PUMP compresses over a decade of experience from the Distressor, Arousor, and Mike-E into one 500 series slot. A David Blackmer-style VCA circuit delivers eight distinct compression curves from a gentle 2:1 up to a brutal 20:1, and digitally stepped attack and release knobs give exact setting recall across sessions — something traditional continuous potentiometers can't offer.
AtMod in analog hardware for the first time
AtMod, a feature previously found only in the Arousor plugin, arrives in PUMP as the first implementation of its kind in an analog hardware compressor. It slows only the initial slope of the attack envelope, letting more snare crack or bass-string attack through without giving up the target compression depth set elsewhere in the unit — solving the classic dilemma of compressing hard enough to push a track forward in the mix without losing its biting transient character. Eight ratios, each with its own curve, plus a soft Opto-Coupler-style release mode, give one slot a range approaching the Distressor's versatility.
A detector high-pass filter and Mike-E saturation in one module
A switchable 70Hz high-pass filter in the detector path stops a heavy kick or bass from triggering unwanted pumping across the whole signal — the compressor reacts to actual musical content instead of sub-bass energy. A built-in soft clipper, based on the same circuit as Mike-E's CompSat section, adds saturation character without needing a separate unit taking up space in a lunchbox rack. Complete gain-reduction metering, an input overload indicator, and a Make Up Gain output stage round out the chain, and stereo linking lets two PUMP units work together on a bus or a mic pair.
KEY FEATURES
- Single-channel VCA compressor in 500 series format, horizontal orientation
- Eight compression curves: 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 6:1, 8:1, 10:1, 12:1, 20:1
- Digitally stepped Attack and Release knobs with exact recall
- Soft Opto-Coupler-style release mode
- AtMod: attack-slope modification, first implementation in analog hardware
- Switchable 70Hz detector high-pass filter
- Built-in soft clipper from the Mike-E CompSat circuit
- Complete gain-reduction metering and input overload indicator
- Make Up Gain output stage, bypass switch
- Stereo linking for paired operation
- Standard 500 series power: ±16V, 100mA
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Frequency response: 5Hz-175kHz (-3dB points)
- Dynamic range: 125dB (from maximum output at 0.5% THD to minimum output)
- Noise floor with Output at 0: typically -101dBu
- Distortion at 1kHz: 0.0035% to 15% depending on mode and settings
- Maximum input level before hard clipping: +22dBm (Line In mode)
- Maximum output level: +28.5dBm
- Input impedance: 120k Ohms (Instrument mode), output impedance: less than 75 Ohms
- Time constants: attack 200µs-40ms, release 50ms-500ms plus Opto mode
