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Empress Compressor

Mr_McBride

Mr_McBride

Oct 9, 2003
1,050
3,473
Woodstock, GA
#1
I just ordered an Empress Compressor and didn't realize until after I ordered that it doesn't come with a power supply.

I see that it requires 9v, but accepts up to 18v. Is there any benefit to using a 12v or 18v PS? Does the extra voltage give more headroom? Or is 9v all you'll ever need with the Empress?
 
#2
In principle, I think that's what any higher voltage will do (if the pedal allows it). I've never noticed a need for it with the Empress, I've never heard any unwanted distortion coming out of it.
 
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#5
bongomania said:
It's true that in the specific case of the Empress, using a higher voltage means reducing the chance of unwanted clipping. But it is not safe to assume the same thing is true in other cases; and for many people, the headroom at 9V is enough.
Click to expand...

Can you explain a little more? My understanding has been that if the pedal is designed to handle a range of voltages, then it's generally true that higher voltage = more headroom (for compressor, dirt, etc.). Must the pedal be specifically designed this way, or can you provide some counterexamples? (I'm not trying to challenge your knowledge, but rather deferring to it and asking out of genuine curiosity.)
 
#6
Empress just returned my call and they stated that there is no need for any extra headroom because internally, they transform the voltage to 18v.

Adam, I think the answer to your question lies in the internal design of the pedal. I can see how some would benefit, but others, like the Empress do not.
 
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#7
Mr_McBride said:
Empress just returned my call and they stated that there is no need for any extra headroom because internally, they transform the voltage to 18v.

Adam, I think the answer to your question lies in the internal design of the pedal. I can see how some would benefit, but others, like the Empress do not.
Click to expand...

Huh, what's odd about that is that I'm pretty sure that's not how their dirt pedals work (Multidrive and Heavy). I seem to recall "more headroom" being used both in the manuals and in my discussions with Dan from Empress. HOWEVER, there's a slight chance I'm wrong on both counts.
 
#9
Mr_McBride said:
That might be true. My conversation with Dan was only about the compressor pedal.
Click to expand...

Okay. Boosting in this way certainly makes a lot of sense. Just out of my own curiosity, I looked at my own e-mails with Dan and I mentioned the headroom thing (in the context of the Heavy) and he didn't correct me, but it also wasn't the main thrust of the conversation. So I'm not sure if the dirt pedals are different or not in this way.
 
#10
For the record, I haven't talked directly with Empress about this; my comments about their case come from other readers passing info to me.

It's worth noting that in the call to McBride, they didn't say whether higher voltage results in higher headroom--they said extra headroom "wasn't needed". There's a difference.

To the question of whether higher voltage means higher headroom, there are lots of elements of any circuit that limit headroom. For example even if higher voltage increased the headroom of a gain stage, the very next stage might not be able to pass those peaks without clipping. And some circuits are designed with voltage regulation, so trying to feed them higher voltage does nothing.
 
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#13
I love my Empress Compressor! Always on in my pedalboard, you can tell by the blue lead, which thankfully is not of the eye-piercing kind ;)

image.jpg
 
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#14
I played through the Empress compress for the first time last night at a gig. All I can say is WOW. I didn't get to play through my rig as it was a small gig where the amps are 'provided'. I'm no compressor expert, but I do understand the basics ( thanks to bongomania ). I was able to dial in the Empress within minutes and I am COMPLETELY satisfied with the results.

I can't wait to hear the results through my rig, Eden WT-800.
 
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#16
Ah, I thought Dan stated 18v internally, but he must have said 8v....my bad. I do remember him stated the part about two separate + and - power feeds. I only know the basics when it comes to electricity and electronics, so I didn't understand all of what he said, except his explanation about the common polarity being positive for most 9v power supplies except when it comes to pedals, where the standard is negative polarity.
 
#18
Since we are on the topic, anyone here has any experience with the side chain on the empress compressor? I'm looking to get a eq to act as a high pass filter so the low end doesn't get compressed. Any recommendations/experiences?
 
#20
To clarify: the way sidechaining an EQ works, it will NOT EVER be the case that the low end "isn't compressed"; for that, you need a crossover or dual-band system. What you can do with a sidechain is make it so the comp reacts LESS STRONGLY to lows than it normally would.
 
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