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The Atlas Compressor offers a comprehensive collection of compression circuits that perfectly replicate the sound and feel of the industry's most sought-after compressors. Right out of the box, the Atlas offers six different compression styles, ranging from classic pedal compressors, such as the now-discontinued Diamond Optical Compressor, to high-end rack units, such as the 1176 Compressor and the LA2A Optical Compressor.
The Atlas also features an advanced dual-band compression system, which provides an independent set of controls for high and low frequencies. Each compression engine has built-in controls for Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, Output, Tone, and Blend, allowing for precise control over the compact hardware of the One Series. A History of Compression Lesson: The Atlas offers so many different types of compression that it could serve as a tour guide through the history of compressors. First stop: classic pedal compressors such as Dan Armstrong's legendary Orange Squeezer and the excellent (but discontinued) Diamond Compressor. Next stop: universal and ubiquitous studio gear like the smooth and delicate LA2A optical compressor and the ultra-responsive 1176 FET compressor. Finally, we take you into nerd territory with Peak, RMS, VCA, and Dual compression, and a built-in Expander circuit... the Atlas has it all and does it well.
The Optical Rack compressor's engine is based on the legendary LA2A studio optical compressors from the early 1960s. Optical compression controls its output level by light. Increasing the audio level entering the original units caused an electroluminescent panel to glow brighter. A photoresistor controls this light panel and decreases the audio output level as the panel gets brighter. The result is a very smooth and supple attack that gives a full-bodied and natural sound to guitar, bass, or vocals. This compressor is ideal for clean, strummed, or arpeggiated guitar lines, as well as acoustic guitars. The Studio 76 compressor is based on the 1176 studio compressors from the late 1960s and early 1970s. This solid-state FET compressor is known for its solid body and ultra-fast attack. All 1176 compressor attack times are less than one millisecond. The Studio 76 is an excellent compressor for fast, aggressive country songs (think Johnny Hiland), slap bass, slide guitar, and much more.
The Cubic Zirconia was inspired by opto compressors that use an LED instead of the electroluminescent panel of the LA2A. This technology is commonly found inside effects pedals. Using an LED as the light source for an optical compressor creates faster attack and release times, which generates artifacts that tend to Make the compression sound a little dirtier. It's an ideal sound for playing tight, funky guitar riffs.
A compressor with a very aggressive and modern sound. It's based on a knee-deep, feed-forward VCA-type compressor. It uses two compressors in parallel to handle both RMS level controls (the "Root Mean Square" compression means the compressor will react according to the "average loudness") AND peaks. The combination of these two compression approaches gives the STUDIO SNAP its character.
The Atlas has two independent compressors that can be routed in several different ways. They can operate in series mode (one inside the other). They can also operate in parallel mode and be mixed together with a crossfade control. The Dual Band compressor operates in Band Split mode, which is a version of parallel routing where One compressor controls only the high frequencies (everything above 333Hz), and the other controls the low frequencies (everything below 333Hz). With a dual-band compressor, the high frequencies are released more quickly than the low frequencies. So, when you sustain a chord, the low frequencies remain compressed while the second compressor releases the high frequencies. The result is a beautiful blooming effect that accentuates the higher harmonics. It's an excellent compressor for slow chords or lead lines with long sustained notes. Elite engineering cannot be rushed... Offering a comprehensive library of compression options in a pedal is a major technical achievement. We started working on compression in 2007. At that time, we developed simple, high-end studio products that were integrated into the original Multiwave a year later. The research project aimed to cover simpler, classic pedal sounds and create a compression pedal. The development of the Atlas Compressor was delayed because the subtleties of transistor behavior in compression circuits were particularly elusive. After ten more years of research, new thinking, and experimentation, we are finally ready to launch a groundbreaking pedal: the Atlas Compressor. From classic rack-mounted studio units to classic pedals of all kinds, and even the experience of high-end computer plug-ins, the Atlas covers all the bases with the attention to detail that is the hallmark of our development team. Bob Chidlaw, Jesse Remignanti, and Christopher Venter have worked long and hard on this project, and I am delighted to share it with the rest of the world.
We've made it easy to turn the Atlas into a bass guitar-specific compression machine. With the push of a button, you can convert the Atlas's six factory presets into low-frequency sensitive compression engines, precisely optimized for the complexities of the bass guitar. The dynamic range and attack characteristics are very different for bass and guitar. Generally, to achieve a smooth, compressed bass sound, the attack and release ranges of compressors such as the 1176 FET compressor and LED optical compressors need to be adjusted accordingly. Similarly, in dual compression modes, the cutoff frequency that separates the lower band from the upper band must be adjusted to suit the specific frequency range of the bass guitar. All of this is part of our mission to make the Atlas Compressor the most flexible and user-friendly compression workstation on the planet.
On the surface, the Atlas has a simple 4-knob interface and a choice of six amazing compressors. However, if you want to go a little further Far from it, we highly recommend connecting the Atlas to our Neuro preset editing and browsing tools. The Neuro mobile app is available for free on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). The Neuro Desktop editor is available as a free download for Mac or Windows systems on our Downloads page. Plug into Neuro and experience compressor editing as it's done in studios and DAWs, with real-time readouts of your signal's gain reduction. Fine-tune your compression with features not found in other effects pedals, such as Look Ahead compression, Soft Knee control, optional Auto Makeup Gain, and routing of the double-compressed signal, 8-band graphic EQ, parametric EQ, flexible button assignment, and sidechain high-pass and low-pass signal detection controls. And of course, the Neuro Editor is loaded with easy-to-download factory presets and an ever-growing library of user-published presets created by the Atlas Neuro community.
