Akai Hexacomp

HEXACOMP is a new pedal suitable for both guitarists and bassists featuring six compressors in one rugged pedal. The input is split into 6 bands according to frequency and then fed to the individual compressors. Each compressor operates completely independently, with dedicated control of input gain and compression ratio for each band. The separate bands are then mixed and sent to the output gain control.

Conventional single-band compressors act on the entire input signal. So if you hold a sustained note on a low string while you really hit a high string hard, the compressor lowers the combined volume of both-and you lose the bottom end. With the HEXACOMP, however, compression is selectively applied to the separate frequency bands and this means you can compress that popping high note while leaving the sustained bottom end untouched.

Compressors are a great tool for levelling out volume, but they have one big drawback: they lose a lot of the player’s dynamics. This is especially true with guitar which has a big peak in the midrange area. As soon as this midrange peak triggers a conventional single-band compressor, the entire volume is lowered, losing much of the dynamics of the highs and lows. The answer is the HEXACOMP.

By applying compression only to the midrange, the highs and lows which are below the compressor’s threshold remain unaffected and this maintains the player’s dynamics at the same time as making the volume more uniform, a trick that’s impossible with a conventional single-band compressor.