Designed around the highest performance Analog Engines® from THAT Corp., the CompIQ TWAIN provides compression controls only found in studio gear. Besides dual-band processing, the two independent analog engines can be fully stacked (in series), achieving the compression warmth particular to slower optical compressors – a feature rarely seen in a pedal, and never before available with this level of tweaking.
If you feel like your stompbox compressor doesn’t give you enough control, this could be the answer to your prayers and then some. The Twain is more like a multi-band mastering compressor than the units most guitarists will be familiar with. It’s ideally suited to the twin challenges of wider frequency and dynamic range presented by active basses. A remarkably versatile compressor pedal with a low noise floor and pristine audio quality.
The CompIQ TWAIN goes beyond just compression and steps into EQ/Preamp territory by enhancing the instrument’s tone without the need for a dedicated EQ. Slightly unbalancing the level of processing on each frequency band means you can either enhance or tame Lows or Highs. And because you can do this on the Dry-line as well – by using the Cut filters or Boost levels of the Saturation section -, you can separately blend Lows and/or Highs over the compressed Wet-line. The result of this processing adds a dynamic coloring to the tone, but careful balancing can also preserve the original voicing of the instrument. This feature is especially useful in Stacked processing mode, where you may trade some frequencies for the elastic compression feel. These can be easily restored by only mixing back what is missing.
A preamp section allows the trimming of the input signal’s level. This can be used to control how hard the compressors are pushed up-front. Strong signals can sometimes activate compression too early, so down to -9dB of padding is available. Weaker instrument signals can be doubled in amplitude with up to +6dB of gain. The preamp affects both the Wet and Dry line, and here the saturation engines are also responding to trimming. Sometimes, the trimmer can be used as a one-knob balancer when switching from one instrument to another.
A Side-Chain Filter with three presets is available for Lows processing only. This helps to recover punchy transients that are lost during higher compression, but it can also be used as a stand-alone blooming audio effect. By slightly delaying compression on the low-frequency spectrum – which is still being touched by the make-up gain -, the audio becomes fuller-sounding and more percussive. In Low (L) mode, the side chain’s first-order filter introduces a progressive attenuation into the control signal with the lowest point of -12dB@90Hz. This is more than enough to free up the momentary strokes on a bass instrument, or for percussive playing in general. If even more attenuation is needed in the side-chain, the Deep (D) filter dives to -12dB@200Hz, making this setting more usable for guitar or for bright basses.
Independent band-controls for Hard/Soft Knee selection, 50dB of Threshold range to accommodate not only instruments but also line-level sources, up-to-limiting continuous Ratio selection, and +20dB of Make-up Gain make the CompIQ TWAIN incredibly powerful and versatile. The Dynamic Auto Timing (Fast / Slower presets) also available for both bands reduces the setup complexity and provides a musical response, suitable for virtually any musical application.
Hear the sound on bass
Sound samples courtesy of Victor Brodén who wrote an in-depth Twain review in the Premier Guitar October 2020 Pedal Issue, p.116. The first take in each track is with the pedal in bypass, followed by another one with compression engaged. Details about the pedal settings for each recording in the Twain Settings Examples.
Whatever bass style you’re playing, the Twain can put you in total control. Then there’s the fact that the Twain can accommodate line-level signals: this and the pristine signal path make it suitable for use as a studio processor.
The engineering feat is admirable. The number of features make this compressor hard to beat. The Becos shines in the heavier settings — compressing like some of the legendary rack units.
It’s amazing how many options Becos FX has put in these boxes. I am not aware of any analog devices that offer a similar range of functions and, despite the numerous possibilities, they can be set quite intuitively.
If you are into compression, the Becos CompIQ Twain Pro Compressor is in a league of its own. The ability to run it in dual band mode or a stacked mode is killer. Though the Twain is a VCA based device, stacked mode makes the device feel and react more like an optical compressor, which it does well.
For any player that wants absolute precise control over their compression, this pedal should be perfect. In line with its predecessors in the CompIQ range, the face of the TWAIN is jam-packed with controls to manage your dynamics.
The new CompIQ TWAIN takes things further. I dare say it may be a little much for some – but it has some amazing possibilities that I’ve not seen in another pedal format. If you are into compression – then this will give you more control than any other comparable pedal-based unit. Becos have steadily been building up a stellar reputation in this field.
Dual-band/stacked effect boasts two independent analog engines, controls for knee, threshold, ratio and make-up gain and much, much more.
Pristine audio processing
The CompIQ series of compressors is not gonna alter the magic voice of your instrument. They preserve the original guitar or bass tone while providing unobstructed, pristine audio compression. The high dynamic range of these compressors allows for natural-sounding clean tones and low noise, artifact-free audio processing without the distortions usually introduced by optical compressors.
