Electro Harmonix Black Finger
The Electro Harmonix Black Finger is an optical compressor pedal that uses a vacuum tube in its gain stage, distinguishing it from typical solid-state compressors. Its primary controls are Sustain, which sets the compression ratio by determining how much the signal is attenuated when it exceeds the threshold, and Volume, which adjusts the output level to compensate for the compression-induced loss. A Sensitivity switch toggles between low and high input headroom, affecting how readily the compressor responds to picking dynamics. The pedal operates in a true bypass configuration, preserving the dry signal when disengaged. It requires a standard 9V power supply and features a compact, rugged enclosure suitable for pedalboards.
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User Reviews of the Electro Harmonix Black Finger
- Submitted by Paul from Chico, CA (48 points) on Dec 23, 2005
- This is my favorite compressor ever! It just sounds smooth, no popping, very musical and warm. Every feature is usable and well worth the dough. Just plain sounds great.
- Good Points: Fantastic sound quality.
- Bad Points: The power adapter is unique, bulky and not necessarily the strongest thing. I won't gig with this my Black Finger, because of it.
- Price Paid: US$200.00
- Purchased At: americanmusical.com
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- Submitted by Ben from United States (250 points) on Oct 1, 2003
- THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE NEW TUBE VERSION. This pedal is a beast! It has lots of different compression sounds, with the LED/Lamp switch and the Squash/Normal switch, you get a few different modes with the combination, plus knobs for the amount of compression, amount of pre-gain (input gain) and post-gain (output gain). You can really hammer down the incoming wave to level out the sound, warm it up with the tubes, then boost the hell out of the result for a super-loud, even signal.
- Good Points: Silky smooth, great tube gain stages. This sounds good on everything.
- Bad Points: With extreme gain settings, it's VERY obvious when this thing is turned on -- almost a pop.
- Price Paid: US$169.00
- Purchased At: catharticprocess.com
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