Dictator

The Dictator is a tube-based dynamic controller which is designed after classic vari-mu compressors. It is theoretically similar to legendary units such as the Fairchild 670 and Gates STA-Level, while also incorporating contemporary solutions in order to provide better control over the sound. The bespoke design of the branch circuits is what we simply call the “mu-follower.” The two channels of the compressor provide synchronized operation throughout the entire range of the transition curve, allowing excellent gain reduction to be achieved. The time-related working parameters and saturation characteristics are very familiar to well-known tube-based compressors.

The Dictator is a true vari-mu compressor which consists of a pair of pentodes that were mass-produced in exceptional quality during the Warsaw Pact era in countries such as Hungary, East Germany, and Poland. The surrounding circuits of the tube amplifier use the latest technical solutions, allowing extremely precise parallel channel operation, which helps achieve extreme setup conditions. For instance, it can pulse on a master bus, or produce crispy saturation alongside previously unheard transients and dirty breaks. It can also work as a simple saturator with minimal dynamic control.

Our intention was to create a mastering and mix-bus compressor, but in experienced hands, the Dictator can also be used as a sound-design tool. The Dictator keeps every aspect of the sound under control  it is precise, however not always clean, just like all the dictators from the history books.