Key features
- Dual-Band or Stacked compressor
- Input Preamp with trimming for -9dB of attenuation and up to +6dB of gain
- PEAK level indicator for signals above +0dBu
- Two independent 4320 THAT Analog Engines® with RMS-level sensors coupled with high-performance Blackmer® VCA’s
- Variable 70Hz to 1KHz Linkwitz–Riley Crossover
- Independent Ratio, Threshold, and Make-up Gain
- Independent Compression Knee (Soft/Hard)
- Side Chain Frequency Compensation for balancing the triggering potential of Lows & Highs – equivalent to a frequency-based progressive threshold
- Side Chain Filter (Normal / Low / Deep) on Lows engine
- Independent Dynamic Auto Timing presets (Auto Fast / Auto Slower)
- Dry / Wet Mix knob for parallel compression in either of the working modes
- Tape–Saturation analog circuitry with band-independent Saturation, Cut Filter (HPF on Lows, LPF on Highs), and Level controls to add harmonic distortions to the Dry Line, which then can be mixed with the compressed Wet Line
- 6-LED gain reduction display on each processing engine
- True Bypass on/off footswitch
- 9-18V DC external power supply (not included), center negative, 12mm long barrel plug
- Road-ready, durable, black-powdered aluminum enclosure
- 3-years warranty (direct to manufacturer, international, transferable)
More info
Manual
Setting examples
Video demo
Compare compressors
COMPIQ 101
The CompIQ series of compressors
Side-Chain Frequency Compensation
Compressor / Limiter
Dual Band / Stacking
2
Blackmer® VCA
True RMS-Level Sensor
Normal / Low / Deeplows only
YES
-9dB to +6dB
> +6dBu signal levels
-
Linkwitz–Riley70Hz to 1KHz
1:1 to inf:1both bands
-40dBu to +10dBuboth bands
Auto Fast / Slowerboth bands
F / S: 5‐7ms / 10-15ms
F / S: 70ms / 100‐220ms
-6dB to +20dBboth bands
Hard / Softboth bands
Through Make-up Gains on Wet line (boost/cut)
-
YES
On Dry Lineadjustable
Lo / Hi Cut filters and Level controls
6-LEDboth bands
-
9-18VDC center negative
Ø 5.1/2.1mm, 12mm long
< 69mAh @ 9VDC< 110mAh @ 18VDC
Compressor / Limiter
Single Channel
1
Blackmer® VCA
True RMS-Level Sensor
Normal / Low / Deep
YES
-
-
-
1:1 to inf:1
-40dBu to +10dBu
Auto Fast / Slower
F / S: 5‐7ms / 10-15msManual: 0.12 ms/dB to 12 ms/dB
F / S: 70ms / 100‐220msManual: 1.2 ms/dB to 120 ms/dB
-6dB to +20dB
Hard / Soft
X-EQ +/-6dB with Low / Deep frequency pivots
Effect Hardwired ON
YES
On Dry Lineadjustable
Lo / Hi cut filters(inside jumpers)
8-LED
YES
9-18VDC center negative
Ø 5.1/2.1mm, 12mm long
< 35mAh @ 9VDC< 63mAh @ 18VDC
Compressor / Limiter
Single Channel
1
Blackmer® VCA
True RMS-Level Sensor
Normal / Deep
YES
-
-
-
-
1:1 to inf:1
-40dbu to +10dBu
Auto Fast / Slower
F / S: 5‐7ms / 10-15ms
F / S: 70ms / 100‐220ms
-6dB to +20dB
Hard / Soft
-
-
YES
-
-
5-LED
-
9-12VDC center negative
Ø 5.1/2.1mm, 12mm long
< 15mAh @ 9VDC< 23mAh @ 12VDC
Compressor
Single Channel
1
Blackmer® VCA
True RMS-Level Sensor
Normal
YES
-
-
-
-
1:1 to inf:1
Lo: -40dBu / Hi: -30dBu
Auto Slow
12ms
220ms
-6dB to +20dB
Hard
-
-
YES
-
-
5-LED
-
9-12VDC center negative
Ø 5.1/2.1mm, 12mm long
< 15mAh @ 9VDC< 23mAh @ 12VDC
MINI Pro vs. other minions
Do you want to know more about mini compressor pedals? We compiled a Technical Shootout for most performance and popular mini compressor pedals available. Click
here to find out how CompIQ MINI Pro stands out.
Blackmer® VCA
First developed by David Blackmer of dbx Inc., the original dbx 202 “Black Can” VCAs can still be found in operating consoles today. These first VCAs suitable for pro audio equipment were built with a gain cell of eight discrete transistors. Later development of these IC’s surpassed all inconveniences of earlier designs, now rendering superior performances. The CompIQ series of compressors use THAT Corporation Blackmer® VCAs which are characterized by an exponential control characteristic (gain varies directly in decibels), extremely wide dynamic range, and low signal distortion. They are particularly neutral in sound, adding little or no coloration to audio signals.
RMS-Level Sensor
Invented by David Blackmer of dbx Inc., the RMS-level detector computes Root Mean Square level of input signals in a logarithmic form, similar to how human ear perceives sound. The envelope decoded by this accurate detector is used to trigger the VCA according to parameters set by the user (Ratio, Knee, SCF, Threshold, Attack, Release, and Gain).
Threshold Range
The threshold’s 50dB of range is designed to accommodate very weak and up to pro-audio level signals. The +4dB pro signal line level is at the top of this range, and consequently at the far clockwise end of the Threshold knob. This gives a huge amount of headroom for the instrument’s generated signals, which ensures the compressor is not distorting with high-level spikes. We didn’t want that, by design. Some other compressors distort a lot, for various reasons, and headroom (or lack of it) is one of them. The CompIQ line of compressors is made to accommodate either lower OR hotter signals, and that is the reason why it can also be used with synths or other line-level devices. We wanted that so that we cover a broad spectrum of usage. As opposed to this kind of design are the compressors which have a very low threshold set hard within the circuit, and they would be controlled through “compression variation” only. This is equivalent to setting our compressors with the lowest threshold, and then varying the compression amount with the Ratio control.
One other fact to point out is the range of a pickup signal, which is in the lower 25% of the pro signal level. This falls as well within the first quarter of the Threshold knob’s rotation range. The compression, or limiting, should only occur on peaks and for that matter, the optimum threshold point for a pickup is also in the lower setting on the Threshold knob, maybe between -30 to -20dBu (by design, -20dBu is also the reference level of the internal circuit). Around 8 or 9 o’clock, you are more than halfway within a pickup signal range. If you are to compress just peaks, you would set the threshold knob at about 9 o’clock or slightly above. At this level, a higher compression ratio makes no sense, unless is the limiting that you’re after. If you want to have a more audible feel of the compression, you would set the threshold knob below 9 o’clock, and the lower you go counterclockwise the smaller compression ratios you should use so that the pickup signal is not squashed too hard. Unless you want to use the squash as an effect! And here comes the “New York compression style” which means compress with a high ratio and low threshold, and mix the compressed wet signal with the dry signal to balance the overall dynamics of the signal.
