Solodallas brings recording studio magic to your rig courtesy of its CompanDrive 65 - combination Compressor, Expander, and OpAmp Boost

Supposedly the secret sauce / magic ingredient of many a classic studio recordings was the use of these Compander + Boost devices. Which Compress, Expand, and Sweeten your core tone. We often thing that the core components - the amps and pedals and guitar matter the most - while the final sound was frequently down to this kind of studio magic - now available in a compact stompbox - for legendary front-of-chain action!

I already have a system of boosts at the heart of my rig - but I really like the sound of this too - and like the simplicity of its makeup - just 2 simple controls - which combine a number of different circuits within the one confection - as we can see from the Signal Path details below.

Controls - Compand Drive, Boost.

Compander  |  Overdrive  |  Boost

Signal Path : 1 > 4

1 : Vintage Console Gain Circuit (VCGC) - Produces rich, hi-fi overdrive with abundant harmonics while subtly shaping frequencies to add fullness, presence, and clarity in the mix.

2 : 65 Compressor - Delivers a smooth, blooming soft-knee attack that enhances note separation and adds musical harmonic clipping without choking dynamics.

3 : 65 Expander - Restores overall signal amplitude, removing unwanted “pump and squish” while further emphasizing the harmonics generated by the VCGC and compressor stages.

4 : Vintage OpAmp Boost - A classic op-amp design that preserves delicate frequencies and maintains clarity as output level is increased, making the CompanDrive 65 equally at home on a pedalboard or in the studio.

The CompanDrive 65 is currently on Pre-Order from the Solodallas Webstore - where it can be acquired for £205 and equivalent.

I will certainly be checking this one out in my chain at some time in the very near future!