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CIQ‐5 COMPIQ PRO STELLA COMPRESSOR PEDAL
MANUAL
Last modified: September 24, 2021
SPECIFICATIONS
Input impedance: > 1MΩ
Output impedance: ~100Ω
0dB input reference level: ‐20dBu (77.5mV)
Output noise: ‐95dBV @0dBV gain
THD: 0.05% for ‐5dBV input signal level @ 1kHz
Output frequency response: ‐2dB @ 40Hz; 0dB @ 100Hz ‐ 22KHz
Optimal powering voltage: 9‐18VDC ±10%, Center Negative Barrel
DC Power plug barrel: Ø 5.1/2.1mm, 12mm long
Current consumption without DITOS DI: < 35mAh @ 9VDC; < 44mAh
@ 12VDC; < 63mAh @ 18VDC
Current consumption with optional DITOS DI: < 43mAh @ 9VDC; <
52mAh @ 12VDC; < 72mAh @ 18VDC
Product Size: Length: 61mm, Depth: 120mm, Height: 51mm
Product Weight: 227 gr. / 250 gr. with DITOS DI
Packed Weight: 335 gr. / 360 gr. with DITOS DI
Packed Shipping Weight (one unit): 491 gr. / 525 gr. with DITOS DI
Thank you for choosing
CompIQ PRO Stella Compressor
as your
audio dynamics processor. Stella
is an all analog studio‐grade
compressor pedal featuring full manual controls for parameters
rarely found on pedals of this size. Designed and hand built in our
own micro‐lab, Stella is a one‐of‐a‐kind compression pedal built
around the high‐performance THAT 4320 Analog Engine®, which
ensures very transparent, high‐quality audio processing, without
altering instrument's tone.
EFFECT CONTROLS
FOOTSWITCH ‐
When engaged, the switch routes the audio signal
through active circuitry and the Power LED (which is the 0dB
compression LED) is lit Green. When pushed again, the signal is
routed
True Bypass
from Input to Output, leaving the audio intact,
even when the pedal is not powered.
RATIO
‐ This control sets how much the audio signal is going to be
compressed after it passes above the set threshold. It has a
continuous range starting from
1:1
(for one unit of input signal level
you get one unit of signal output level, which implies no compression
is applied) and up to
Infinite:1
. At
9'clock
, the control corresponds to
a
2:1 ratio
‐ a mild, musical and very useful compression, which
delicately evens out signal level hikes. At
12'clock
it corresponds to
a
4:1 ratio
‐ usually set when more compression feel is desirable, like
when playing arpeggiated chords. At
3'clock
it corresponds to
a 10:1
ratio
‐ a rather aggressive compression, which may be desirable
when note sustain is needed. Passing over the 20dB amount of
compression, the reduction in amplitude tends to behave like the
Inf:1 ratio. This corresponds to
a Limiting effect
. When used as a
limiter, use Threshold control to set the level for triggering the
compressor and set Ratio above 10:1.
THRESHOLD
‐ This control sets the signal level after which
compression is applied.
Compression is only applied to the portion
of the signal that goes above the threshold.
Set very low in the
range, it makes compression kick in quickly, even for short amplitude
input signals. Set higher in the range, it lets a good portion of the
signal untouched.
This is a very important control.
It enables the
compression to hit only higher strokes of a signal while leaving the
meat and bone of audio intact.
This also translates into greater
transparency and a rise in output level, making any make‐up gain (or
mixing Dry/Wet signals) unnecessary with lower noise at the output.
With the 50dB range of thresholds, CompIQ Stella can accommodate
a wide assortment of audio signals from many electric instruments,
not only guitar or bass. With a suitable preamp, it may be utilized
even with vocal or instrument microphones. When the Threshold is
set higher, CompIQ Stella can also be used with line‐level signals.
TIMING SWITCH
‐ The switch has three positions:
Manual
,
Auto
Fast,
and
Auto Slower
. In
Manual
(M) position, attack & release
times are set through
Attack
and
Release
controls. In
Auto Fast
(F)
and
Auto Slower
(S) positions, you activate the
Auto Adjusting
Dynamic Timing
circuit, which adjusts Attack & Release timings to
playing dynamics
. Short percussive transients are handled with
smaller times, while constant signals benefit from longer times.
Auto
Fast
timings are generally 5‐7ms for the attack, 70ms for release.
Auto Slower
timings are about 10‐15ms for attack and 100‐220ms
for release time.
ATTACK & RELEASE
‐ When
Timing Switch
is in the upward
Manual
(M) position, the controls set the attack and release times of
compression.
Attack
sets the time needed to reach the highest level
of compression (set by Ratio control) after the audio signal crosses
above the set threshold. While the signal is above the threshold,
compression is withholding. When signal reverts back below the
threshold level, compression is gradually released.
Release
control
sets the time needed for the compressed signal to return down to
the input level. The controls scale show
milliseconds per dB of
compression
. These times are dependant on the amount of
compression set by Ratio control and input signal level.
MAKE‐UP GAIN
‐ Because compression means dropping output
signal, recovery gain is needed to even output with input level.
The
more compression is employed
(higher compression ratio),
the
more recovery gain has to be turned in to compensate.
Be
conscious that at higher compression ratios, the recovery circuit
must re‐amplify a very low signal and with amplification, noise is
added.
To overcome this, we strongly advise using Threshold or
setting moderate compression Ratios and additionally use Soft
Knee.
Conclusively, blend in some dry signal with the
Mix
control.
X‐EQ ‐
This controls a gentle equalization circuit inspired by the Hi‐Fi
electronics period of the 70’s. Turned fully counterclockwise, it
increases lower frequencies (+6db) while proportionally attenuating
higher frequencies (‐6dB) around the chosen
Frequency Pivot
.
Turned fully clockwise, the opposite will occur. When set to noon,
lows and highs resemble input signal (no equalization). An internal
Jumper
(EQ/BYP) can bypass the circuit.
EQ PIVOT SWITCH ‐
This switch chooses the
EQ Frequency Pivot
for
the
X‐EQ
control. In
High
(H) position, pivot frequency is set around
1 KHz ‐ best suited for guitar. In
the Low
(L) position, the pivot is set
at around 330Hz, which is proper for bass. EQ’s action around the
pivot is not sharp, but gentle and progressive, rising towards the
ends of the spectrum.
SOFT/HARD COMPRESSION KNEE
‐ The
Hard Knee
compression is
obvious and the ear will notice the dynamic processing clearly. Once
the signal gets over the threshold, compression kicks in with a sharp
corner, and with higher compression ratios it makes the limiting
effect clear. With lower ratios, it provides a good and musical
compression effect. The
Soft Knee
is subtle and compression is
applied progressively, with a soft corner curve. The effect is gentle
and desirable when compression doesn't have to be explicit or used
as an audio effect. Think of it as a mastering tool for voicing audio
content. With higher ratios (4:1 to 10:1), it makes for a studio quality
