Chameleon 7720 compressor

Published 5/2/08

Blends into its surroundings

Chameleon Labs are a relatively new company with a line of audio hardware that is, refreshingly, aimed at the budget-conscious user. Already on the market are a handful of products, including two mic preamps (one of which has a three-band EQ) and small- and large-diaphragm microphones. But the newest product from Chameleon is the 7720 stereo compressor, which we actually first saw at AES in New York, back in October 2007.

It uses VCA technology from THAT Corporation (formerly dbx) and features, say the manufacturers, the cleanest signal path possible, thanks to a low component count. Front-panel knobs give the user control over threshold, attack, release, ratio and make-up gain, as well as the high-pass filter, which has five switched settings from 60Hz to 440Hz.

The 7720 has an external side-chain input, which is engaged using a switch, and the compressor circuitry can be bypassed. There’s a single meter that can display the input or output of each channel, as well as the overall gain reduction. The 7720 costs £470 including VAT and is available in the UK through Funky Junk, along with other products from Chameleon Labs.