Black Lion Audio T4BLA Opto-Element

At the heart of almost every optical compressor lies a T4b style Optocell. When designing the B172a compressor, Black Lion Audio tested every single readily available and boutique T4b one could get their hands on and found the options to be sorely lacking. Black Lion found that no available optocells were holding up to their rigorous testing nor did they deliver the “feel” and quality that one should expect from a Black Lion product. In Black Lion “mod” tradition, they designed their own: the T4BLA! The heart of all optical compressors. At the center of any T4b lies an electroluminescent (EL) panel and a pair of photocells. Extensive testing showed that the EL panel acts similar to a capacitor and therefore the size of the panel affects the function of the Optocell itself. Black Lion Audio has spent a incredible amount of time experimenting and tuning the electrical characteristics to acheive the absolute best setup for optocell performance. Black Lion Audio even designed their own optocell tester, making sure that all optocells conform to their strict quality control. This makes for an incredible consistency, which is perfect for matching the response between multiple optical compressors.