Jackson Audio releases the Hour Glass Dual Analog OTA Compressor in its extra-compact enclosure

So Jackson Audio has a second compressor on its roster - Dual OTA variant, versus the flagship LA-2A style Optical Bloom Compressor. Readers will know that the Bloom is a long-term favourite of mine, and one of my permanent board residents alongside the Jackson Audio Prism. Actually - it seems that their New Wave Chorus is becoming semi-permanent too!

In any case here we have the slightly more compacted enclosure (which they called Mini at one stage) featuring two side-by-side Analog OTA Compressors with fairly simple controls.

Controls - Comp 1, Blend 1, Volume 1, Attack 1 : Medium / Fast / Slow, Treble 1 : Medium / High / Flat, Comp 2, Blend 2, Volume 21, Attack 2 : Medium / Fast / Slow, Treble 2 : Medium / High / Flat.

And you can either use those as two independent Compressors - for different settings to match individual songs or different input instruments. You also get the option to play both sides together in series, the left Comp 1 side lights up in Blue, Comp 2 is Red, and both together turn the LED purple.

I’m so tied to the Bloom as I use all three functions of that all the time - the Compressor, EQ, and Blooming Boost - and there really isn’t any direct replacement for that currently!

This is a cool compressor for sure - not as cool as the the Bloom, while it’s probably the most compact format factor for a dual compressor - we recently had the UAFX DSP Max which is a Dual compressor, there is of course the Origin Effects Stacked Cali76 which is something slightly different - while the industry standard studio style compressor in a pedal is probably still the Becos FX CompIQ Twain.

There’s much to like about this Jackson Audio Hour Glass - it’s a really neat utility in an extremely handy form factor. Probably priced about right too at $299 and equivalent - available via Jackson Audio and leading international dealers - and in Europe courtesy of my friends at Audio Distribution Group.

This goes down as a nice-to-have for me -  I can’t see anything replacing my Bloom for a very long time - but it’s always nice to have options. I guess if you play in a funk band and you use two different settings a lot - then this is surely your ideal compressor!

Main Features:

• Dual Compressor effects pedal
• Based on the legendary Ross Compressor circuit
• Features two identical, completely independent compressor circuits
• Perfect for setting one for single coil guitars, the other for humbucker guitars – for precise tone and
• dynamic shaping when switching guitars or use both circuits simultaneously for endless sustain!
• 3 Attack settings accessible for each compressor circuit :
  
  • Fast - 100 ms
  • Medium - 400 ms
  • Slow - 1600 ms
• Treble switch for shaping the high frequency tones :
  
  • Flat
  • Medium
  • High
• Parallel Compression with Blend knob - for mixing in the Dry signal and maintaining natural playing transients
• Small footprint and top-mounted jacks - for ease of pedalboard mounting
• Powered by 9-18 V DC PSU (centre -, 2.1mm, ~ 60 mA current draw)
• 2 Colorways : Timeless Grey / Desert Sand
• MAP / RRP : $299 | €339 | £325