The onboard I/O is designed with versatility in mind and sports separate stereo pairs of XLR inputs for mic- and line-level signals, a pair of 1/4" stereo sidechain inputs, and a pro-quality, front panel 1/4" DI input that supports low and high EQ selection. The 1970 features typical compression controls such as threshold, ratio, attack, release (including programmed release), FET bypass, Big and Air modes for low- and high-frequency boosts respectively, and a variable wet/dry mix knob for internal parallel compression effects, just to name a few. The 1970 uses a user-selectable toroidal power supply for global compatibility and includes an AC power cord for getting to work right away.
Each compression section features controls for threshold, ratio, attack, and release (with a program dependent button), as well as Big and Air mode selections for low- and high-frequency enhancement. The DI section sports selectable 2-band EQ along with gain boost and bright buttons, and the output section of the compressor features variable wet/dry mix, gain adjustment, and bypass selection for each channel. The unit also includes separate link buttons for linking the FETs during compression or linking the final output control to sum a stereo signal to mono.
The design of the 1970 takes this one step further—a fully balanced hardwired bypass, located in the output section, connects the input source (the mics and/or instruments) directly to the output XLR without passing through any of the compressor FET circuitry or the mix and gain controls at all, introducing as little distortion as possible and providing an ultraclean microphone signal