Summer School Electronics releases the Half Day! Compressor

November 20, 2023 · 2 sources

Summer School Electronics released the Half Day! Compressor, a compressor pedal built around a classic compression circuit, with release coverage dated November 20, 2023¹².

The Half Day is described as a Ross-style compressor, which Delicious Audio calls "an OTA-based, vintage-style compressor known for its fast yet smooth action"². Pedal of the Day writes that it "will level out your playing preventing any volume spikes while playing and raising any notes that are softer than the desired level for a smooth compressed sound"¹.

The most notable control is a Guitar/Bass toggle that changes input capacitance. In Guitar mode, lower frequencies are rolled off so the compressor stands out in a band mix; in Bass mode, more low end passes through, which the maker says suits bass, synths, baritone and drop-tuned guitars¹. Delicious Audio describes the same switch as allowing more bass-friendly frequencies for lower-tuned instruments or cutting them for regular six strings². The two accounts differ on the tone control: Pedal of the Day calls it a tone control for dialing in a sound by genre¹, while Delicious Audio describes a tilt-EQ that does high- and low-pass filtering and stays neutral at 12 o'clock². Delicious Audio also notes the Volume knob can push the signal up for solos, letting the pedal serve as a boost²; Pedal of the Day describes an included boost for the squashed compressor sound at higher volumes¹.

The pedal runs on a standard 9-volt negative-center power supply and carries a lifetime warranty, according to Pedal of the Day¹. No price was given in either report.