elysia xmax qube

elysia xmax qube — a compact, desktop Class-A masterbus processor combining Mid/Side multiband compression, a soft clipper, and a single-knob tone control in the qube format, with no rack required.

Built for mastering and mix engineers who want the same functionality as the rackmount xmax, but in a portable desktop format suited to mobile sessions, smaller studios, or live applications. Xmax qube encodes a stereo signal into Mid and Side components, processes them through three independent compressors (low, mid, side), then decodes the signal back to stereo at the output.

Low-End Control Without Blurring the Stereo Center

A common problem with compressing an entire mix is that hard kick or bass hits trigger the compressor across the whole band, causing the whole track to pump on every kick. Xmax qube solves this with a separate low band and an adjustable crossover frequency between low and mid, letting a higher threshold be set for low frequencies to avoid triggering on every kick, while still maintaining control over the mid and top end. A low mono switch further centers low frequencies below the chosen crossover point, eliminating the low-end blur and rumble typical of wide-recorded sources.

Portable Masterbus Power Without Needing a Rack

Engineers working mobile or in a smaller studio without a full 500 series rack often have to give up analog masterbus processing in favor of purely digital plugins. Xmax qube solves this by carrying the full functionality of the rack and 500 series versions into a self-contained, compact desktop enclosure that needs no rack power or additional mounting hardware. The Auto Fast function intelligently responds to heavy gain reduction, tightening up transients without introducing harshness or distortion.

KEY FEATURES

• Class-A, fully discrete signal path, compact desktop qube enclosure
• Mid/Side processing with three independent compression bands (low, mid, side)
• Adjustable crossover frequency between the low and mid bands
• Smart global release control, automatically adapted to the material
• Auto Fast function for tightening transients under heavy gain reduction
• VariLink function — continuous band linking from 0% to 100%
• Punch mode for a higher compression ratio and added impact
• Low mono switch, centering low frequencies
• Single-knob shelving tone control
• Soft Clipper drawn from the alpha compressor, preventing digital overs
• Precision analog metering of signal, compression, and clipping per band
• No rack required — compact portable format

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Type: stereo masterbus processor, Mid/Side multiband compressor
• Topology: 100% discrete, Class-A
• Compression bands: low, mid, side (independent threshold and gain)
• Crossover: adjustable frequency between low and mid bands
• Additional functions: VariLink, Punch mode, Auto Fast, low mono, Tone Control (shelving EQ), Soft Clipper
• Potentiometers: 41-step
• Power consumption: 9W
• Format: qube (compact desktop enclosure)
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 104 x 137 x 205mm (4.09" x 5.39" x 8.1")
• Weight: approx. 1.46 kg (3.2 lb, including module)