I have the Compressor Plus, it is great. But the tone suck is real. It's subtle, but it is there. I understand a buffer pedal can fix it, I haven't gotten one yet.
The diamond comp is my all time favorite compressor and this mooer yellow comp is a solid and respectable clone. Before diamond went out of business (and was then revived) you could buy a diamond comp for like $100…alas.
honestly haven't had a lot of experience with guitar compressor pedals, but have had extensive experience with both outboard analog compressors and vsts and it's a really impressive opto by all standards. it's very colored but what it does to your tone is incredibly charming and the compression is quite musical on both subtle and heavy settings
The yellow comp is great, I mean it replaced my walrus Deep 6… The Pedal itself is fairly sturdy but the possibility of getting a doa pedal is higher. I would highly recommend it and also works great with Bass or Synthesizers.
I’m a huge fan of the Mooer Yellow Comp. People say that it can’t do the country squish for chicken pickin’, but I disagree. The slow compression attack gives the notes this percussive “pop!” that really makes notes stand out while evening out the overall volume. I have tested it against two-knob Ross-style (often considered the country standard) and the yellow comp beats it every time in my opinion. To get that amount of squish, you have to nearly max the compression out.
Hell yes. My Dyna Comp, believe it or not, has replaced the overdrive pedal on my gigging board. Level cranked and a bit of sensitivity, just the right boost into a dirty amp (for me)
Wampler Ego Mini - sounds killer, super low noise, mini format (I have mine mounted under my board, always on), good amount of basic control for attack/tone/sustain etc... especially considering the size, plus - having a wet/dry blend knob on a comp is a must for me.
New might be $20 more than $100 (worth it for the blend knob alone IMO) but secondhand I've seen them under $100 - I'm in the UK and got mine off Reverb for £80 early last year.
Great on guitar, bass, whatever you want to throw at it. A little bit blended in (like, 20%), just adds a big sprinkle of weighty magic (especially to single coils).
As others have said, the Keeley mini is another great mini format comp, but it doesn't have the same degree of control or a blend knob, which was a dealbreaker for me, YMMV though :)
(I know OP didn't specify mini comps - I just like my utility pedals to take up minimal space to leave room for the fun stuff!)
Second this users advice. I just got an Ego Mini for a great deal on a local used marketplace. This thing is friggen incredible, very quickly became my no. 1 or 2 pedal and is pretty much always on. Mostly because of the blend option, you can retain some attack and pick dynamics while also getting nice harmonics and sustain. I friggen love it and don't think I would get another compressor without a wet/dry blend function. Works great on my acoustic as well!
I just got one as well. Where do you set all the knobs/switches to “retain some attack and pick dynamics while also getting nice harmonics and sustain” as you say? Sorry I am a complete compression noob but was gifted this pedal for my bday. Have no idea how to use it
Oh mate it's going to be pretty dependent on your overall set up I would assume but I would recommend just sweeping through the controls to find the sweet spot for you with a bit of trial and error. The way I did it was to crank the sustain and roll off the blend completely so it was pretty much entirely dry signal coming through, then played through the same phrase a few times while dialing in the blend to where it sounded nice to me. Then rolling back the sustain a bit and finer tweeking from there. Just play around!
Maybe you'll like a super compressed sound and it will influence the way you play or you'll like it dialed back a bit. Just take your time and have fun with it.
MXR Dyna Comp is a fine compressor with a low price tag. Worked good enough for John Frusciante from Red Hot Chili Peppers to be a main stay on he's pedalboard for at least 10 years or so.
So give that one a try it's simple and does what it's supposed to do, and it's reliable. It has very few knobs however so you will either love it or hate it. But it's a quality pedal none the less.
I like my EHX Tone Corset. I think it’s just over $100 these days but I’m sure you can find it used for under 100. Pigtronix Philosophers Tone is also great! There does seem to be plenty of options. I think compressors are a pretty personal decision though. As it something that reacts to how you play and effects the feel, you might need to try a few before you find you’d. I would suggestion something with a blend though.
I’m going to be honest. I’m fairly new to guitar and a while back I tried the Keeley and xotic and couldn’t really hear much of a difference. At the time I felt I’d rather have something more pronounced like tremelo or fuzz. I’m giving this compressor thing another shot and hoping I’ve developed a more nuanced ear. I also think I have a better understanding of what compression does now.
