Best Guitar Pedal Compressor (2024 Update)

This is the perfect pedal for a clean boost. I play clean country, country rock, jazz, rock and roll, rockabilly, etc. and when I need to play lead I kick it in. No volume pedal guessing, just on and off. Only problem is I like it so much that I do not want to turn it off! Great design (with active LED readout while playing) and easy to adjust. Short battery life (3 hours) so be sure to order a 9volt wart or use a power supply. If only using battery power be sure to unplug the input on breaks or when through playing. With the power supply you can leave it plugged in as it disconnects the battery. One big plus, this baby works fantastic on acoustic guitars as well. Just turn the comp setting down below 12 o'clock. Highly recommended!Larryz

The CP1x unlike its predecessors CS1 2 and CS3 tend to typically lose a lot of the highs after the compression and alter the tone which has to be EQd then. The new CS1-X keeps the tone as natural. Also the digitals LEDS to show the signal are a nice touch. Not the mention the usual BOSS rugged metal body and metallic paint and metal look knob and control interface. Truly visually appealing too. Very pleased with my purchase.keithmendes

Compression is often one of those effects that people either swear by or ignore entirely. Some lesser compressors don't seem to do much of anything when you click them on & off but when you're connected to a good compressor, you'll see what all the fuss is about. The CP-1X from Boss is one of the best compressors out there. Dial in the knobs to your liking & listen to your playing come to life. Balanced dynamics, beautiful singing clean tones, enhanced note definition and sustain. You'll wonder how you ever went without one. Try one out. You'll be glad you did.Brandon

I bought this pedal hoping to get the old Ibanez sound without spending a lot of money. Although it didn't cost much it doesn't get the old Ibanez sound. It's easy to use and fun to play with but I really wouldn't recommend it. You can get a different Behringer compressor pedal which is much better than this one. I would recommend doing that.motocross824

I have used Behringer effects for years now, and have never been disappointed. This Compressor does what it is intended to do, smoothing out the notes from guitar, and evening the output for a pleasing musicality.will_bush312

It is a great pedal except for the fact it's plastic. I wouldn't use my foot to stomp on it. But if you treat it gently it's actually really cool. Just use your hand to put pressure on its button and it will be gracious and give you exactly what you expect from a compression pedal.rmc.rtk.xrzsxdqx3

I bought this compression pedal to boost my acoustic signal as well as fatten the sound a bit. I love the size as it fits on my board perfectly. I leave it on all the time so it neatly fits up top. I mainly lead worship at my church and was looking to make my Martin D-15 sound more like it is supposed to plugged in.Mark

The Xotic SP Compressor is without a doubt a 5 Star product! For many years I used a 1953 Gibson ES 175 or 1966 Telecaster plugged into a MXR Dyna Comp and grew to appreciate the warm squash this device had to offer as I lost the taste for most all distortion devices on the market. The Dyna Comp was a simple two knob device that squeezed my signal rather nicely to which I still have 3 of them floating about the house. I also have the more expanded version, MXR Limiter dating from the early 80s that also does a nice job modifying my signal. The only initial down side to the Dyna Comp was a little bit of noise. However the real down side to the old Dyna Comp was sometime in the early 90s, after Dunlop acquired ownership of the MXR Product, decided to reduce the cost of production by having all the jacks, pots, and switch connected directly to the PC Board via solder bath. Not only did this process of assembly affect the durability of this classic old compressor, it also compromised the tone and performance of a one great pedal. The vintage Dyna Comps wired point to point are far superior product. If you have one, keep it! In the wake of the cheapening of the Dyna Comp came the Keeley Compressor. I bought a Keeler Compressor somewhere around 10 years ago a noticed an improvement in performance over my old Dyna Comps with less noise. And with going into great detail, every guitar, from my old 1951 L5 to any of my old Fender sound great through this compressor. So now a new and somewhat revolutionary compressor has hit in the market by way of the Xotic SP. These guys are making some of the best pedals that I?ve run across in years. By the time I got my SP I was already the proud owner of an EP Booster and SL Drive. To later I have to say it is the only distortion that has come out in the last 30 years with a decent sounding tone that does not narrow the bandwidth of your signal path. Not to mention these pedals just happen to be the cutest looking signal devices on the market. What really makes the SP Compressor outstanding is the 3 position Hi/Mid/Low switch. The versatility to this pedal via of this switch is just amazing. In the Hi mode I can match the performance of my Keeley and Dyna Comp compressors for Jazz applications. However, I have taken using the Mid position for a great Blues/Rock tone. In this position the pedal allows me to play over the top of the compressor for soaring highs. This works in great combination with my 1960 Telecaster with Barden pickups. Anyway, I highly recommend the Xotic SP Compressor with its advantage in versatility over other compressors on the market. And here?s the bonus, this pedal is priced about $100 less than the Keeley. My hat?s off to you folks at Xotic for manufacturing a fantastic compressor at an affordable price that will thousands of guitar players sound better and better. Now if you can reinvent the Sola Sound Tone Bender in one of these small bud boxes, that would be fantastic!David A