Side Chain Filter
The Side Chain Filter is a frequency-dependent feature which allows a change in the compression triggering behavior. The purpose of it is to prevent triggering the compression with the high-amplitude low-frequency content and squish higher frequencies prematurely. This could result in a muffled sound with fewer highs and this is not desirable. To overcome this, we compensate for the low-frequency triggering potential in the side-chain by progressively filtering it downwards from 1KHz, as the graph below shows. This is similar to say that we apply a progressive threshold, where lower frequencies see a higher threshold than the higher frequencies. In fact, the filtered lows in the side-chain no longer trigger the compression of these exact frequencies in the VCA where the program sound is passed through. The lows end up being louder and less compressed at the output of the compressor. This type of compression has a particular sound characteristic perceived as more “full and natural” or “fatter and punchier” to the ear.
On CompIQ Stella, CompIQ Mini, and CompIQ Twain the side-chain high-pass filter is switchable for a pre-set amount of cut of the targeted low frequencies.
The Normal option provides a general-purpose type of compression response, while Low and Deep options add a cut of -12dB@90Hz and -12dB@200Hz (-12dB@130Hz for the CompIQ Mini) on top of the Normal side chain curve, making it more suitable for bass-rich or percussive high amplitude input signals.
The SCF processing allows for removing the pumping usually associated with the usage of the “high ratio / low threshold” type of compression. The SCF provides a slightly different compression “feel” when compared with other methods of pumping removals such as raising the threshold, lowering the ratio, using soft-knee compression, blending dry over wet signal, or a combination of all or any of these controls. Of course, the SCF can be combined with all the other controls, giving even greater flexibility in the way the compression is applied to different audio content.
Side Chain Frequency Compensation
Frequency Compensation refers to the shape of the audio spectrum presented to the Side Chain Detector. Due to the nature of audio in general and musical instruments in particular, each musical note has a dominant frequency plus harmonics. The dominant frequency is always higher in amplitude than its harmonics. As musical notes fall lower in the audio spectrum (say notes on the lower strings in a guitar), their dominant frequency has bigger and bigger amplitudes (as opposed to notes on higher strings). That amplitude has the potential to trigger compression too early, and as a result, they may over-compress the harmonics or higher notes. This is usually heard by the human ear. To overcome this, we compensate for the low-frequency triggering potential, by progressively filtering it downwards from 20KHz and then from 1KHz with additional high-pass filters. This type of progressive compensation helps to prevent the “pumping” often encountered in compressors and makes the dynamic processing feel more natural. That is especially true for percussive instruments or for instruments rich in low frequencies, like bass.
The Normal side-chain roll-off curve above is particular to all our compressors. It provides a general-purpose type of compression response that corresponds to how the human ear perceives the sound. You may notice that even the Normal side-chain roll-off curve is progressive, and is -12dB lower at 2KHz than it is at 20KHz.
On CompIQ Stella and CompIQ Twain, the Side Chain Filter has two additional options: Low (-12dB per octave at 90Hz) and Deep (-12dB per octave at 200Hz) on top of the Normal curve. The Deep SCF option on the CompIQ Mini is set to free up -12dB per octave at 130Hz which should serve well both guitar and bass instruments, as well as many others.
When the SCF’s switchable options are combined with Knee selection, variable Ratio, and Threshold settings, and the Dry/Wet Mix, they can all fully compensate for the option of a variable side-chain filter control, which would have been difficult to fit into our small enclosures.
Crossover
The
CompIQ Twain features a first-order variable 70Hz to 1KHz Linkwitz–Riley type of crossover which splits the input signal into two frequency bands which are processed independently by the two compression engines. The output of the crossover also feeds the Dry Line, so mixing the Dry and Wet signals is possible without phase cancellations, regardless of the crossover’s set point.
Below is a plot showing matched external and internal circuit levels with the crossover set at 1KHz, the output set at the buffer level, and Mix set to 100% Wet. As you can see, the phase of each signal component is almost perfectly aligned in the audio spectrum.
It is worth noting that while the input signal’s phase (dotted green) is a straight line, the output signal’s phase (dotted red) is progressively twisted from lows to highs (from almost 0° on the extreme lows up to 400° on the extreme highs). This is normal and is the result of the signal being separated by the crossover’s band filters, and then being re-combined at the output, after passing the compression engines. As a result, when switching from Bypass to Effect, the ear perceives the frequency delays although there is no audible loss of frequency throughout the audio spectrum.
Bellow is a drawing showing the Crossover Knob Frequency Scale and the most appropriate setting for using the Saturation feature.
CompIQ Twain Crossover Frequencies & Best Saturation Range
Tape Saturation Lo & Hi-Cut filters
The Tape Saturation analog circuit is available for the CompIQ
Stella and CompIQ
Twain compressors. It is designed to act only on the Dry signal. This optionally saturated signal can then be mixed with the wet, compressed signal, to infuse harmonic distortions and warm up the audio,
without affecting the dynamics of the compressed signal. The headroom of the saturation circuit is pretty high, so you need to dial in some saturation before the effect is audible. For CompIQ Stella, the LPF and HPF can be engaged by removing the two corresponding internal jumpers. For CompIQ Twain, the filters are variable and directly accessible as small trim knobs – the HPF is available for the Lows band and the LPF is available for the High band. On both compressors, the HPF is placed before the Saturation engine and the LPF is placed after the Saturation engine.
Below you can see how the filters affect the frequencies of the Dry line.
The Low & High cut filters should be used only when Tape Saturation is used, otherwise, they will affect the clean dry line, although, that might also be a desirable way of using the Dry/Wet Mix control. The filters were necessary so that they would accommodate different types of audio sources, and respond musically without introducing unwanted fuzziness on the low end (especially for bass), or making it sound brittle (especially on bright guitar pickups).
X-EQ
The
X-EQ section of the circuit is placed after the compressor, just before the Mix control, which means it acts on the wet signal only. When mixing the dry unprocessed signal, with the wet, compressed, and processed signal, the effect of the X-EQ is washed out little by little, as you introduce more dry signal.
