h_pr's Pedalboard

Everything that the manufacturer's description says is true. It's one of the few Dyna Comp variants that still use the now discontinued CA3080 chip, and components have been optimised so that it has a lower noise floor than on the standard model. The result is indeed the same classic warm Dyna Comp sound and quieter operation. Don't buy if you want a compressor that doesn't colour your sound, but that applies to every Dyna/Ross-inspired compressor. The two internal trim pots are a welcome addition to further tailor the sound. Excellent product.

It's the classic RAT tone in a bigger box with bigger buttons, a bass boost switch, silicon diode or mosfet clipping, 9V or 18V operation, and a socketed opamp that can be replaced with a different opamp of your choice. The pedal is made in USA rather than China, which explains much of the price difference.

Apart from the added options, the main differences to the cheaper RAT 2 are:

• I haven't tried too many Fat RATs, but overall, my impression is that there is much less difference in sound between individual pedals. While some RAT 2s sound great and others not quite as great, all Fat RATs I tried sounded great. It appears that ProCo pay better attention to parts tolerance than at the Chinese factory and not use components (especially capacitors) that are too far off the actual specs, resulting in more consistence.

• The sweep of the Distortion pot allows more shades of clean and low-gain sounds. It may not be what most people buy RATs for, but it adds versatility. On my RAT 2s, I have about three millimeters between no sound and fairly crunchy distortion, whereas my Fat RAT has an area between 8 and 10 o'clock that goes from clean boost via light overdrive to crunch. Definitely better quality components here too.

• The larger knobs feel nice, and the pots move smoothly. Good quality feel.

• 18V operation offers a bit more headroom, but not a radically different sound. The socketed opamp caters for those who want the mojo of the LM308 chip (which, for all intents and purposes, sounds near identical to the supplied OP07. BTW, if you shop for LM308s, beware of counterfeits and only buy from reputable dealers).

Is it worth the extra money? In the US, the Fat RAT ($199) costs twice as much as the RAT 2 ($99), which seems okay for the better build quality and extra options, but in Europe, the Fat RAT is currently sold at €268, which is a fairly ridiculous price tag and more than three times the price of the RAT 2. I only got mine because a local dealer was offering a substantial discount to clear out old inventory, and I wouldn't have bought it a the regular European price as I dont think it's three times better than the RAT 2.