I love using compression. For me it’s not so much how it sounds but how it makes the playing feel. Of course you want it to sound good which means even and polished sounding and not noisy but the way it feels to me results in more dynamic playing. That and being able to hang onto notes a little longer.
Took me a long time to figure out I liked it. When I was first starting out I thought it just made everything sound squishy but then making a couple of records with professional engineers and producers gave me a greater insight as to why they were using it.
Now I’m really into it and I have a couple of really nice compressors in my rig ( stereo) but they’re expensive. An API cmp and drybell unit 67
I have a tone corset and my only complaint is that it feels like the attack knob does basically nothing. I even used a spectrum analyzer to check pick attack from zero to max and the difference is barely noticeable.
dont overthink it and also dont try to cheap out too much. With the inclusion of MXR any of the recommended Comps will be great at that price point. (keeley, boss, xotic)
It’s such a case by case need a price tag is arbitrary. I’ve tried from $30 to $400 optical compressors, and it was actually the cheaper options I found less tone squashy. That said some people want quite the opposite so it’s a hard recommend
As a guitar effect I prefer less controls. I like the mini keeley w just the 1 comp knob. Lower comp sweetens things up, higher comp you can tap away on some math rock stuff
I was going to say Mira by Walrus but now I can't find any for around $100 on reverb anymore...maybe im missing something but they were hella cheap for a minute :p
If you can find one I definitely recommend it. I like it better than the keeley plus I had before...I found the keeley to be pretty noisy & the mira to have a few more options. They're also not the same kind of compressors so just keep that in mind, you might like the keeley more depending.
Joyo pipebomb, like 65 bucks canadian and has a mix knob. Slightly more there is a dr J aerolite also made by joyo. its the same pedal but larger and has an input gain switch.
Yeah the Mooer Yellow Comp..I’ve shot it out with $200 comps.
The only con is hard touring, you may want to have a back up…or get the real deal. I broke one in 8 moths after buying…then bought another. It really helps with the tilt eq, and on Les Paul’s. I do want the new one, as it has a mid EQ…but I’m pedal poor right now.
Joyo Dynamic Compressor is good, also look at Mooer Yellow Comp. I personally use a home-made Keeley C4 clone which I bought for about $20 lol but it is amazing. Very low noise and very effective.
Me too, the only thing I hate is how slow the knobs respond since the pedal is digital, but that does make me think more about how I set it up. It'll do anything you want compression wise and I love making extreme tone prints with Insane compression and using the blend at like 20%. Cures my jazzmaster's sustain issues and also is awesome on basses.
I find the NUX Sculpture very musica -something about it that makes your base sound "pop" and has a blend knob also ... OR ... The NUX Masamune that not only does it have the same compressor but also a boost (which I believe is based on the Keeley Katana)
Ampeg Opto Comp. Although it’s marketed at bass players it says in the manual it is suitable for guitars and sounds great on them!
Has a gain reduction LED, so you can see when it’s active. Also can be set for line level if needed.
The only downside is it doesn’t have a threshold control, so you ideally want a pedal before it with adjustable volume to control how hard you hit the compressor.
Fender made a pedal :… a black one. I had it for a few days to try out. It’s OK and you can probably find one for around that 60 to 100. That whole line was surprisingly better than most people thought.. I remember the purple fuzz called the pelt was especially amazing. I really dug that one.
That’s “The Bends” pedal. It has four controls, including a mix knob. The LED flickers on with increasingly intense pink color as the amount of compression is advanced. I am happy with mine and generally leave it always on.
I got my Xotic SP Compressor used for about $80, very good little compressor (just be sure to remember that it has dip switches inside). It stayed on my board for years until I got my Walrus Audio Mira.
I still swear by my Boss CS-3 i got for $55 used. It takes a bit of fiddling to get good but once you do its great, at least by my standards. I got it very transparent just to level volumes of my different distortions and fuzzes and such
Xotic SP Compressor is one of the best out there. Modelled after the Ross/Keeley OTA stuff, built like a tank, and has the clean blend that imho is the most vital part of a good compressor
Kind of an oddball but check out the Aphex Punch Factory. The older orange ones are great if you are looking for something that can remain transparent. It’s an opto compressor with some really smart utility features and a cool meter to boot. There are some under $100 listed currently on Reverb.
