Is there a diy compressor available to us diy'ers that sounds similar to and has similar controls to the Cali76? I'm jonesing for one but can not justify the price. Looking for the next best thing.
If I remember right it uses an absolute bucket load of discrete transistors and a couple JFETs to do its job. Very different beast to the OTA and Optical comps we typically see in the DIY scene.
I know there are DIY kit clones of the rack mount unit (1176) that Cali76 is emulating, so if you're extraordinarily bored and want to delve into that insanity, its an option.
Nothing close in the DIY sphere. I'm a Cali76 devotee - don't regret spending the moolah on it.
I don't like OTA chips comps at all, which won't sound anything like a Cali76.
For DIY options, I'd recommend the Bear Hug from 1776 or Zirconia from LectricFX.