Generic Audio Compactor Review
Can the modern design of the Compactor produce an authentic vintage sound? John Pickford puts on the pressure...
Price: £2,340.00
Manufacturer: Generic Audio
Website: http://www.generic-audio.com
Poland is not a country usually associated with the manufacture of professional audio equipment, yet last month we reviewed the Monster Compressor from new Polish company Looptrotter – and now we have another Polish pro-audio contender by the name of Generic Audio. Its Compactor is a two-channel compressor/limiter that can be operated in stereo or dual-mono modes. A solid-state device, the Compactor makes use of Zener diodes in its fully discrete, Class-A design and features a specially designed EMI filter that eliminates interference from other electronic equipment.
A 2U device, the Compactor is a more, er, compact version of the company’s flagship Preceptor compressor, a 3U unit that enables parallel compression effects (like Looptrotter’s Monster), a feature lacking from this model. The aluminium and steel enclosure is attractively finished with glossy, scratch-resistant paint and the styling is reminiscent of classic designs from the 1960s.
All of the controls are either rotary or toggle switches – useful for easy recall of settings – and have a satisfyingly firm feel. The Input control is an 11-position rotary switch that allows input gain adjustment between -5dB and +10dB as well as determining the compression threshold. A similar switch provides +10dB/-10dB of gain make-up in 2dB steps on the Output control. The Attack and Release controls are both six-position switches, providing attack times of 1ms, 2ms, 5ms, 8ms, 12ms and 30ms; release times are 50ms, 100ms, 250ms, 1s and 2s.
The final rotary switch activates a sidechain high-pass filter. This can be set at 80Hz, 200Hz or 320Hz and, when in use, allows audio to be compressed without adversely affecting the bottom end. There are three toggle switches on each channel besides the stereo Link switch and the on/off power switch. The Limit/Comp switch determines the mode of operation, with compression ratio fixed at 2:1; while in limit mode the company claims that ‘its behaviour can be compared to the famous Fairchild 660 limiter’ (see Studio Icons No4 in Issue 95 for the full Fairchild 660 story).
Another toggle switch alters the compression knee. In Soft mode the onset of compression is comparatively gentle, with Hard mode enabling more aggressive, pumping compression effects. Finally, switch-wise, the compressed/uncompressed signals can be compared by making use of the Bypass switch. Two distinctly retro-looking VU meters are provided which, in operation, are back-lit with a yellow glow that changes to orange when either channel is bypassed – a funky and possibly useful gimmick. The rear panel has an input and output XLR socket for each channel as well as a 230/115v voltage switch.
Pump it up
We got something of a shock on first listen to the Compactor. As usual, we began by feeding a modest amount of audio into the unit – in this instance a drum kit recorded in stereo – and selected a gentle 2:1 compression ratio with a slow attack and fast release time. Flicking the Bypass switch to put the compressor into use, we were greeted with a tightly wound and obviously processed sound that was far from subtle – and the gain-reduction meters were barely moving! It soon became clear that the reason for this was the extremely fast (1ms) release time that we had set; backing off to a still quite fast 2ms setting gave us a much more even-handed result.
This is a lightning-fast device and it seemed to us that at the fastest response times, even low amounts of input gain produced exaggerated compression effects. This isn’t a criticism, as we soon found that judicious use of the attack and release controls offered a more transparent sound. Having said that, it isn’t the sort of compressor you would choose for applications where transparency is paramount. Sometimes you want your processors to impart their unique sonic signature onto your signal – and this is where a unit like the Compactor comes into its own: it has bags of character.
With this in mind, we tried it out on two independent sources, strapping one channel across a bass guitar and the other across a choppy rhythm guitar. Bass instruments don’t usually respond well to ultra-fast compression settings and we were pleased to hear that with sensible response times, the Compactor levelled out the bass beautifully, adding a pleasant roundness to the sound.
Pushing the unit harder, in hard-knee mode, we were able to bring out the click of the plectrum, giving the bass some definition within the context of the mix. Our electric guitar also benefited from a dose of the Compactor, bringing out the inherent funky groove of the part and helping to give it the right amount of space in the midrange.
Moving to a completely different style of recording – a solo acoustic guitar and vocal – we found that the slightly opaque nature of the unit didn’t complement the sound as well as it did the busier electric band recording. The vocal was robbed of a little body and the acoustic guitar lost a bit of top-end sparkle. A more transparent unit was required and the Phoenix Mastering Plus (see page 104) was much better suited to this type of material.
Crunch time
We love the Compactor for what it does best – audible compression effects – and found it to be a versatile tool as long as it’s not asked to produce sounds of an audiophile nature. In some respects it has more of a vintage flavour than the aforementioned Phoenix, even though that unit is based on more authentic vintage (valve) technology. The simple switching between compression and limit modes makes it very quick and easy to use, and experimenting with the hard/soft knee settings along with the very useful sidechain high-pass filter yields a variety of characterful compression styles. Lovers of vintage, pumping compressed sounds are advised to seek out this unit. We feel that the Compactor will become a firm favourite with producers of all types of music for which heavily processed sounds are required. MTM
Verdict
WHY BUY
Big, characterful sound
Easy and fun to use
Nicely built and finished
WALK ON BY
Lack of transparency
No external sidechain facility
The Compactor is an excellent compressor/limiter with a great, punchy sound. It’s well laid-out, making it intuitive to use, and it looks good in the rack. Those who like to pile on the compression thick will love this unit, but those with a more delicate touch may be better served elsewhere. We adore it.
★★★★★★★★★
Score: 9
This review first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 104
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