The X-EQ on Stella has two frequency pivot points so that it will accommodate either bass (pivot at 330Hz, which corresponds to the higher note on the highest note of a 4 or 5 strings bass), or guitar (pivot at 1KHz, which corresponds to the highest note on a 20-fret guitar). In extreme settings (CC or CCW), there is a total difference of 12dB between lows and highs. In the middle position of the X-EQ knob, the frequencies are not affected. The X-EQ section can be bypassed altogether by changing the position of a jumper inside the pedal.
Line-level signals
The maximum input signal level without distortion is in between +5dBu and +10dBu, depending on the compressor model and powering voltage. All compressors have a 50dB threshold range, from -40dB up to +10dB which covers average magnetic pickup level and line-level signals as well. They all can be used on line-level FX Loops or feed the high impedance or line-level inputs on recording interfaces. Having an RMS-level detector, the compression is very accurate, and the LED indication is exact in that regard, as long as the input signal is at/around the calibrated reference level. CompIQ series “0dB reference input level” is internally set at -20dBu (77.5mVrms). The total amount of compression (inf:1 Ratio) depends on the input signal level, usually 20dB for input signals around -20dBu (77.5mVrms) and 36dB for +4dBu (1.23Vrms) input signal levels.
Compressor noise
The rise in noise in compressors usually comes from the make-up gain amplification. This means that the more you compress, the more make-up gain is needed, and more amplification noise is introduced to the signal (and that may be avoidable when using compression in a smart way). That noise propagates further in your setup and could be amplified by the following pedals which add their amplification noise as well, including the amp used at the end of the chain. Similarly, any amplification device placed in front of the compressor may add amplification noise and that is picked up and amplified by any make-up gain circuit further down the line.
It is important to note that if your compression setting needs a lot of make-up gain then the amplification noise will be way higher and audible during the absence of the working signal (music pause). This is because the signal to noise ratio is very low during such pauses (actually, the noise is higher than zero signal, which means you are in negative SNR) when compared with the signal to noise ratio during compression. You should not expect to dial in +20dB of gain and hear no noise. However, if you compress the signal -20dB then recover it with +20dB of gain then the amplification noise is only hardly audible, yet obviously there. You cannot avoid this. And, if you want to understand how hugely loud 20dB of gain gets, set the compression to 1:1, dial in the make-up gain to the maximum and play. In fact, if you need the entire available make-up gain you are in hard-limiting territory and no longer compressing.
To correctly compare compressors noise, they must be set for the same exact amount of threshold, ratio, and make-up gain, and be fed the same reference signal. Some manufacturers limit the Ratio of their compressors to 7:1 or as low as 3:1 and those indeed make for “very silent compressors” because they don’t need as much re-amplification. Of course in this regard, the “silence” characteristic has a subjective meaning if it’s not a misleading statement.
Particularly with the CompIQ Twain, it is easy to add more noise than necessary in the Stacked Mode, which puts the compression engines in series, like you would stack two pedals. We do explain more about this in the Twain Settings Examples, and the trick to controlling amplification noise in this mode is to use the last (highs) engine compression and make-up gain more than what you use in the first (lows) engine. You would try not to compress too much in the first engine and keep the make-up gain low, then go furthermore in the second engine and use its make-up gain as a master gain. Another trick is to pass some of the frequencies to compress to the second engine by means of, raising the lows threshold, using the Low or Deep side-chain filter, and using the soft knee to mitigate either noise or compression feel. You may combine these controls in both engines to find the sweet spot for your application.
The dual-band processing is usually more tricky and is more of a specialty type of compression, where it is easier to set it “wrong”, although there is no wrong in setting it in any way. It is just that what works for full-band compression cannot be applied one-to-one to dual-band compression.
Besides that, the crossover used in dual-band compression is an “always-on” circuit that has many passive components which are needed in the filters section, and all the resistors that compose these circuits inherently add what is called “thermal noise”. And that, of course, is also getting amplified with the make-up gain. This is valid for any dual-band compressor.
Here is a working strategy. Try to understand how the compression controls (threshold, ratio, knee, timing, blend, side chain filter, gain) affect compression in general and ask yourself what you are trying to achieve. Combine these parameters to set up compression in such a way that the make-up gain can be set lower.
Worth knowing:
- at higher input signal levels, the makeup gain-related noise will be lower, because you deal with a bigger signal in the first place;
- if you set a higher threshold, hard knee, and inf:1 ratio and you affect only the peak of the signals – as this limiting setup makes sense to be used – the noise will be inaudible.
- for weak magnetic pickup signals, at the lowest set threshold and with ratios around 4:1 (which is a fair amount of compression), the CompIQ make-up gain will introduce noise similarly to studio-grade equipment.
- on top of Threshold, you have the MIX control which helps reduce noise by blending in the dry signal;
- using a soft knee also contributes to reducing the need for make-up gain, so implicitly it reduces potential noise.
Power sources are also a proven source of adding noise to electronics. Switching power supplies will almost always add hiss. We recommend using only good quality, well filtered, and regulated power sources. The pedals in general do not have enough space to fit large capacitors and additional necessary electronics for good power conditioning. And, pedals are not supposed to filter power sources anyway.
Switching noise
Pops or static noise may occur when switching the following settings with the pedal engaged:
- Knee
- Timing
- Side Chain Filter
- EQ Pivot
- Dual-Band/Stacked
- Power On/Off
Gain Reduction Meter
The gain reduction meter is available for all compressors in the CompIQ line. They measure how much compression is applied to the input signal. The indication is in dB. Depending on the product, the metering ladder is differently configured. Keep in mind that due to the limited number of LEDs in the meter, the compression is “invisible” in between the LEDs. Ideally, a full meter scale would have a minimum of 20 LEDs, one for each dB of reduction.
The metering in each product was designed and calibrated to reference the comparators to 9-12VDC for an accurate gain reduction indication. However, the CompIQ Twain can also be powered at 18VDC. At 18VDC, several thresholds that are calibrated for metering are a bit shifted, and as a result, the metering shows around -3dB less in the meter. Usually, a proper powering of an electronic circuit is with a fixed voltage +\- some tolerance. But 80-100% voltage up shifting, also shifts some calibrations within the blocks of circuits inside. While the audible side of the change is for the better and likable, the precision of the metering reacts to this shifting and introduces a variation.
