Loaded with premium components but presented at a reasonable price point, the Artistic Comp Plus from Fredenstein is a single-channel 500-series FET compressor module that delivers classic FET comp performance with modern refinements for pro-level mixing and mastering applications. Like most vintage FET comps, the Artistic Comp Plus lacks threshold control, instead using input gain control with the onboard three-step attack time (0.5, 5, and 25 ms), release control (75 ms to 2.5 sec), ratio control (2:1 to 20:1), and up to 20 dB of makeup gain to find the ideal compression level.
The punchy, detailed sound is complements of the high-grade components used, such as the proprietary Reverse-Mancini FET architecture, an advanced OPA2 discrete op-amp, and an American-made vintage-style steel core output transformer. Wet/Dry mix control lets you engage parallel compression, and you also get inputs for sidechaining and multi-channel links with other compressor modules. There's also a high-pass filter with two selectable frequencies (150 or 300 Hz) for taming low-end audio material. Finally, a bright LED meter with a 1 to 16 dB range keeps you informed of your gain reduction levels at all times.
Additionally, so called dry/wet mixes can be performed (parallel compression). The dry signal (uncompressed) and the wet signal (compressed) can be mix together in any relationship to achieve special sounds.