The Governor, also known as the GLA-OP1, is a tube optical compressor whose dual-slope design and two thresholds allow in-depth dynamics control. It is inspired by the dynamics section of the Bishop: it was not the main function of that channel strip, but it had become very popular.
The Governor works in dual mono or stereo, always with precise settings. It provides advanced control over most common dynamics processing. Thanks to its tube and transformer output stage, it can produce the tube saturation so appreciated in the Empress equaliser. Based on user feedback, Gainlab made it configurable with emphasis on the full spectrum or only on the highs. The unit now includes a side-chain filter and accepts external side-chain signals. Finally, the visual indicator has been given pride of place: it is far more informative than a classic VU meter, gives a more accurate picture of changes in the signal and makes setting the compressor's two thresholds much more intuitive.
