Page 1 of 1

Compressors: What to buy, where in the chain?

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:00 pm
by Rhysyrhys
Hi folks, follow on thread from the amp thread, want advice about compressors and where to spend smart money.

Like is it worth dropping 140 bucks on the Keeley/Wampler/Xotics of this world or if there is a decent cheapo that we all love? Where do you run your compressor? First in the chain?

When I switched over to the Line6 setup a few years back I started to mess around with compression in my chain and it became pretty much a standard that I would run a Deluxe Comp (L6 original compressor) or a Kinky Comp (Xotic SP model) at the front or near the front of my chain. However I also ran them after the cabinet (it's pretty sweet the engine lets you put anything anywhere, so you can have ur compressor after your amp and cab... effectively compressing modeled reality? You be the judge).

Ideally I'd like something with a bit of range, mainly for "always on, fairly soft squish" duties, but able to add squish with character.

This Froosh album has a lot of interesting heavily compressed Strat/Tele tones on it. Check out 3 mins 30 sec and the whole second song. Good record overall too, been a min since I listened to it.


Re: Compressors: What to buy, where in the chain?

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 8:24 pm
by Thom
Great question which I hopefully can at least partially help with. After years of never using a compressor I’ve had a couple these past few years. I have an MXR scrip dyna comp which is great and does the squishy thing in spades, but versatile it is not.

Seems I like optical compressors better, and my main advice would be to get a pedal with a dry blend knob - that will give much more versatile sounds. I’d love to have a Diamond Comp jr, and hoping they get rereleased when the brand does. A cheap and very well regarded clone is the Mooer Yellow comp - if I were to get another now it would be that. I was also looking at the Fender Bends pedal.

However, if you’re willing to drop the cash, the Strymon Compadre is everything you’ll ever need, plus an amazing analog boost circuit. Love mine, you get studio or squeeze compression with a dry mix knob plus a treble/mid/flat switch for the boost and a further switch for clean/dirty boost settings. You can plug in an expression pedal to work as a vol. pedal as well if you want and another jack for a preset switch. True bypass or buffered settings too.

I always run mine after tuner and wah but before everything else.

Re: Compressors: What to buy, where in the chain?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 11:53 pm
by Rhysyrhys
Thom wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 8:24 pm Mooer Yellow comp
Fender Bends
Strymon Compadre

... I always run mine after tuner and wah but before everything else.
Great suggestions, thank you. All of these were not on my radar. I am gonna buy the Mooer because it's cheap as chips and reviews really well, as you mentioned. I figure over the next month or I'll splash a little bit of money and try a few out and just return whatever I don't like.

It definitely seems like if one was to splash 150-200 dollars on a comp then the interwebs seem to like, Wampler, Xotic, EQD Warden, Keeley... but that Strymon looks great, like every other pedal they make... all insanely expensive but awesome.

Also good I'm barking up the right tree, it seemed the most sensible to run it at the start, I've definitely had some fun running heavy compression after spacial effects to create really weird shit.

Re: Compressors: What to buy, where in the chain?

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 10:16 pm
by Rhysyrhys
Mooer bought! I get it tomozzles. Do you fucking ready for a compressor demo through an iPhone camera not even pointed at the fucking amp? It's coming.