Exar Electronix BC-04 Bass Compressor

EXAR is a little known brand, but that makes excellent products. The pedals, fully analog, are assembled by hand in Poland. This company manufactures pedals series "Jacques", some models are also common to both brands, a guarantee of quality then.

Purchased on a German website for 79 €.

This is a compressor dedicated to low, which has the following settings:
- Attack: the speed with which the signal is compressed when the threshold is crossed compession.
- Sustain: This knob adjusts the compression ratio.
- Tone: As the name suggests ...
- Level: to adjust the output level relative to its dry.

Do not rely on the somewhat cheap and plastic, is very well designed and manufactured. The housing is aluminum and solid. The switch cover is plastic, but its course is so short that it is enough to touch into place (it must also get used to when we used the B * ss and other EHX, that need to press hard). There is a true bypass option (useless in my opinion, the sound being bypassed completely clean). Knobs of the race is clean, hard point. The battery compartment is clever: two tabs keep a stack, which is better than a connector at the end of two fragile son. The pedal is a bit smaller than the b * ss. Everything is guaranteed for life, subject to not having opened the pedal (one screw is sealed).

UTILIZATION

Very simple with only 4 knobs we are the opposite of the racks, you do not spend hours to fix everything, but the settings available are sufficient to obtain good results. The manual gives some examples of settings, not necessarily to be followed elsewhere (see below).

SOUND QUALITY

One of the qualities of this compressor is to be very quiet: no wind, except at the highest settings, but even at this level, the breath is low compared to other compressors.

Compared to non pedals dedicated to low, rendering the grave is much better. However from a compression threshold important, I think you lose the bass. However, these are thresholds at which I will never. As with any compressor, too is the enemy of better. Indeed, the best of this pedal is in the first third of the race the knob "sustain" warm and thick, good balance of high and low, no breath ... a treat!
From the last third is squarely against-productive: the sound is too compressed, the breath appears (although it is very tolerable), exceeding the threshold results in a small "pop" normal but annoying. In short, to make the best, do not abuse it.

The knob "tone" used to accentuate the low, medium or sharp sound, without altering that of the instrument.

OVERALL OPINION

I recommend this compressor to all those who were disappointed by models that blow like a loco, that cut too serious or too amplify the treble.
Having tried lots of compressors of different brands and prices, I find that pedal format is one of the best available and meileur quality / results / prices.