COMPRESSORS- SBS....many makes,many types...2 cheapies and a best for the Bucks

lots of new up dates...vids too..
more to come...

COMPRESSORS

WHAT DO THEY DO ?

They even out your clean sound and give you lots of sustain.

You all know what they do...you just never thought about it this way

"UH!" you say!

Yes. So you watch a movie.

The dialogue when the actors are talking is easily heard

. 

If an actor screams you know by the 'TONE' of the voice it is a scream....BUT THE SOUND OF THE SCREAM IS NOT LOUDER THEN THE ORDINARY DIALOGUE.

An actor whispers and you also know by the "TONE' of the whisper it is whispering....BUT THE SOUND OF THE WHISPER IS NOT QUIETER THEN THE ORDINARY DIALOGUE.

IT IS THE COMPRESSOR  PUMPING AWAY!!!!    IT IS JUST THAT SIMPLE!!!!

HOW IT WORKS...AND WHAT IT DOES FOR YOUR SOUND

Dial up your fav clean sound. Hit a nice big fixed position chord...a G Major is perfect.

Now hit it hard...and listen to it fade away until it is gone.

Note: it is loudest when you hit it (this is called the attack) then it fades a bit (this is called decay) then it rings awhile at the same volume (this is called sustain) then it fades away to nothing (this is called release)

Now you turn on a simple 2 knob compressor and turn up the compressor knob to about two thirds of the way....and repeat hitting the G and listen. The loud hit is turned down...it is just a bit louder then the sustain....but the overall level is quieter.

So you turn up the volume knob to equal the loudness of the guitar when the pedal is off...

then....hit the G and listen again. Fat? Lots of sustain?

WHAT"S GOING ON ?

Simple...the compressor turns down the level of just how loud the signal is allowed to be no matter how hard you strike the strings. The volume knob brings the overall sound back up to the desired volume you wish to hear.
The sustain can only be as long as the strings are ringing it is just that when the sound naturally fades away that the fade has been turned up to be very loud. In short at say a 10 to one ratio the the sound is actually at all the same loudness.
If when we hit the string we were to refer to it as shouting and when it fades we referred to it as whispering ...then the tone sounds relatively natural because the tone of a shout is much different the the tone of a whisper. 

What happens is the same for all compressors. How it's done is different

The problem with compressors is that this is an unnatural thing to do....the best try and hide it. They also try to remove the side effects created by different methods of compressing. Like 'poping' which is the sound made on the 'attack' or the pluck sound of a string. No matter what electronic device you put a guitar signal thru...the natural sound of the guitar will change. Some designs try to fix this ...while others say...if the guitar signal is going to be 'coloured' lets try to make a colour that is pleasant...even desirable.

COMPRESSOR TYPES

THIS IS WORTH A QUICK READ...SOME OF YOU HATE THE TECH THING...SO

 ONLY THE 'NEED TO KNOW' INFO IS HERE.

OTA:  Operational Trans Conductant Amplifier

            All you need to know is it is the cheapest. The 'pop' is very noticeable in most...but the best have a nice 'colour'
If you now what a 'saturated' distorted guitar sound...sounds like...just think of the same sound...but completely free from dirt...saturated but dead clean.
The first one ever made is the MXR Dyna-Comp...lots of pop but the colour though glaring is pleasant. Not long after that the Ross came out...the pop is softer...the colour is less strident.

Like the unintentional sound of the distortion of early amps...some  Funk players and virtually all Country players have made the 'SOUND" of the OTA compressor ...especially the MXR,  part of their sound.

The KEELEY 4 KNOB  ....quickly got a reputation as the best of this type...it hides the 'pop' by giving you a knob so you can let the compression kick in after the 'attack' is over. Best of all its overall colour is simply very pleasant. Do in no small part to the best components.
The newcomer is the WAMPLER EGO ....a new contender for best OTA...they use a 'blend' knob to allow some of the natural signal to be combined with the compressed one. Both pedals work and sound great. There are others in the wings..
but this is all  $200.00 plus stuff
.
The coolest of the new comps has got to be the Xotic SP Compressor...a new Ross comp...mini pedal with a nice job of killing the 'pop'...fixing the highs and lows ...and managing to give the thing a really great sound in the bargain. It is also the cheapest of the new breed of OTA gourmet comps.

