Tape Op Review: AudioScape Buss Compressor

Let's come clean right from the beginning: I'm a gear snob. I like gear that feels robust and solid. I like gear that sounds beautiful and inspiring. I like it when the gear I use gives me the sensation of sitting in the driver's seat of a proper German automobile. That being said, when I find a piece of studio kit that is brilliantly unique, solves a studio issue like no other, or has an amazing price point for delivering what it sets out to accomplish, I become one of its most devout proponents!

Over the past five to ten years we've seen many mainstream audio companies deliver products that attempt to emulate vintage or high-ticket hardware at a fraction of the original's price. At the same time, there are relatively unknown companies that hand-make their offerings on a much smaller scale, competing for the same (albeit a more informed) deal-seeking audience. One of these companies is Florida-based AudioScape Engineering. With the substantial buzz they've attracted on social media, as well as their "boutique-quality analog hardware for a reasonable cost" credo, I've watched them with interest over the past 20 plus months. When I got word that Tape Op was considering a review for their Buss Compressor, I jumped at the opportunity to find out what this team was bringing to the marketplace.

Read the full review in Tape Op.