There is a possibility that the meter LEDs remain “locked” lit in some conditions outside the normal usage of the pedal. For example, this may happen when powering the pedal at a higher voltage and switching the Knee in some particular circumstances such as when the knobs are set for compression but no input signal is present or the input cable’s jack is not inserted in the pedal.
The gain reduction meter needs an input signal that varies up and down the thresholds set for each LED, and while a raising signal lits them, they must also be turned off by a decaying signal. The electric spike introduced by switching the knee (which is a change of the operation mode of a portion of a circuit while also setting the rest of the controls for compression) varies very shortly and it does trigger the LEDs although no signal on the input of the metering circuit is present so that the LED’s are reset. Nothing is broken and nothing breaks – is just a condition you put the circuits in, but that condition is different from the intended usage of the pedal.
To prevent that, switch the knee when you don’t play but you must have the input and output plugs inserted in the pedal. To switch off the LEDs that remain lit, power off the pedal and then on again OR, play your instrument with a signal higher than the LEDs on the display that remain lit. This way the circuit sees the decaying signal and the comparators are reset. Alternately, power the pedal with 9-12VDC instead of 18VDC.
Powering voltage range for the CompIQ line of compressors
Although all CompIQ line of pedals can be powered in the 9-18VDC range, we conservatively designed and calibrated some portion of the circuits (like the gain reduction meter) to be run in the 9-12VDC range. The headroom is more than enough at these voltages, and we can also protect the circuits in the long run from accidental failures of power supplies.
Please be sure you only use good quality and regulated power supplies because the 18VDC is the absolute maximum for some of the ICs inside. And although they might still support some minor voltage spikes, say at up to 10% you might still be safe, if the power supply fails and supply higher 20ish Volts into the pedal, then those active components might fail.
It is advisable to have the pedals pre-connected to the power supply prior to powering the power supply from the AC outlet. In other words, only power the pedalboard at once by switching ON the AC switch on the power supply, or put the plug into the AC wall wart if no AC power switch is available. This prevents the possibility of a short burst of voltage when a load is connected to a powered DC port. If you power the entire pedalboard at once on the AC side (power switch or wall wart plugging) then the distributed load on the DC side of the supply is already connected and the draw of current might be better controlled and voltages better kept on regulation at each available power output.
The circuits in our pedals have other protections as well, like reverse polarity, yet there is a limit that these protections can handle.
Demos, reviews & comments
Blog post: The 101 of the CompIQ line of compressors
Settings Examples
Before you start
The CompIQ Twain is a sophisticated device which permits surgical intervention while preserving the dynamics of your playing. A good understanding of compression is normally required to optimally set it up for live performance or studio recording.
These settings are intended as starting examples. They could be used on bass, guitar, or other instruments. They might be more or less fitted for YOUR instrument, so you must explore and find out what works best for you, in your own setup. All controls are highly interactive. Small cumulative and compensating adjustments can render better results than turning knobs to extremes and expect wonders. We explained what we intended with these settings so you would better understand the controls and how they interact with each other.
We advise testing the CompIQ Twain with an instrument amplifier instead of using headphones. Start by playing with it alone then integrate your settings along with your other pedals.
Twain Block Diagram
To better understand the signal flow through the compressor’s analog engines take a look at the block diagram. You will note that regardless of the operation mode of the pedal – dual-band with variable frequency separation point or stacking the compression engines in series -, the Dry and Wet lines are always signal-phase correct, input to output. The additional level controls for each frequency band on the Dry line (which are part of the Saturation blocks) along with the independent dynamic frequency processing on the Wet line, plus the input Trim Gain that allows either the raise or attenuation of the input signal – they all contribute to giving the Twain an unprecedented power. Think of it not only as a compressor but also as a dynamic preamp. In many ways, Twain is unique.
Here is the Twain Manual for your reference. For more in-depth technical info on our VCA line of compressors please take a look at the CompIQ 101 section. If you have particular questions regarding how Twain works, or you would like to share your feedback or your own settings to be added here, do not hesitate to contact us.
Matching the effect and bypass levels
To match the Wet, Dry, and Bypass levels, first set all knobs as suggested in the image. You will use the Mix, Trim, and Make-Up Gain knobs for this operation. The position of the knobs may vary slightly due to the potentiometer and parts tolerances.
Matching the Dry and Bypass signal levels
Be sure the Saturation engine’s knobs are all to a minimum because they all have an effect on the Dry line. Turn the Mix knob fully to the right for 100% Dry, then slightly turn the preamp’s Trim knob until Dry and Bypass levels match (Trim’s dial should be around 2’o’clock position). The Trim attenuates -9dB when fully counterclockwise and amplifies +6dB when fully clockwise.
Matching the Wet and Bypass signal levels
Leave the Trim knob untouched after the Dry line and Bypass levels are matched and turn the Mix knob fully to the left for 100% Wet. Set both Ratios to 1:1. Use the Make-up Gains to match the Bypass level. The Make-up Gains are at the buffer level at around 9’o’clock knobs position. With these settings, you should hear the same level for effect and bypass signal. If they are unbalanced, be sure you have the Mix knob set fully to the Wet and slightly adjust the Make-up Gains. To verify the setting for both bands, turn the X-Over knob left and right – you should not hear any frequency-level changes, which indicate that both bands are leveled.
Note:
- The Wet line in Stacked mode sums up both compression engines and the Make-Up Gains act in series. Because of that, the Wet and Bypass level should be re-matched when changing from Dual-Band to Stacking compressors but this is not really needed in practice.
- If the input Trim knob is consequently changed, the Wet/Dry and Bypass levels must be re-matched.
- The Dry line is not totally dry in the sense that it passes through the input preamp which can vary the input signal level and it passes the crossover at all times. This also ensures phase alignment from input to output in all compression modes – Dual-band or Stacked.
