Recording - September 2020 - 41

The Comp II is best described as grabby rather than
aggressive. It's faster than an average opto, but not as
aggressive as a FET compressor.
The attack, release and ratio settings are well-timed.
You can dial in just the right amount of gentle contour for
subtle sources like acoustic guitar, piano, violin, and cello. The Comp II can grab and hold electric guitars, bass,
and snare drum, or bring on a full obvious clampdown for
drums, aggressive synth leads, and everything in between.
If the Comp II offered only its slow attack and auto release
features, it would still be worth the cost of admission!
My favorite use of the Comp II is for controlled yet transparent vocal compression both when tracking and again when
mixing. Thanks to the transparency of Comp II, obvious coloration is never an issue when using it twice on a source.

On the bus

This versatility also extends to the 2-bus, where the
Comp II worked great on a folk song with just acoustic guitar and female voice. With a slow attack and auto release,
I was able to hit up to 5-6 dB of compression, adding glue
and fullness, yet it never sounded overbaked.
On the same mix, ticking the meters at 1 dB on Limit
added a surprising subtle peak control that never detracted from the gentle acoustic performance.
On a full rock mix, 1-2 dB of compression, again with slow
attack and auto release, can yield classic VCA-style compression, although it's not as forward as a G Series-style bus comp.

With fast attack and fast release, it can smash a drum bus with the
best of them, but here it works best routed to a parallel bus. As such, the
only control I wish the Comp II offered is a mix/blend option. Of course,
this is a preference, not a flaw or deal breaker. Also, for stereo use, an
argument could be made for stepped switches over variable pots.

Stop the presses-Transformers!

As I was wrapping up my review, I was informed that the Comp
II will soon be available with a transformer-based option. This can
be done at purchase, or retrofitted into an existing unit as future
funds and desires dictate. Look for us to revisit the Comp II when the
transformer mod becomes available.

Conclusion

Everything I liked about the Comp 500 is present and somehow
even better in the Daking Audio Comp II. It's great sounding, easy
to dial in, and brings fast results, making this a wonderful addition
to an already respectable line of studio tools.
Price: $1399 More from: daking.com

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