The five best compressor pedals
Most beginner guitarists are probably familiar with delay and distortion effects. But what exactly are compressor pedals, which are found on so many pedalboards? This article will reveal our five current favourites and explain what they are good for.
What are compressor pedals actually good for?
As the name suggests, a compressor pedal compresses your sound. You might be wondering what the point of that is. After all, compression is also known as a necessary evil for keeping audio files small.
However, a compressor pedal does not degrade your sound. Instead, it enables you to control the volume of your guitar signal. The difference between the loudest and quietest notes is known as the dynamic range, and a compressor's job is to reduce this. It does this by reducing the volume of the loud notes.
The main advantage of compressors is that they enable you to stand out in quieter sections of a band's performance without having to increase your volume and risk distortion when the next loud section comes along. A compressor can make your life as a guitarist much easier, especially with undistorted parts.
However, using a compressor can also improve your sound in distorted pieces. Most compressor pedals allow you to adjust the attack level, which affects how bright or dull your attack sounds, among other things. Secondly, a compressor can provide sustain by raising quiet sounds and reducing loud ones, causing notes to linger slightly longer.
In the signal chain, compressors are usually placed right at the beginning, directly after the guitar (or a tuner, if you use one). This ensures that it only affects your guitar's output signal and does not compress your other effect pedals, which would probably sound awful in most cases.
What types of compressor pedal are there?
Guitar compressor pedals are primarily divided into digital and analogue types. Analogue compressors have a fixed circuit through which the sound is sent. Digital pedals, on the other hand, achieve their effect using algorithms that run on the hardware.
Otherwise, individual pedals mainly differ in terms of the settings they offer. Many pedals have the following controls, for example:
Attack: This determines how quickly compression kicks in when you strike the strings. This also influences how bright or dark the sound is perceived to be. With a long attack time, for example, you can hear more of the percussive effect of your pick; with a short attack time, you can hear less, and everything sounds a little more muted.
Threshold/level: This determines the volume at which the compressor reacts. If the input signal is louder than the threshold, the volume is reduced.
Ratio/level: The ratio determines the ratio at which the volume is reduced. For example, with a ratio of 3:1, if the input volume is three decibels above the threshold, the output volume will only increase by one decibel. Therefore, this setting directly limits the dynamic range.
Blend/mix: Some pedals allow you to mix in an unprocessed signal. The ratio at which this is done is determined by this control. Such a mix can make the compressed sound a little more natural.
Sustain: Many compressor pedals also function as sustain pedals. In this case, they usually have a corresponding control that determines how long a note reverberates for.
Tone/Mid/Low/High: Some pedals also have equaliser functions, allowing you to adjust the brightness of the sound using a tone control or separate controls for bass, midrange and treble.
Our 5 favourite compressor pedals for guitarists:
We currently like the following compressor pedals and would therefore recommend them. As with our other articles on effects pedals, the pedals listed here are not necessarily the best sounding overall, but are recommended devices from a range of different price points. Sometimes they simply stand out from the crowd because they offer interesting additional features.
Keeley Compressor Plus
Priced at around £130, the Compressor Plus from Keeley is, in our opinion, the best affordable all-rounder among compressors. The device supports true bypass and has four knobs for sustain, level, blend and tone.
Keeley takes a unique approach to setting the attack level on its pedal. Rather than a rotary control, there is a toggle switch on the top with two options: 'Single Coil' and 'Humbucker', which guitarists will understand without much explanation. The rather compact pedal also has a footswitch to activate bypass mode.
We like that the Compressor Plus has excellent sound quality for its price, produces little to no noise, and is quite easy to use. The pedal can be powered by a 9 V battery or a separately available power supply.
Walrus audio Deepsix V3
Not only does the Deepsix from Walrus Audio look pretty cool with its illustration of a diver on the light green housing, it also impresses with its inner values. With a price tag of just over €200, it is definitely aimed at advanced users and professionals.
It combines the professional sound of a Universal Audio 1176 studio compressor with straightforward operation. The pedal has four knobs for adjusting the level, sustain, blend and attack. With an internal voltage of 18 volts, the Deepsix V3 offers plenty of scope for tailoring the sound to your exact preferences.
The Walrus Audio device also features true bypass, of course. This is switched on and off via the integrated foot switch, which indicates the status via a corresponding LED. The pedal is powered by a 9-volt power supply which, unfortunately, is not included in the delivery package.
In our opinion, the Deepsix V3 is one of the best compressor pedals available to the average person.
MXR Dynacomp
The MXR Dynacomp is the ultimate classic among compressor pedals and our favourite in the under £100 category. The Dynacomp was one of the first compressor pedals and was used by music legends such as The Beatles. These small red pedals are particularly popular in country and funk music.
There is hardly another pedal that is easier to use than the Dynacomp. It offers only two controls: one for output (volume) and one for sensitivity (compression). If you're looking for an easy-to-use pedal and don't need flexible settings, the MXR Dynacomp is a great option.
Wampler Ego Compressor
Priced at around 200 euros, the Ego Compressor from Wampler is aimed at advanced users and professionals. The stylish blue metal pedal features five white knobs for adjusting sustain, tone, attack, volume and blend. A blue LED forms the iris of the eye illustration on top of the pedal. This indicates whether the pedal is active or in true bypass mode.
The device is powered by a 9 V battery or a 9 V power supply, which must be purchased separately. In our opinion, the Ego Compressor is currently one of the best compressors available as it offers an almost ideal combination of value for money, functionality, and versatility.
This Wampler device is so versatile that it is suitable for anyone who wants a compressor that they can set once and use for anything.
Boss CP-1X
No, the CP-1X is not the name of a Star Wars android; it is what we consider to be Boss's best compressor pedal. The device has the standard Boss design and is blue. However, a nice visual departure from the usual Boss formula is the chrome-look control panel with a row of coloured LEDs and four silver knobs.
With a price tag of around £140, the CP-1X is a premium mid-range pedal. Thanks to its four knobs for level, attack, ratio and compression, it is highly flexible. Like the slightly more expensive Deepsix from Walrus Audio, it operates internally at 18 volts. The only negative we noticed was the rather short battery life. Mains operation is possible, but the necessary power supply must be purchased separately.
A very cool additional feature of the CP-1X is its row of coloured LEDs. These range from red to green and indicate the amount of compression applied to your sound. We particularly like the transparent sound of the Boss pedal, which is probably due to its signal processing, dubbed Boss Multi-Dimensional Processing (MDP). With MDP, the input signal is actively analysed and dynamically adjusted.
Conclusion
While a compressor pedal may not be essential for every guitarist, you will probably manage without one when you are just starting out. However, there are very good reasons to purchase one in the medium term. If you play a lot of undistorted music, consider buying a compressor pedal. We hope that our brief overview has provided you with some initial guidance!