VCA:  Voltage Controlled Amplifier

            the cheapest way to get a straight forward colourless signal.

            Keeley does these too.

FET:  Field Effect Transistor

           clear but with character...just a little bit of sweet distortion
           The URIE/UNIVERSAL 1176 arrived 1968....is still considered the best...and the most loved
            compressor...ever. You can now get the Origin Effects Cali 76 pedal clone.

      Cali 76   Current Price $564.00                                      UREI 1176 Current Price $4000.00 USD
                                                                                                             or more !!!!  used.

OPTICAL: Photo Resistor

                     smooth and natural sounding...organic earthy...but slow response time.

                      Diamond make the most note worthy

MULTI-BAND:  Software based digital

                            Used in software based Workshop recording. One can divide the signal up and compress the lows different from the highs..or the upper mids different then the lower mids etc.
The possibilities are endless. Or...copy the sound of any type or even a specific model of a well known or classic compressor The downside to some is that digital has it's own tone or colour. A glassy sound..that sounds crisp and clean to some but metallic and strident to others.


COMPRESSOR EXPANDER:
This is hybrid of both a compressor and an expander. What is an expander? Simple it is the opposite of a compressor ...it turns the signal up. It can be cleverly used so that when the comp has started to fade away it turns the volume up. It creates a swelling effect. This is a godsend if you are doing a hammer-on or a gliss or even a long vibrato as you do not have that terrible effect of your fingers still moving and nothing is coming out! I call it the terrible 'choke'. At high gain you often get some feedback from the amp. BUT! At lower gain it is a problem.

The Keeley Plus is a good example of this. At $129.00 USD it's a bargain. I expect the basic circuit borrows from the OTA Keeley 4 knob. Unless you are into a very even clean sound perhaps using acoustic style finger picking or perhaps a folk or jazz flavoured music and find the swelling a bit too dramatic then this pedal is not to be missed. Keeley are in a lot of bricks and motor stores so trying it out should not be too hard.

.
AIR COMPRESSOR
                               Do to it's incredibly loud noise floor. No one knows how well it works Many think this replacement for Ross's original pedal version is why the company went under..

WHICH IS THE BEST FOR YOU?
WHICH IS THE CHEAPEST?

The best way to think of a Compressor is see it as an Overdrive for your clean sound.

You would not use a Metal overdrive for music that needed a Tube Screamer.

Of course taste comes into it too. Since we are all about price we will look at the cheapest 

way to get the desired results.

There are 2 types that will do a great job for under our goal of under $100.00 and one 

that will almost do anything for under $200.00

The cheapest is an OTA ...the second cheapest is an OPTICAL and the splurge item is

MULTI-BAND.

.

THE BEST CHEAP COMPRESSORS

These are the best 3. All are Pro sounding. Three I own. I choose the fourth one because the quality is second to none and there is little this thing cannot do. It is here because it is an exceptional value for the money.
I recently had a chance to try a Joyo...so it is here too.
I am debating whether or not to show you a demo...because there is nearly nothing to hear.

I will put in one that is the only one that best describes how they work. This is an exceptional video.
The guy takes a difficult subject and makes it clear and actually quite easy to follow.
I think you will even find it entertaining.

OTA

This is a great place to start. In spite of the 'poping'. The classic MXR DYNA COMP is the yardstick against all OTA compressors ...since the others are all clones or modified clones.. The cheapest of the clones is the CALINE CP-10 HOT MUSHROOM compressor. The casing is a little larger then the MXR but the same sturdy type.
You can cut the pop back to a usable amount. The sound is pleasant enough. The low end is compromised a little but so are all OTA comps. The highs are strong enough and it cuts through and sounds great in a band context.

ALL GOURMET OTA COMPRESSORS ARE BASED ON A ROSS

Alternatively...the second compressor available on the market after the MXR was the now defunct Ross..It is said that the Ross used the MXR extensively  as a primer to build their compressor.
In keeping with this tradition...the Keeley 4 Knob...started with the Ross design to build theirs.

Ross with a couple of mods they manged to smooth out the 'pop' from the MXR and give the user a slightly smoother sound.

Joyo do a Ross clone.  It is confusing as they call the thing the Dyna Compressor. It is not! It is a very,very light sounding Ross clone. It is definitely usable...but it really should have more meat on it's bones.

