Joyo Scylla - anyone figured out the knob functions?

[groovaholic]

Back around Halloween, I bought a Joyo Scylla Bass Compressor & was initially impressed with it, then I started to have some clipping issues.

I didn't consider that clipping a defect because my right hand is overzealous and my bass' pickups are hot.

Yesterday, I picked up an Ampeg OptoComp, and by setting the internal jumper to -15dB, it was able to handle my bass' attack well.
However, the Ampeg seems to suck out a lot of mids - and I rely on those mids a lot.

So the Ampeg will go back - but it made me think that I should try to tweak the Joyo since the Joyo's controls are a bit vague.

Output, Tone, and Ratio all function like I expect them to.
"Input" is a bit odd (it seems to boost the level going into the comp to make sure there is a hot enough signal to work with) but I get the basic idea.

But the two that confused me (which led to me listing the Scylla for sale) are the Attack and Release controls.

From what I can tell*, the Attack and Release controls on the Scylla are backward from what I expected; when those controls are fully counterclockwise, it seems like the attack time is the slowest, and the release time is the longest.

Knowing* that, I've been able to dial in a really great tone & I've pulled down my for-sale ad.
(* = "I still might be interpreting the controls wrong, but the result is working for me")

The most subtle compression (which is what I was after) came with those controls set closer to fully clockwise.

The manual provided very little guidance on any of that.

Anyone else getting good results with this comp??

 

[InkCow]

Jayme Lewis has done a few videos on this pedal. I feel like I remember him mentioning the controls being “backwards” as well. Might be worth perusing his Deadbeat Studios YT channel for tips.

 

[MikeTranch]

I just got this pedal, and I agree about the Attack and Release. My conclusion is they are scaled in terms of speed, versus time. So Attack Speed (not Attack Time) and Release Speed (not Time). Regarding the Input control, I notice even with it set to minimum, you still get (presumably uncompressed) sound through the pedal, and of course the Output knob affects that too. So my conclusion is there is clean channel there, the Input knob drives into just the compression channel. Since there is no threshold knob, agreed the Input knob must serve that purpose, indirectly. The top LED seems to change yellow to indicate signal above threshold / compression. I wish the color conrast was greater, green to yellow is a rather subtle. I may open it up and try to dim the green to make the yellow easier to see. So far I like this pedal. I really liked the price.

 

[BlueNorth44]

I just ordered one of these... Very interesting. I'm going to have to refer to this when i start messing with it.

 

[900se]

The input and output function like an 1176. Compression starts at a certain fixed gain level - so the higher the input, the lower the threshold. The output knob is used to make up/down, so that the output level is near the bypass level - unless you want the compressor to act as a bit of a boost too.

 

[harmaes]

If you read the UA 1176 plugin manual or have used it then it’s obvious that the attack and release work backwards. So I think the Scylla is close to the UA plugin. It would’ve been easier if this was mentioned in the Scylla manual.

 

[ILoveCarolKaye]

I've just gotten this, thanks for your insights regarding the knobs.
This is pretty helpful as well:

Joyo Scylla Compressor - Bass Review

In the vast and often overwhelming world of effects pedals for bass guitar, compressors hold a unique place. They act as a silent hero, subtly enhancing your tone, controlling dynamics…

bassgearreviews.com

 

[Cameron1243]

 

[gerodoth]

what type of compressor it is? fet?

 

[Cameron1243]

what type of compressor it is? fet?

 

[Nidiga]

View attachment 7281469

In 2024 I wrote an email to Joyo tech guys and they replied to me about speed vs time differences with attack and release knobs. I personally realized the picture. See my post here budget compressor, one that fattens tone...