- Matching levels is more useful if you switch the compression on and off often in a song, and less so if you use the compression/limiting as an always-on effect.
Matching levels: Bypass = Wet = Dry
Using the crossover
When setting the crossover separation point, keep the following in mind :
- The string-generated frequencies may fall within one band or the other and the best musical point of separation should be set by ear.
- Twain’s crossover filters are first-order filters, which means that there is a wide overlap of frequencies at the intersection of the two bands. That means that an abrupt, vertical separation of bands, is not possible. As bands are separated at the crossover’s set point, they gently fade out into each other, along with inherent phase inversion.
- The crossover point may actually separate the string’s frequency and they can be processed in the resulted bands. From a broad perspective, it seems that the ear favors a separation point in between 225Hz – 350Hz for guitar and in between 125Hz – 225Hz for bass. Practical needs may differ and the crossover should be set for each intended application.
- Twain’s crossover can be a powerful tool on the Dry line. Due to the complementary saturation engines with independent Level controls and additional High Pass and Low Pass filters for lows and highs, these act like a dedicated preamp for the Dry line only. These can be used to tailor the tone more precisely, complementing the parallel compression – blend more or fewer lows or more or fewer highs on the Wet Line, as needed.
- The Make-up Gains on the Wet line can act as a tilted equalization, with the pivot variable frequency set by the crossover.
Crossover Frequency/Phase Plot
This plot shows the frequency vs. phase with the Crossover set at 1KHz and input and output matched at 0dBu.
Dry Line saturation
While the preamp positive trimming might be useful to attack the compressors with a hotter signal (and this is more desirable for instrument-level signals), the Dry line is also amplified and may trigger the saturation engines down the line, even if the Saturation knobs are at a minimum. This is directly dependant on how high the input signal level is – for signals up to approx. +2dBu or 0dBV (2.82Vp-p), the Dry Line should stay perfectly clean.
When the preamp is trimmed to boost an already hot input signal is best to minimize the dry injection, unless the added saturation is desirable.
With Cut filters turned more clockwise, the saturation effect becomes more subtle.
General compression tips
- To lower the noise derived from stacking compressor engines who’s make-up gains act in series, try to keep the Lows engine’s make-up gain between 9-12’o’clock. Use only the Highs make-up gain to recover volume from the overall compression.
- Raise threshold instead of make-up gain for making the signal louder while containing noise.
- Lower ratio before raising the threshold to reduce the compression feel.
- Use soft knee and/or slower timing to reduce pops.
- Use faster timing for percussive musical content when compression is used as an effect (country, chick’n’pickin).
- Use hard knee to increase compression feel, before increasing ratio.
- Combine higher ratios with soft knee and/or slower timings, for a more natural compression feel.
- Combine lower threshold with lower ratio to maintain a transparent compression, and vice-versa.
- The hard knee amplifies the compression feel. It accentuates even more if faster timings (both attack & release) are used.
- Soft knee dilutes compression feel.
By its nature, a multiple-band compressor is highly dependent on input frequency content and input level, and because every instrument is differently equipped, these exact settings might sound different than what you expect by reading our explanations.
We advise you to explore the settings one by one, to hear their action. Small adjustments on pairs of controls can make a big difference. It is always best to start with high thresholds, 1:1 ratio, and make-up gains at noon, and then increase the ratios and lower the threshold. To better hear the crossover, amplify the lows make-up gain and lower the highs make-up gain. And vice-versa.
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Setting Examples
Dual Band – Light Airy Compression
The crossover is set around 250Hz. A lower ratio of 3:1 ensures the compression feel yet being transparent enough. Raising thresholds just a bit further aids in that. The Side Chain Filter is in Low position to free the transients a little. The Lows side is compressed with Soft Knee and Slower Timing, and this also contributes both to transparency and compression feel. To amplify the compression feel the Highs band is compressed with Hard Knee. Slower timings on this side were intended to compensate for the Hard knee. Make-up gains were set to balance the bypassed signal.
On the Dry Line, the Highs were amplified quite a lot at 75%, but they were gently injected with the Mix over the Wet line, for balancing the on-purpose accentuated compression. This results in a crisp and airy compression, which is almost unnoticeable until the playing becomes more aggressive.
Tips & Tricks
- Raising the input in the preamp section will drive the compressors harder, for a stronger feel.
- Switching to Fast timing on Highs or both bands increases the compression feel.
- Switching Highs Knee to Soft will dilute the compression.
- Switching Side Chain Filter to Deep will further add body to the signal.
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Dual Band – Light Airy Compression
Dual Band – Grabby & Plucky Compression
This is a stronger setting, which is suitable for funky or country playing, not so much usable for open chords. This setting applies very well to a brighter Stratocaster or a mid-punchy bass.
The Crossover is set around 100Hz, pretty low, to bloom up the high energy Lows only. The Ratio on the Highs band is increased to 5:1. Soft Knee and Fast Timing on this side are balancing each other. With Side Chain Filter set to Normal, the compression feel is strong. That is more accentuated by the Hard Knee on the Lows band, but ease out by the Slower Timing on this side. Thresholds are just raised a bit to free some audio body and just a little of the Dry line with amplified Highs is injected back for more air.
Tips & Tricks
- Add more transparency by blending in more Dy Highs.
- Raise the thresholds and lower the Make-up Gain to reduce hissing from amplification.
- Use the Preamp Trimmer to soften or amplify the feel.
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Dual Band – Grabby & Plucky Compression
Dual Band – Saturated Compression
The intent here is to add harmonic distortions over the compression. Keep in mind, this effect is applied to the Dry-line only and runs in parallel with the compressed Wet-line. This setting is very suitable for soloing with a guitar with humbuckers.
The compression ratio is kept low at around 3:1 and the Side Chain Filter is set to Low, so that transients are not triggering the compression too early and flatten the Lows. Soft Knee and higher threshold on the Lows band dilutes the compression feel on this side. With the Crossover set around 300Hz, some saturation can still be applied on the Lows side. On the Highs band, the compression is accentuated by the Hard Knee and Faster Timing, but raising the threshold leaves a part of the amplitudes free from compression, which helps with general transparency.
