Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Generally, I'm used to using studio style compressors, and I'm more familiar with the use of a compressor in a studio setting, and when I use them just for my guitar, I'm used to using my axe fx, meaning I have much greater control than the traditional stompbox. I generally prefer having this extra control, but I also want something more portable for jams where I only want to bring my gig bag. I'm trying to get a better understanding of what this pedal can do, and what I will have control over, but in rackmount compressor language, and some specifics as to the range of the controls. I ran a search here and in google and couldn't easily find these answers answered clearly.

If I understand correctly the 5kc knobs are Ratio (which is not compression ratio, but a wet/dry mix), sustain (which is really release), Tone (bass cut), Attack (compression attack time), and Level. Is all this right?

The instructions say the sustain knob also controls the "sensitivity of the compression," which I take to mean the compression ratio, right? If so, I assume this means as you increase the release, the ratio also goes up?
Does anyone know the range for the sustain and attack knobs? (both the ms for the attack and release, and the ratio range...does it go from 1:1 to 1:infinity/limiting...assuming this knob does control ratio)
Finally, is there any way to adjust the threshold?

Sorry for all the technical questions, and thanks in advance.

As far as I can see the ratio control is literally a dry to wet balance (or clean to compressed balance if you prefer) and is completely isolated from any time constants, so it has no other effect on the operation of the pedal. it does swing from completely clean to only compressed signal. I don't know how gradual it is in operation, often ideally these balance type controls require a special pot.

The Attack control appears to have a range of 5 to 1 and the Sustain a range of about 15 to 1. It is a little tricky to see exactly how this circuit works. I think I am right in say that there is no adjustment for how quickly the compressor responds - the Attack is really a release control - between 600mS and 3S.

The Sustain knob sets the control current into the gain control input of the OTA, so yes I guess that is compression ratio.

Maximum gain through the pedal seems to be about times 50.

If attack is the only parameter you can't really control then I think it'll work well. From videos it seems like its just long enough to get a good pick attack in before the compressor kicks in, so I'm sure I'll be happy with it.

Thanks for the reply.