I like these things..they are a bit funky... just so Rock N Roll

I decided to give you the vids...but my descriptions will tell you more.

I have been upgrading my compressors lately....because they are always on and first in the chain...my logic is simple....garbage in...garbage out. I still use my Caline and like it except for the weak low end.
The original Ross has just the right amount of tidy up on the MXR design..to not kill its soul.
But as they are defunct..I thought...forget it!
BUT....maybe not. Listen to the final vid of the MXR converted into a Ross at the end of the OTA section.
If for no other reason then to actually 'hear' ...not only the difference...but to hear clearly the sound of a compressor.


MXR DYNA COMP                                                CALINE CP-10 HOT MUSHROOM
Current Price $80.00 USD                                       Current Price $26.00 USD

This is the best vid to hear the Caline & it sucks!!!

JOYO JF-10 DYNA COMPRESSOR    Current Price $29.00 USD

                           

                                         
Original Ross  used  $550.00 USD

                                                             XIN SOUND
                                                          COMPRESSION SUSTAINER
                                                        Current Price $25.00 USD

I needed a third comp for my effects loop...so I took a chance on a Xin Sound
(pronounced Shin)

It is another MXR type but like a Keeley has a knob to let the attack thru to kill the 'pop'. The low end is unusually fat. Unfortunately the highs are weak.
It is built in a sturdy MXR style box.
The fit and finish is very good. The company boasts about using Japanese and German parts. Since all OTA comps are a bit handicapped from the start. The personal tone that the maker can get into them is everything. The Xin simply lacks character...where the others in this review in spite of their flaws all have a fairly decent tone.

 The Caline Hot Mushroom.. is a clone of the MXR.
  "In spite of it's flaws it just sounds good"  The real MXR has a nice aggression to it and the bass is weak but the lower mids have punch and that really helps give it some muscle.
I leave it on all the time pushing my overdrives with level at...unity and comp at...1 o'clock and forget it.
and at $.26.00 USD wa-da-ya got to loose!

AMMOON COMP

A Joyo discontinued nano compressor rebrand for one third the price. An average Dyna-Comp knock off with a switch to put back some highs.

At the price you can't loose,

Current Price $22.00 USD

THE DYNA ROSS

One last thing....a real Ross comp has hit the stratosphere in price...it is a modified MXR.
The circuit in all the Dyna Comps over the years has remain the same...the brand name of the parts have varied but it still sounds basically the same. So if you can scoop up a used one cheap you can ship it to JHS who will convert it into a Ross with their Dyna Ross mod. for $50.00 USD.

The Chicago Music Exchange has come up with a clever idea They are an MXR dealer. They shipped off 10 or so Dyna Comps to JHS and had the mod done.You can now buy a converted MXR comp brand new $150.00 USD. All considered not a bad deal

There are many Gourmet brands that find they can always sell a few compressors by doing little more then cloning a Ross. You still get a great sounding pedal...but the Dyna Ross mod gives you the same thing for a bargain price.

                                                          

OPTICAL

Optical does not pop...it almost doesn't sound compressed unless you are the one on the guitar playing thru it.....because you still get the sustain. It definitely changes your tone but in a kind way.
It adds a bit of warmth.  The top end can tank. The big yellow gourmet Diamond Compressor is designed to add it back. Turn the knob up for some of the sweetest highs you ever heard. Fortunately Mooer comes to the rescue. Their Yellow Compressor is a really decent clone right down to the sweet high end EQ. Distortion pedals naturally sustain...but a little compression can add a lot. The OTA type is very hard to get right when used with distortions. It can be be too little or not enough. The Mooer does a great job.
I find the Optical compressors are just right for that little extra when using a distortion pedal or great on an acoustic electric guitar.
But with Over Drives I still love a good OTA...poping or not.


DIAMOND CPR1                                                       MOOER
COMPRESSOR                                                  YELLOW COMP
Current Price $209.00 USD                                Current Price $53.00
                                                                           

UPDATE

MIGHTY SOUND M7

COMPRESSOR

Current Price $23.00 USD

I do not have one of these but they are manufactured by Caline. 

Caline do not make mini pedals with their name on them so it is not a rebrand. 

