NPD: JHS Pulp N Peel V4.5

[keyofnight]

Hey folks! So, today I got a new pedal, a JHS Pulp N Peel v4.5. I wanted a compressor mostly to thicken my raw bass signal and saturate my drive pedals. I also thought it would be a good early-chain DI-box for when I decide to record.

So far, it's great. The controls are simple; this is perfect for me, because I didn't want to get lost in settings right off the batt. I could see how a person could want more control than over things like attack and ratio, but the PnP can accomplish much of what more complicated compressors can without fuss. I could see myself never needing to "upgrade."

The compression is fast, confident, and easy to dial back to taste. It never seemed to give me that weird pumping feeling on higher settings, like the compressor is delayed or being triggered by something else. Instead it just felt like a strong limit on my dynamics.

The EQ is a tilt EQ circuit that can really have a huge impact on tone—so a little bit goes a long way. The 'dirt' switch kicks in a RAT-style distortion. I was surprised that the distortion cleans up really well, and varies widely in character depending on the EQ. Most demos want to show off how dirty it can get, but I wanted to know how how clean it can get. Now I know!

I have not yet tested the DI. I know it works with the pedal switched off, I know I can get a raw bass tone with the blend all the way CCW, and I know that the dirt impacts DI also. I still need to know how useful any features will be at the beginning of chain. We will see: there's a good chance they will be.

Overall, I really like this pedal. It'll take a while to get used to compression, but this seems like just the one to get used to.

Anyway, here are some garbage pictures, for context!

 

[Killing Floor]

4.5? Looks like the v4. What is different? I have a v4 and I used it a lot. It’s well designed and quiet and not coloring. Good on bass and guitar. The DI does work if you want in a pinch. I never bonded with the dirt until I found a low grit setting I liked. Good compressor for sure. Feature rich.

 

[Chris F]

4.5? Looks like the v4. What is different? I have a v4 and I used it a lot. It’s well designed and quiet and not coloring. Good on bass and guitar. The DI does work if you want in a pinch. I never bonded with the dirt until I found a low grit setting I liked. Good compressor for sure. Feature rich.

I was curious too, so I checked the website:

 

[6-3-2]

Sounds awesome from what everyone says. I've been thinking of replacing my SansAmp BDDI for this. I just use the BDDI to warm up my sound a bit and as a buffer/DI. Would pumping compression and dialing the EQ back get a warm sound or is this just the wrong pedal for that?

 

[keyofnight]

Sounds awesome from what everyone says. I've been thinking of replacing my SansAmp BDDI for this. I just use the BDDI to warm up my sound a bit and as a buffer/DI. Would pumping compression and dialing the EQ back get a warm sound or is this just the wrong pedal for that?

Yeah, sure, if you're not using the BDDI's sculpting tools, the Pulp n Peel should be able to do what you need. So far, I've found the tilt EQ very effective for adding warmth to the signal. With the compressor blended halfway and eq nudged a little CCW, the tone felt woody and thumpy. Pretty warm, even with round wounds.

Again, I'll need to see how this translates to the DI, and how the DI stacks up to the output transformer DI on the PF-50T. The signs are good, tho, given the recordings I've heard floating around.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

Maybe I expected too much from all the praise.

Tilt EQ wasn't doing it for me and about every setting change impacted volume a bit more than I liked. Maybe I don't prefer Orange Squeeze style compression.

Excels as a compact all-in-one for acoustics however.

 

[keyofnight]

Maybe I expected too much from all the praise.

Tilt EQ wasn't doing it for me and about every setting change impacted volume a bit more than I liked. Maybe I don't prefer Orange Squeeze style compression.

Excels as a compact all-in-one for acoustics however.

Right, a tilt EQ can only accomplish so much, and if you need more control, you're better off with something that has a full EQ.

When you say "every setting change impacted volume a bit more than I liked," I'm a little confused. EQ, compression, preamplification… all of these have an impact on volume, right? Is there something I'm missing? Do some compressors or EQs automatically add makeup gain so that they don't impact volume? (That sounds like it would be annoying, tbh…)

 

[mmbongo]

Maybe I expected too much from all the praise.

Tilt EQ wasn't doing it for me and about every setting change impacted volume a bit more than I liked. Maybe I don't prefer Orange Squeeze style compression.

Excels as a compact all-in-one for acoustics however.

