PRODUCTS

The LAZ FSC

NO LONGER AVAILABLE
 

EQA
EQUALISER

MPA
MIC PRE-AMP

FSC
OPTO COMP

LAZ25

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The LAZ FSC (Forssell Side Chain) 500 series opto compressor kit,  is based more than a little loosely on Fred Forssell's published design.
Used with Fred's kind permission, it is only to be a DIY project. So don't ask me to build one for you.
The kit contains what you see in the picture below.

BOM

A reviewlet from AndyP


Peter was not only kind enough to lend me one of his LA-Z pre-amps for appraisal, but also one of his Forssell Optical comps as well! So sorry to wax lyrical yet again, but I just can't help myself! I can only call it as i find it.

Now you must all know what it is and what it does by now. I am happy to report that it does EXACTLY what it says on the tin! If you still don't own a 500 series rack of some kind, this could well be the final temptation to tip you over the edge.

Fred's fabulous compressor sounds absolutely amazing with Peter's DOA, and IMHO benefits from the output iron. I am sure that Fred would disagree about the iron, but hey, each to his/her own. I did try swapping out the DOA's for 2520's. Certainly it made it sound a tad more API-ish, but I really really like the sound with Peter's DOA. Just as with the LA-Z Pre and the LA-Z EQ, the sound is full, fat, yet sweet and SOOO clear. The definition top, mid and bottom is nothing short of extraordinary. I have been recording with the pre and the Forssell comp for a couple of months now, and the whole experience has been so un-fatiguing. There is nothing meek or mild about these, they are very bright and clear, just smooth and sweet. Not like anything else, really! So much dynamic control with so little artifact. Smooth and transparent . . .

I could also use one of these comps on each channel in the mix quite easily! Drum separates, drumbus, bass, guitars, and especially vocals, just everything I throw at this sounds better in the mix, either instead of my usual suspects or, even better, WITH my usual suspects. SO flexible, you can make it pump like crazy, but with a kind of transparency I haven't yet found before, or gently take out the peaks.

Fred Forssell has designed an absolute classic here if you ask me, and I don't understand quite why they aren't in every darn studio in large numbers. Peter's module is a fabulous version thereof, . . . . . - and you can have 'em too, you lucky so-and-so's!



ANdyP

Specifications
Frequency Response                     Quite remarkable
Maximum Input Level                   Ample
Maximum Output level                 More than ample
Input Impedance                          10K Ohms
Output Impedance                        600 Ohms
Pleasure Factor                            Enormous