home • AMPS • ENGINEERING • STUDIO EQUIPMENT
The BG 1 compressor
The BG1 is an all tube vari-mu compressor based on the Altec 436 and RS 124. The design started out as modifying Altec 436 compressors into RS 124 compressors, then building copies of RS 124's from scratch. After more modifying and different versions, the BG1 was designed. The compressor has an input control, feeding signal into the compressor, and also an output control. There are 6 release times, based on the RS 124 release times. Also there is a hold, that lets you hold the compression down as long as you hold it, like the RS 124. There is a fast and slow attack time switch as well.
A few other controls - the RS 124 has a unique feedback circuit that makes the compressor more hi-fi and very smooth sounding. There is a switch on the BG1 letting you remove the feedback circuit, getting more harmonics, gain and just sounding thicker. This switch makes the compressor sound more vintage Altec. There is also a switch that removes the detection tube out of the compressor, making it a line amplifier; a red light tells you the compression is off. You can drive the compressor in to different levels of distortion easily with this switch in the compression off mode. Turn off the feedback to get even more harmonic distortion, from just a very light to full on distortion.
The BG 2 compressor
The BG2 is a similar front end as the BG1, but it is mated with the amplifier of a RCA BA6A compressor, with two 6V6 power tubes driving the output transformer. You have the same release times, fast and slow attack, even the RS 124 feedback circuit is in the BG2, with a switch to turn it off. You also have the compression off switch as well.
ALSO:
Custom transformers, all hand wired, vintage nos American tubes.
Some customers/users incluide:
John Vanderslice, Tiny Telephone
Matt Bayles, Red Room
Scott McDowell, Hyde Street Studio C
Thom Monahan
John Congleton
John Dragonetti
Jonathan Wilson
Click on photo to see larger image
