Using a modern Discrete VCA in our design has its greatest advantage in that it is extremely transparent even at large gain reduction amounts. Compression can be a bit of a mysterious effect to dial in so we tried to make our controls easy to navigate while having enough depth to achieve several unique compression styles easily with one small box. Furthermore, the CRUSH has several useful tools for shaping your tone beyond traditional compression effects. These features include a highly versatile TILT EQ circuit, a CLEAN MIX knob that mixes in a sweet, clean pre-amped signal and generous helping of make up gain on tap that can handle most boosting duties. Once you find your sweet spot, it may become a pedal you cant live without!

With over a decade of dialing in studio compression on mixes and masters, Stephen Pettyjohn leaned heavily on his experience to voice the control settings of the CRUSH. At the core of the CRUSH controls are the two mini-toggles for RATIO and RELEASE. Each mini-toggle offers three settings for dialing in a vast array of different compression settings. The RATIO’s settings are LIGHT, 2:1 ratio, MED with a 4:1 ratio and HEAVY for a 10:1 ratio. The RELEASE settings are FAST, MED and SLOW and they set how long the compressor takes to recover once the threshold has been passed. The compression threshold is set via the “COMPRESSION” knob. The amount of compression increases as you lower the threshold by turning the knob clockwise. Use the “LEVEL” control to make-up for gain lost by the compression effect.

The CRUSH offers two more controls for shaping the tone beyond normal compressors. The TILT EQ knob adds a lot of tone-shaping power with one simple knob and has been voiced specifically to compliment the CRUSH. It has a neutral tone setting at noon, while brightness increases as you turn it to the right and it darkens the tone as you turn it to the left. The “MIX” control allows the user to add in a bit of the clean, un-compressed signal by turning the knob clockwise. This affects the feel of the pedal by adding back in transients and natural pick attack that can be smoothed out at higher compression settings. We recommend using the MIX knob like an attack control, and recommend feeling your way through after other settings are dialed in.

Most importantly, the CRUSH has been engineered to deliver sound quality and performance that is in the same league with some of the most famous studio compressors of all time. The unique Discrete VCA we use offers extremely low distortion and low noise while with preserving superb sound quality. We describe it as being both transparent and musical. You will hear your guitar’s natural tone come through clearly while it somehow imparts a bit of that elusive magic and life only available from high-end analog gear.

Due to the fact that our Discrete VCA is originally designed as a drop in replacement part for studio gear, it requires extra high voltage rails. The CRUSH has a special internal power section that creates a dual power rail structure that the VCA requires and thus it has special power requirements. The CRUSH needs 12V-18V of standard center tip negative power with at least 150mA to operate cleanly. The signal path uses only the highest quality parts from 1% metal film resistors, to WIMA coupling caps and top-shelf Burr Browns opamps in the analog signal path so that your tone stays naturally intact on its journey through the compressor’s circuit.

The CRUSH compression circuit is based on a high performance, high headroom Discrete VCA chip made especially for Pettyjohn Electronics.
First pedal utilizing a Discrete VCA normally found in Top Studio compressors with optimize performance for Electric, Acoustic and Bass instruments
Lower Distortion and low noise, along with highly transparent tone sets this chip apart from other VCA’s on the market.

Classic Compression Controls

RATIO: Three classic ratios, 2:1, 4:1 and 10:1, that cover a wide range of compression styles
RELEASE: Three release settings, FAST, MEDIUM and SLOW
COMPRESSION: Sets the compressor threshold level and thus increasing the amount of compression as you turn it clockwise. Wide range to accommodate high output guitars and basses without overloading or over compressing
LEVEL: Sets gain of the VCA to make up for gain reduction that happens during heavy compression or function as a volume boost

High Performance Power:

Dual-rail power section with 12V to 18V center tip negative operation range, providing 24V-36V of voltage swing for huge internal headroom while drawing around 150mA
Note: Some 9V power supplies will power the CRUSH as long as they supply 150mA, you can try it.

TILT EQ Tone Shaping

The TILT EQ simply offers a wide range of tonal control with a single knob, with a center frequency of 750 Hz.

CLEAN MIX Control

Mix in a clean, un-compressed signal to restore lost transient information and feel. Especially useful when high levels of compression are dialed in

Audiophile, Studio-Grade Performance in a Pedal:

Audiophile grade, through-hole 1% Metal Film resistors
Top Shelf WIMA and Silver Mica caps used in tone sensitive operations
Premium Burr Brown OPA opamps in signal path
USA made PCB constructed with Audiophile Lead-free Silver Solder
Extremely High Headroom and Low Noise

Aaron Davis

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