Jason Ricci, arguably the best harmonica player today, asked me to build a compressor pedal. He specified that it had to be distortion-free and include a VOLUME control; plus he wanted it to look good, a cool color, and cool graphics. The result is the Flat Cat, a distortion-free optical compressor. What does a compressor do? A compressor "compresses" the signal your microphone produces and equalizes the dynamic range. The benefit of a compressor lies in that every note played will be at nearly the same amplitude, and therefore nearly equal in volume. This will help equalize tones that are sometimes lost in the mix because of complex overtones, and it will result in a more articulate sound. The Flat Cat is an optical compressor, which makes it distortion-free. The addition of the VOLUME control allows the user to make up volume lost through compression. The Flat Cat is great for rock and blues rock. Sometimes it is hard to tell it is on, but you will miss it when it is off.
Demo by Jason Ricci (EN)
Demo by Jason Ricci (EN)