tone as more even, but
I would just as quickly
say that it is less sparkly,
even warmer than the
clean tone. Of course,
boosting the Mix knob to
its all wet position made
the compression more
apparent. The attack
came on rather fast, but
it released at a moderate
rate.
The I.Q. Compressor
became quite interesting,
however, when I began
to adjust the sliders. I
really liked the depth and
power of the low-end
compression. Because
band 1 focuses on 100Hz,
adding a few decibels
with the slider won’t
necessarily add clarity to
any lower frequency notes
or tones that are played.
Rather, the result was
simply more “oomph” and
power. I brought more
airiness and sparkle to my
tone by dialing down the
lower bands and dialing
up the two higher bands.
A distinctive “scooped”
sound was easy to achieve
by lowering the middle two
bands and raising the first
and sixth bands. Similarly,
a “lo-fi” sound was easy to
dial in by cutting bands 1
and 6, and slightly dialing
down bands 2 and 5.
Although the pedal
sounds great, I would have
appreciated a compression
rate knob for adjustments
to attack and release.
The pre-set parameters
are perfectly fine, but
discerning pedal buyers
often appreciate total tonal
control, if only because
it feels like they have
gotten more pedal for their
money. Also, I didn’t care
much for the footswitch,
which felt stiff. It’s true
that compression isn’t
necessarily an effect whose
timing is essential. It’s not
like distortion in that sense.
But my qualm is not with
the slight delay but rather
with the feel of the switch
underfoot. Certainly this is
a small concern, and not at
all one that disqualifies the
pedal from the otherwise
high regard in which it
should be held.
for “extreme” compression
and sustain, but it will even
out what it’s given rather
nicely. Given the pedal’s
durability and range of
tones, I’d recommend that
musicians give it a try.
WHAT WE LIKE
Pre-compression EQ
controls; durable design;
those light-up sliding
switches.
CONCERNS
I would have liked the
ability to control the
rate and attack of the
compression.
In the end, I found the tone
to be well balanced. The
I.Q. Compressor isn’t set up
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