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COMPRESSOR PEDAL QUESTION

Blu bro

Blu bro

Mar 1, 2012
1,043
1,535
Aus
#1
I know its another compressor pedal thread. But after researching i am struggling to find a clear answer.

I am in the market for a compressor. and at the moment there are three that are tempting me..

1.Smoothie
2.MXR M87
3.Fairfield accountant

I really want a compressor that will compress my signal to a really consistant sound (next to no dynamics). I have read "the" compressor site and watched all the clips i could find on youtube. But am yet to get a clear idea of which compressor i need. for the record i dont want to spend more then a couple of hundred unless i have to.

Sorry to be flogging a dead horse (kinda feels like there has to be a weekly compressor thread)
 
#5
It's very tweakable. The more I turn the input knob, the more pronounced the effect. I can dial it from almost nothing to severe. Very intuitive controls.


Edit to add: yeah 18v. Comes with it's power supply. I rarely use any pedals so I'm not trying to run a pedal board or manage multiple power requirements.
 
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#6
I have owned the three you listed first.

The accountant is a great little compressor but doesn't sound like what you are looking for. It distorts, in s nice way under heavy compression.

The mxr is very transparent and does not do heavy compression to my ears anyway. Sometimes I had to look down to see if it was really working.

The smoothie will do heavy compression and adds a nice fatness too.

They are all great compressors in their own way. but imo, the smoothie may be best for your desired results
 
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#16
I am also new to compressors. I picked up the Aguilar TLC specifically because it is supposed to be "clean". I am very pleased with it. I can find settings that help tame the low B spikes while not completely squashing the dynamics. I am very happy with it and even ordered the Tonehammer pedal to complement it for tone control.
 
#17
So I just recently picked up the MXR M87. I like it. There's a lot of control in terms of being able to adjust and it has a good range of sound (from the crunchy compressed sound to a nice clean and clear tone)..... At first, I'll admit, I didn't love the pedal b/c I'm new to using pedals on the whole and I was expecting some kind of "tone magic." That being said, once I took some time to make the adjustments that I like and realized that a lot of the tone that I was seeking comes moreso from my right hand rather than the compressor, it ended up sounding perfect!!! As of now, the MXR gives me a good amount of that fat, crunchy and compressed tone without (IMO) going overboard..... I guess it all depends on the eye of the beholder, ya know? What, specifically, are you getting the pedal for?? That should help shape your decision.....
 
#18
2nd on the Boss CS-3 for this particular job. It's a "compression sustainer", and its function is to mash your signal into place for that characteristic sound. There's also mods (Monte Allums comes to mind) for it, one of which reconfigures it for the bass.

I have one, but did the Opto Plus mod for a warm, vintagey sound when tracking rhythm guitar. It really works wonders after a high-feedback phaser or other gain-spiking effect.
 
#20
I settled on the M87 after (too much) experimentation. Reasons:

1. It is transparent
2. It has a meter (I can't imagine doing without because i want to know if it is -6dB or -10dB)
3. It runs with headroom at 9V
4. It is proven by artists and reviews alike.
 

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