To keep Opto Stomp or Carl Martin Compressor

[Chrisk-K]

I received a Carl Martin Classic Optical Compressor today and tested it for 30 minutes. I'd say I like it better than my Opto Stomp.

Here's my evaluation of the Carl Martin.

Pros:
-It's dead silent. Absoultely silent.
-It's more versatile than the Opto Stomp thanks to the attack control knob. I could get anything between subtle compression to extremely squeezing compression.
-Highly transparent. Unless you leave the attack knob to the max, it doesn't color the tone at all.
-The gain knob is very useful. With the knob past 12 o'clock, I could fatten up my single coil J tones without boosting the volume and without losing clarity.
-The LED is very useful: the more compressed the sound is, the brighter it becomes.

Cons:
-It's ugly.
-Because of its unusal shape, it takes up much more space than the Opto Stomp. To keep the Carl Martin, I'd need a bigger pedal board.

Man, it's a tough decision. I can return my Opto Stomp by 1/31. If I'm into heavy compression, the decision is a no brainer. But I'm not. The gain control is very appealing, though. I guess I'll keep switching between the two till 1/30 and make a decision.

[bongomania]

Yeah, if the Carl Martin wasn't in that ridiculous housing, I would give it a LOT more praise all over the place.

[walker rosewood]

I had an opto stomp until I scored that Carl Martin comp for $50 on ebay. Sold the opto stomp immediately, not that I didn't like it, but the versatility and control of the Carl Martin was way better. I think the input control also makes it compatible with various pickups/basses.

You could try to re-house it in a smaller box, although I've never opened mine up so I don't know how feasible that may be. Or you could set it up next to your pedalboard.

...or just get that bigger pedal board, then you'll need more pedals to fill it up.

[Chrisk-K]

The gain knob (i.e., input control) alone is worth the money, IMO. The Carl Martin can be used as a superb clean or fat booster if you adjust the gain and level knobs. I don't understand the logic (or the lack of logic) behind such a ridiculous housing. It's a dumb design.

[Rob22315]

Keep the opto stomp, sell the CM to me for $50.

[jblock]

I must be in the minority but I like the housing; nice to have something that's not just a square or rectangle.

[walker rosewood]

Originally Posted by Chrisk-K

The gain knob (i.e., input control) alone is worth the money, IMO. The Carl Martin can be used as a superb clean or fat booster if you adjust the gain and level knobs. I don't understand the logic (or the lack of logic) behind such a ridiculous housing. It's a dumb design.

It's supposed to be "vintage". Like a 50's toaster.

[squarewave]

I agree with the above, but if I recall correctly, you need to provide 110 volts to the Carl Martin, which is a drag (and in my case, a deal killer).

[bongomania]

You're thinking of their older "black box", not the newer (and cheaper) "blue toaster".

[JohnPativens]

Originally Posted by Chrisk-K

I received a Carl Martin Classic Optical Compressor today and tested it for 30 minutes. I'd say I like it better than my Opto Stomp.
...
Man, it's a tough decision. I can return my Opto Stomp by 1/31. If I'm into heavy compression, the decision is a no brainer. But I'm not. The gain control is very appealing, though. I guess I'll keep switching between the two till 1/30 and make a decision.

Which one did you keep in the end?
What about the dull sounding highs bongomania says on his review?

Anyway, I saw there are more versions available now.. Carl Martin also made the regular blue box other than the weird shaped one.

[CopperheadLXXIX]

FYI, looks like they have the Opto-Compressor available now in a standard rectangular enclosure.