Inexpensive mini compressors

[JB_From_Hell]

Anybody have a recommendation? Never tried a stand-alone compressor, but I like what I hear when people use them with gainy slide tones.

Doesn’t *have* to be mini, but inexpensive is kind of important.

[Blille]

Inexpensive mini compressors

Biyang or Joyo Compressor, Mooer Yellow

[Mincer]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

Find a used Danelectro Surf & Turf. It is remarkable.

[GuitarStv]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors



Search around for an old Marshall ED-1 Compressor. They haven't been made for a while and were never very popular, so you can usually get them very cheap (I got mine for 30$ on craigslist). They do sound great as a compressor though, with a lot of control of the type of compression you're playing with. I use mine for clean funk playing all the time, or occasionally as a boost into an OD pedal. There are two annoying things about them:
- At extremely high compression levels they're a little noisy (especially going really high compression -> high gain pedal -> high gain amp)
- The knobs are chromed and are hard to see in low light situations (when you're on a stage) - makes it hard to change settings mid gig.
If these issues don't bother you (and you don't mind a full size pedal that's cheap), I'd wholeheartedly recommend one.

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

If it matters, the slide tone on this is what’s got me wanting one:

[PFDarkside]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

Biyang or Joyo Compressor, Mooer Yellow

The Mooer Yellow is supposed to be optical, right? That’s a great call, IMO.

[Blille]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

The Mooer Yellow is supposed to be optical, right? That’s a great call, IMO.

It is. Pretty nice indeed for more subtle uses like always on, less of "an effect".

[chadd]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

My favorite is the philosopher's tone. I don't have the mini because I wanted the extra knobs

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

I've heard good things about the Mooer Yellow too.

For about $70, the TC Hypergravity mini is an actual multiband comp with extensive tweakability via software. Also has toneprint to download from a library of existing user presets. Not super cheap but amazing capability for its price point.

[Blille]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

My favorite is the philosopher's tone. I don't have the mini because I wanted the extra knobs

Solid.

The mini was just on Stupid deal of the day and they have the Rock, which is a simplified cheaper implementation.

[GreatOz]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

I just got my Mooer Yellow in the mail today. It's a fantastic and inexpensive little compressor.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

The challenge generally speaking with compressors is if you try to run a cheaper one at true unity through the pedal with the correct makeup gain they tend to be a little on the noisy side with hiss -even the Classic Boss CS ones suffer from this and they're not even that cheap -they're medium.

so a good work around slight compressor noise/hiss if you have a more inexpensive compressor (sub $80-100 is probably the mark in my head just to give you a gauge), run the cheaper one at LESS THAN UNITY GAIN (maybe 2-4 dB down from unity ) where the Signal to Noise Ratio hasn't been increased slightly at the output circuit . This will present your next pedal with a cleaner tone to work with, and then use that next device (probably your Overdrive) or your best quality pedal to make the gain back up slightly back to unity through your pedal chain -then if you need to hit your amp input higher use an end of chain clean boost like a little Xotic EP etc. If you are smacking the hell out of your tone with a compressor you won't have a choice to roll the output off from Unity -but most people don't knock their input down more the 2-6 dB

Eventually I got tired of fooling with noise, and went to a high-end compressor which is clean at every unity makeup level -specifically with a Greer Lamplighter -the best one I've ever heard BTW -but way way pricey and I use a Joe Meek Studio Compressor on my bass rig. All overkill for this discussion.

Honestly, if your not recording -none of this will be a big deal unless you are cranking amps on stage -then the sound of that compressor hiss will drive you nuts.

[B2D]

Re: Inexpensive mini compressors

Xotic SP Compressor. They can be had for well under $100 used and they're superb.