Senses input transients to automatically adjust attack and release times.
The Mackie Quad Comp/Gate is designed for world-class sound with 4 channels of powerful digital compression and gating. Its compression/limiting and gating/expansion algorithms were written by the gurus at Acuma Labs to provide a very wide range of high-quality, instantly usable settings. With 99 user-definable snapshots for calling up, say, a favorite bass or vocal compression sound, the Quad Comp/Gate makes it much easier to get consistently fast, great-sounding mixes than analog compressor/gates.
The Quad Comp/Gate's built-in Key Filtering function provides independent gating and compression based on an adjustable triggering frequency, and features a convenient Key Listen so you can easily dial in and monitor the specific range of frequencies while you're in the mix. A Side Chain input allows triggering the compression/gating using external signals. And the Quad Comp/Gate's "Auto" feature senses input transients to automatically adjust attack and release times - eliminating the "pumping" effect associated with compression triggering.
Of course, none of the Quad Comp/Gate's bells and whistles would matter for live sound engineers if it wasn't amazingly fast to use. So the front panel is intuitively laid out with ultrabright 12-segment metering, multicolor backlit buttons and 9 backlit push-button knobs with LED collars to indicate settings from a mile away. You simply press the channel(s) you wish to process and adjust the knobs accordingly. Channels can be operated independently or stereo-linked with a single button press, making global FOH limiting adjustments fast and convenient. For maximum flexibility, the Quad Comp/Gate's rear panel includes both 1/4" TRS and XLR connections, TRS Side Chain send and return, and a Planet Earth power supply, which operates on voltages between 100 and 240V.
