A handy 500 series that I purchased together with the SSL EQ module and Buzz Audio Mic pre. I intended to use this for a stereo recording set up for guitar and sometimes Vocal.
Build quality
Great and professional looking with all the classic elements.
Ease of use
Typical dynamic parameters and pretty handy for set up.
Sound quality
Great warm and smooth sound. The gate function is very important to minimise the white noise created for the compressor in. It does not change that much the sound quality. I am extremely happy with its presence with my pre amp and eq module. I tested it with a Beyerdynamic M88 dynamic mic for a guitar strumming session. Great flat sound and make a lot of difference to the recording. It is also great for finger picking style.
Overall
Great 500 series module and given the price tag and sound quality, it should be a must go for pop/rock song production