Well I wasn't going to rain on anyone's parade but yes I found the Pulp & Peel rather useless as a compressor for bass. Also like you said...great for guitar and especially amplified acoustic.

 

[keyofnight]

Well I wasn't going to rain on anyone's parade but yes I found the Pulp & Peel rather useless as a compressor for bass. Also like you said...great for guitar and especially amplified acoustic.

Could I ask why? Like, why would it be great for guitar, but useless for bass? I'm clearly missing something…

 

[mmbongo]

Could I ask why? Like, why would it be great for guitar, but useless for bass? I'm clearly missing something…

The biggest issue I had with it was that it doesn't have enough headroom to handle the higher output and lower frequencies of bass. The input gets overloaded and just distorts. The more you turn the 'blend' knob counterclockwise, the more distorted it becomes. I thought I had it dialed in at one point, I said 'ahh there it is!' and I just realized that I had the blend knob completely clockwise...or completely off. Also the EQ is not well suited for bass, and the compression engine doesn't really do much. Put it up against something like a Diamond, Empress, or Broughton compressor and you'll hear it

 

[scubaduba]

Here’s my review: https://www.compressorpedalreviews.com/post/jhs-pulp-n-peel-v4-compressor-review

It sounds and performs great with bass guitar. I tested with a variety of basses and was pleased with how the pedal responded with each.

It has a real big, punchy sound to it. In some ways it reminds me of the Diamond in terms of a little special something added to the tone. It also reminds me of the Doc Lloyd Photon Death Ray how it handles the lows. To my ear there is no lost of highs or lows. It is more transparent than the Diamond but adds more presence in a good way. If you feel the Diamond has too much going on in the mids, you might really like the Pulp 'N' Peel. If you love the Empress for its transparent nature but feel you don't get enough booty, you might really like the Pulp 'N' Peel. The EQ really adds to the versatility.

Read the review to see how the controls function and interact.

 

[keyofnight]

The biggest issue I had with it was that it doesn't have enough headroom to handle the higher output and lower frequencies of bass. The input gets overloaded and just distorts. The more you turn the 'comp' knob counterclockwise, the more distorted it becomes. I thought I had it dialed in at one point, I said 'ahh there it is!' and I just realized that I had the comp knob completely clockwise...or completely off. Also the EQ is not well suited for bass, and the compression engine doesn't really do much. Put it up against something like a Diamond, Empress, or Broughton compressor and you'll hear it

Hm! Interesting! Let's puzzle this out with logic.

First, completely counterclockwise on the comp control isn't "completely off." The comp knob is just a threshold control. The compressor is always on unless the blend knob is completely counterclockwise.

Second, from what I understand, a compressor responds to amplitude, not frequency. A signal crossing the threshold (set by 'comp') should trigger compression, even if it's a strong bass signal. Some pedals, generally, have a passive lowpass filter on the input, but that wouldn't make the pedal distort, that would just mean that you'd just lose all of the bass.

Third, the pulp n' peel's internal signal chain goes: input -> compression -> Rat (distortion) -> EQ -> preamp -> output. If you're getting distortion, but then that distortion gets WORSE as you change the comp, it means the compression is impacting on the signal going to the preamp.

I think, yeah, something was severely reducing the headroom of your pulp n' peel. Maybe you were accidentally undervolting it, or (more likely) it was defective/malfunctioning. Whatever it was, this totally explains all of the problems you had. If the preamp was busted, none of the settings would do what someone would expect them to do. Did you get in contact with JHS about this?

All of that said, I don't get input or preamp distortion on the pulp n' peel. I've tried it my 5-string Schecter with passive EMG HZs and 5-string Godin Fretless with an active pre. No distortion. It could handle the low-B on both just fine too (though, again, it shouldn't matter). I also find that the compressor clamps down on the signal quite a bit. I definitely find that gives me too much compression for my taste with the comp and blend knobs completely clockwise. I find the 10 o'clock position on both knobs give me enough thickness. As for the EQ, I'm not sure what else it would need to do to be better suited for bass, it does what I need it to do for both 5-strings.

 

[keyofnight]

Here’s my review: https://www.compressorpedalreviews.com/post/jhs-pulp-n-peel-v4-compressor-review

It sounds and performs great with bass guitar. I tested with a variety of basses and was pleased with how the pedal responded with each.

