Gainlab Dictator DM (B-Stock)

B-Stock offer

• Official Gainlab Audio B-Stock unit, checked by the manufacturer.
• May show slight cosmetic marks, with no effect on operation or performance.
• This is not a used product: the unit is complete, in its original packaging.
• 21% off the price of a new Dictator DM (€2,699).
• The price shown includes 20% VAT, as for a new product.

Our take

"Perhaps the most affordable vari-mu compressor on the market. It is still very well designed, with genuinely good tubes and quality components. Great for tracking, mixing and mastering. Very sensitive to gain staging, it can be subtle or turn into a full-on saturation unit." - Victor Malvolti

Dual-mono vari-mu stereo tube compressor

The Dictator is a tube dynamics compressor based on the design of famous vari-mu units. It works the same way as the legendary Fairchild 670 and Gates STA-Level, as well as more contemporary versions of the "variable-mu" design. The custom design of the side-chain circuits is a proprietary solution called "mu-follower". The compressor's two channels can operate in sync across the entire transfer curve, allowing very smooth gain reduction. The timing parameters and saturation characteristics are reminiscent of the great classics of the genre.

Differences between versions (stereo and dual-mono)

Gainlab offers 3 versions of the Dictator:

• Dictator: works in linked stereo only
• Dictator graphite: limited edition of the Dictator - only the finish changes (black for the "graphite" version)
• Dictator DM: works in linked and unlinked stereo (which is why this version is a little more expensive)

Reviews

"The Dictator is a very impressive debut product from Gainlab Audio and offers a compelling take on a tube compression classic, along with a well-thought-out set of features."