The Fat General

Optical parallel compressor co-designed with Dan Coggins, who created the original Dinosaural OTC-201. Uses an optical compression element (LED/LDR pair) with Burr-Brown op-amp. Input impedance 10M ohm, output impedance 39K ohm.

Sustain, Blend/Volume (function depends on mode), and Treble controls. Toggle switch selects between Blend mode where dry and compressed signals mix in parallel, and Juicy mode for full compression where the Blend knob becomes a volume control.

Studio-grade optical compression without pumping or noise. Blend mode preserves pick attack while adding sustain. Designed as an always-on transparent compressor. Dust-sealed Alpha potentiometers. 35mA draw, 65mm x 125mm x 53mm.