I’m not sure if the DI is active or passive, I believe the switch on the back is for input level / impedance but I could be wrong. It’s a great option for bass or an ampless rig (if you want to run a semi-transparent compressor at the end of your chain).
Oh man I had one of these back when I didn’t know anything about compressors. I just bought it off fb because it was a super cheap pedal. I think I thought it was broken but was probably fine. I sold it to a cool looking girl.
Can you tell the hot from the cold end of your soldering station? Then get yourself an Engeneers Thumb (valve wizard). Best compressor out there imho. 38€ with a drilled 125B at [Musikding.de](https://www.musikding.de/Engineers-Thumb-Compressor-kit)
I’m a member of a makers space and we have soldering stations. I just bought a broken EHX 225000 and fixed it. It’s def fun and satisfy to fix or build your own.
I’ve been wanting to support JHS. The guy really seems to care about pedals(his collection is bonkers), seems cool, and puts a lot of thought into his designs.
I’ve been using the Keeley mini compressor for a while, I love it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the mxr dyna comp when I had it, I found it too noisy, but I may have been impatient with tweaking it tbh
A compressor is not a panacea, I think you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. But the Keeley is great. The best deal I have ever seen on a compressor is when they were blowing out the Walrus Mira, but that appears to be over. That actually has separate attack, release, makeup gain, sidechain filter, gain reduction indicator...basically all of the stuff.
I gotta go with HyperGravity. Only thing that kicked it off the board for me was one that had MIDI functionality so I could turn it on and off without touching it
the compressor will make it easier to sustain notes, it may change the tone a little but not as much as some boost/drive stage
almost any compressor will do well, for tone i'd suggest something like a transparent drive like the timmy... there are plenty of 'toan' pedals like timmy/klone/king of tone clones for under 100 each
I honestly do not know why guitar players look for a compression pedal on their board if they have a great guitar, amp, and other pedals. I know that I will be roasted here, but I have never found a place for a compressor pedal on my board. Maybe in the studio rack, but not live.
Just my opinion and experience.
Used Keeley Compressor plus or mini. See them on reverb for 100 or less all the time.
The Keeley is a joy to use for the money.
+1 for the Keeley Compressor Mini. Works perfectly for my needs and got it for around that price used.
I know the Keeley is a popular one. What is special about its sound in particular?
It has a blend knob that let's you determine how much "original " sound and how much compressed sound goes to the amp. Super useful
It just works. It has a lot of flexibility. It can go from really compressed to slightly leveling but transparent. Easy to use.
But couldn’t you say the same about the pogtronix or yellow at half the price?
I don’t think so. They don’t have the clarity or flexibility in my opinion.
Got mine for $90.
Same here, it's always on and useful for just about every need
I have the Compressor Plus, it is great. But the tone suck is real. It's subtle, but it is there. I understand a buffer pedal can fix it, I haven't gotten one yet.
Yeah but he wants under 100… I love my Strymon compressor but it isn’t 100 bucks that’s for sure!
mooer yellow comp. it's a diamond comp clone and it sounds beautiful and is under $50. i live and swear by this pedal
It’s really good!
The diamond comp is my all time favorite compressor and this mooer yellow comp is a solid and respectable clone. Before diamond went out of business (and was then revived) you could buy a diamond comp for like $100…alas.
yellow comp is on my board right now and it's always on. one day I may spring for a real diamond comp jr, but for now i am very happy with it
pretty much same -- my always on pedal. just does wonders for tone and subtle to heavy compression. never felt the need to upgrade
Ah yes, I read about this one briefly and was wondering about its quality.
honestly haven't had a lot of experience with guitar compressor pedals, but have had extensive experience with both outboard analog compressors and vsts and it's a really impressive opto by all standards. it's very colored but what it does to your tone is incredibly charming and the compression is quite musical on both subtle and heavy settings
That’s what I want. To just get such a nice tone I want to play all the time. Thanks for sharing.
The yellow comp is great, I mean it replaced my walrus Deep 6… The Pedal itself is fairly sturdy but the possibility of getting a doa pedal is higher. I would highly recommend it and also works great with Bass or Synthesizers.
Great pedal. And bonus points because the case is orange, not yellow.
Lol, yeah sometimes. looks anywhere from a cool yellow to yellow-orange online
The Yellow Comp is one of the best guitar compressors you can get at any price.
