Best Uses for the Boss CL-50

• As a Single Unit: Its standout single-unit application is acting as an active instrument-level dynamics tamer and safety limiter placed directly before a preamp or interface. It excels at smoothing out erratic transients from acoustic piezo pickups, heavy slap-and-pop bass lines, or high-dynamic instruments while using its built-in noise gate to clean up unwanted background hum.
• As a Stereo Pair: Linked together in a dual-unit configuration, a stereo pair moves beyond tracking duties to handle bus and sub-group dynamics. They work well for tightening up stereo keyboard lines, electronic drum sub-mixes, or hardware synth stems, adding a gritty, punchy 1980s vintage analog character to stereo tracking setups.

Core Specifications

• Type: Monaural Compressor / Limiter / Noise Gate 
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz to 40 kHz (+0 / -3 dB) 
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): Less than 0.05% 
• Residual Noise: Less than -98 dBm (IHF-A) 

Input & Output

• Rated Input Level: Switchable between -10 dBm and +4 dBm 
• Input Impedance: 1 M Ohm 
• Rated Output Level: Switchable between -10 dBm and +4 dBm 
• Output Impedance: 600 Ohm 
• Output Load Impedance: Over 10 k Ohm 
• Gain Control Range: Input Gain (-40 to +12 dB), Output Gain (-40 to +12 dB) 

Compressor / Limiter Section

• Threshold Level:
• • -40 to +5 dBm (when Level Switch is set to -10 dBm) 
  • -26 to +19 dBm (when Level Switch is set to +4 dBm) 
• Ratio: 1:1 to infty : 1 (adjustable) 
• Attack Time: 50 microseconds (mu s) to 200 milliseconds (ms) 
• Release Time: 70 milliseconds (ms) to 1.5 seconds (s) 

Noise Gate Section

• Threshold Level:
• • -infty to -10 dBm (at -10 dBm setting) 
  • -infty to +4 dBm (at +4 dBm setting) 
• Decay Time: 25 milliseconds (ms) to 20 seconds (s) 

Front Panel Controls & Indicators

• Knobs: Input Level, Output Level, Compressor Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, Gate Threshold, Gate Decay 
• Switches: Power On/Off, Comp/Gate In/Out, Level Switch (-10/+4 dBm) 
• LED Indicators: Power, Comp In/Out, Overload, Gain Reduction Meter (LED steps in dB), Gate Status 

Connections & Rear Panel

• Input Jack: 1/4" mono
• Output Jack: 1/4" mono
• Detector In Jack: 1/4" mono (Rated input level: -10 dBm, Input impedance: 47 kOhm) for sidechain/external trigger use 
• Stereo Link Jacks: Separate 1/4" jacks for linking Compressor and Gate functions with a second CL-50 unit 
• Comp Remote Jack: 1/4" jack for connecting an optional footswitch (such as the Boss FS-5L) to toggle the effect remotely 
• AC Adaptor Jack: Requires a dedicated 12V AC power supply (included in the sale) 

Physical Dimensions & Weight

• Dimensions: 218 mm (W) x 44 mm (H) x 235 mm (D) — (approx. 8-7/8" x 1-3/4" x 9-5/16" — Half-rack 1U width, 1/2-rack space) 
• Weight: 1.4 kg (3 lbs 2 oz) 
• Optional: two half-rack units sit side-by-side in a standard 19-inch rack