Your review was a big part of why I bought this thing! Thanks for writing it! Thanks for chiming in!

 

[mmbongo]

Hm! Interesting! Let's puzzle this out with logic.

First, completely counterclockwise on the comp control isn't "completely off." The comp knob is just a threshold control. The compressor is always on unless the blend knob is completely counterclockwise.

Somehow you quoted my post before I fixed it, and I fixed it like 30 seconds after I posted it! But what I fixed was that I typed 'comp' knob instead of 'blend' knob. So the blend knob being completely counterclockwise is off and that's the only way I could get a useable sound out of it.

The pedal was not broken, as it worked fine with guitar as stated. Nothing wrong with that, it's designed for guitar.

The pedal was not underpowered by my Cioks DC7. None of my other 6 compressor pedals have any issues with the same power unit. This is not my first rodeo, nor my 2nd The Pulp just didn't work for me.

 

[keyofnight]

The Pulp just didn't work for me.

Oh! That makes more sense! Sorry about that! But… still, I'm still not sure why it would be distorting the way you said it was. I didn't expect you would have power issues given what you said earlier about comparing the pulp to so many other compressors. (I also run the same Cioks DC7.) Do you just have the hottest bass ever?

Also, sorry for digging so deep. I can still return this thing if I need to. I don't want to be caught off guard by some random problem that pops up when I plug in the wrong instrument. lol. I guess I'll just count myself lucky.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

Here’s my review: https://www.compressorpedalreviews.com/post/jhs-pulp-n-peel-v4-compressor-review

It sounds and performs great with bass guitar. I tested with a variety of basses and was pleased with how the pedal responded with each.

It has a real big, punchy sound to it. In some ways it reminds me of the Diamond in terms of a little special something added to the tone. It also reminds me of the Doc Lloyd Photon Death Ray how it handles the lows. To my ear there is no lost of highs or lows. It is more transparent than the Diamond but adds more presence in a good way. If you feel the Diamond has too much going on in the mids, you might really like the Pulp 'N' Peel. If you love the Empress for its transparent nature but feel you don't get enough booty, you might really like the Pulp 'N' Peel. The EQ really adds to the versatility.

Read the review to see how the controls function and interact.

Between your and mmbomgo's opinions (and I value both), my experience more closely matched the latter. However, while my PnP 4.5 widened the sound and could squeeze in some punch, I came away believing it wasn't as well calibrated towards electric bass as I'd wished, especially the tilt EQ. Perhaps I could have tweaked its RAT pot and had a better experience, the 4.5 is different, or there's some other variable at play.

OP, if you like it in your setup, that's awesome. Play it in good health!

 

[mmbongo]

Oh! That makes more sense! Sorry about that! But… still, I'm still not sure why it would be distorting the way you said it was. I didn't expect you would have power issues given what you said earlier about comparing the pulp to so many other compressors. (I also run the same Cioks DC7.) Do you just have the hottest bass ever?

Also, sorry for digging so deep. I can still return this thing if I need to. I don't want to be caught off guard by some random problem that pops up when I plug in the wrong instrument. lol. I guess I'll just count myself lucky.

No man there is no right or wrong, if it works for you that's all that matters!

 

[mav]

Can anyone tell me how this pedal takes high output passive pups, such as Dimarzio's or SPB3's? I like to use on light compression.

 

[projectapollo]

I just picked up a Pulp N Peel V4.5. My favorite compressor for bass thus far. Easy to dial in by ear. Sounds punchy. Got the dirt working as subtle saturation. Love it. I could do my CCM worship board with a tuner, MXR Bass Synth, and PNP/DI.

 

[keyofnight]

I just picked up a Pulp N Peel V4.5. My favorite compressor for bass thus far. Easy to dial in by ear. Sounds punchy. Got the dirt working as subtle saturation. Love it. I could do my CCM worship board with a tuner, MXR Bass Synth, and PNP/DI.

I just recently sold mine. It had so many great functions, but I find them more useful on separate pedals, so I can experiment with more settings, pedal order, etc. I replaced the PNP with an Empress Bass Comp and a JAM Rattler. I might also get a separate DI, but right now I use my Ampeg PF-50T's DI, which is kinda unique.

If I were a gigging musician, I would've probably paired down to a Strobostomp Tuner, a Boss OC5, and the PNP. The perfect little flight rig. Let us know how your CCM board comes together.