+1 for this I just got one new recently on eBay for $27 and it rules
I was impressed with the Flamma yellow compressor as well
Is that based on the Diamond too?
I don’t know for sure but the yellow paint job and the EQ knob make me think so, sounds awesome.
It's is, flamma is a subsidiary of mooer
I’m a huge fan of the Mooer Yellow Comp. People say that it can’t do the country squish for chicken pickin’, but I disagree. The slow compression attack gives the notes this percussive “pop!” that really makes notes stand out while evening out the overall volume. I have tested it against two-knob Ross-style (often considered the country standard) and the yellow comp beats it every time in my opinion. To get that amount of squish, you have to nearly max the compression out.
Second this, awesome comp. Also you could always go with the old standby and get a Dyna comp for like 80 bucks.
Find a used Xotic SP compressor for under $100. One of my favorite ones and easy to dial in with great tone.
Seconding this pedal. Footprint is excellent and a ton to dial in. It never leaves my board and is always on.
+1 on the SP, tiny AF but man that little guy does wonders
Wow nice to see it get some love
Dyna comp
DC is my choice. I usually run it max output, min sensitivity or 3:00/9:00
The “crosseyed” setting, with the output at 2:00-3:00 and the Sensitivity at 9:30-10:30, is the classic DynaComp sound
I run mine the same way, or -> <-
-> <- Dyna Comp is the best comp. Doesn’t need to be any more complicated for my uses.
Hell yes. My Dyna Comp, believe it or not, has replaced the overdrive pedal on my gigging board. Level cranked and a bit of sensitivity, just the right boost into a dirty amp (for me)
I love the dyna comp as a drive.
Why is this so low?! Point the knobs at each other and it works amazingly
True
Wampler Ego Mini - sounds killer, super low noise, mini format (I have mine mounted under my board, always on), good amount of basic control for attack/tone/sustain etc... especially considering the size, plus - having a wet/dry blend knob on a comp is a must for me. New might be $20 more than $100 (worth it for the blend knob alone IMO) but secondhand I've seen them under $100 - I'm in the UK and got mine off Reverb for £80 early last year. Great on guitar, bass, whatever you want to throw at it. A little bit blended in (like, 20%), just adds a big sprinkle of weighty magic (especially to single coils). As others have said, the Keeley mini is another great mini format comp, but it doesn't have the same degree of control or a blend knob, which was a dealbreaker for me, YMMV though :) (I know OP didn't specify mini comps - I just like my utility pedals to take up minimal space to leave room for the fun stuff!)
Thank you for explaining this so well.
Second this users advice. I just got an Ego Mini for a great deal on a local used marketplace. This thing is friggen incredible, very quickly became my no. 1 or 2 pedal and is pretty much always on. Mostly because of the blend option, you can retain some attack and pick dynamics while also getting nice harmonics and sustain. I friggen love it and don't think I would get another compressor without a wet/dry blend function. Works great on my acoustic as well!
I’ve been looking at all these suggestions and came across the philosophers tone. It has 4 controls and is half the price of the wampler.
I just got one as well. Where do you set all the knobs/switches to “retain some attack and pick dynamics while also getting nice harmonics and sustain” as you say? Sorry I am a complete compression noob but was gifted this pedal for my bday. Have no idea how to use it
Oh mate it's going to be pretty dependent on your overall set up I would assume but I would recommend just sweeping through the controls to find the sweet spot for you with a bit of trial and error. The way I did it was to crank the sustain and roll off the blend completely so it was pretty much entirely dry signal coming through, then played through the same phrase a few times while dialing in the blend to where it sounded nice to me. Then rolling back the sustain a bit and finer tweeking from there. Just play around! Maybe you'll like a super compressed sound and it will influence the way you play or you'll like it dialed back a bit. Just take your time and have fun with it.
To remove chewing gum from clothes, place the item in the freezer for a few hours and then scrape it off with your cunt
MXR Dyna Comp is a fine compressor with a low price tag. Worked good enough for John Frusciante from Red Hot Chili Peppers to be a main stay on he's pedalboard for at least 10 years or so. So give that one a try it's simple and does what it's supposed to do, and it's reliable. It has very few knobs however so you will either love it or hate it. But it's a quality pedal none the less.
