detector, the diode stage, the output level and the timing all react to each other continuously. Everything here was modeled algorithmically and tuned by ear.
From the pros, for the pros.
“I just got a chance to try Marc’s new compressor plug-in, ‘P252 MDN Diode’. I actually really love it! It compares quite favorably to my trusty LA-3A for vocals. At a 3:1 ratio, it has a very similar warmth and transparency. Clicking in the ‘Heft’ switch seems to even add a bit more pleasant warmth to the lower mid-range. Now when you crank the threshold down and set the ratio to 5 or 10:1, keeping the Release at 75 ms and the ‘Response’ to the lowest setting of ‘75’, you get something more like an 1176 for a more in-your-face type of response which is great for drums or guitars or a rock lead vocal. It’s got a few other cool features like ‘Drive’ which adds a bit of edge to an instrument or vocal that is a bit too clean.
Over all it’s a great addition to a versatile dynamics plug-in collection and in some cases outdoes some of my analog compressors. Oh.. and it looks great!”
“It’s a dirty little fu€ker”
“Another hit from Marc and Pulsar Modular! The sound of this plugin is huge and vibey. Can be really punchy and special even on Masters! It reminds me of a different era of music making. Nothing sounds like this ITB”
“When a NEVE is involved you have my attention. The squish of the compression comes with a free side order of density. From subtle control to swerved out of control overdrive, this new take on a classic is ready to dominate your tracks.”
“Wow! I’ve never used the hardware version but I’m loving the grit in this plug-in! Killer on guitars, vocals, drums.”
“I am really blown away and have had a ton of fun using the P252. It is extremely dramatic and aggressive which makes it an incredible compressor but also a tone shaper. The distortion it adds can be very pleasing if dialed in correctly or very disgusting (in the best way). A little goes a long way, and even when it isn’t compressing much, you can still hear its sonic footprint. After seeing “Nothing sounds like it” in the promo, I couldn’t agree more. Excited to reach for it more and see what fun sounds I create!!!”
“Now we’re talking! The 252 is just amazing at getting things to sit with attitude!”
“I’m LOVING this! Great job! I put it on my drum and bass bus to hype them up and I’m keeping it in my master mix template.”
Videos.
The original had no Release knob. And no way to see what it was doing.
The technical bits.
What owners say.
I have been waiting to happen for a long time...
The P252 MDN Diode gives me what I have been searching for
My bass tracks.
Thank you to Marc Daniel for developing this great plugin with Pulsar Modular
Now I'll be using it on my daily Studio work!
First of all, I’d like to sincerely thank Z and Marc for creating this magical compressor.
I was fortunate enough to experience its incredible sound from the beta testing stage.
As someone who tends to try things out first rather than read the manual, this was a challenging compressor for me to fully understand. But if you check out Marc’s walkthrough video, I’m sure you’ll be able to unlock the full potential of this compressor. (And yes, make sure you actually read the manual!)
I especially love using it on bass and drum room mics. It gives me a greater sense of density and thickness, and it has become an essential part of my workflow.
The meters have also become much easier to read with the update, making it much easier to find the sweet spot!
Hmm… and once again, I really should read the manual properly. 😅
I’ve been using the P252 MDN Diode mainly on bass sources and, more recently, on my bass sum. What impressed me most is how little gain reduction is actually needed to make a meaningful difference.
With around 0.5–1 dB of gain reduction and a moderate ratio, it gives the bass more density, solidity and cohesion while keeping the attack and articulation intact. The low end stays controlled and focused rather than becoming softer or overly compressed, and there is a subtle sense of forwardness in the mids that helps the bass sit naturally with the drums.
I also appreciate that it doesn’t force itself onto every source. I can use it very subtly when I only want the tone and behaviour of the diode compression rather than an obvious compression effect.
For rock and metal mixing, it has quickly become one of my favourite tools for bass.
I kept trying it on different instruments, while comparing to different compressor plugins. It always seemed to add an interesting character. Character, when it's not big and bright, is often difficult for me to attain. This compressor has plenty of it. I've found that it's especially effective at giving an already compressed signal extra low end bloom and grit, when blended in parallel. It's both inspiring and fun to use. You can feel the care that was put into making this plugin. That counts. It sounds fantastic, and the placement of the controls are intuitive. It reminds me of the devil loc but with far more control. Complementary tools for sure.
Being a fan of the first two MDN plugins, I figured this would be a definite purchase. After trying it on bass and vocals I was easily sold and highly recommend this one for some lovely grit in your music. I’m also a big fan of Rupert Neve and this delivers…..
There are some interesting ways to get saturation in audio, transistors, transformers, anything that keeps the sound from distorting.
Diodes are a completely original way to regulate audio. From ICRFQ:
"Diodes not only regulate the signals but also determine the level of power in the audio circuits. Some key properties of diodes ensure that they can be used for regulating both the voltage and current in the circuits. They do this when combined with other active electronic components."
"How do diodes regulate voltage in the audio circuits? They simply use the reverse characteristics of the pn junction to work as power regulators. In fact, there are specialized voltage regulator diodes that are installed in audio circuits to achieve this goal. When the reverse voltage of the diode is raised to a certain level, electric current will start flowing freely through the diode. This will continue uninterrupted until the diode attains breakdown voltage."
The P252 is a great way to not only add harmonic characteristics to your mix, but to also be able to define and control them. Definitely worth a demo!
