Compressor Dilemna

Its all in the fingers, or is it?

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Compressor Dilemna

Post by jeremyb »

So... in the market for a compressor pedal, for guitar and bass, I've always had one in the past and love what it does to a clean signal, and enjoy the evening out of my picking... so far I have narrowed it to the following:

Pigtronix Philosophers Tone Micro - $219, and I have owned 2 of the full size before, great sounding compressor, not a fan of the micro pedals but it's an always on kind of thing so size not so important...

Boss CP-1X - $299, digital, does everything you can imagine, artificially intelligent sound shaping blah blah, pretty led strip meter... just not sure if it really excites me, maybe too sterile...

Orange Kongpressor - $269, Sounds amazing, very musical, probably way better toan than a hack like me requires, has heaps of output on tap so can boost a clean amp into distortion, sounds great on bass or guitar, I really get excited by this one, future proofing for if I ever become good enough to warrant it...

Caline Pressure Tank - $40 rip off of the Diamond Optical Comp, sounds really great, doesn't even look too cheap... hmmm....

I think I really want the Kongpressor, but what would you guys do?
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by jeremyb »

el byrdo wrote:buy the dyna comp that was just listed
Dyna comps are not my thing, once you've had a decent optical comp theres no going back!
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

foal30
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 7554
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 9:14 pm
Location: South Brighton
Has liked: 608 times
Been liked: 946 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by foal30 »

jeremyb wrote:
el byrdo wrote:buy the dyna comp that was just listed
Dyna comps are not my thing, once you've had a decent optical comp theres no going back!
Kloppsta is selling a Diamond...
Genuine Old Frontier Gibberish

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by jeremyb »

foal30 wrote:
jeremyb wrote:
el byrdo wrote:buy the dyna comp that was just listed
Dyna comps are not my thing, once you've had a decent optical comp theres no going back!
Kloppsta is selling a Diamond...
Yeah, but for that sorta money I'd rather have the Kongpressor ;)
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
Slowy
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 22638
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:13 pm
Location: Orcland
Has liked: 1011 times
Been liked: 2465 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by Slowy »

I initially found happiness with a two knob Keeley. Their latest four knob confirmed the love is still strong.

So I know nothing of the items you selected.

But this matters not at all, "I think I really want the Kongpressor, but what would you guys do?"

Gee... I don't know....... :think:


Buy a Kongpressor?
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

User avatar
Conway
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 9837
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:33 pm
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 242 times
Been liked: 966 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by Conway »

I have a Philosophers Tone Gold that I may possibly let go.
GUITARS ROCK - www.guitarsrock.co.nz
TONE LOUNGE - www.tonelounge.co.nz

Delayman
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 3091
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:35 pm
Has liked: 45 times
Been liked: 227 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by Delayman »

Is even-ing out your picking the main thing? I used a limiter for a while. That was cool because it knocked the top off your biggest notes but left the dynamics of the rest alone.
They keep telling me tone is in the fingers, but I have yet to see a "look at my fingers" thread.
Lawrence wrote: Every orchestra that comes thru here is a covers band as are most of the jazz bands...

User avatar
TmcB
I may have a problem
Posts: 7679
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:17 pm
Location: Kapiti
Has liked: 653 times
Been liked: 556 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by TmcB »

I would take none of those tbh.

SP comp is not bad for Ross type due to blend.

Diamond Bass Comp is nice but $$$

MXR Compressor is good but attack is very fast and the knob doesn’t do much.

Seymour Duncan one looks solid, the Vise Grip, but no experience hands on.

Aguilar TLC is excellent and in your range, more of a VCA type and I prefer them over optos now.

I run a Maxon CP9+ Pro and it’s the shit - my absolute favourite.

What I recommend? Aguilar TLC
GrantB wrote:Tony, your taste is, as always, very refined. Or as HG would say, "bloody awful".
Family Music Store - http://familymusic.co.nz

Delayman
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 3091
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:35 pm
Has liked: 45 times
Been liked: 227 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by Delayman »

By the way, I discovered last year the word is dilemma not dilemna.

I (and it seems thousands of others) were taught that word wrong.
They keep telling me tone is in the fingers, but I have yet to see a "look at my fingers" thread.
Lawrence wrote: Every orchestra that comes thru here is a covers band as are most of the jazz bands...

User avatar
Single coil
BANNED
Posts: 10050
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 5:35 pm
Location: Public toilet
Has liked: 1110 times
Been liked: 485 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by Single coil »

Buy my optical. $65 to yer door.
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

Mini Forklift

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by Mini Forklift »

I’m not into compressors at all, but if I was looking for one I’d definitely factor in the Cali76

User avatar
KNNZ
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2976
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:03 pm
Location: Orewa
Has liked: 1777 times
Been liked: 667 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by KNNZ »

I’ve had a Wampler Ego and the SD Vise Grip, sold the wampler coz I preferred the Vise grip I think there was one on TM recently, I’ve since sold the Vise Grip and have been using s Bondi 2026, but yeah I’ll echo Tony and recommend the Vise Grip

Mattallica
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1612
Joined: Fri May 20, 2016 9:42 pm
Location: CHCH
Has liked: 558 times
Been liked: 175 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by Mattallica »

Suhr koji comp

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by jeremyb »

TmcB wrote:I would take none of those tbh.

SP comp is not bad for Ross type due to blend.

Diamond Bass Comp is nice but $$$

MXR Compressor is good but attack is very fast and the knob doesn’t do much.

Seymour Duncan one looks solid, the Vise Grip, but no experience hands on.

Aguilar TLC is excellent and in your range, more of a VCA type and I prefer them over optos now.

I run a Maxon CP9+ Pro and it’s the shit - my absolute favourite.

What I recommend? Aguilar TLC
Hadn't considered either of those, will do some research! The dude at www.ovnilab.com seems to rate them!!
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

slash-ed
Resident Gear Whore
Posts: 10032
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:26 pm
Has liked: 97 times
Been liked: 424 times

Re: Compressor Dilemna

Post by slash-ed »

jeremyb wrote:So... in the market for a compressor pedal, for guitar and bass, I've always had one in the past and love what it does to a clean signal, and enjoy the evening out of my picking... so far I have narrowed it to the following:

Pigtronix Philosophers Tone Micro - $219, and I have owned 2 of the full size before, great sounding compressor, not a fan of the micro pedals but it's an always on kind of thing so size not so important...

Boss CP-1X - $299, digital, does everything you can imagine, artificially intelligent sound shaping blah blah, pretty led strip meter... just not sure if it really excites me, maybe too sterile...

Orange Kongpressor - $269, Sounds amazing, very musical, probably way better toan than a hack like me requires, has heaps of output on tap so can boost a clean amp into distortion, sounds great on bass or guitar, I really get excited by this one, future proofing for if I ever become good enough to warrant it...

Caline Pressure Tank - $40 rip off of the Diamond Optical Comp, sounds really great, doesn't even look too cheap... hmmm....

I think I really want the Kongpressor, but what would you guys do?
Certainly recommend that you give a CP-1X a play if you can. All the stated bells and whistles aside, it's just a fantastic and really natural sounding compressor. It's probably because it's digital (multi-band intelligent bla bla) that it can do this so effectively.
Just a small town girl living in a lonely world

Post Reply