I tried the Wampler and it was too much going on and I could find a sound I like. That was my first compressor so i'm Sure it was me. With this one I set it to Humbucker setting per the manual and it was fantastic. I just made the volume a little lower so that it was the same as my OD and TS pedals so that I control the gain there not with the compresssor. I leave it on all the time now. I never realized how much better the sound would be from just this. I always thought of it just pushing down the high parts but the making the lower parts a little louder made a big difference. This is going to be on permanently. Crystal clear sound wise too.Mike CT

I was a little skeptical of the price of this compressor but since I already own a VAMP 3 and it is very good so I decided to try it. The unit is made of a kind of indestructible plastic and is very solid. I like the added controls for volume and tone as well as the compression controls. The compression is excellent and the attack sweep is pronounced and has a wide range that is really useful. It sounds especially good on the split coil settings and is smooth and extremely quiet. I would definitely recommend this pedal to anyone. It may not be as good as ones that cost 4 or more times as much but it is pretty close.Jerzy

Maybe its just because its the first compressor Ive owned, but this paired with a Behringer noise suppressor has completely made my playing time more enjoyable. Its clean and quiet and makes everything you play sound lush, warm, and interesting. Lots of ability to dial this pedal to your taste. If you are losing faith in your playing or just getting bored with your sound, pick this pedal and a noise suppressor up. You wont be disappointed. And the price/value ratio couldnt be better in my opinion.yellowbrickroadcommodities

I've been very impressed with this compressor. Simple to use, dead quiet, crystal clear sonics, and the ability to blend in uncompressed signal. I'm pleased that I went with this rather than something that takes up more space on my board. It's just what I needed. If I could subtract 1/2 star, I would, but only because the item shipped with absolutely no literature whatsoever. Not that it's needed, it's just nice to have. Jackson should print up some product literature and quit making so many corny YT videos.Matthew

Studio grade compressor in a pedal. Can be as subtle or extreme as necessary. The auto switch and Hard/soft switches are very clever and really work. Very well built. Small footprint fits easily on a pedal board.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I pride myself on having a very minimal reliance on pedals. For the longest time, all I used in my rig was a delay for slapback, which I thought was enough to get my country/rockabilly tone. After watching the ad for the EHX Platform, I knew I had to incorporate this pedal into my rig. The compression and limiter functions are great as standalones, but the drive and swell features added an immense amount of versatility to this pedal. I can now create pedal steel sounds, and add as much fuzz to my tone as I'd ever need (and then some). My only gripe is that I wish the dials were constructed with metal, which would make the pedal more durable. That's a minor con for an otherwise fantastic pedal. Coming from someone who tends to steer away from pedals, I can't recommend this enough!rockabilly96

