G LAB Boosting Compressor BC-1
G Lab is a brand known worldwide that has its own, recognizable design. In this case, humble aesthetics go hand in hand with unique sound quality and dependability.
Despite the fact that G Lab BC-1 is no novelty, we decided to refresh our memory of this unit, as it is still popular for its quality. In the lower part of the front panel we have two foot switches with backlit “On/Off” and “A/B” signs. Above them, there are four white knobs for setting the compression and boos levels for channels A and B. At the very top, a row of color LEDs indicate: the effect’s operation, Buffer activation, A channel, Dump level (the higher the compression, the brighter the light), B channel, additional C channel.
On the back side of the cover you’ll find Jack In and Jack Out, 9 V power supply input (no battery power possible) as well as MIDI In and MIDI Thru for connecting the BC-1 to an external control system. But that’s not all. On the right side of the cover there is a Gain switch (low sensivity for humbuckers or active pickups, higher sensivity for single coils and weaker passive electronics) and Guitar/Bass mode switch. On the left side you will find a MIDI channel selector and micro DS1-DS4 switches for changing the footswitches’ functions and opening access to the Buffer option and an additional C channel.
The G Lab BC-1 offers two separate channels with fully controllable Comp and Boost levels for each of them. Using the combination of micro switches on the side of the metal housing, you can also activate a “hidden” C channel with a fixed maximum level of compression and boost. You can also change the functionality of the footswitches in a few ways. For example, the effect can be activated constantly, while the footswitches are used for just moving between presets.
The Buffer option boosts your guitar signal when the effect is off, but without voltage gain. With the Buffer mode off, when you switch off the effect, your signal is put through an optical bypass with no changes to it. The effect works very suggestively and has a wide range of settings available. Also, it can be used with a regular guitar or a bass guitar.
Summary Review of G LAB Boosting Compressor BC-1
G Lab BC-1 is a fully professional device that just strives to get into your basic gear setup. Additionally, the possibility to connect it to a MIDI system makes the BC-1 a very versatile unit that is worth recommending to every serious player.