This is a silly cheap price and for any compressor

for an Optical it is a gift. I would buy one if I were you...it may be all you need...or you can add an OTA and have two. Besides if you hate the M7...I am sure you can find a buyer that will give you  $23.00  as that is dirt cheap for any used pedal.

NOTE: I do have a Mighty Sound Analog delay so I can certainly attest to the quality of the construction..and as for the delay...it was chosen as one of the  FIVE BEST DELAYS in a review. 

It is certainly a great sounding pedal.

MULTI-BAND

Because Multi-Band is digital software it can clone anything. The TC ELECTRONIC HYPER GRAVITY takes advantage of this. They give you quick access to an optimized multi-band

sound and to a faux OTA Dyna-Comp knock off. The pedal can download new patches right into the pedal...you can even do this from a smart phone. If some hot star works with them to get his ultimate patch...over night you can have a copy of it. The quality of both the sound and the casing is excellent..

I am always amused that those that feel the need to keep the purity of their guitars sound nearly always buy analog pedals...analog pedals ALWAYS change the sound. Fortunately the best can add a winning  personality of their own to the sound.
I like both...to me it is the application...like does this guitar and that overdrive with that compressor sound great together.

One should consider that a compressor is more then often an 'always on' kind of pedal...and as such a very neutral sounding digital pedal can be the right answer. Especially one although not entry level is
very cheap compared to it's real rivals the $200.00 plus group.   

                 

TC ELECTRONIC

HYPER GRAVITY

Current Price $129.00 USD

So in summary...OTA is for the musician that not just wants a tool but a pedal that has a personality and life of its own. It is as much an 'effect' as a chorus or phaser.
.
The Optical is much more laid back but it gets the job done.

The Multi-Band is so versatile that you don't have to make up your mind. You can use one of many patches...even down load new ones.

So if money is tight go with OTA or the Optical...do what I did I got the OTA...and later added the Optical...having both works for me.
At about $80.00 in total for 2 comps that's pretty cheap
 and it gives me a lot to work with.

SPECIALTY COMPRESSOR ???

Jangle Box
JB Nano
Compressor Sustainer
Current Price $215.00 USD

This little gem is a very effective but odd pedal. it is designed to take your clean sound compress it then put a treble boosting ringing chime effect that sounds like the Rickenbacker sound of the early Beatles and especially the Byrds. Throw in Tom Petty and early REM and you know what it does.


If you turn on a delay pedal with a single 300 millisecond single repeat...you even get a passable faux 12 string. Better yet get a DigiTech Mosaic 12 string pedal.
It is very convincing. But it is a one trick compressor and not cheap. It is an OTA compressor with a fancy treble booster.
Also on the down side it is very noisy...as in VERY NOISY.
The only other pedal the company make is a noise gate. LOL now that is funny. All kidding aside I really love how it sounds. I can not help but think that a small cheap treble booster with a fixed band pass going through an OTA compressor of your choice could probably produce the same results much cheaper.
I see this as a great tool for a singer songwriter with an acoustic guitar
sensibility who wants an electric guitar sound that is compatible with his
acoustic guitar style technique.

Anyhow I thought you would enjoy knowing about this.
The average guitarist without any compressor
would find one of the better cheapies...more then enough to do the job.

The mid size black one is $220.00 USD  and one that looks identical in silver is made off shore and is reorted to be a bit quieter. It is $185.00 USD. The little Pic is the big guy at $325.00 USD. Those that are going to spend this kind of money are most likely building their sound around the styles that fit this sound. As such it is an important part of their gear. So saving $35.00 is nearly pointless. They might as well have the U.S. gourmet jobbie unless of course the reduced noise in the
silver pedal is significant.

Ya gotta admit...it does sound cool...I heard them all...and even the cheaper ones sound the same as the bells and whistles model.

If TC Electronic did an algorithm for their compressor to copy it
the noise would be gone...the price would be much cheaper...and for those of us that like a bit a variety...just a simple download..and we would all be smiling !!!
Ok...Ok...some of us would not be smiling.

-------
AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE...and having own the entry level OTA jobbies...and updated to a couple of "SUPER' OTA's and even have an opticial...
I think the best deal going is finding a used MXR Dyna Comp...any year will do.
Then getting the JHS mod done..to turn it into a Ross.
Give the JHS vid another listen..the guitar tone is not destroyed but a lot of punch and sustain are added.