FUN pedal! Great compressor, with capability of very light compression, to very "squishy," if wanted or needed, And, the "Backwards" feature is an interesting, and Fun feature. Build quality, and ease of use are top notch, of course. The pedal was used, but in "Like New" condition, with all the "box candy" in tact. ProAudioStar was excellent to work with, and the pedal arrived well packed, and a day earlierthan anticipated. Great overall purchase experience. Would recommend, and buy from them, in the future, as the need arises. Cheers,Charlie BrownCourageousLizard-12820

Excellent compressor range with plenty of control and the added bonus of the swell knob to articulate your playing further. The drive option suits me perfectly as it is not the 'take your ears off' scream but a lovely smooth sound with loads of sustain, like the original Black Finger pedal (not the valve one). Three distinct and eminently useable effects, making the pedal very good value for money and a great addition to a player's arsenal.awrf53

I ordered this pedal on a whim on a hot deal sale. I wasn't really expecting much over my dynacomp, but was pleasantly surprised. First off, compared to my dynacomp, this thing has tons more output. So much more that you could actually use it as a boost. I couldn't even get my dynacomp to unity. It is subtle at its lowest settings providing sustain without the squash as you roll it up it can get very tight for things like chicken pickin' or funk. Here's what I like. It get along with single coils AND humbuckers which is something my dyna comp did not. I like compression to sort of even out the perceived output between my humbuckers full on and split. With the squeegee I am able to do just that without killing my humbuckers. My dynacomp just killed my humbuckers. It worked great for single coils, but would actually compress SO much that, for instance on my has strat, the humbucker would actually have a lower perceived output than my single coils which is crazy as I have them pretty evenly matched on output levels. Not a problem with the squeegee. I am able to use all 5 positions on my Big Apple strat and have the split positions be pretty close to the full on humbucker positions without having so much limiting that it kills the tone of my humbuckers. It also works with my triple single Strats so it is my "always on" compressor. I can't speak about the durability as I have only had it one day, but as far as sound quality, this things is great. Not too overbearing in the lower settings all the way to full on tight funk or 70s country style compression.Guitar74

Simple , minimal knobs. Just a volume and compression. Sweet sounds with little work. No option paralysis here. What ever you might think of compression,compare playing a clean guitar without it. Then try it on and feel the very tactile difference. The extra kick of volume this packs is potent. This thing is so tiny too. Its made a permanent home on my pedalboard . The quality of the compression reminds me of a DynaComp , but is very ,VERY quiet. Its got plenty of SQUISH, yet leaves your tone intact. Im very happy with it and was surprised Id be with so few knobs to fuss with.la_starr

Excellent Design Excellent tone easy to use brilliant combination. Of four pedals to use as a set. I’ve played a gig with the full set. With my Freidman BE 100. & Freidman 1520. Pedal bord. &. True historic Gibson Les Paul 1957. Black Beauty. Love the. J Rockett Jet searies Fantastic Tone. Garry. Hedges.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I'd used a Boss M50B for a few years, and it had the potential to everything one could ask… but in reality I simply used the compressor function and as a tuner. I also play keyboard and guitar, and real estate on my pedal board is at a premium. So I got this and a Peterson tuner, and I have to say the compresspr has exceeded my expectations. The tube setting provides a really warm sound, and the compression is better than the Boss. All in all I sound better, and have reduced the footprint of my gear in the process. Yes, I'd buy it again. Quality seems top notch. Value… its expensive for a single stomp box, but worth every penny.maineprivateer

OK, why wasn't this mentioned in the description . Because eveyone has a 9V 100ma power supply with the correct adapter size laying around . . . right? WRONG! . There is no option for using a 9V battery . So, you need to know this up front . because when it arrives, if you don't have the correct power supply, it's dead in the water until you can buy one .Jambalaya

