Review : Cali76 STACKED Edition from Origin Effects
What could be better than one compressor? Two compressors! Specifically two compressors that are joined together in the same box. Especially when they are the modern equivalents of UREI 1176 class studio processors.
Now I understand that a compressor may not be on the top of your must have list, but you might be amazed by what a difference a really great compressor can make in your tone.
For a lot of folks, the word compressor brings to mind the classic Ross style guitar pedals, or the many alternatives using a similar circuit design. You also hear the term "chicken picken'" in relation to compressors. This naming has been known to drive away players who don't play "country". That's too bad because a good compressor can help any tone.
The Cali76 Stacked Edition is based on a very different circuit, the same model as the famous UREI 1776 studio rack compressor. It's very different from a classic "squishy" compressor. The tone is different, richer, wider and while all compressors reduce dynamic range to some extent, the Cali76 family have none of that squishiness. Some compressors also introduce some unpleasant boost effects. Not this one. While you can dial in a small amount of boost, this is not a boost pedal
What it is, is two compressors that work independently and where you have the ability to control how much of the first compressed signal hits the second compressor. I have heard compressors described as "overdrive for your clean tone". I presume that by this the person saying so is describing the increased sustain that can come from a decent overdrive. A good compressor can certainly do that for your clean tone, but the non-squish kind can also benefit an overdriven tone. I am not a user of distortion or fuzz and they introduce so much compression themselves, I cannot comment on the need for a compressor for those playing through such devices.
What I like about the Cali76 Stacked Edition is that I can set each compressor to do what I want. I will typically set the first compressor to increase sustain and increase fullness. This is my always on option. I can then use the second compressor to further increase sustain with some more compression of the dynamic range or just let it control peaks in the signal, typically associated with variations in pick attack and where on the string I hit in relation to the pickup poles.
There is no one size fits all setting. Different guitars and different pickups deliver different responses. When you see the Cali76 Stacked Edition as two devices, it gets a lot simpler to understand and use.
The Cali 76 Stacked Edition requires a power supply that is not included. There is no battery option and for my use cases, that does not matter to me. My unit is on the split board for my AC30 with the Cali76 Stacked Edition, a Frost Giant Treble Booster and ThorpFX Dane into the front of the amp, with the delays and chorus effects in the effects loop. As I often use single coil pickups through this amp, I use a TC Electronics Sentry to control noise. I like the Sentry because the one pedal works both in front of the amp and in the effects loop.
Playing a Strat, a Tele or a Rickenbacker through the Cali76 Stacked Edition into the AC30 is a wonder of chime and sustain, and I will use the compressor even when pushing the signal with the treble booster or the Dane and am very happy with the tonal results.
This is a boutique pedal and if you want to get one, I heartily recommend going to ElectricMojoGuitars to get yours.