The KEPEX (Keyable Program Expander), introduced in 1970, was the first product from Allison Research.
The Kepex, an expander/gate, was originally intended to be used to 'clean up' noisey recordings. But Paul Buff also saw its potential to shape the dynamic envelope of sounds themselves. Engineers found this perfect for 'tightening-up' close-mic'd drums using the Kepex to attenuate the bleed from other drums and cymbals. The Kepex could also be used to create super-dry sounds, by attenuating room resonance in recordings. The inclusion of a 'key' input added even further functionality, opening up a whole world of envelope-controlled sound shaping!
*SAM