Favorite Compressor - Why?

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amiller

amiller

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So, the wife wants my Christmas list. I’ve been thinking about getting a compressor stomp box. I’m a big Andy Timmons fan and I know he has a signature Carl Martin.

What are your favorite compressors and why?
 
I currently own 3 compressors. My favorite of the 3 is the Origin Effects Cali76 compact deluxe. Quiet, works well with humbuckers and single coils, and just adds a nice color that I like.

On the other board I have an empress Compressor, which is more transparent and clinical than the Cali76, but still a nice comp and works great with humbuckers. I strongly considered a Chellee compy and Keeley Compressor plus, but decided to play it safe and go with the Empress. My buddy has the Keeley Comp Plus and loves it.

I also have a Diamond Bass comp that I love with single coil guitar and basses, but I find it squishes too much with humbuckers. Used to have a big box Barber tone press and that was a nice comp as well, but it was noisy if you put the blend too high and not good for bass.

In general I seem to either fight compressors with humbuckers, compressors that work well on bass, and that are low noise. So for me the ideal compressor is low noise, works with humbuckers (which typically means a blend knob), and has the frequency response to work with bass. The Cali76CD and Empress Comp check all these boxes. The Diamond Bass comp checks 2 of the 3, but I love what it does for tone sweetening and the tone control, which I will use to add some Jangle to my ric. I run the comps after dirt most of the time.
 
I really dig the Electro Harmonix Black Finger. It's far from transparent or subtle, though. I mean, it can be dialed in subtly, but that would be a waste of the tube section. It's pretty much a tube preamp with some compression added in. It overdrives pretty nicely, and it can add a pleasant amount of grit to the tone.
 
It sort of depends if you want something with character (more of an obvious effect) or more transparent.

The Origin Cali 76 big box compressors are amazing, but pricey now. They have a great character with smooth sustain. I've heard the compact pedals are great, so I'd look into those.

The Rothwell Love Squeeze seems to fly under the radar, but it's awesome. It's very transparent for a comp. This is what you'd reach for if you want to get some evening out and extra sustain while leaving most of your core tone intact. It's extremely easy to dial in. It's sort of the compressor for people who don't like compressors lol.
 
I hated the Cali76 Deluxe , constant hiss.
I currently use 2 and have a few others in the cupboard.
If you need a buffer and a subtle comp, the Pete Cornish OC-1 is incredible. Its expensive but I love it.
For more squish I have the CmatMods Deluxe Signa Comp. Incredibly quiet and sweet sounding.
If I had to choose only one to keep it would be the Cmatmods.
 
I've gone through a bunch over the years, and seconding fearhk213's comment it depends on what you're looking for.

Years ago I used a Boss CS-3 as a solo boost in front of a Dual Rec and I loved it, but it wasn't a usual use for that pedal. Later on I modded it to Monte Allums specs, and it was fine but I didn't hear much difference in that context.

Later on, I found I really liked comps that squished and colored my sound a lot. Orange Squeezer and Ross/Dyna Comps were my thing at that point. Lots of different variants out there but the 2 knob Ross was the one I kept coming back to.

For a few years I used a BYOC 5-Knob Comp. Loved the blend control on it, an it was really transparent. It was an always on comp for my single coil guitars. I got rid of that eventually, but I got a Joyo pipe bomb that approximates it well enough when I want that sound.

My most recent one is a Vintage TC Sustain+ and it's a love affair so far. Very much in the squishy/colored camp plus a parametric EQ and noise gate built in. This one will be on the board a while.
 
I use a Diamond compressor, the old big box. Very quiet and discrete, give a nice sustain without change tone and feel.
 
Check out the pigtronix philosophers tone. It can be as transparent as you want but also has some tone shaping tools as well.

The Wampler ego compressor is also supposed to be very good.
 
I'm curious about this too. I don't want to hijack Al's thread, but which of these recommended compressors have the fewest knobs? :lol: :LOL:
 
I like the Mooer Yellow Comp for a comp that you dont really notice having an effect, but everything sounds worse when you turn it off.
 
I don't have a ton of compressor pedal experience, but I recently picked up a used Wampler Ego and have been really happy with it.
 
I have the Wampler Ego mini and love it. It's always on and I use it with the Blend knob at about 10-15% just to add to a little meat. Don't even know it's on until I turn it off and I can hear a slight thinness, so it's subtle and perfect for me.
 
Wolf5151":tj7nqele said:
I hated the Cali76 Deluxe , constant hiss.
I currently use 2 and have a few others in the cupboard.
If you need a buffer and a subtle comp, the Pete Cornish OC-1 is incredible. Its expensive but I love it.
For more squish I have the CmatMods Deluxe Signa Comp. Incredibly quiet and sweet sounding.
If I had to choose only one to keep it would be the Cmatmods.
Click to expand...

Interesting, this is the first I have heard any of the Cali76 compressors being described as noisy :confused:
 
Lot’s of good info here. I’m still learning toward a Carl Martin. Anyone have any experience with one.

Good demo of the Carl Martin

 
blackba":3iejx7vq said:
Wolf5151":3iejx7vq said:
I hated the Cali76 Deluxe , constant hiss.
I currently use 2 and have a few others in the cupboard.
If you need a buffer and a subtle comp, the Pete Cornish OC-1 is incredible. Its expensive but I love it.
For more squish I have the CmatMods Deluxe Signa Comp. Incredibly quiet and sweet sounding.
If I had to choose only one to keep it would be the Cmatmods.
Click to expand...

Interesting, this is the first I have heard any of the Cali76 compressors being described as noisy :confused:
Click to expand...

Maybe because most only use them for clean.
I asked a great local tech to take a listen and help me cure the hiss, he concluded it was the buffer.
I returned it to the store who exchanged it for another and this time I went to collect it to try before I left, same hiss.
The only option was to turn the input level right down and dime the output but all that got was unity gain.
I got my refund and bought the OC-1.
 
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