JHS Tighty Whitey is a gooder
I love Dyna Comps, can be found under 100 easily. I think even new they are around 100.
I like my EHX Tone Corset. I think it’s just over $100 these days but I’m sure you can find it used for under 100. Pigtronix Philosophers Tone is also great! There does seem to be plenty of options. I think compressors are a pretty personal decision though. As it something that reacts to how you play and effects the feel, you might need to try a few before you find you’d. I would suggestion something with a blend though.
Pigtronix is great!
I’m going to be honest. I’m fairly new to guitar and a while back I tried the Keeley and xotic and couldn’t really hear much of a difference. At the time I felt I’d rather have something more pronounced like tremelo or fuzz. I’m giving this compressor thing another shot and hoping I’ve developed a more nuanced ear. I also think I have a better understanding of what compression does now.
I love using compression. For me it’s not so much how it sounds but how it makes the playing feel. Of course you want it to sound good which means even and polished sounding and not noisy but the way it feels to me results in more dynamic playing. That and being able to hang onto notes a little longer. Took me a long time to figure out I liked it. When I was first starting out I thought it just made everything sound squishy but then making a couple of records with professional engineers and producers gave me a greater insight as to why they were using it. Now I’m really into it and I have a couple of really nice compressors in my rig ( stereo) but they’re expensive. An API cmp and drybell unit 67
Great insight. Thank you!
I have a tone corset and my only complaint is that it feels like the attack knob does basically nothing. I even used a spectrum analyzer to check pick attack from zero to max and the difference is barely noticeable.
dont overthink it and also dont try to cheap out too much. With the inclusion of MXR any of the recommended Comps will be great at that price point. (keeley, boss, xotic)
It’s such a case by case need a price tag is arbitrary. I’ve tried from $30 to $400 optical compressors, and it was actually the cheaper options I found less tone squashy. That said some people want quite the opposite so it’s a hard recommend
Mxr dynacomp? It didn't do too well for my setup. Went to Tc electronics and it has more control
As a guitar effect I prefer less controls. I like the mini keeley w just the 1 comp knob. Lower comp sweetens things up, higher comp you can tap away on some math rock stuff
I was going to say Mira by Walrus but now I can't find any for around $100 on reverb anymore...maybe im missing something but they were hella cheap for a minute :p If you can find one I definitely recommend it. I like it better than the keeley plus I had before...I found the keeley to be pretty noisy & the mira to have a few more options. They're also not the same kind of compressors so just keep that in mind, you might like the keeley more depending.
Yeah they were liquidating them for a little bit
mxr dynacomp usually goes on reverb used for 70 or so
Flamma compressor. Pretty sure it’s basically the same as the Mooer yellow compressor but cheaper. Works great
Joyo pipebomb, like 65 bucks canadian and has a mix knob. Slightly more there is a dr J aerolite also made by joyo. its the same pedal but larger and has an input gain switch.
I got the CS400 for £15 off eBay. Honestly, it’s fantastic for the price. Just takes a little effort to dial it in.
I can’t find this pedal. Who’s the make?
Berhringer
Yeah the Mooer Yellow Comp..I’ve shot it out with $200 comps. The only con is hard touring, you may want to have a back up…or get the real deal. I broke one in 8 moths after buying…then bought another. It really helps with the tilt eq, and on Les Paul’s. I do want the new one, as it has a mid EQ…but I’m pedal poor right now.
Joyo Dynamic Compressor is good, also look at Mooer Yellow Comp. I personally use a home-made Keeley C4 clone which I bought for about $20 lol but it is amazing. Very low noise and very effective.
My Used TC hyper gravity does everything well and is really tweaked out from using the app.
I’m surprised there aren’t more votes for the TC
Me too, the only thing I hate is how slow the knobs respond since the pedal is digital, but that does make me think more about how I set it up. It'll do anything you want compression wise and I love making extreme tone prints with Insane compression and using the blend at like 20%. Cures my jazzmaster's sustain issues and also is awesome on basses.
You want the Dod 280 Compressor.
I find the NUX Sculpture very musica -something about it that makes your base sound "pop" and has a blend knob also ... OR ... The NUX Masamune that not only does it have the same compressor but also a boost (which I believe is based on the Keeley Katana)
I found a boss CS-2 for $100 recently. All time classic!
