BG-2 Digital Implementation

We created this digital implementation as part of our engineering partnership with Bryce Gonzales, who designed the BG-2 circuitry from the ground up. It is the culmination of extensive digital and analog analysis with an archival level of detail. Concentrating on transience and phenomena beyond normal 96k sampling rates, we employ analog equipment, proprietary analysis, and logging that includes ultra-high sample rates for transient responses. The VST3, AU, and AAX digital implementations provide the same capabilities as the hardware, with some added bonus features that were not possible to build into the physical units due to manufacturing constraints.

About the BG-2

The BG-2 is an all-tube, fully transformer-balanced vari-mu compressor with automatic leveling capability. It has a front end in the style of a British-modified Altec 436 with a twin 6V6 output amp in the style of an RCA BA6A or Gates. The BG-2 has standard 600 ohm input, or 150 ohm for more gain and transformer color. It contains custom, oversized transformers, US and European capacitors, and a US Simpson meter.

British mode utilizes a modified Altec 436 plate-to-plate style feedback. With less gain, a cleaner, more hi-fi sound and smoother operation, British is the big smooth tube compressor.  American mode lets more harmonics and color come through, instantly changing your compressor to a different animal all together.

There is a compression on/off switch that removes the side-chain tube, turning the compressor into a line amp. With the compression turned off, you can drive it into distortion. You can achieve different colors of distortion with both the feedback and input selection switches.

Who loves the BG-2

"The BG2 is the best compressor you can buy out of the box today, hands down. As you know, I have a bag full of "one trick ponies" and the reason is the sonic qualities they add to the music. I shy away from the versatile stuff because it's boring. Well, now I need to rethink that, because this compressor does both. The BG2 can hit drums hard like a BA6A or be subtle like an RS124. This just made half of my compressors obsolete."

-Dan Charles, Sonicpharmacy

"I use them for all sorts of stuff - running through them in non compression mode to give a digital bright track the analog haircut…for classy distortion, to bring a snare to life. I love having the feedback switch as it lets you change the character and behavior of the amp. Kinda takes you from black face to tweed, but in the limiter. And the impedance select is really handy when dialing in a tone. It truly sounds like it is built, robust and with character."

-Rob Schnapf, Engineer/Producer