Projects > What Optical Compressor
The What Compressor is a simple, stereo compressor circuit inspired by a Joe Meek optical compressor. It includes a couple of unique features: a built in low-cut filter in the sidechain, and a resistor that blends in some of the dry, uncompressed signal. The designer David B. Thomas offers instructions, a bill of materials, and schematics–as well as the charming story of the compressor’s origin–on his personal website.
Notable Features:
- Optical compression element
- Only two knobs: compression and output gain
- Stereo or dual mono
- Built in 3db/octave sidechain filter
- “April” resistor sets wet/dry ratio for built-in parallel compressor
Price: No products offered
For more information, see David B. Thomas’ website.
Category: Opto Compressor