Fairfield Circuitry The Accountant Compressor Pedal

Manufacturer's description

Every operation needs an accountant, and your signal chain is no exception. This little guy will fit right in, no questions asked. Call upon his services to crunch numbers, cook your books, and calculate ratios with full confidence that your sound will remain tight.

We’re talking about a mostly utilitarian relationship here, but one of trust as well. Whether you enjoy slight, nuanced dynamics control or you just want to squeeze your signal into one dimension, you’ll find a use for The Accountant.

Featuring all-analog, JFET feedback compression, The Accountant works well with all signal sources: guitars, bass, vocals, synths, even whole mixes. A simple control interface allows you to change the threshold, compression ratio, and makeup gain.

COMPRESSION

Compression is the reduction of gain above a certain threshold. The Accountant uses a feedback topology, meaning the compression is controlled by the output of the amplifier, not the input.

• Threshold: Level at which compression begins.
• Ratio: Degree of gain reduction.
• Attack / Release: The Accountant has fixed times (~20 ms attack / ~200 ms release) optimized for general use.
• PAD / RATIO Switches: The PAD switch lowers input level by ~10 dB, useful for hot signals. The RATIO switch selects between light and heavy compression.

USING THE ACCOUNTANT

• Light Compression: Clean up peaks without losing dynamics. Works well for guitar or vocals.
• Heavy Compression: Push signals into sustain and squish territory, great for bass or synths.
• Limiter Mode: With PAD off and RATIO high, The Accountant can act as a limiter, clamping peaks tightly.

NOTES ON POWERING

• Power supply: 9–9.6 VDC, center-negative only.
• Current draw: ~25 mA.
• Reverse polarity protection included.
• No battery connection inside.

TECHNICALS

• Input impedance: 500 kΩ
• Output impedance: 1 kΩ
• Power: 9–9.6 VDC center-negative
• Current draw: ~25 mA
• Attack: ~20 ms
• Release: ~200 ms