Extensive compressor reviews and FAQ

Custom Audio Electronics V-Comp: This is an amazing little unit. It uses a single preamp tube, and if you turn the threshold down it can be used as a tube high-gain booster. I tried a few different tubes in there, but the stock GT actually sounded best. This comp adds a noticeable darkness and thickness to the tone. But otherwise, the envelope is very natural, and you wouldn't notice it as an effect. Like most tube devices it can pick up some noise from your pickups and room wiring, but overall it's surprisingly quiet, especially on the decay. There is no audible noise swell. For over a year I picked this one as the pedal I would leave on just about all the time. Overall this is one of the most nice sounding and useful pedal comps I have tried. I ended up selling it because the note attack could get a little mushy in conjunction with the tube preamp I was using, but it's the perfect tool for warming/fattening a solid-state preamp. The interior of the box is very densely packed with components--other pedal companies such as EHX should check this out and take a few notes about efficient use of space. The footswitch is true bypass.
 

 
 
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