Serious mojo in this thing, it breaks up so beautifully, but can also add the most buttery saturation at lower levels, nice!!!
Love what this does on the low end of my instrument.
Finding the 2 and 6 second responses great for holding busses together. Very happy with this one.
Such a great and unique plugin - at first I was like "oh nice, a 2254 (cause I have no 2254 plugins I truly love)" and then was disappointed it was not really close enough to a 2254 but after using it was surprised and extremely excited for it. Gives you the sheen and weight of a 2254 but compresses in a way that's so unusual and creative.
What this compressor does, it does really well. Great on my drum bus, adding bass guitar weight and thickness, worked well on a cello track I needed a little more presence in the mix and dynamics a little tighter. Overall, a great option, I'd give it a 4.6/5, simply because I am a fan of a wide variety of control options, and this one has a few less than I'd like, but it's easy to get good results from it, so I'm not upset about it.
What a mojo box! I am definitely buying this one. Looking forward to the next MDN plugin.
Oh, what a surprise! At first, I found it hard to understand how this compressor works and what to expect from it. Yes, it sounds very aggressive if that’s what you need, but it can also be more subtle if you’re just looking to full colour your sound. Ideal for instrument tracks, perfect for heavier styles, but it can also work perfectly on the second bus and also on acoustic sources. It has a steep learning curve, you need to try and tweak settings until you understand it. Once you’ve got the hang of it, it becomes indispensable. Finally, something different. Well done, guys!
It's not just a compressor but a mojo. I've never felt this from plugins before. It gives the vibe of analog hardware and makes the recordings sound alive. I haven't figured out why, but just you try it!
Another excellent offering that stands on its own with excellent character, tone and features. It's a creative instrument not just another compressor plugin.
デモ版を試してみて、ベースやドラムの色付けに最適だと思いました。製品版を近いうちに購入したいと考えています！
P252は初心者には最初の設定が少し難しいかもしれません。ただポイントを掴めば驚異的な武器になります。私の場合はドラムとベースで素晴らしい音を出してくれました。このパンチ感に到達するのは至難の業です。今後マスターにも使ってみたいです。
Still getting a handle on this robust tool but so far, it holds true to all of the Pulsar Modular plugins I own - it sounds analog in a way that is rare. Excellent job!
This compressor has more analog mojo than most plugins around. It’s very easy to hear the effect of adjusting the controls on this compressor and it is easily as home on channels or groups as it is on the 2-bus. This truly is a masterpiece of a plugin, thanks to all involved!
Perfect on palm muted bass, drums and rhythm guitars. Good Joe as always
P252 naturally pulls me out of my comfort zone, showing me just how usable extreme compression and heavy saturation can be in a mix. Thanks to its explosive character and a design that preserves punch, I can push it hard without destroying the impact. It's a welcomed addition to my mixing tools.
The Fact that it is by Pulsar Modular & MDN
Have All their products so far so is a perfect addition to the collection! I enjoy the textures it adds to bass & guitars & vocals!
And other instruments its an all rounder as is a Neve in digital format!
I may be biased but All Pulsar Modular Plugins are 5Stars!
So this along with the other MDN series are also 5Stars!
Top Quality & Great Product as Always Great Job=
Pulsar Modular & MDN
mid-level abilities here, so take it as you will, but i think this plugin "pins" the source in place, so it's marvelous for things like bass.
This is a very good-sounding plugin, but it is not very easy to work with at first.Once you understand the workflow, the plugin sounds brilliant.I have one wish: please make the preset browser like the one in all your other plugins.Keep up the good work!
ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE
This is a very colorful and hefty compressor! So far, I've found it great for adding weight and stability to bass guitar and it does a great job of smoothing out cymbals on drum bus. Those who find it too heavy-handed: Remember the mix knob is your friend (I'm rocking 75-90% dry mostly so far)! CPU is light, even with "3" oversampling.
I'm also convinced that when I Google something, it's actually Ziad writing the AI responses by hand!
I really appreciate the concept of emulating the sound of the legendary and rare custom Wessex 2252.
I also love it for its incredibly thick tone and sharp edge.
Had the pleasure of beta testing this unit and loved it from the first second I inserted it in a mix! Sounds great on bass, drums, vocals, even the mix bus. It's oozing with bite, aggression, and character, and boy does it sound good! Give it a try; you won't regret it.
Guides & resources.
The signal chain, the four ideas the plugin runs on, every control on the face, and starting points for drums, vocals, bass and mix bus.
- Fixed: DRIVE’s low-level character
- Fixed: the circuit’s saturation now tracks the actual signal, matching the hardware measurements
- Fixed: a discontinuity in the low-level harmonic roll-off that could cause an abrupt tone shift on quiet material and fades
- New: Trim In and Trim Out have their own dedicated knob artwork
- Fixed: 1-sample latency reporting error, which also makes oversampling switching smoother
- New: SHIFT-drag Trim In and Trim Out for level-compensated gain staging
Fifteen days, no commitment.
Click demo, check out for $0, and your authorization code arrives by email. Fully functional, on two computers.
Rupert Neve, Neve and the Neve 2252, Wessex Studios, and all other company, product, studio and artist names appearing on this page are trademarks or names of their respective owners. They are used for descriptive and historical reference only. Their use does not imply any affiliation with, sponsorship by, or endorsement of Pulsar Modular or P252 MDN Diode.