The Focusrite Compounder Compressor Limiter’s extensive feature set makes it a versatile tool for all music genres. With high-quality compression and an integrated Bass Expander, this unit is an essential piece of equipment for dance music engineers, musicians, and club installations.
The compressor in the Focusrite Compounder incorporates Class A amplification and a custom VCA circuit inspired by the renowned Red 3 Dual Compressor/Limiter, delivering exceptional sound quality and minimal distortion.
It offers both Soft and Hard Knee compression curves, alongside a versatile ratio control that extends beyond infinity, providing ample flexibility for creating that signature pumping effect.
The distinctive Bass Expander section enhances kick drums and basslines, adding punch and depth. Using a unique wirewound inductor, it produces additional bass harmonics, enriching low-end frequencies. Activate the ‘Huge’ feature for even greater impact, making your low end truly formidable.
The Focusrite Compounder’s two Gate/Expander sections utilise a unique opto circuit to ensure silent operation without any unwanted pops or clicks. Its comprehensive controls allow for precise gating adjustments, while the expand switch provides effective noise reduction, making it ideal for handling challenging audio sources like vocals.
A matched pair of high-quality Optos delivers enhanced performance compared to standard VCA limiter designs, which often introduce significant distortion even when not limiting. This Limiter utilises a Class A, low-distortion design with precise threshold control, ensuring highly accurate limiting. It effectively prevents overload when recording to an A/D converter, maintaining audio integrity and precision.
The link feature allows the Focusrite Compounder to function as a true stereo processor, providing complete control over all stereo parameters. When set to ‘link’, the left channel becomes the master and simultaneously controls the compressor and limiter sections for both the left and right channels. When unlinked, the Focusrite Compounder operates as a dual mono device, enabling independent processing of two separate channels.
Many believe the Focusrite Compounder generates artificial sub-bass frequencies, but this isn’t the case. The Focusrite Compounder’s enhancement circuit uses a wire-wound inductor, functioning as a low-frequency filter, to allow some bass energy to bypass the compressor circuit, avoiding gain reduction.
This may seem counterintuitive for a compressor, especially since much of the energy in a mix is concentrated in the bass frequencies. However, the goal isn’t always to control gain, but sometimes to create a compressed effect for sonic character.
Bass frequencies, such as those from bass guitars or kick drums, often push compressors the hardest, which can reduce the punch of the mix. By routing some of the bass energy around the compressor, the low-end can remain more prominent, even as the rest of the mix is compressed.
The nature of the inductor filter also causes hard-driven bass sounds to acquire even-order harmonic distortion, similar to what you’d get from a heavily driven valve circuit, thereby boosting perceived bass levels.
Depending on the settings, this feature can either restore lost low-frequency content or actively boost it for a more pronounced bass effect. Inductors also store energy, which can “stretch” bass sounds, increasing their average energy and perceived volume.
Additionally, a slight dip in the frequency response above the boosted range ensures that the bass remains tight, even when heavily enhanced. Combined with the compressor, the bass is dynamically controlled, resulting in a powerful yet tight low-end response. The end result? Huge, tight bass with dynamic impact, that is the Focusrite Compounder.
