Rockruepel visits Front End Audio with the Comp.Two and Sidchain One!

Rockruepel visits Front End Audio with the Comp.Two and Sidchain One! A boutique line out of Germany, Rockrupel has been creating quality gear for many long years now and we have always been happy to have the line available for our customers here at Front End Audio. Being that they are all the way in Germany, getting an in-shop visit was extra meaningful for the FEA Team. We were thrilled to have Stefan of Rockruepel spend the afternoon with us in our studio. During his visit, we got a refresher on the Rockruepel line of products, including the Rockruepel COMP.TWO (variable mu tube compressor) and the Rockruepel Sidchain One (VCA Compressor). Of course, the fun got even better when we set up the Rockruepel COMP.TWO and ran a few mixes and some drums through it!

If you haven't yet read our in-depth blog on the COMP.TWO, please be sure to check it out HERE. It's such a smooth, punchy, and musical compressor! But beyond doing what you would want a Variable Mu style comp to do, it has some extra tricks up its sleeve. It has a faster attack time than normal vari-mu style compressors, making it much better for drums and EDM, but can also open things up (in contrast to a variable mu's ability to get tight, punchy, and focused). This was demonstrated in our office studio with a modern rock mix that was already highly compressed. The  Rockruepel COMP.TWO was able to breathe life and dynamics back into the mix. Crazy that it can take an already good sounding, professional mix and make it even better well after the fact!

We also got to spend some time with the Rockruepel Sidechain.One Compressor, which is a very unique VCA compressor! Beyond being fast and clean with virtually no sonic imprint (why we love VCAs), it has a very flexible side chain filter that's both a high-pass and a low-pass filter. These filters are independent of each other and completely variable, so you can hone in on single sound sources in the mix (such as a kick drum) and have that drive the focused behavior of the compressor overall. The side chain listen really lets you get surgical about with filters. The power of the  Sidechain.One does not end there though. Its real power is in using two units linked together (how Rockruepel designed it to be used). Check out the Rockruepel Sidechain.One Compressors (Pair). When linked, both compressors are still independently active and the one that receives the hottest signal first, is the one that leads. This push and pull behavior will create more fluidity and invisibility. You can also do Mid/Side processing and really enter a whole new world of audio sculpting!

Getting hands on time with these units as well as a firsthand education from Stefan was a blast. This is the level of gear we all love to use, and that really shows what audio is all about. When the gear gets the perfect results with less work, you know you have something special.

Both the Sidechain.One and the COMP.TWO are available for purchase at Front End Audio! If you have any questions about Rockruepel or their products, give us a call! We're here to help.