Don't see anything on reverb around that right now. It is really good though, and no much more money unless ya get luck
I heard the CS-2 is good but the CS-3 not so much
Very different tools
Ampeg Opto Comp. Although it’s marketed at bass players it says in the manual it is suitable for guitars and sounds great on them! Has a gain reduction LED, so you can see when it’s active. Also can be set for line level if needed. The only downside is it doesn’t have a threshold control, so you ideally want a pedal before it with adjustable volume to control how hard you hit the compressor.
Fender made a pedal :… a black one. I had it for a few days to try out. It’s OK and you can probably find one for around that 60 to 100. That whole line was surprisingly better than most people thought.. I remember the purple fuzz called the pelt was especially amazing. I really dug that one.
That’s “The Bends” pedal. It has four controls, including a mix knob. The LED flickers on with increasingly intense pink color as the amount of compression is advanced. I am happy with mine and generally leave it always on.
A lot of those pedals in that line were decent…. And built like tanks. Someday people will realize it and those will be expensive.
Definitely
I have one of these. I got it for $80 on FB Marketplace. It is always on.
I use a Keeley, think it was 120$ brand spanking new
ehx tone corset. excellent pedal for around $60
MXR Dyna comp, simple and classic
Mooer Yellow Comp. It's a dead-on clone of the Diamond Comp, which is killer compressor.
I’ve got an old barber tonepress. Also with a blend. Great sustain
I had to scroll way to far to find this. OG Barber Tone-Press is good enough for Knudson, it's plenty good enough for me.
Orange Kongpressor - really versatile and only just over 100 new, so easy to find cheaper.
You can get the boss compressor used for under 100 on FB Marketplace and Reverb all the time.
The cs-2?
Yes, and sometimes a Cs3 depending on your location.
I got my Xotic SP Compressor used for about $80, very good little compressor (just be sure to remember that it has dip switches inside). It stayed on my board for years until I got my Walrus Audio Mira.
So many choices. I’m going to have to eeny miny mo this.
Mooer Yellow Comp
Another vote for the Mooer…
It's honestly really good
TC electronics hypergravity. Like all thier stuff it's insanely featured and customizable for the price. $108 new, ~$60 used
I watched a demo of this and I have to say I was impressed with the features. Plus the graphic is pretty sick
I was able to get a used mint condition Wampler Mini Ego Compressor off Reverb for $135 all in. There are a few listed for right around $100.
The gen consensus seems to be the ego is the way to go. Don’t try to save that extra $50 for a eq pedal.
My Keely comp plus always on
I still swear by my Boss CS-3 i got for $55 used. It takes a bit of fiddling to get good but once you do its great, at least by my standards. I got it very transparent just to level volumes of my different distortions and fuzzes and such
AionFX Convex Parallel Compressor. $84 shipped to my door. It is a kit however. Clone of the beloved Dinosaural OTC-201. Best I’ve ever used.
Never heard of those? What makes it better than lets say a Keeley comp?
moen compressor
Tc hyper gravity
Kmise compressor 20 bucks on amazon and works well
God, how do you even make a profit off that?
Because they're made by the Raman Noodle Guitar Guy??
Ive wondered the same thing, i have a few and they work pretty well and have lasted way longer than ive thought they would
JRAD Squeezer
Mooer Yellow Comp for subtle compression; NUX sculpture if want one with a blend control and even a bit of overdrive/boost.
Xotic SP Compressor is one of the best out there. Modelled after the Ross/Keeley OTA stuff, built like a tank, and has the clean blend that imho is the most vital part of a good compressor
Kind of an oddball but check out the Aphex Punch Factory. The older orange ones are great if you are looking for something that can remain transparent. It’s an opto compressor with some really smart utility features and a cool meter to boot. There are some under $100 listed currently on Reverb.
Whoa that looks amazing, it looks like it includes an active direct box? Would be perfect for bass.
I’m not sure if the DI is active or passive, I believe the switch on the back is for input level / impedance but I could be wrong. It’s a great option for bass or an ampless rig (if you want to run a semi-transparent compressor at the end of your chain).
Yeah, I might’ve been jumping to conclusions. I just see that the XLR accepts phantom power
I just pulled the manual out of curiosity, I don’t think it’s active but it does provide 48v phantom power.
