• Forte Fatale Compressor — front
  • Forte Fatale Compressor — angle
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Dual Stage Amplification

Forte Fatale Compressor MK1

Forte Fatale Compressor MK1

$184.99 USD
$184.99 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

All hail the death of loud.

Only 5 left in this batch
  • Hand-built in New Haven, CT
  • Ships in 1–3 business days
  • Limited lifetime warranty
The Forte Fatale is a new original VCA compressor design that was meant to be fast, transparent, and easy to use. The Forte Fatale will feel right at home with veteran chicken pickers, jazz cats, and spaceship pedal board lovers. Equipped with a Threshold, Ratio, Blend, Tone, Volume, and a 3-position Input Gain switch, the Forte Fatale has everything you need to get just the right level of squish, while tailoring tone, input signal strength, and makeup gain in case of high compression levels.

The Forte Fatale is equipped with USA made Switchcraft jacks for reliable operation, and our tried and true click-less bypass system. This circuit allows for easy and silent effect switching, but also momentary operation for when you just need a little.

Handmade in New Haven, CT.

Specifications
  • Circuit: Blackmer-style VCA with true-RMS detection — studio-rack pedigree
  • Controls: Threshold, Ratio, Tone, Volume, Blend
  • Input Gain switch: 3-position — passive instruments / actives & keys / line level
  • Compression ratio: 1:1 to ∞:1 · THD <0.1%
  • Status LED: green = bypassed, red = engaged, blue = compressing
  • Jacks: USA-made Switchcraft
  • Bypass: click-less relay (latching & momentary)
  • Pedal Board Mode: optional auto-engage on power-up
  • Power: 9–12V DC center-negative, 2.1mm barrel — no battery; do not exceed 12V
  • Current draw: 192mA — use a dedicated, isolated supply output
  • Enclosure: 4.43″ × 2.38″ × 1.22″ — 12.2 oz
  • Built: by hand in New Haven, CT
  • Owner's manual (PDF)

Common questions

My pedal isn't powering on — what should I check?

Make sure you're using a 9V DC center-negative power supply (standard for most effects). If the LED doesn't light, test another supply or cable.

Can I run it at higher voltage?

It runs on 9–12V DC — it generates its own internal rails, so extra voltage adds nothing above that. Do not exceed 12V.

Does it work on bass or keyboards?

Yes — it was designed for more than guitar. The 3-position Input Gain switch handles everything from passive pickups to hot actives, keyboards, and near-line-level signals, and the Tone control compensates across instruments. Bass, keys, piezo acoustics — one compressor covers them.

Can I daisy-chain the power?

Not recommended — at 192mA the Forte Fatale wants a dedicated, isolated output on your power supply.

Can it be always-on on my pedalboard?

Yes — Pedal Board Mode. Hold the footswitch while connecting DC power; from then on the pedal engages automatically whenever it powers up. Repeat the process to disable it.

The effect sounds weak or noisy.

Check cables and power first. On a daisy chain, try isolating the pedal on a clean, regulated output. Placement in your signal chain also shapes the tone — try moving it earlier or later.

What's the warranty?

Limited lifetime coverage for defects in materials and workmanship. If service is ever needed, most repairs turn around in 7–10 business days.

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Hear it
Under the hood

Squish, dialed exactly

Threshold, Ratio, Blend, Tone, Volume and a 3-position Input Gain switch — tailor tone, input strength, and makeup gain at any compression level.

Studio-rack DNA

A Blackmer-style VCA with true-RMS detection — the engine from high-end studio compressors, in a pedal that's fast, transparent, and accurate.

An LED that talks

Designed to be always on, so you're never peaking levels! Red is ready, and blue is compressing.

Don't take our word for it
From the bench

Every Dual Stage pedal gets built, tested and put through its paces on the same bench it was designed on — then backed by our limited lifetime warranty. If it ever quits on you, it comes home and we fix it.

— Donato, Dual Stage Amplification · New Haven, CT