Hi folks!
Next week we will release
S-Gear v3.1 including the new
SG-S Compressor pedal. The update will be available to customers with a license for
v2.9 or later.
I thought it would be nice to post a bit of information ahead of the release. I'm very pleased with the new pedal because it opens up so many new possibilities with S-Gear, I hope everyone feels the same once you get to play with the new pedal!
There is a new factory bank with presets that employ the compressor (details in the next post). A very useful approach is to use the compressor as a clean boost into the amps, this works well with the Wayfarer allowing you to set the Wayfarer input gain at low levels to achieve strong treble boost in the pre-amp.
I've posted a
quick-start guide
on the support pages. Here are some extracts:
SG-S is a vintage style compressor with input and output controls to balance the amount of compression. A unique shape control mixes two distinct circuits for compressor dynamics. SG-S provides fast attack and release times for a natural sounding compression effect.
Input - Use the input control to adjust the amount of compression. Increasing the input gain will push the signal further into the compression threshold, resulting in more compression. The input gain ranges from -6dB to +30dB.
Output - Compensate the pedal output level with this control. With an output gain range of +/- 12 dB, there is the possibility to apply clean boost to the amplifier input.
Ratio - Adjust the compression ratio from 4:1 to 16:1. Ratio controls the amount of gain reduction applied to signals above the compressor threshold. Ratio settings from 4 to 12 are typical. With a lower input gain setting, higher ratios can be used to limit signal peaks.
Attack - Adjust the compressor attack time from 0 (slower) to 7 (fast), i.e. turning the knob clockwise will yield a faster attack. The faster attack time generally sounds more natural, since you don’t perceive the action of the compressor circuit reducing the gain. Be aware however, that very fast attack times along with fast release can cause unwanted distortion. The measured attack time can range from 5msec to a very fast 50 usec.
Shape – Increase the Shape control setting to give more character to the compressor attack.
The shape control mixes control signals from two different sidechain circuits, one (clockwise) offering a more characterful attack characteristic and variable release, the other (counter-clockwise) a more natural response with a programme dependent auto release.
Release – Adjust the release time (for the second sidechain circuit). The Release time is the time it takes for the compressor gain to return to normal once the signal falls below threshold. Range from 600 msec down to 30 msec.
Cheers,
Mike