Compressor pedal

MrFlexx

MrFlexx

Active member
I'm about to get myself a compressor pedal and I have a few in mind but don't have any chance of trying any of them before buying.
The ones I have in mind is:

Suhr Koji
Empress Compressor
Wampler EGO Compressor

Which one of these have most warmth to the tone and sounds best in your opinion?
 
For warmth I would go with the Bearfoot pale green compressor. I have one and like it a lot, and I hate compressors :)
 
I haven't had much luck with compressors (almost all old MXR type) with anything other than really low output pickups. But recently I noticed that both Pete Thorn and Andy Timmons have been using Carl Martin Compressor/Limiters as an always-on 'bloom' for their clean tone for a long time. AT even has a signature Carl Martin Comp/Limiter that has two footswitchable presets.

So it will prob depend on how you use it but just based on the fact those two guys sort of swear by them is a ringing endorsement for me.
 
Bogner just came out with one that looks pretty cool.


I just bought an EGO a few weeks ago. Not really using it much though. I intended to use it with my acoustic, but I'm not sold on it yet.
 
I went with the Wampler EGO for 2 reasons: the tone control, cause I find sometimes compression can kill your hi end, and the blend knob. This allows you to blend back in a little or a lot of the un-compressed signal. Really putting the squeeze on and then blending back some clean signal is a really cool sound. You can get the squeeze right where you want it while retaining some dynamics.
 
Should probably mention that everybody's idea of a cool compressor can be a bit different. Probably best if you use this thread to make a short list of the ones you're gonna demo. What I like, or the next guy likes could very easily sound like ass to you.
YMMV.
 
I've heard lots of great things about the Xotic SP, but I really hate the looks of mini pedals. I've been reading loads of reviews and watched tons of clips after posting this and I've made up my mind. Wampler Ego will be the one for me.
Thanks for your input.
 
I have the Wampler ego mini and it works really well for me. I leave it on and never really touch it, I can't tell it's on until I do switch it off. Then my notes sound a hair thinner, so it does exactly what I want which is to hear the attack of each note loud and clear. It adds no other realcolor, which is also perfect.
 
MrFlexx":2n6h4j9j said:
I've heard lots of great things about the Xotic SP, but I really hate the looks of mini pedals. I've been reading loads of reviews and watched tons of clips after posting this and I've made up my mind. Wampler Ego will be the one for me.
Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...
How do you intend to use it? To make leads more sustainy/liquid or for a making a clean tone more country/spanky or maybe just to make a clean tone bloom/bigger? Or as an always-on enhancer of sorts?

I just bought a used Carl Martin so when I get it I'll post a little review.
 
I've owned several compressors and used them heavily during my country/rock touring days. But my current favorite pedal for these duties is the Bogner Harlow. It can squish the tone, without sounding over-squished like so many compressors. It adds sustain and spank as well. Love that pedal. Have used it in front of the clean channel of my Smallbox (dimed) for edge-of-control early VH tones, and have used it in front of my Deluxe Reverb for Paisley-esque spank. It's my favorite compressor ever... even if it's not labeled as such.
 
I got the Carl Martin and at first I thought it was really noisy but I found a bad solder connection on one of the big electrolytic caps (which is probably in the power supply). Once fixed..it is awesome. Still in the honeymoon phase but I might never turn this thing off. Very tweakable too.
 
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