Wampler Ego Compressor User Manual
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Ego Compressor
Compressors are often misunderstood. A compressor, in the most straightforward terms, makes loud sounds quieter and quiet sounds louder, "compressing"
the signal's dynamic range. The loudest part of your instrument's note is the
pluck, strum, or pick. That's referred to as the "transient" or the "attack" of the
note, and it is usually quite percussive. The signal gets really loud for a fraction of
a second before the note resonates and fades out. The actual character of the
transient is a huge part of what denes the sound of a given instrument. Controlling its level is part of what compressors do, but there's more.
Compressors work to control the overall level of your playing, keeping peaks
from getting too loud and raising the level of the note as it starts to fade out.
Think of it like an automatic volume knob that turns down for loud signals and
turns up for quiet signals. Raising the Sustain control makes it work harder to
make lower volume sounds louder. Raising the Sustain is useful when playing
clean. Careful, though, compressors don't know the dierence between notes
and noise, so the more you raise the Sustain, the more noise you can expect. A
compressor usually works best early in the signal chain if you're concerned about
noise!
Some compressors have a really noticeable "pop-in" eect, where they squash
the transient and then quickly raise up to the level of the note. That's because
they are reacting to what they see as a HUGE volume jump in the transient. An
"Attack" knob, which adjusts how quickly the compressor responds, oers some
control. Slower attack will mean less pop-in, but it also won't do as much to
control the loud transient. Faster attack is great for chicken-pickin'.
The most exible compressors are compressors with "Blend" functionality. A blend compressor lets you mix clean signal with the
compressed signal. That lets the loud transient through, preserving your playing dynamics, but seamlessly takes over to add
sustain and fullness. You can adjust the balance of clean to compressed signal for your needs.
At Wampler Pedals, we make the Ego Compressor, which gives you control over every aspect of an instrument compressor,
including Sustain, Attack, Blend functionality, and even a special Tone knob Brian cooked up over time that can add some extra
sparkle for tones that jangle with the best of 'em. It's a no-compromises compressor that oers the best of all worlds. What else
would you expect from Brian Wampler?
To get the most out of your new pedal, you'll want to become very familiar with the controls. For the Compressor side of things, it
features Volume, Sustain, and Attack controls to dial in your preferred compression behavior, as well as a special Tone control
which lets you go from nothing added to lots of sparkle and chime on top of your signal, adjustable to your preference. It also
features the fantastic Blend knob, letting you easily adjust the degree of compressed to natural signal. If you've never tried a
blend compressor before, you're in for a treat! As with all Wampler Pedals products, the Ego Compressor includes a high-quality
true-bypass switch which takes it completely out of the signal path when bypassed. Experiment and enjoy!
Bypass Switch – A true-bypass footswitch ensures solid, mechanical removal of the circuit when it isn't wanted, meaning you
don't lose any tone when the pedal is o.
Volume – This control adjusts the output level of the Ego Compressor. There's plenty of volume on tap, so whether you want to
go farther than your input level or just make sure it can do unity volume (the same level of signal going out as you feed it, when
active), you're covered. The Sustain and Blend controls will have an eect on the total output volume, so you're probably better
o waiting to adjust the Volume until you've dialed in the other controls. Re-adjustment might be necessary if you get it to the
desired level and still need to tweak the sound.
Sustain – Sustain controls how hard the Ego Compressor works to
maintain the signal within its compression threshold. Higher sustain
settings will let your notes go on for a very long time, but be careful,
because higher sustain settings also raise the noise oor. If you are
running your compressor after overdrive or distortion, you will want to
pay close attention to the Sustain knob and maybe back o of it quite a
bit so as not to raise the amount of noise to unbearable levels. The Ego
Compressor is quiet, by compressor standards, but when the whole point
of a pedal is to take a signal, even it out, and make the quiet parts louder
and the loud parts quieter, you can expect added noise as part of the
process.
