Earthquaker Devices The Warden Optical Compressor

The Warden is an optical compressor with a feature set usually reserved
for studio grade units. Built with high grade components and internally
powered by 18v, The Warden has loads of gain and sustain on tap. With
complete control over attack, release, sustain and ratio, The Warden
will allow everything from a heavy squash with fast attack and release
to "barely there” subtle compression. Optical compression has a
reputation for having more character than a VCA or FET based compression
and The Warden is no exception.

Measures:
4 5/8″ x 2 1/2″ x 2.25″ with knobs

Power:
A standard regulated 9-volt DC power supply with a negative centre
2.1mm barrel, no battery option. The Warden internally boosts the
voltage up to 18v, do not run at higher voltages!

Current draw is around 20ma. We recommend and use Voodoo labs PP+ power supplies.

Controls:
Tone: This pedal was designed to slightly colour your
tone, the coloration can be dialled-in to your taste. Counter clockwise
is treble cut, clockwise is treble boost. The tone is nearly flat around
11 O’Clock.
Level: This controls the overall output and is
affected by the sustain and ratio settings. There is no specific unity
setting, adjust to taste when you find your perfect compression setting
Sustain: This is the heart of The Warden. It
controls how hot the signal is, which changes the dynamics of the
compression. The Warden is a feedback style compressor, the hotter the
signal, the more active the compression. Very little sustain= very
little compression, less active attack and release and a cooler signal,
Max sustain= heavy compression, longer sustain, hotter signal and more
lively attack and release.
Ratio: This determines how much the gain reduction
affects the signal. All the way up is full compression and the
compression is reduced as you turn this counter clockwise which allows
more of the boosted, less compressed, signal to come through. There are
no defined ratios here.
Attack: This controls how quickly the compressor
reacts and starts levelling the signal. All the way counter clockwise is a
fast, nearly immediate reaction. Turning the attack clockwise slows the
reaction time.
Release: This controls how long it takes the signal
to raise back up to the level determined by the sustain & ratio
settings. All the way counter clockwise is a fast release and the
release time slows as you turn it clockwise.

Switching
This device is true bypass and uses electronic relay-based switching. Audio will not pass without power.

Power
This device takes a standard 9 volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative centre barrel. We always recommend pedal-specific, transformer-isolated wall-wart power supplies or multiple isolated-output supplies. Pedals will make extra noise if there is ripple or unclean power. Switching-type power supplies, daisy chains and non-pedal specific power supplies do not filter dirty power as well and let through unwanted noise. DO NOT RUN AT HIGHER VOLTAGES!

Dimensions: 4.75 x 2.50 x 2.25 in. (121 x 64 x 57 mm) with knobs
Current Draw: 31 mA
Input Impedance: 1 MΩ
Output Impedance: <1 kΩ

This product is covered by a limited lifetime manufacturer warranty.

Although we are not authorised to determine if any repair is covered under warranty, if the item was purchased through World of Music, then we are often the best people to facilitate the claim for you and will do so as timely as possible. Warranty does not apply to cosmetic damage or faults that are a result of user neglect. Although your mate is really handy with a soldering iron, any product modification or home repair will also result in a void warranty.

Quite often, something perceived as a fault is as simple as a faulty cable or power issue so we always suggest checking over Frequently Asked Questions on the manufacturer website first. It can be a helpful approach to getting to the bottom of a problem and save you a lot of time in getting your gear back up and running!

This item ships via courier; fully insured for your peace of mind. Orders require a signature on delivery and we suggest using an address where someone will be present for the speediest delivery time. For delivery attempts with no one present to sign, your order will be taken to the courier depot and a card will be left for you to organise redelivery.