Compression is one of my favorite effects because it alters a note or chord in fundamental ways, without necessarily altering its basic tone. The concept is to “even out” a note by bringing down the level of the initial strike and maintaining that same level throughout the note’s sustain, effectively prolonging its decay time. This can be subtle, making dynamics more even, or extreme, where the attack is lower in volume than the sustain and the note “blooms” or “swells.”
Compressors play well with other pedals. I tend to use mine early in the signal chain, so it’s close to the guitar. A compressor after a distortion or reverb pedal gives an entirely different result. Here are six recently released compressors that caught my attention for different reasons:
Orange Kongpressor
The Kongpressor uses an optical circuit to achieve its mojo, which gives a smooth warmth at every setting, from barely detectable to full squash. The added Release control is a nice touch. The Chime control has an active circuit that cuts or boosts top end. The internal voltage of the pedal is doubled, so it holds up at extreme settings. Your tone — Konged!
BOSS CP-1X
BOSS’s compressor pedals have been popular since the ’70s. The new BOSS CP-1X has the iconic look, but it got an under-the-hood redesign. It’s a digital, multiband, smart compressor that uses BOSS’s MDP processing to analyze your guitar signal and compress accordingly. What you get is even compression across the spectrum: no squished lows or anemic highs, plus high internal voltage provides lots of headroom.
MXR Dyna Comp Mini
Early Dyna Comps are highly prized, so the new MXR Dyna Comp Mini has the same CA3080 chip that’s in vintage units. However, the case is half the size of the original, perfect for crowded pedalboards. An Attack switch has been added to allow more of your picking dynamics to come through.
Keeley Compressor Plus
Keeley compressors are well-known for giving you all the squash and spank you could want while retaining your core guitar tone and the Compressor Plus ups the ante! The Single Coil/Humbucker switch takes the guesswork out of your attack and release settings and the Blend control keeps your dry signal on-hand. The Compressor Plus also features an Expander circuit which adds more gain to notes as they fade so regardless of the setting, the sound and feel is extremely balanced and even. Kudos to Keeley for making an intuitive, musical, and affordable pro-quality guitar compressor.
TC Electronic HyperGravity Mini
If you want tweakability, here it is! The inclusion of TC Electronic’s TonePrint technology in the HyperGravity gives you nearly endless compression options via the TonePrint app. The app is easy to use, loads new sounds in seconds, and can manage all of the sounds you’ve created.
Bogner Lyndhurst
Reinhold Bogner set out to put a classic, studio-grade compressor in a pedal designed for guitar, and he nailed it! With the help of a Rupert Neve-designed transformer — the famous recording-console guy — the Lyndhurst is a great-sounding compressor for guitar. The response is flawless, and the tonal depth and complexity are gorgeous. If you’re a tone-freak or compressor-geek, this is a must-have.
