DIYRE
SS VCA Channel Compressor Colour
$50.00
- Full Kit
- Step by Step Guide
- Supported
- $50 Repair Policy
- Beginner
Big, outboard compressors like the 1176 and LA-2A get a lot of credit for their impact on classic records. But equally important is the humble channel compressor. Beginning in the early-80’s, it became increasingly common for large consoles to feature a VCA compressor on every channel strip. This gave engineers unprecedented access to compression during both tracking and mixing, and changed the sound of records forever.
The SS VCA brings the unsung magic of the console channel compressor to the Colour format. It does its job smoothly and transparently, without stealing the show. Reach for it whenever you need to shape the dynamics of a track without adding extra artifacts.
But the SS VCA isn’t just for polite leveling. With the on-board RATIO and ATTACK/RELEASE switches you can dial it in for aggressive transient squashing. In short, the SS VCA is the Colour format’s swiss-army-knife compressor.
FEATURES
- VCA channel compressor in the style of 80’s and 90’s consoles
- THAT Corp 2181 VCA
- Two RATIO modes: 2:1 and 8:1
- Two ATTACK/RELEASE time constants:
- FAST is 2ms attack / 20ms release
- SLOW is 20ms attack / 200ms release
- Compatible with the Colour format
- Full, step-by-step assembly instructions and guaranteed support
Customer Reviews
Built two SS VCAs for stereo re-amping tracks. Colours are always hella easy to build and the DIYRE guides are excellent. I've also got the DIYRE Colourupter and LTL Implode... and I think the SS VCA is my new favorite ... very clean and useful on anything and everything... in moderation of course. Heavily used an a recent cover project I just finished.
Thank you to all the great free videos on Pexels especially Pavel Danilyuk. Always loved the 1981 "Queen of Hearts" version from my childhood in Ligonier PA. This cover turned out OK, but listening to the OG version right after...oof I suck, but hey that's why they're pros and I'm just a hobbyist.
Verse Vox - Grundig VR53 + Mic Parts T12 - DIYRE 73P - DIYRE SS VCA - DIYRE EQP5.
Verse Vox re-amped through Cranborne 500R8 - DIYRE 73P - DIYRE Colourupter - DIYRE CTX - DIYRE TM79 - CAPI LC40 - Pioneer SR-202W for a bit of grit.
Chorus Vox - Mic Parts S87 + Roswell mK47 - Hairball Lola - LTL Implode - CAPI LC40.
Verse Acstc Gtr - Mic Parts T12 + S87 - Hairball Lola - LTL Implode - CAPI LC40.
Chorus Acstc Gtr - Grundig VR53 - Hairball Bronze - DIYRE SS VCA - DIYRE EQP5 + Roswell mK47 - CAPI VP312 - DIYRE SS VCA - DIYRE EQP5.
Tinwhistles - Mic Parts T12 - Hairball Lola - DIYRE Colourupter.
Harmonica - Mic Parts S87 - Hairball Lola - LTL Implode - DIYRE 15IPS mkIII
Trumpets - Grundig Vr53 - Hairball Bronze - DIYRE SS VCA - CAPI LC40.
Trumpets re-amped through Cranborne Audio 500R8 - DIYRE 73P - DIYRE SS VCA - DIYRE FA38 - CAPI LC40 - Pioneer SR-202W for some glue.
Synth arpeggiator re-amped through Cranborne 500R8 - Hairball Lola - DIYRE Colourupter + CTX + TM79 - CAPI LC40 - Pioneer SR-202W for some glue.
Bass - Hairball Bronze - LTL Implode - DIYRE EQP5.
Logic Pro "drums" re-amped via Cranborne 500R8 - Hairball Lola - DIYRE SS VCA - DIYRE CTX - DIYRE EQP5.
This is a well-guided kit and I finished it comfortably without any mistakes. I usually use the ssl channel compressor trick often as a plug-in. This ssl comp color module is mellow, full, and three-dimensional compared to the plug-in! I love it
