Re: Damage Control FX.
I posted this reply in another thread here, and I'm too lazy to write it all over again. So, with a few edits added, here is my take on the Damage Control Womanizer.
I have been using a Womanizer for almost 2 months now. Although I initially balked at the price, I'm convinced that it's a good deal. It is a superlative stompbox in front of an amp -- sounds great with my Bad Cat Cub and '54 tweed Deluxe among others. You can set the EQ flat and use it as a great clean boost or truly uncolored OD, or you can change the character of your amp by altering the pre-EQ mid response and the post-EQ bass and treble ---- all are active for cut or boost. It's a great way to add another channel to a good single channel amp.
The opto compressor is absolutely the BEST I've tried. It does not totally squash the dynamics or suck out the low end until you get it past 2:00 o'clock, giving it a much greater useable range than any other stomp comp I've tried, including the Keeley Compressor and the HBE CPR. With the comp at 12 to 2 o'clock, I retain good dynamics and balanced tonal response while increasing sustain -- and it's significantly quieter than any other stomp comp I've heard to boot. In other words, it puts a studio-grade opto-compressor at your feet.
I haven't tried using it as a preamp for a PA or power amp, but the direct out provides a great tool for direct recording. It has a more dynamic, tube amp feel than my POD XT, and it sounds significantly warmer and more dynamic when recorded than the couple of digital modelers I've tried (POD, Digitech). In sum, it's a great tool for recording, whether you need to record late at night, or need to avoid intrusive ambient sounds when recording (like the Fedex jets flying overhead at my place), or you just want to skip the time involved in micing an amp cab.
So, when you figure the cost of a dual vacuum tube preamp/OD unit ($200 and up), plus the cost of a studio quality opto compressor ($200 and up), plus the direct recording capability ($200 and up), I think it's actually a bargain. If you don't need all of that, then I guess you should look elsewhere, but as a total package it delivers the goods.
BTW, although I haven't tried it yet, I think the option of running the amp out to a good tube amp and the direct out to a PA or recording board will provide a great way to bump up your live sound or double your recorded tracks. I'll be trying the latter approach for recording in the near future.
Finally, the folks at Damage Control have been just as responsive to questions as the folks at SD. That's a rare but welcome bonus.
