The ‘front end’ is a completely ‘up to date’ solid state mic amp with excellent overload margin…. miles better than most modern equipment. The compressor is novel, but works very well, as does the noise gate. Testing this one (that came in from France) was really interesting; the noise levels and distortion are well up to modern standards and I shall be digging out my own old B1 that has been sitting in a cupboard for years, and I shall use it again. 