Caveman Audio BC1 Compressor

The Caveman Audio BC1 is a 100% analog compressor pedal aimed at bass players, and it is built around a specific idea: instead of a squashing effect you stomp on for certain passages, it is a Master Compressor that stays on all the time at the very end of your signal chain¹². Caveman Audio describes it as a compressor that gently tames and shapes the overall dynamics, giving what the maker calls a pristine bass tone that helps you sit better in the mix¹.

The pedal was announced in July 2023, when Bass Musician Magazine reported Caveman Audio introducing the BC1 Bass Master Compressor with its balanced XLR line input, transformer-balanced DI output and 0.1ms to 25ms attack range². As of the maker's product page it is listed at 5.295,00 kr. DKK¹.

How it works and what it does to your sound

A compressor evens out the difference between your loudest and quietest notes, and the BC1 approaches this as a master-level tool rather than an effect. Caveman Audio says it makes the output from your strings more even and brings out the small nuances in your playing¹. Because it sits at the end of the chain, it is compressing the finished signal from everything before it, your preamp, drives and other bass pedals, rather than just your raw instrument.

The attack range is the standout specification. The maker explains the thinking behind it¹²:

Caveman Audio product page¹

At the slow end, up to 25ms can pass before compression engages, so the initial attack of each note comes through untouched and the compressor then settles the sustain behind it. At the fast end, 0.1ms, the compressor reacts almost immediately, which Bass Musician Magazine describes as producing a hard-pumping effect². That spread from 0.1ms to 25ms is wide by pedal standards and lets you move between an invisible leveling action and an audible, rhythmic compression from one knob.

Controls

The BC1 keeps its control set small, which fits its role as a set-and-forget master compressor²³¹.

The boost circuit is the unusual one here. Caveman Audio notes that a boost circuit is not common on compressor pedals, and the way it works matters: set a bit higher than LEVEL, it gives you a volume jump when you engage it while leaving your compression untouched, so your dynamics stay consistent through the boost¹. Bass Musician Magazine adds that the Boost knob can also be set to decrease the overall output while keeping the same amount of compression².

Power and connections

On the connection side, the pedal has a 5MΩ instrument input impedance and a 15kΩ line input impedance on a balanced XLR connector¹². That XLR line input means you can feed an already-processed line-level signal into the BC1, which suits its place at the end of a chain or in a studio setup. The DI output is transformer-balanced, the same design as the one in Caveman Audio's BP1 Bass Preamp pedal, and is specified for an output load of 2kΩ or more¹². The DI output being identical to the BP1's also means the BC1 can serve your DI needs on its own, without the preamp in the chain.

Build and warranty

The BC1 is housed in a zinc-plated steel chassis, which Caveman Audio says protects against RFI and electric and magnetic fields¹. That kind of shielding is a practical concern for a high-gain, always-on analog circuit sitting near power supplies and wireless units. The pedal measures 220 x 145 x 40/65 mm and weighs 1.5 kg / 3 lbs. 5 oz, so it is a substantial enclosure rather than a mini pedal, and it carries a 10-year warranty¹.

A starting point for settings

For players wanting a place to begin, Caveman Audio's own demo with Ida Nielsen, run alongside the BP1 preamp, used these positions¹:

• THRESHOLD: 2 o'clock
• ATTACK: 2 o'clock
• RELEASE: 11 o'clock

Founder Steen Skrydstrup's view of the pedal's role is straightforward:

Steen Skrydstrup, Founder of Caveman Audio¹

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions