# Compressor Recommendations



## joey_capps (Dec 23, 2008)

Hey All:

I'm looking to add a compressor to my pedal board. I don't necessarily need it to be transparent--some character would be good. Recommendations?

Joe


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## CDWaterloo (Jul 18, 2008)

jangle box definitely has some character:smile:...

http://janglebox.com/


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## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

I haven't used compressors much over the years but the 2 I have liked best are the Barber Tone Press(which I still have) and the fricken awesome comp. on the Yamaha Magicstomp I sold months ago. 
Hard to describe why I like these compressors over others. They just sound really good and spanky and can turn a humbucker into a clean chicken pickin' Tele. 

Thanx,
Jim


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## gtrshow (Nov 6, 2006)

Another vote for the Tone Press. It's the only comp I've remotely bonded with. Might be a little _too_ transparent for you based on your description though. The Retro-Sonic is a nice box too, but wasn't right for me.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

I have the AnalogMan Bi-Comprossor which has both the Ross and Orange Squeezer circuits in one pedal. The Ross is fairly transparent while the Orange Squeezer has the character :smile:

I don't use a lot of compressor, but when I do, this one delivers the goods.


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## MachineGunMolly (Mar 15, 2009)

Hi, 
May i ask in wich situation do you use compression?
Thanks
-MGM-


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## joey_capps (Dec 23, 2008)

CDWaterloo said:


> jangle box definitely has some character:smile:...
> 
> http://janglebox.com/


The jangle box and the new jangle box 2 are definitely compressors I am interested in--especially since my main guitar is a Rickenbacker. However, too much jingle jangle probably wouldn't work with the music we are currently doing. I also don't want to spend quite so much money on a compressor at the moment.


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## joey_capps (Dec 23, 2008)

MachineGunMolly said:


> Hi,
> May i ask in wich situation do you use compression?
> Thanks
> -MGM-


I think would primarily use it two, maybe three ways.

1) to add some light sustain, and bring out the jangle of my Rickenbacker a little bit--I know I said elsewhere I don't want too much jangle, but a little would be nice.

2) to even out the sound

3) to squash the hell out of something and use the comp as an effect

Joe


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## monty (Feb 9, 2009)

The good old dyna comp works for me.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

+1 to the Dynacomp, especially if you're looking for a decent compressor on the cheap. My reissue Dynacomp is still kicking around, even though it's not on the board right now because it just sounds too good to get rid of.

I'd like to get my hands on a Tone Press one day, though. That seems to be designed to give me the sound I'm looking for in a comp.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

I have a brand new MXR Custom Shop 76 Dyna Comp reissue I am thinking of moving. They are only being made for a limited run and this thing is NIB (ok, maybe 40 minutes on it). As far as I know, nobody in Canada has these. Sounds freakin amazing.

TG


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

The Diamond Comp is very good.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I've used a GoudieFx Compressor for a few years now. It replaced a Boss CS-3 on my board and that's the only one I have had a chance to compare it with. The GoudieFx Compressor is not noisy like the CS-3, very transparent really, to the point I know a few guys who keep it on all the time. Canadian made, based in Kanata. 

http://www.goudiefx.com/compressor.php


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

I' have both the Keeley 4 knob and the Diamond comp. I love the Diamond but the Keeley made it to my main board.


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

I've had the Keeley and the Retrosonic. Preferred the retrosonic, I couldn't quite get the Keeley sounding the way I like. 

I also really liked the compressor that Greg at Solid Gold used to make, it was a great orange squeezer clone, but I'm not sure if he's still doing them.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

They're all good. They're all noisy.

The differences between them depend on what it is you need them for or want to do. For example, bass players generally find a need to blend in some unaffected signal with the compressed signal, and things like the 4-knob Keeley are good for that.

Country pickers, especially Tele-twangers, often need a compressor with a fast recovery time so that juuuust the tiniest bit of attack on each note can be heard. Longer recovery times will suppress that because note N+1 is still being impacted on by note N. The stock Orange Squeezer has a fast recovery time, and the stock Dynacomp has a long one. A number of commercial compressors that have a control labelled "Attack" or "Recovery" allow you to vary the recovery time to achieve an OS or Dynacomp-like response. The Retro-Sonic Ross clone used to have a 3-position recovery toggle that I worked out for Tim, but he found that customers wanted a continuous control so more recent issues have a knob instead of switch. The recently-issued EHX Soul Preacher, however, agrees with my own contention that a 3-way switch is enough.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

mhammer...As usual, a useful and informative post. Thanks.

My experience is that compressors, like many pedals, like to be matched with whatever they are between in the signal chain, and that may take some trial and error finding the right fit. As for my own rig, a Marshall ED-1 Edward The Compressor has served very well, as it seems to like whatever I put with it, it's built like a tank, and hasn't given me any grief. In fact, the ED-1 with the Guv'nor is a killer combination for my purposes.

Peace, Mooh.


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## MachineGunMolly (Mar 15, 2009)

I use a EH soul preacher,but mostly use the toggle swicth at mid,wich is for me the most versatile setting.But i think this device is build with "sweetspot"
depending on the "attack" setting ,Slow,mid and fast that directly interact with the "sustain" knob.Sonic salvation and havenly sustain.Not so sure tho
-MGM_


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

The one I liked best and actually USED was a two button Keeley.


Sounded great to me.


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## Guest (May 22, 2009)

I really want to try out the new Joe Meek Floor Q compressor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oIPEuIsIFk

That thing looks built so right it's sick.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Chito said:


> I've used a GoudieFx Compressor for a few years now. It replaced a Boss CS-3 on my board and that's the only one I have had a chance to compare it with. The GoudieFx Compressor is not noisy like the CS-3, very transparent really, to the point I know a few guys who keep it on all the time. Canadian made, based in Kanata.
> 
> http://www.goudiefx.com/compressor.php


I have a Goudie comp on my board right now too. It has a really nice, clean character, unlike the Dynacomp, which makes everything sound just a little hairy. Both are good comps, depending on what you use them for. I'm hanging onto the Dyna for now, because I like what it does in certain situations. 

Like Chito said, the Goudie is quiet and can be left on all the time. I particularly like how it responds to chords compared to the Dynacomp. The Dynacomp can get mushy and inarticulate when it comes to chords, but really shines with arpeggios, single notes, double stops, etc. The Goudie is just as good (in a cleaner way) with all that stuff, but also sounds great with chords.

Moreso than any other pedal, I've found that with compressors you just have to try a bunch and see what you like.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I've built a bunch of compressors (Squeezer, Dynacomp, Ross, both Andertons) and like the sound of opticals (though not all opticals are the same). I've also got a bunch of other more studio-oriented compressors (Alesis, Ashley, dbx) and a couple of DIY dual compressors in almost-built form.

One stompbox compressor that yields a very pleasing sound is based on a somewhat hard-to-score chip named the SSM2166 ( http://www.analog.com/en/amplifiers-and-comparators/audio-amplifiers/SSM2166/products/product.html ). Prior to the arrival of THAT chips (this site has loads of useful info about copression and limiting: http://www.thatcorp.com/appnotes.html ), the 2166 was one of the very best chips available for dynamic control.

One of the neat things about it is that it includes on-board downward expansion, which eliminates the noise during quiet periods. Downward expanders are not quite as obtrusive as noise gates. It's kinda nice being able to have good compression without the hiss. Pity these are not more widely available.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I have a friend who makes A-1 compressors, have a look for Booty-que comps and R O Tiree on www.guitarists.net/forum/index.php

They're affordable as well! Tell him Justin sent you


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

I’m relatively new to compressors but I’m really liking my Diamond Compressor.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Oddly enough, Mike made me a comp!

so i have a booty-que comp of my own sitting at home now. I'm not overly familiar with comps, but I know i have a good one!

EDIT: a pic and the link to the site









http://www.booty-que.co.uk/


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Obviously I can't know for sure without the schematic, but the description of the Slew control sounds very similar to the Marshall ED-1 Tone control.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Great thread. I was wondering if anyone has, or has tried, the Electro-Harmonix "Soul Preacher?" (edit: besides Machine Gun Molly - sorry read too fast) Saw a demo that came with a guitar mag and tried one briefly at a store. I liked it, but I have no frame of reference as to what is good.

link: http://www.ehx.com/products/soul-preacher

matt


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I haven't looked at the new one, but the original operated in essentially the same way as an Orange Squeezer, except with a better envelope extractor. That is, the gain is set and the unit automatically *attenuates* the signal being fed to the gain stage. This is in contrast to circuits like the Dynacomp/Ross/Boss/Retro-Sonic/Keeley/et al, that use the signal level to automatically *adjust* the gain. In principle, it should be a little quieter. Having a choice of recovery times (which they call "attack" will allow for better matching of compression and playing styles. If you're chicken-pickin, you'll want the fast "attack"/recovery time, so that individual notes still have some brightness to them. If you're pretending to be Angus Young or Paul Kossoff and want that finger vibrato to ring for a while, then you'll want the slowest time.

I've tried 3-position switches, and I've tried continuously variable controls, and quite frankly one ends up turning the pot all the way to one extreme or the other, with intermediate settings being difficult to discern. So, even though a 3-way switch might feel like you're missing something compared to a pot, you aren't.


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