As a bassist, I've been using compressors in my signal chain for live performances (and recording) for decades . . . I have always used rack units VS pedals . Being able to set the Ratio, Threshold, Attack, Release is an advantage on a full scale unit. I find this pedal, click ON, click OFF to be extremely limited in effectiveness . And, I'm not comprehending the "individual string" compression algorithms that TC touts, also, the sound is not all that clean . But for a quickie, (i.e.I want some compression on my guitar or bass) ok, cool, plug it in! . . . but be prepared to " grin and bear" it you feel you need to adjust it. because, you do not have that capability with this box . It's extremely limited.Guntherprobe

Great little compressor pedal for bass – very simple to use but just makes everything sound smoother and better. A small package but a huge punch! Great work from the guys at TC Electronic and top service from GuitarGuitar! Thank you!Reviewed by guitarguitar custome

Fantastic compressor with side chain. I'm using it for a live electronic setup where I want the bass synth to duck when the kick is playing. Basic really but since I'm using different machines for each sound the Emptess Comp has been a life saver. Great build and relatively easy to use although the side chain output needs strange cables. But you can get around it.Reviewed by SX Pro customer

Great compressor with LED lights to aid sound choices. Will have to be more careful with this one as the power input is a bit fragile.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Amazing compressor, super transparent but allows for some tone sculpting if transparency isn't your thing. Sidechain works a treat (you need a stereo breakout cable for it).Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Th e Pulp n' Peel is a good and well built pedal that does what it advertises. The compressor is subtle and enhances the sound nicely. The pre amp aspect of the pedal is a welcome addition to my set up, although I have yet to try the DI facility. As I said, the pedal is well built. It has a very sturdy metal housing and all the controlls feel robust.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This is a very versatile and smooth sounding compressor. Don't let all of the knobs intimidate you. Two knobs control the pre gain and post gain levels. I really appreciate the pre gain control since it allows me to fine tune the output signal from my instrument. Turn it down for hotter output or active pickups or up for lower output pups. Then use the post gain control to set your overall level. Two knobs are actually just two-way switches for Normal/Squash and Lamp/LED modes. Finally you have knobs controlling the level of compression and sensitivity, which changes the character of the compression. Noise level is pretty low except at more extreme compression settings, which I don't normally use anyway. Excellent for both bass and guitar. Can do subtle "always on" compression or steamroller squish. One drawback is that it takes up a good amount of pedal board space. On the other hand, it does more than most stomp box compressors are capable of.stingrayslospecial

Nice boost, however it is a bit dirty. If you're interested in buying one of these I recommend reading up about it as much as you can. can't beat it for the money it's well-built. It has good controls. I bought this in Hope of using it for an acoustic guitar boost that didn't work out so well but it's fantastic for electric guitar before and after certain pedals. For conversation purpose I also have a EP booster buy exotic effects. However there are very different just to draw a distinction.cashflowkid61

Great quick shipping in original box. Absolutely like-new (cool sparkly powder-coat type finish) – sounds terrific! too bad this box (itself a re-issue) is discontinued… great to smack your pedal chain or amp with a nice clean (but edgy) boost!helix-28588

I have been on the fence about boosting effects for a while, never Really Thought I NEEDED one but at this price I decided to give it a shot. Searching and transaction were both easy, the sale was awesome-PERFECT price and shipped in practically 2 days! I love the pedal, really breaths life into my secondary set up. I'm honestly contemplating if I want to grab the dod Comp or overdrive!BUCKROGEZ87

I don't usually like doing reviews, but this box is worth its price of admission, and then some! Its no secret that this chain is what I call "THE SAUCE"! Using the 76 side to tame the peaks abou mt 2 or 3 db and the using the 2a side so do the actual compression to taste, by setting the gain reduction and gain! If I wa limited on rack space and needed this exact chain I would choose this over an actual 1176 and and la2a and be extremely happy! Dont think about it, head on over to AMS and purchase yours today, you will not be disappointed! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MINE!MYSTA MYSTA SMOOTH