The Mix injects a good portion of the Dry signal over the Wet-line, and the saturation is added on both bands. The dry levels on both bands are raised so that the saturation level is increased.
Tips & Tricks
- Add more saturation grind by raising the Crossover higher and inject more Lows saturation.
- Add more tubescreamer effect by lowering the Crossover and increasing the Highs saturation along with Highs dry level.
- Set the Crossover around 300-350Hz for the best results when saturating both bands.
- Set Side Chain Filter to Normal for more compression feel or to Deep, to dilute the compression in favor of dry harmonics.
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Dual Band – Saturated Compression
Dual Band – Sustaining Compression
This is a heavy compression setting and as a result will add more sustain. This is also clean and 100% wet compression.
The Slower Timing is set on both bands to raise the release of compression. A very high ratio of 10:1 is set on the Lows side, and the Soft Knee prevents some pumping which may still occur, moreover because the Side Chain Filter is set to Normal. The thresholds are raised higher on both bands to free up the body of sound. The Highs ratio is set lower at 5:1 but it is still a lot of compressing here, which is more accentuated by the Hard Knee. Compression is balanced with the Crossover set to around 200Hz.
Tips & Tricks
- Raise the thresholds and lower the make-up gains to contain noise.
- Use preamp trimming to accentuate or dilute the settings.
- Mix back Dry signal to regain the transients.
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Dual Band – Sustaining Compression
Stacked – Dynamic CALIfornia 76
We had the opportunity to play with the wonderful Cali76 Compact Deluxe from Origin Effects and loved the Dynamic Control setting as suggested in their manual. We tried to replicate that with the Twain. These are two different technology pedals. The Cali76 compression circuit is based on Urei’s famous FET design, which in Origin’s implementation has a moderate ratio range and relatively slow timings. The Twain is a dual-engine compressor based on Blackmer VCA’s with independent threshold controls, auto-timing presets, and knee selection options – on both engines. However, we got close to the feel & punch and we encourage you to try these settings. We used single-coil guitars to test this, but it should work with any instrument, including bass.
The pedal is put in Stacked mode (mainly because this is the only way to prolong the auto-timings), and the Crossover is set around 250Hz. We use this to inject some shine into the Dry line, but we don’t separate higher than this, because we need some meat to work with. Moreover, we increase the Lows Level a bit as well. The Level on the Dry Highs is increased to the max and the Dry Lows almost completely cut with the high pass filter. This is the most important part of the setting because this way we push up the highs close to the sparklings of the Cali76 which is well known to add to the top end.
The rest of the settings are pretty straight forward. Mellow ratios and the thresholds are raised just a tad. The Side Chain Filter is set to Low, to pass out some of the energy to the second processing engine. The preamp trimmer is raised a little to get more punch from the dynamic circuits which act in series.
Tips & Tricks
- Raise preamp input trimmer to accentuate the feel.
- Lower the ratio to reduce pumping, and adjust the gains accordingly.
- Raise the ratios in both engines while adding more Dry to the mix.
- Add Highs saturation in the Dry line to resemble the drive that Cali76 enters easily when pushed hard.
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Stacked – Gluey Sweet Sustain
This is a subtle setting, where a minor adjustment in the knobs will result in a strong change of the compression feel.
In Stacked mode (where one engine sends everything to the next), and with ratios at an exaggerated limiting setting, the compression feel is controlled through thresholds, side-chain filter, gains, and wet/dry blend. The aim is to have the sweetest compression, at the brink of popping but not quite.
Both timings are slower to prolong the consecutive release and the second engine is set to a hard knee, to keep the signal more in sustain. Part of the raw signal is freed up in the first engine only to be sent to the next for the second compression. There too, the threshold is higher, so we will pass some of the signal compressed in the first engine to be less amplified by the second make-up gain. With limiting ratios, a lot of gains would be needed, and that would introduce amplification noise that we try to avoid. We amplify a little more in the first engine, and that means the second one will deal with a stronger signal, but here the threshold is raised a little higher, for compensation. Now, we amplify a little less in the second, to avoid introducing noise. Use the two make-up gain controls in reverse tandem to achieve the desired signal level.
The side-chain filter is employed in the first engine because we want to preserve more of the lows transients which are partially & progressively passed-through, underneath the thresholds.
The Mix is the master dial. With the crossover at around 250Hz (could be set higher still) we amplify the highs in the dry signal, to brighten up the mix. Saturations are raised in both bands to the level where they are almost inaudible; leave them there to transfer some harmonic distortions to the peaks of the compressed signal.
Tips & Tricks
- Use input preamp to change everything with one knob.
- Dialing dry out with the Mix knob will accentuate the compression feel but highs will be washed out as well. Depending on how bright your instrument is, this acts as a master tone control.
- Tiny adjustments in thresholds yield very audible changes; the same is valid for make-up gains. Each should compensate for its counterpart in the other engine.
- Using a pick will pluck the sound.
- Using fingers especially with bass will make everything glue naturally.
- This setting is very suitable for funky playing or country style.
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Stacked – Gluey Sweet Sustaining Compression
Stacked – Warm Clean Optipression
This setting is intended to gently amplify the compression feel given by optical compressors, but without distortions that those introduce. The pedal is put into Stacked mode which means the Crossover is not used on the Wet line. It is still available for the Dry line, and that matters, because we chose to inject more Dry Highs to polish and shine up the compression. The compression engines are in now series.
The thresholds are almost to the lowest point for both bands. It means the compressors act almost immediately, and whatever was freed-up in the first engine (Lows) will inherently be compressed in the next. There is no need to high ratios – just around 3.5:1 should be maxing used, but there are no rules here; it is just the noise from one compressor is transferred and amplified by the next, so proper tweaking is required to contain that. Both compressors are slowed down by setting Slower Timing and Soft Knee. To balance the accentuated compression feel of this setting, the Side Chain Filter is set to Low. Setting it to Deep, means more Lows transients are compressed in the next engine.
