Prior to getting this I was using a Shadow Hills Dual Vandergraph. Don't get me wrong, the SHDV is a great piece of compressor, if you were to describe the SHDV in one word, it's PHAT. But I do alot of pop, R&B and electronic-based music and I felt that the SHDV didn't suit my needs, it narrowed the stereo image slightly and had too much low-mid saturation which didn't help the mixes at all. Was trawling through the internet and came across the S-Type which was touted as an SSL clone.
I've used an actual SSL G-Comp on many projects at a studio I frequently mix out of and I knew how a G-Comp sounded. Plugged it in, ran a mix through it and wow. Just wow. The stereo imaging is wider, the highs are clearer and overall it just sounds close. Well done IGS Audio.
Knobs are solid and the meters read accurately. I mean, for the price that you pay on this product there's really nothing much to complain about. To be fair the knobs does feel plastic-y but you won't feel it's going to break anytime. I sort of understand why IGS chose to use a meter like this as well due to real estate space. I mean, they could have chosen to use an LED but it was the right choice for a VU meter aesthetically.
Overall if you're thinking about this, get it. I'm looking at their other products as I type this review.