I have a problem with certain compressors all the time, I would like to know if my favorite one could be modified to solve that problem.
Here is a video. I am showing the mentioned compressor: GURUS OPTIVALVE, an LA-2A inspired item. The problem is what you can hear right away: it is distorting. My guitar has humbucker pickups. What happens in the video:
1. The volume pot on the guitar is at max. The compressor is set to average/high compression. You can hear it is distorting. You may think it is because of the amount of compression but no. You can see me turning down the Input, it is distorting. If you turn down the Input to the level that no compression is indicated, it still distorts.
2. After the flash, you can see the Optivalve again. This time, I turned down the volume pot on the guitar. I am demonstrating, that you need to turn down the volume pot to nearly 0, that way the pedal stops distorting. But that volume level is not very favorable from the guitar. Any higher setting starts distortion in the pedal. But even so, at the highest notes, you can still hear some distortion.
3. You can see my Carl Martin pedal. I am demonstrating with that it does not distort. The volume pot is at max again. I am showing 2 situations: one is with slower attack, other is with faster. Both are okay, you cannot hear the distortion.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EY11JWevvn5kR2TB2FCp94V13LWg6xie/view?usp=sharing
I experienced the same distortion with many pedals, not only compressors. Now I have only compressors, I found these pedals distort: Keeley Compressor+, Marshall ED1 and this Optivalve. The Carl Martin Compressor you can see in the video does not distort. I also have a Demeter with a trim pot, that one is interesting: with a new 9V battery, or with a 9V PSU it distorts. Even if the trim pot is at 0. I have a home made 12V PSU with filter built in, with that one the Demeter does not distort, even on higher trimpot settings.
Guitars: you may say my guitar has very high output, but it is not only my guitar I experienced this distortion with. These guitars also distorted with the mentioned pedals: PRS Custom, Cort kx508. Just like you hear in the video.
My quesition is: can I tweak this Optivalve to make it not distort, like the Carl Martin? I love the sound of the Optivalve. It is very inconvenient you need to turn the volume knob to nearly zero, you can easily overshoot, very inconvenient in live situations.
If needed I can take a photo of the inside of the pedal.
Here is a video. I am showing the mentioned compressor: GURUS OPTIVALVE, an LA-2A inspired item. The problem is what you can hear right away: it is distorting. My guitar has humbucker pickups. What happens in the video:
1. The volume pot on the guitar is at max. The compressor is set to average/high compression. You can hear it is distorting. You may think it is because of the amount of compression but no. You can see me turning down the Input, it is distorting. If you turn down the Input to the level that no compression is indicated, it still distorts.
2. After the flash, you can see the Optivalve again. This time, I turned down the volume pot on the guitar. I am demonstrating, that you need to turn down the volume pot to nearly 0, that way the pedal stops distorting. But that volume level is not very favorable from the guitar. Any higher setting starts distortion in the pedal. But even so, at the highest notes, you can still hear some distortion.
3. You can see my Carl Martin pedal. I am demonstrating with that it does not distort. The volume pot is at max again. I am showing 2 situations: one is with slower attack, other is with faster. Both are okay, you cannot hear the distortion.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EY11JWevvn5kR2TB2FCp94V13LWg6xie/view?usp=sharing
I experienced the same distortion with many pedals, not only compressors. Now I have only compressors, I found these pedals distort: Keeley Compressor+, Marshall ED1 and this Optivalve. The Carl Martin Compressor you can see in the video does not distort. I also have a Demeter with a trim pot, that one is interesting: with a new 9V battery, or with a 9V PSU it distorts. Even if the trim pot is at 0. I have a home made 12V PSU with filter built in, with that one the Demeter does not distort, even on higher trimpot settings.
Guitars: you may say my guitar has very high output, but it is not only my guitar I experienced this distortion with. These guitars also distorted with the mentioned pedals: PRS Custom, Cort kx508. Just like you hear in the video.
My quesition is: can I tweak this Optivalve to make it not distort, like the Carl Martin? I love the sound of the Optivalve. It is very inconvenient you need to turn the volume knob to nearly zero, you can easily overshoot, very inconvenient in live situations.
If needed I can take a photo of the inside of the pedal.