Attack – Attack controls how quickly the compression action starts to take
eect. At slower attack settings, it will more gradually begin to compress
the signal, which can leave your early note less aected. With quicker
attack settings, it gets a noticeable pop-in, because it clamps down on the
high signal level of the initial note and then quickly raises the output level
after that to begin its compression action. This is integral to the classic
country chickin' pickin' sound. Dialing this control in is all about feel, and
where your ideal setting ends up will be entirely based on what you need
the compressor to do for your sound.
Tone – Not content to merely have a great sounding compressor, Brian
has created what we feel is a virtually ideal Tone knob for use with
compressors. At fully counter-clockwise, it doesn't have any impact on the
signal at all. As you raise it clockwise, it adds extra sparkle and presence to
the sound, and with the right gear it can be very "jangly," a characteristic
that a lot of players in Nashville especially look for. If you're wanting a little
more presence in your signal, the Tone knob will let you dial it in quite
precisely!
Chickin' Pickin'
Blend fully clockwise, Sustain at 1-2 o'clock, Attack at 2 o'clock,
Tone to taste
Suggested Settings (volume to suit)
Gentle Tone Sweetener
Blend at noon, Sustain at 10 o'clock, Attack fully clockwise,
Tone at 9 o'clock
Blend – Having established that the Ego Compressor has everything you
need to dial in a fantastic sounding compressed signal, now it's time to
learn about the Blend functionality. At about noon on the Blend knob, the
compressed signal and the (enhanced, boosted, and slightly warmed)
clean signal are even in level. Because the signals are in parallel inside the
pedal before mixing down to mono at the output, the Blend control acts
as a mixer knob. At 50/50, your clean signal's natural note attack is almost
100% unaected by the Ego Compressor, but once the clean signal
naturally fades, the Ego Compressor's compressed signal seamlessly lls in
the gaps. This is a process no ear will hear because it's perfectly even and
Squashed, But Perfect Transients
Blend at 11 o'clock, Sustain at 2 o'clock, Attack fully
clockwise, Tone to taste
smooth, and the end result is all the benets of a great compressor but a
real, authentic transient. Counterclockwise, you get less and less Ego
Compressor and more and more clean signal. Clockwise, more and more
Ego Compressor and less and less clean signal. It's not too hard to grasp,
but it is the sort of thing that rewards careful experimentation to see what
all it can do before you settle in on what it is specically that you want to
do.
Power Requirements
The pedal can be powered by a 9V battery. The battery terminal is located inside the pedal. If
using a power supply, power needed for the pedal is 9V DC, regulated, center pin negative, as
supplied by most standard Boss™/Ibanez™/Etc. supplies. The pedal can be safely powered with a
multi-supply, like the Visual Sound 1SPOT™. The pedal was designed explicitly around the usage
of a 9V DC power source, and is intended to sound its best at 9V. To avoid damage to the pedal,
do not exceed 18V DC, do not use center pin positive adapters, and do not use AC power. Using
an incorrect power adapter can lead to damage and will void the warranty on the pedal. This
pedal draws 33mA.
Please note: If you are using a battery, it will drain when the input cord is plugged in.
Return and Warranty Policy
For direct sales, there is a 7-day “no questions asked” period where you may return the pedal for any reason, provided that it is in its original condition. Please retain
all packaging within this period in case you decide to return it! We only require that you pay shipping back. The 7 days start when you receive the pedal. This does
not apply to dealer or retailer sales – see their individual return policies for specic information.
Just A Hint Of The Clean
Blend at 2 o'clock, Sustain at 1 o'clock, Attack at 1 o'clock,
Tone to taste
Any trademarks attributed that are not owned by Wampler Pedals, Inc. are for
demonstrative purposes only, and are property of their respective owners
All Wampler Pedals, Inc. pedals carry a 5-year, fully transferable warranty that covers defects due to parts and labor. The warranty begins at the point of purchase.
Please remember to register your pedal as soon as possible after purchase at the following web page to ensure quicker service if you should ever need to make a
warranty claim: www.wamplerpedals.com/warranty_registration
For warranty repairs or questions, please feel free to contact us at www.wamplerpedals.com/contact_us.html
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