Origin Effects sliderig User manual

SLIDE-RIG COMPACT
Already legendary amongst slide players, the SlideRIG delivers clean “infinite
sustain” in true Little Feat fashion. In the studio, Lowell George achieved his
peerless slide guitar tone by playing through a pair of 1176 compressors chained
together. The original SlideRIG pedal gave guitarists a much more affordable
way of replicating this tone, in a portable format you can take to the gig.
With the SlideRIG Compact, we’ve taken things a step further, creating a pedal
that offers the same cascaded 1176-style compression and extended, tonally
transparent sustain, but with a drastically reduced footprint and simplified,
user-friendly controls that make dialling in the desired tone a breeze.
More flexible than ever, the SlideRIG Compact gives you access to conventional
single-stage compression, as well as the SlideRIG’s trademark dual-stage
compression. And the choice is not simply either/or – you can now blend the two!
The single Blend knob determines the balance of signals passed to the output
from the single- and dual-stage compression circuits. Meanwhile, a revised gain
structure, in conjunction with a high-current, low-noise preamp, allows for
greater control over compression levels using the Input knob.

Origin Effects. . .
. . . Purity of Tone
Key Features:
• 100% Class-A discrete signal path
• Classic, ultra fast “FET” response
• Studio-grade discrete-transistor preamp
• Dual-chained compression stages
• Input/Comp and Output level controls
• Single-stage/dual-stage compression with Blend control
• High-current, low-noise electronics
• Ultra-wide frequency response
• Ultra-high input impedance
• Silent switching
• High-quality “signal-conditioning” bypass mode
• Premium components throughout
• Advanced power supply filtering and protection
• Flexible external power requirements (9-18V DC)
• PSU Spec. 50mA @ 9V / 69mA @ 18V
• Designed and built in England

INTRODUCTION
With the original SlideRIG, our goal was to reproduce the slide guitar tones first heard on Little Feat’s classic album "Dixie
Chicken". The tone is clean and transparent, with an almost infinite shimmering sustain. For many, this represents the ultimate
in slide tone.
In the studio, the Little Feat tone was achieved by daisy-chaining two Urei 1176 FET compressor channels, one after the other.
The 1176 has a fast response, unique character and smooth compression profile. Chaining the compressor sections allows this
character to be retained, while vastly increasing the amount of compression. This high degree of compression is generally referred
to as "limiting" as the signal is maintained at a consistent level.
Our 1176-inspired Cali76 circuit forms the backbone of the SlideRig, with two identical Cali76 blocks being utilised in a true, dual-
chained, topology. We included a studio-grade 1960s-style discrete preamp, to work as an electronic interface between your guitar
and the compressor. The preamp provides gain and also creates the optimum conditions for signal transfer.
In designing the Compact Series pedals, Origin Effects has gone to painstaking lengths to preserve the build quality and sonic
integrity of the original Cali76 and SlideRIG circuits, even improving on them where possible.
The further reduction in size has been achieved by using a mixture of traditional through-hole and SMD components, spread
across a pair of densely populated, stacked boards. The signal path utilises film and tantalum capacitors, carefully chosen low-
noise transistors and rugged MELF resistors (essentially traditional through-hole resistors without the leads), which offer low-
noise performance and rock-solid reliability.
One of the reasons why the original Origin pedals sound so good is that they deliver true FET compression, with a fast yet highly
musical response that is a world away from the brutal and unforgiving sound of traditional VCA compressor pedal designs. The
new Compact Series pedals stay true to Origin's design philosophy with absolutely no opamps or VCAs used in the signal path.
The new pedals are powered by mains adaptor only. Dispensing with the usual internal 9V battery option allows more space
inside the enclosure for high-quality circuitry, while also supporting the high-current circuit design that is the key to these pedals'
astonishingly low noise levels.