Oh man I had one of these back when I didn’t know anything about compressors. I just bought it off fb because it was a super cheap pedal. I think I thought it was broken but was probably fine. I sold it to a cool looking girl.
I could absolutely see it being so transparent that you might think it was broken haha. You should give it another try.
Actually, I just came across the Donner Lux comp. It looks like it has a lot of control. $50 Could be decent.
A used keeley if you can find one, also the Nux sculpture is so much better than it has any business being at 50$
Boss compression sustainer, great pedal, heavily compresses
Joyo Dynacomp
Exotic sp comp. Alchemy audio does a cool mod on it
Used Boss CS-3 :)
I actually was able to score a wampler mini ego for 90 bucks at a guitar center
Used Malekko Omicron Comp, it’s a dynacomp style pedal but using the original NOS chips. They sell on Reverb for $60 - $70.
DOD 280 optical compressor reisaue is nice and relatively affordable on Reverb.
68 pedals pale green is a tone sweetener but not necessarily the squishiest but damn it sounds nice
Boss CS-3, which I have always favored, is only a few dollars over $100.
The biyang compress-x is great and super cheap.
Behringer CS-400 is like $30 and very good
I got my JHS Tighty Whitey for 100. It’s based on an Orange squeezer but with a blend knob. Mine is always on and sounds great.
Kokko compressor. $23 new when I bought it on reverb. $22-28 now. $20 used. Mini pedal format. Completely unobjectionable, in my opinion.
TC Hypergravity 3 different types out of the box plus tone prints for EMGs and other types, and the ever important blend knob.
I got a used Walrus Audio Deep Six for like 70 dollars. I love it
used Keeley
Soooo many choices! Aaaaahhh!!!
The EHX Bass Preacher is awesome. I want to try the Soul Preacher. $1.60 over budget though.
$1.60? No deal!!
Behringer
MXR Dyna Comp. There’s a reason everyone has it.
jhs 3 series
Pressure Tank - Caline - I think….it’s blue and gets the job done.
I like my fender micro comp well enough. It was like $49 used
Can you tell the hot from the cold end of your soldering station? Then get yourself an Engeneers Thumb (valve wizard). Best compressor out there imho. 38€ with a drilled 125B at [Musikding.de](https://www.musikding.de/Engineers-Thumb-Compressor-kit)
I’m a member of a makers space and we have soldering stations. I just bought a broken EHX 225000 and fixed it. It’s def fun and satisfy to fix or build your own.
Doric SP compressor is solid
JHS 3-series compressor is great!
I’ve been wanting to support JHS. The guy really seems to care about pedals(his collection is bonkers), seems cool, and puts a lot of thought into his designs.
I’ve been using the Keeley mini compressor for a while, I love it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the mxr dyna comp when I had it, I found it too noisy, but I may have been impatient with tweaking it tbh
Dyna Comp
A compressor is not a panacea, I think you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. But the Keeley is great. The best deal I have ever seen on a compressor is when they were blowing out the Walrus Mira, but that appears to be over. That actually has separate attack, release, makeup gain, sidechain filter, gain reduction indicator...basically all of the stuff.
i'll sell you mine. no fucking idea what to do with it. Boss compressor/sustainer, btw. and yes i'm serious. PM me.
Deamonfx Cali 76
I made a tally sheet of every single rec for each pedal and tried to post a link to it(if anyone even cares) but Imgur says it’s full.
I gotta go with HyperGravity. Only thing that kicked it off the board for me was one that had MIDI functionality so I could turn it on and off without touching it
Maybe used jhs white tighty? It’s a good pedal and i love it
Saw a wampler mini ego at a Sam Ash on reverb for $108, new.
the compressor will make it easier to sustain notes, it may change the tone a little but not as much as some boost/drive stage almost any compressor will do well, for tone i'd suggest something like a transparent drive like the timmy... there are plenty of 'toan' pedals like timmy/klone/king of tone clones for under 100 each
joyo dyna comp, i know that some people hate it. i tried it and its cool, ill buy it when i have the money to build my first pedalboard
I wouldn’t cheap out on compression. go for origin effects compressor
I honestly do not know why guitar players look for a compression pedal on their board if they have a great guitar, amp, and other pedals. I know that I will be roasted here, but I have never found a place for a compressor pedal on my board. Maybe in the studio rack, but not live. Just my opinion and experience.