GEAR REVIEW
WAMPLER EGO 76 COMPRESSOR PEDAL | Michael Hodge
KEY FEATURES
• UREI 1176 Style Compressor
• Blend Control for Parallel Compression
• FET transistor-style Compressor
• Blue Metalflake Finish with Aluminum Knobs
• Pedalboard-Friendly Size and Layout
Indiana-based Wampler Pedals has come out with its third Compressor offering . The first two are the EGO Compressor and the Corey Wong Signature Compressor . Brian has revealed his newest compression pedal , the EGO 76 , based on the Classic Urei 1176 Studio Rackmount compressor . Bill Putnam ’ s original 1176 was one of the first non-tube compressors to use transistors instead of tubes . It has a unique quality , is known for being fast and aggressive , and is fantastic on drums , vocals , guitars , and bass . The EGO 76 guitar-friendly FET compressor has an added parallel Blend control and Tone circuit , making it very guitar and bass-friendly .
OUT OF THE BOX : The EGO 76 looks cool with its Blue Sparkle finish . It comes boxed with a nice cloth bag , stickers , four little rubber feet , and a Reference Guide . On top are six knobs : Tone , Attack , Release , Level Blend , and Compress . There is also the footswitch , of course , and a red LED indicator . Conveniently on the back are ¼ inch In and Out and a typical BOSS type 9v DC input Jack . Some pedals give you more headroom with higher voltages . EGO wants to only see 9V .
A CLOSER LOOK : There are six aluminum knobs on top , making for a very easy-to-use setup . The Tone knob is independent of the compressor to either add sheen or reduce any shrill hi-end . The Attack knob works opposite of the 1176 and is more user intuitive than the rackmount unit . Turning to the left gives a faster attack , and as you turn clockwise , it becomes slower . The Release knob follows suit , and by turning it to the left , it ’ s a quicker release , and to the right , it ’ s a slower release . The level knob can be used to match your non-compressed signal or boost it for more gain . For the Tone and Level knobs , six o ’ clock is unity gain .
Blend is where you can do what ’ s called parallel compression , mixing both the compressed and
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