MichaelW
Well-known member
- Build Rating
Well it's been a minute since I built a compressor.
I actually built the Thumbsucker a couple of years aso. Build report here.
I was just so enamored with the General Tso at the time, and I didn't really know how to use a "more knobs" compressor very well.
I wound up gifting it to a buddy.
So here we are a few years later and as much as I still love my Tso's, I've got a few other compressors in heavy rotation, my favorite being the Creamery.
I figured I'd give the Thumbucker another try.
According to ValveWizard, the inventor of this circuit, the Thumbsucker was designed to address the shortcomings of the venerable Dyna Comp.
E.g., the noise, and lack of controls, lack of headroom, etc.
The circuit, like most modern OTA compressors, uses an LM13700 OTA IC (basically a dual CA3080), which is widely available and inexpensive.
This circuit uses both sections of the LM13700 and uses a side chain parallel compression plus a clean blend (Ratio).
I'm still dialing in the attack and release controls but it sounds like I remember it sounding. Like a very clean, high headroom Dyna Comp.
(I said the same thing about the Guyatone PS-021 I built a while back.)
It's a brighter compressor than my daily drivers (General Tso and Creamery), even without the bright toggle on. I have to adjust my EQ a tad, but overall this is an excellent circuit. It doesn't quite have the mojo of a vintage Dyna Comp but it also doesn't have the clipping, artifacts, fixed attack/release and NOISE of a Dyna Comp.
Lots of squish on tap but also capable to a subtle application as well.
Very highly recommended build, every compressor user should have an Engineer's Thumb in the stable.
Also, a great read on this circuit can be found here.
The DIP op amps called for TL072's but I've found that compressors tend to benefit from a "cleaner" higher grade opamp. In most cases I'd be using an OPA2134. But since discovering the OPA1678, these have been my goto OPA2134 alternatives. They are a LOT cheaper. But they are only available in SMD.
@szukalski came up with these slick looking SOIC to DIP converters.
I actually built the Thumbsucker a couple of years aso. Build report here.
I was just so enamored with the General Tso at the time, and I didn't really know how to use a "more knobs" compressor very well.
I wound up gifting it to a buddy.
So here we are a few years later and as much as I still love my Tso's, I've got a few other compressors in heavy rotation, my favorite being the Creamery.
I figured I'd give the Thumbucker another try.
According to ValveWizard, the inventor of this circuit, the Thumbsucker was designed to address the shortcomings of the venerable Dyna Comp.
E.g., the noise, and lack of controls, lack of headroom, etc.
The circuit, like most modern OTA compressors, uses an LM13700 OTA IC (basically a dual CA3080), which is widely available and inexpensive.
This circuit uses both sections of the LM13700 and uses a side chain parallel compression plus a clean blend (Ratio).
I'm still dialing in the attack and release controls but it sounds like I remember it sounding. Like a very clean, high headroom Dyna Comp.
(I said the same thing about the Guyatone PS-021 I built a while back.)
It's a brighter compressor than my daily drivers (General Tso and Creamery), even without the bright toggle on. I have to adjust my EQ a tad, but overall this is an excellent circuit. It doesn't quite have the mojo of a vintage Dyna Comp but it also doesn't have the clipping, artifacts, fixed attack/release and NOISE of a Dyna Comp.
Lots of squish on tap but also capable to a subtle application as well.
Very highly recommended build, every compressor user should have an Engineer's Thumb in the stable.
Also, a great read on this circuit can be found here.
The DIP op amps called for TL072's but I've found that compressors tend to benefit from a "cleaner" higher grade opamp. In most cases I'd be using an OPA2134. But since discovering the OPA1678, these have been my goto OPA2134 alternatives. They are a LOT cheaper. But they are only available in SMD.
@szukalski came up with these slick looking SOIC to DIP converters.
