how subtle is an ashly compressor?

[dissonantdissident]

So, I just an ashly ac-55(stereo sc-50), via eBay, and it doesn't really seem to do much. When I turn the attack and release knobs, they seem to do something(after a second), but ratio has very little impact on the audio. The lights all come on and indicate it is doing fain reduction, though. It certainly doesn't add punch to anything I've been trying it on. Is this just the sound of these boxes? I've tried comparing it to both computer and rack gear compressors, and it doesn't really seem to act like any of these other comps.

[Dakota]

Blue or black front panel?

Sounds like your unit needs fixing or at least calibration, because either the blue or black ones do super obvious crushing and spanking if you are feeding them enough signal and you work through all the knob settings.

The blue one has a crunchier mid-range flattering tone and the black one is more full-range sounding and less spongy, but they both should sound fairly explosive and pumping when pushed.

[dissonantdissident]

Ok, glad I'm not crazy. Sounds like I got taken for the ol' eBay ride.

[dissonantdissident]

So after vacuuming out all of the rotted foam and giving everything a pretty hardcore alcohol swabbing, the ashly's back in action. whatever they used for that foam must be conductive/corrosive, because it had fused to trace, caps, ic's, etc, and seems to have eaten away at some of the metal parts. either way, after a good cleaning, she came back to life and the internal noise has dropped a ton(must've been that foam creating noise like extra flux can do. if you've got a blackface ashly in your rack, i'd open it up and check the condition of that foam/ clean it out,

[tonewoods]

if you've got a blackface ashly in your rack, i'd open it up and check the condition of that foam/ clean it out,

Thanks, as I have 5-6 of these puppies....
All blaceface...

[eh91311]

I have a couple of blue and black SC-50's. I'd better open them up & get that foam out of them.