CONTROLS
IN: The SlideRIG Compact features a very nice studio-grade input preamplifier. This works as an interface between the guitar
and the compressor sections. The In control allows the user to vary the gain of this preamplifier.
Turning the In control clockwise increases the overall gain of the pedal. This also increases the amount of compression. The guitar
will become increasingly touch sensitive as gain is increased. Too much gain and the preamplifier will clip and distort.
OUT: The Out control simply determines the level of the signal present at the pedal's output. This can be set in order to keep the
overall effected level close to that of the dry (bypass) signal. Alternatively, the level can be increased to help project a guitar solo.
BLEND: Set anti-clockwise for single-stage compression, clockwise for dual-stage compression, and anywhere in between for a
blend of the two.
Single-stage compression will prove to be highly versatile with multitude of uses. Transparent and powerful, it will sit in the
background and massage your dynamics. Dual-stage compression will deliver “infinite sustain”. Blend the two for country-picking
bliss or whatever your preference might be!
CONNECTIVITY & POWER REQUIREMENTS
INSTR: Insert your guitar, other instrument or signal source here. The ultra-high input impedance will even work with
piezoelectric pickups, provided that the connected lead is of sufficient quality and is reasonably short in length (a long lead will
“load” a piezoelectric pickup, reducing the bandwidth).
We strongly recommend placing our pedals directly after your guitar, to maximise signal-to-noise ratio.
AMP: Connect to your amp or other pedals. The output impedance is low in all modes, so the unit will drive signals down the
connected guitar lead, overcoming the issues of high-frequency signal loss associated with passive bypass systems.
9-18VDC: Insert power here. A high-quality regulated supply should be chosen to avoid damage from voltage surges and other
over-voltage conditions. The connector should be the 2.1mm type with the centre-pin "wired negative". For best performance, the
pedal should be powered from an 18V supply. This will increase the headroom, allowing cleaner processing of conventional guitar
signals. This will also permit the use of hotter source signals, such as active guitar pickups.

MAXIMISING SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
The SlideRIG is extremely quiet by the standards of most
pedals. However, it does employ a lot of clean gain and can
quickly highlight noise induced in pickups and other effects
units. Humbuckers allow you to push things further without
suffering from 50Hz mains hum. To avoid amplifying noise
created by other pedals, we recommend placing the SlideRIG
Compact straight after your guitar and before any other
effects.
Keep the guitar’s volume up for best results. This will be
counter-intuitive for some, especially those who like to
manipulate stage level directly from the guitar, but you
quickly get used to things! Volume pedals must be placed
after the pedal, as the SlideRIG will laugh in the face of any
coordinated changes in signal level, and will work to
maintain a consistent output! However, placing a volume
pedal after the unit is a great way to manage stage levels.

EXAMPLE SETTINGS
Conventional compression. Here we have
the blend dial set anti-clockwise for a single
stage of compression. Basically the same signal
path as our Cali76 pedal. Great as a general
guitar compressor, to smooth out dynamics and
make your guitar feel a little more sensitive and
alive. Ultra versatile.
Dual stage compression/limiting. Classic
SlideRIG dual-chained compression. Little
Feat tone! Your guitar will be ultra sensitive
and sustain will be vast. As you turn up the In
dial, compression & sensitivity will increase, as
will pickup induced noise. This must be taken
into consideration, especially in a live scenaro.
Parallel compression. A best of both worlds
approach! Blend compressed and dry signals
for increased sensitivity & sustain yet with a
full sense of dynamic integrity. For players who
want a fattened tone but without having the life
compressed out of their carefully crafted
dynamic playing style.

ABOUT ORIGIN EFFECTS
Origin Effects is the brainchild of Simon Keats, a guitarist, electronic engineer and analogue circuit designer who has worked for
the likes of Vox, Focusrite and Trident Audio. Having built bespoke effects for professional musicians and producers for many
years, he launched the Origin Effects brand in 2012 to bring his exceptional designs to a wider audience.
His first two pedals – the 1176-inspired Cali76 compressor and the unique SlideRig, which chains two 1176-style compressors
together for near-infinite clean sustain – have been widely recognised as the best pedal compressors ever made. Users range from
guitarists and bass players like David Gilmour, Pino Palladino and Steve Lukather to Grammy Award-winning producers like
Paul Epworth, Ross Hogarth and Terry Britten.
Please note that Simon Keats & Origin Effects Limited are in no way affiliated with Urei or Universal Audio.
T: [phone] • E: [email protected] • www.origineffects.com
Origin Effects Limited, First Floor Office, Unit C6 Station Yard, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3UH, UK.