Pete's Place BAC-500 500-Series Compressor

The Pete's Place BAC 500 is a single channel compressor for the 500 Series format.

The Pete's Place BAC 500 uses a feedback FET compression design built around two discrete op-amps and a custom-wound output transformer. As expected from FET compressors, the attack times are on the faster side, while the release covers a much broader range from fast to one and a half-second slow.

As a result, the BAC500 is capable of producing the typical exciting pumping effect, or a more controlled and smooth sound akin to levellers or limiters. The ratio control ranges from 2:1 all the way to 20:1 and features a unique infinity setting that lets you over-compress your sound in really musical ways. When in infinity mode, the characteristics of the BAC 500 change with the threshold at the compression stage changed offering a variety of tonal characteristics.

A sidechain toggle switch lets you choose between, flat and high pass filter with a cut off between 70Hz to 100Hz. A third option lets you exaggerate the hi-frequency content while at the same time cutting the low frequencies working like a de-esser in the side chain and ideal to tame overly bright signals. A Dist switch adds some noticeable distortion to deliver the typical FET compression sound. When engaged, the BAC adds more of the frequency response, distortion characteristics with more second harmonic distortion and overall and much more aggressive sound, ideal to beef up drums, bass or guitars, as well as adding character to vocals.