The Atlas Compressor offers a
comprehensive collection of compression circuits that perfectly
capture the tone and feel of the industry’s most sought-after
compressors. Straight out of the box, Atlas delivers six different
styles of compression, based on classic stompbox compressors as well as
high-end rack units like the snappy 1176 compressor and the smooth and
gentle LA2A optical compressor. Atlas also features advanced dual-band
compression, which provides an independent set of controls for both
the high and low frequencies. Each compression engine has onboard
controls for Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, Output, Tone, and Blend,
allowing for fine-tuned control over the compact One Series hardware.
A History Lesson in Compression
The
Atlas is packed with so many different types of compression that it
could serve as a tour guide through the history of compressor
equipment. First stop: classic stompbox squashers such as the
legendary the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer and the ever-present Dyna
Comp. Next stop: universal and ubiquitous studio rack gear like the
smooth and gentle LA2A optical compressor and the ultra-responsive 1176
FET compressor. Finally, we’re taking you to all-out nerd territory
with Peak, RMS, VCA, and Dual compression, and an onboard Expander
circuit… the Atlas has it all and does it well.
OPTICAL RACK
The
Optical Rack compressor engine is based on the legendary LA2A studio
opto compressors from the early 60s. Optical compression controls its
output level with light. Increasing the incoming audio level in the
original units caused an electro luminescent panel to shine brighter. A
photo resistor monitors that light panel and decreased the audio
output level, as the panel got brighter. The result is a very smooth
and gentle attack that imparts a full-bodied and natural sound on
guitar, bass, or vocal. This compressor sounds great with clean
strummed or arpeggiated guitar lines as well as acoustic guitars.
STUDIO 76
The
Studio 76 compressor is based on the 1176 studio rack compressors of
the late 60s and early 70s. This solid state FET compressor is known
for its full body and super-fast attack. All of the attack times in
1176 compressors clock in at less than a millisecond. Studio 76 is a
great compressor for fast and aggressive country pickin’ (think Johnny
Hiland), slap bass, slide guitar and much more.
CUBIC ZIRCONIA
The
Cubic Zirconia was inspired by opto compressors that use an LED in
place of the LA2A’s electro luminescent panel. Using an LED as an
optical compressor’s light source creates faster attack and release
times, which generate artifacts that tend to make the compression sound
a bit dirtier. This is a great compressor for playing tight and funky
riffs on the guitar.
STUDIO SNAP
A
very aggressive and modern sounding compressor. It's based on
hard-knee, VCA feed forward type compressor. It uses two compressors in
parallel to handle both RMS level controls (“Root Mean Square”
compression means that the compressor will react according to the
“average loudness”) AND the peaks. The combination of these two
compression approaches gives STUDIO SNAP its character.
DUAL BAND
The
Atlas has two independent compressors that can be routed in a number
of different ways. They can run in Series Mode (one running into
another). They can also run in Parallel Mode and be mixed together with
a Crossfade control. The Dual Band compressor runs in Band Split Mode,
which is a version of parallel routing where one compressor controls
only the higher frequencies (everything above 333Hz) and the other
controls the lower frequencies (everything below 333Hz). With the Dual
Band Compressor the high frequencies release faster than the lower
frequencies, so as 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 high
harmonics. This is a great compressor for slow ringing chords or lead
lines with long sustained notes.
Bass Optimization Mode
We
have made it easy to transform the Atlas into a bass guitar specific
compression machine. With the push of a button, you can convert all six
of Atlas’ onboard factory presets into low-end responsive compression
engines, precisely optimized for the complexities of the bass guitar.
The dynamic range and attack characteristics are much different for
bass than guitar. Typically, to achieve a smooth compressed bass tone,
the attack and release ranges for compressors such as the 1176 FET
compressor and LED optical compressors need to be dialed-in
accordingly. Likewise, in dual compression modes, the cutoff frequency
that separates the lower band from the higher band needs adjustments to
accommodate the specific frequency range of bass guitar. It is all
part of our mission to make the Atlas Compressor the most flexible and
easy-to-use compression workstation on the planet.
Detailed Effects Editing with Neuro
On
the surface, the Atlas features a simple 4-knob interface and a choice
of six amazing compressors. However, if you want to take things to
take things a bit further, we urge that you connect the Atlas to our
Neuro Preset Editing & Browsing tools. The Neuro Mobile App is
available for free at 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 in to Neuro and experience
compressor editing as it’s done in studios and DAW software, with
real-time readouts of your signal’s gain reduction. Fine tune your
compression with features simply not found in other effects pedals,
controls like Look Ahead compression, Soft Knee control, optional Auto
Makeup Gain, Dual Compression signal routing, 8-Band Graphic
Equalization, Parametric Equalization, flexible Knob Assignment, and
Side Chain High 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 Published User Presets created by the Atlas
Neuro Community.
Elite engineering cannot be rushed..."Offering
up a deep library of compression options in a pedal is a landmark
technical achievement. We started working on compression in 2007. At
the time we developed some straightforward, high-end studio stuff that
made it into the original Multiwave a year later. The research project
to branch out and cover more simple classic pedal sounds and create a
dedicated compression pedal was delayed, because the intricacies of how
transistors behave in compression circuits was especially elusive.
After ten years of additional research, new thinking, and more
experience, we are finally ready to launch a landmark pedal: The Atlas Compressor.
From classic rack studio units, to classic pedals of many flavors, and
even to the experience of high-end computer plug-ins, Atlas covers all
the bases with attention to detail that is the hallmark of our
development team. Bob Chidlaw, Jesse Remignanti, and Christopher Venter
worked long and hard on this one and I'm excited to finally share it
with the rest of the world."
-Roger Smith (Source Audio President)
