Palmer Deepressor first impressions and question

Hi all,

I finally got my Deepressor after some complications with UPS, so I thought I'd share my initial impressions. I will write a 'proper' review (in the review section, that is), as I don't think it's fair to do so after only two days of use.

Feature-wise, it has a knob for sustain, attack and level, as well as a pad switch. It also has a standard 9V center negative power input and an easy access battery compartment (very pleasant surprize!). My question is that I'm not quite sure what the sustain knob does. As far as I can tell, it controls how long notes sustain (obviously) but also the ratio. I know too little about compression to say if this is normal or not. All the way clockwise, the compression is more aggressive and the sustain is longer, so I assume it works the same way as the comp/limit control on an EBS Multicomp. The attack controls when the pedal kicks in: right at the beginning of a note or just after the initial attack. The level control is basically a make-up gain. It's supposed to add "a gentle warm distortion will kick in - more than a normal compressor" if you crank it, which I haven't been able to try because it's extremely loud. Anything above 9-10 o'clock could be considered too loud by your neighbours/cohabitants. Maybe I should try it with the pad on.

It doesn't have a threshold control, which is a bit of a pain because this seems like a pretty essential control to have on a compressor. There's also no release control, but as far as I know that's (in part) what the sustain knob is for. I suppose some comprise had to be made to make it as easy to use and affordble as it is. I immediately liked the sound but I was also aware that, as with any pedal, I would have to fiddle a bit to get a sound that complemented my playing. Currently I have it set with sustain at approx 11 and attack and level at 8.30.

Before buying, something I often came across while doing some research was that it's a subtle compressor. Now, I already mentioned I'm no expert, but while on most settings it is indeed subtle, it can get pretty harsh if you want it to.

Esthetically I think it's a very good looking pedal, it's a nice bright blue with matte silver/grey knobs, looks great in my opinion! I only got it two days ago, so I can't make any claims about build quality and durability, but as far as first impressions go it does appear very solid. The knobs are not too loose, they could have been a bit stiffer but that's just my preference (pun intended). Another plus is that the entire underside is covered with rubber/foam, rather than four 'feet' in the corners. It's fairly big, the actual pedal (blue part) is almost exactly as big as a Big Muff rotated 90°, but the black framework sticks out about an inch. Some people may find the placement of the input and output sockets annoying because, if you use cables with angled jacks, the cable has to go over the black frame. This is even more of a problem if the pedal behind or in front of it has its in- or output on the side (like most pedals).


Conclusion: I'm glad I didn't spend as much on a compressor as I could have. It set me back €64, less than half the price of an EBS Multicomp, but I can't imagine it's less than half the quality. It has similar features: the Multi has the internal trim pots and the mode switch, but the Deepressor has an attack control and easy access battery case. The Multi is a lot smaller, so I can imagine this would be a deciding factor. If my Deepressor were to break or get lost/stolen, I'd definitely get another one and I can only recommend that you at least try one yourself if you're in the market for a solid, affordable compressor.