The Dry Highs are amplified but not saturated and injected boldly over the Wet line. This reshapes the higher frequency content giving this set a natural feel, albeit the whole setting is very aggressive. This also helps to lower the make-up gains and consequently containing the overall noise.
Tips & Tricks
- Use the Preamp trimmer to accentuate or soften the feel.
- Set the Crossover higher to inject fewer mids through the Dry/Wet Mix.
- Play with thresholds in small increments on each side while compensating with make-up gains.
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Stacked – Warm Clean Optipression
Stacked or Dual Band – Limiting Lows & Compressing Highs
This setting is a variation of the previous one. While in Stacked mode, the first engine only compresses the peaks and the second acts as a full compressor. In the first engine, the threshold is raised a lot and it is set to affect just high dynamic strokes. A high ratio of 10:1, Hard Knee, Faster Timing, and Normal Side Chain Filter set this engine into limiting mode.
The next engine is set with a lower ratio above 3:1, Soft Knee, and Slower Timing. The threshold here is also raised to prevent overcompressing and keeping it sound natural. Because both thresholds are higher, the sound has enough energy so less make-up gain is used. this also contains the noise.
A little Dry signal with amplified Highs is added over the compressed Wet line, to balance everything and make the setting more neutral.
The same strategy can be used in Dual Band mode. That will result in even more transparency. The Lows will barely be touched by the limiter while the compression feel will come solely from the Highs engine.
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Stacked – Limiting Lows & Compressing Highs
Stacked – Gritty Blooming Compression
With this setting, we tried to achieve a blooming compression with added harmonics grit that is suitable for a mid-scooped pickup (we used a Telecaster with the pickup switch in the middle position, hence combining the bridge and neck pickups). With minor adjustments, this setting complemented the crispy bridge humbucker in the same Tele.
The pedal is put in Stacked mode, and the Crossover is set higher, around 800Hz, to allow proper injection of Lows & Highs saturation. That seems to be a magic spot where both saturations feel right. With ratios set to 4:1 in both engines, Normal Side Chain Filter and make-up gains at noon, we use thresholds to balance the compression level, so noise from consecutive amplification is reduced. Hard Knees were set for both engines and, to amplify the compression feel, we raised the input preamp with +3dB, pushing compressors even more. This gives the compression an elastic feel, resembling an optical compressor. Both timings are set Slower and that adds more to the effect.
On the Dry line we injected saturation in both bands, with more of it added to the Highs (where harmonic distortions feel more musical). Some of the shrills were ducked on the Highs using the Hi-Cut Filter. We did the same on the Lows side to make the grind just barely perceptible. Wet and Dry lines are perfectly evened out with the Mix knob.
Tips & Tricks
- Add more bloom by raising the thresholds.
- Lower crossover for adding grit or raise it higher to soften the grit and pump more bloom.
- Set the Crossover around 300-350Hz for the best results when saturating both bands.
- Switch to Soft Knee on both engines to favor more distortions.
- Raise input level even higher to add more elastic feel.
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Stacked – Gritty Blooming Compression
Premier Guitar – Victor Brodén Compression
Sound demos courtesy of Victor Brodén who wrote an in-depth Twain review in the Premier Guitar October 2020 Pedal Issue, p.116. Recorded direct using a Mbox and running Logic X.
Clip 1 – Dual-Band
Fender Ultra Jazz 4 (60/40 favoring neck pickup). Band 1: Threshold 10 o’clock, ratio 11 o’clock, gain 11 o’clock, x-over 11 o’clock. Band 2: Threshold 2 o’clock, ratio noon, mix 11 o’clock, gain 11 o’clock, dual-band mode, fast timing on the low side, and slow timing for the highs.
“I started out by plugging in a Fender Ultra Jazz 4-string because I wanted to see if I could get a modern, active Jazz bass to sound a little less modern and controlled, both in the highs of the pops and the violent low-end attacks of an aggressively slapped 4th string. And I began using the CompIQ TWAIN in dual-band mode with a 3:1 compression ratio. I switched things up with fast timing on the low side and slow timing for the highs. I was instantly struck by how musical my intentionally heavy squash on the low register sounded. The popped notes lost just a little bit of their inherent harshness and fit better into the line I was playing, a bit like slapping through a tube preamp.”
Clip 2 – Stacked
1985 Yamaha BB3000S, with tone at 50 percent and neck pickup only. Band 1: Threshold 10 o’clock, ratio 1 o’clock, gain 10 o’clock, x-over 8 o’clock. Band 2: Threshold 5 o’clock, ratio 11 noon, mix 8 o’clock, gain 10 o’clock, stacked mode, soft knee.
“To me, the true test of a great compressor is to determine how it can “glue” a track together with a bass line that features long note values. I grabbed an early ’80s Yamaha BB3000S, engaged the stacked mode, set a soft knee, and utilized the wet side of the signal heavily. I was rewarded with a truly old-school fat—but not muddy—tone, where my low notes were warm, and my high notes gained a tremendous amount of body and authority.”
Clip 3 – Stacked & Saturation
1985 Yamaha BB3000S, with both pickups dimed. Band 1: Threshold 10 o’clock, ratio 10 o’clock, gain 10 o’clock, x-over 2 o’clock. Band 2: Threshold 11 o’clock, ratio 11, mix 11 o’clock, gain 10 o’clock, stacked mode, saturation controls 3 o’clock.
“Since the stacked mode put such a smile on my face, I kept it engaged while rolling all controls on my Yamaha to their wide-open positions and playing meat-and-potatoes rock with a pick, and boosting the saturation controls on the TWAIN up to 3 o’clock. The pedal added a pleasant mid-scoop while providing an audible saturation with the bass soloed, but a saturation subtle enough to where it will just add presence to the bass in a track without having a forward, audible break-up like a fuzz—a very usable feature indeed.”
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Blog post: CompIQ Twain Settings Examples
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