Geoff Daking has a new VCA-based 2-channel compressor called the Comp II. This is a 1U “meat n’ potatoes” processor that sounds great with minimal fussing over its set of optimized parameters and compressor controls. For the self-produced/engineered musician and songwriter, the Comp II delivers professional sounding results quickly—results you can commit to during recording so that later, the Comp II can be used in the mix.
The Comp II offers switchable dual mono or stereo linked operation and has few controls to cover all recording or mixing tasks. Like all Daking gear, the Comp II is built in the USA, has a flat frequency response that extends out to 65-kHz, and has fully-balanced input and output XLR connections.
The Voltage Controlled Amplifier’s design and implementation acts and sounds more like a FET (field effect transistor) circuit with its feedback topology—most VCA-based compressors are feed-forward designs. The Comp II uses a peak-detector circuit plus an all-discrete class-A output amplifier.
All controls are continuously adjustable; the threshold is called Compression and the variable makeup gain control is called Output. Basic as it seems nowadays—this is of the same design mindset as most of the coveted vintage compressors and limiters of yesteryear.
The other parameter choices use two-position lighted switches. Attack is either fast or slow and Ratio is either a low compression ratio (Comp) or a higher limiter ratio (Limit). Release time is switchable between Fast and a program-dependent automatic called Auto.
The Daking Comp II sells for $1,399 MAP and comes with a world-ready outboard power supply.
