If you’re playing slide guitar or have a penchant for legato shred, it’s highly recommended. The compressor pedal has a wide-format design and features standard controls that include output, attack, and release. A compressor pedal evens out all the sounds you produce to the same aptitude by increasing the volume and richness of quiet sounds and toning down louder sounds. Inspired by the Universal Audio 1176 Compressor/Limiter, the Cali176 has a discrete Class A circuit that delivers a highly musical compression that does the job of a compressor without killing dynamics. Instead, it will enhance it while maintaining authenticity and natural tones. Whether you need a compressor pedal depends on your preferences and playing style. The blend knob makes it possible to achieve an authentic, yet compressed sound, as it allows natural tones through with compressed signals. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. If you’d prefer just skip to the answer, if we had to a label just one of the pedals we reviewed as the best guitar compressor pedal, it would be the TC Electronic HQ Hypergravity. Others will have controls for recovery, which is the length of time before your compressed signal relaxes back to normal. We'll be reporting on the best offers right through to Black Friday itself. We’d love to stay in touch, sign up for the Guitar World team to contact you with great news, content and offers. It only compresses overtones so that your signal remains as transparent as possible. Just as with electric guitars, there are so many high quality compressor pedals on the market that it can be difficult to pick from among them. With Black Friday on the horizon, it could be worth holding off on picking up a new compressor pedal until the Black Friday guitar deals start emerging. In addition to the output and sensitivity parameter controls, the pedal also features an attack toggle switch that you can use to delay compression and add snap to the beginning of your notes. The Fat General has two settings: Juicy and Blend. Since this pedal features true bypass, it may not be ideal for use with long cables. These are selected by a two-way toggle switch and have an assigned control that performs differently in each mode. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. It’s the sort of effect you didn’t know you needed until you tried one. Juicy mode is more extreme with a fixed ratio of 90:10 of compression to dry, with the Juicy/Blend knob now acting as a volume control. At high sensitivity/sustain levels, the signal is more compressed, and the low and high signals are closer together in terms of volume. Bath You can have a super-transparent Spectra compression, a more squishy Vintage compression to go with your Brad Paisley tab book, or you can upload one from TC Electronic’s extensive TonePrint library. The Philosopher’s Tone from Pigtronix offers several features to provide you with complete compression control. This feature is handy if you want to dial in an altered tone with compression or if you need an EQ shift with no compression. The Xotic SP features three controls, namely: volume, blend, and three-way compression strength. Even though the pedal doesn’t feature blend control, its effects won’t eliminate your sound. Short release setting will result in distortion of low frequencies. The build is such that there’s no space for a battery, but that’s a welcome trade-off. If you are using multiple pedals, the quality of the buffers on all of them should be the same. One drawback of the CP-1X is that it has a relatively short battery life which can be a hassle if you don’t have easy access to an electrical outlet. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? The primo studio-quality compressor pedal, Launch price: $329/£259 | Controls: Dry, Out, In, dry, attack, release | Sockets: Input, output, power | Bypass: Switchable true or buffered bypass | Power requirements: 9V/18V power supply. Easily find the right balance of attack and clarity, Launch price: $229/£219 | Controls: Volume, EQ, compression, blend, Dirt switch, buffered/true-bypass switch, ground lift switch, gain trim-pot | Sockets: Input, output, XLR out, power | Bypass: Switchable true or buffered bypass | Power requirements: 9V power supply. JOYO JF-10 Dynamic Compressor Pedal Effect Re-create Classic Ross Compressor Pedal for Electric... Parameter controls for sustain, voicing switch, attack, level, and blend, Selection between 9-volt batteries or 9-volt adapter, Tone print technology to achieve any compression response, Blend control to retain your guitar’s tone, Pairs well with brightly-toned instruments, Most parameters are only editable through the Tone Print Software, Controls for level, ratio, comp, and attack, Transparent multi-band compression technology, Versatile and suitable for a wide range of settings, Controls for sustain tone, blend, attack, and volume, 9-volt power supply with a 9-volt battery, A variation of classic Ross/MXR Dyna Comp compressor circuitry, High-quality pedal with a durable construction, Features blend, sustain and attack controls, Allows for natural tones with compressed signals, Volume, blend, and three-way hi/mid/low compression strength, Blend control offers authentic tones compression, Suitable for use with high-powered humbuckers, The pedal may be susceptible to interference, Parameter controls for level, sustain, attack, and blend, Four parameter knobs for unlimited control, In-line compressor evens out the signal to the amplifier, Control parameters for input, output, attack, release, and mix, Sockets for input, output, sidechain, and power, Separate control over input and output levels, Three switchable compression ratios for enhanced control, Attack and release control to add snap to your tone, Sidechain makes compression in part possible, Mix control allows for mixing compressed and uncompressed signals, Controls for volume, sustain, treble, and blend, Blend control adding compression in parallel with dry signals, Controls for blend, drive, recovery, and level, Operational transconductance amplifier (OTA), Features a blend control to retain dry tones, You want to get the true and unaffected tone of your amp. The best compressor pedals to buy now 1. The Dyna Comp has this as a fast/slow binary choice, while Wampler’s Ego and the CP-1X have dials. The Wampler Mini Ego is the compressor pedal for guitarists who need quality, tone control, and natural tones with compression. The EQ Hypergravity also has blend control that you can use to combine the uncompressed signals with the compressed signals, so you can optimize the authentic tone of your guitar while compressing the signal sufficiently for your needs. This pedal compressor from Fender is a sizable alternative to the Xotic SP with its quiet compression and high-value features. This type of compressor features an LED that grows brighter as the volume level increases. With 5 different knobs to adjust, you can control the Compression, the Attack, the Sense, the Volume, and the Gain pretty easily. Backlit LEDs on the control knobs let you know what’s what on a darkened stage. Receive news and offers from our other brands? That’s a nice option to have. The Mini Ego is also suitable for a wide range of applications. A FET compressor features a specific transistor type to mimic the response of tube compressors. To save battery live, you will have to unplug the pedal from your guitar or amp when not in use. Launch … One prominent feature of the Dyna Comp Mini is the in-line compressor to even out the amp’s input signal completely. This feature allows you to mix unaffected signals with compressed ones to retain dry or natural tones with compression. The layout is super-simple. This is a versatile pedal with exemplary performance. The enclosure’s Fender amp jewel light is pretty darn cool too. Also, this pedal features a blend function for adjustable compression without losing dry tones. With a buffered bypass, the signal travels through the circuitry which gives tone coloration. You can place the distortion pedal anywhere in your signal chain. Some guitarists depend heavily on their compression pedal to even out their playing sounds. The EQ Hypergravity compressor from TC Electronic is a digital pedal that features three-band compressors to provide you with a wide range of effects and balance to your tone. TC Electronic EQ Hypergravity – Best Compressor Pedal Overall, Boss CP-1X Compressor – The Best Guitar Compressor Pedal for the Money, Donner Compressor Pedal Ultimate Comp Guitar Effect Pedal. Many top-of-the-range models only have two parameter controls. Many guitarists prefer the high settings as the delayed effect adds brightness and dramatic peaks to the tone. Many guitarists don’t like VCA compressors because of their rigidity and lack of natural tones. The control panel, meanwhile, is typically well laid out, with controls for compression, ratio and attack enabling you to dial in exactly what you want from the unit, and a level knob for controlling your output. The brand and model you choose also has an effect, so you may want to try them out for yourself at a music shop. You can run it subtly as a secret weapon, an always-on tonal sweetener with the dynamics retained, or you can squash your tone for the juicy snap of Nashville country tones, or elastic litheness of funk chords.