Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Hi all,

I've never owned any kind of compressor and never actually played through one on a regular basis so I really have no idea which one I should choose...
I'm talking about choosing between the 2 byoc pedals: optical vs 5knob.
What are the differences?
Which is more transparent?
Can you give me examples of how these things "sound" or how they affect your tone?

I play with lots of effects and suffer from volume drops and jumps, I figure a comp pedal could help me out on this.

Thanks people,
Guy

The optical compressor is a bit more transparent and is based on the the old rack mount compressors. It is a little more sublte but it can really squish the signal if you max it out.

The 5-knob is essentially a Ross or clone. It has the added tone (actually a bass cut) and blend knobs to make it more versatile. The 5-knob will add the the trademark "jangle" effect of the Ross.

IMO, the opticomp will help to roundout your sound without effecting it too much. The Ross can do the the same but with a little coloring of your sound. The blend knob can help you to retain your original tone by blending the compressed sound with the uneffected signal.

Maybe some others can chime in with their opinions.

Thanks mr. Hand... and so fast too...

Ok I'm starting to get the picture. I've watched a few youtube videos demoing these guys and I can definitley hear the difference.

My question is: Will the opticomp (for example) sound good after a bunch of pedals? Could it be an always-on type of pedal or will it be noisy? Does it really make your volume "right", I mean, does it fix the volume differences between all the different settings of many pedals in line?

I use it at the end of the chain and it is my "always on" pedal. I think it will do what you are wanting it to do.

Thanks Mr. Hand ( I love saying that...)
That's my next build I guess (or a least one of them... next up is a Vol pedal retrofit and then this one)

OK, did some more research on the matter. How do the Orange Squeezer and Flatline Compessor fit in? On which side are they? Transparency of both? I'll be glad to know anything there is about these two...

Putting this compressor at the end of the pedal chain works best for me, even with another compressor a the beginning of he chain.
Say - has anyone out there noticed that the knob on the right has a marked "jolt" at about 3/4 of the way up, that is: in comparison to the smooth ascent before this point is reached?
I'm also experiencing a lot of attack in the effect; that is that it cuts out the attack that my guitar would ordinarily have.