Tube-Opto Tone With Extended Control

 Accurate recreation of a world-class Scandinavian compressor combining smooth tube-optical warmth with precision controls. Delivering that revered “forgiving” musical compression with the added speed and control, the WA-1B excels on highly dynamic sources that demand analog, vintage vibe.

True-To-Original Controls

To deliver extended dynamics processing, the WA-1B features all of the classic controls of the original.

Threshold

 The WA-1B supports a variable threshold giving maximum control to the user regarding how much compression is applied to any signal at various input levels.

Ratio

The WA-1B ratio is variable and has infinite controls between 2:1 and 10:1. From soft musical dynamic control all the way to hard-smashing compression!

Attack & Release

The Attack/Release controls on the WA-1B are unique in that the attack/release operations can be switched from a fixed setting, manual (variable) setting, or a combined setting. In the “fixed” mode, the WA-1B delivers the natural attack & release time of the optical element. The combined setting in particular creates the opportunity for a more nuanced release-time curve. This dueling time-constant circuit operation is a special feature of the WA-1B and its original inspiration.  

Meter Switch

The WA-1B meter switch has three settings: input, compression, and output levels. Set to “input”, the VU meter is reading the level at the input connector. Set to “compression”, the VU meter is reading gain reduction. The steady-state is "0", and the amount of compression is shown as the needle moving right-to-left away from 0dB. Set to “output”, the VU meter is reading the level at the output connector.

On/Bypass

The on/bypass switch on the WA-1B activates or bypasses the compressor. This is a hard bypass, meaning no signal passes through the circuitry in bypass mode.

Features

• Accurate recreation of a world-class Scandinavian compressor combining smooth tube-optical warmth with precision controls
• True-to-spec 270-volt, 100% discrete analog signal path - hand wired with through-hole components
• Transformer-balanced fully floating input and output - Custom-core large transformers from Scandinavian Manufacturer, Lundahl in Sweden
• 12ax7 Tung-Sol & JJ 12au7 tubes
• Frequency response @ -3 dB: 5 Hz to 25 kHz
• Self-Noise: < -75 dBU @ 30 dB gain
• CMRR: > 60 dB @ 10 kHz
• Ratio from 2:1 to 10:1
• Variable Threshold: Off to -40 dBU
• Continuously variable attack and release times: fast-slow
• Output gain: Off to +30 dBU
• Input impedance: 600O
• Two bus connectors to connect multiple sidechains
• Meter (VU) input, output, or compression amount
• Linear, low-noise power supply with toroidal power transformer