Compressor

This is your main 'how much compression' knob. Turn it up and the pedal squashes harder; turn it down and it barely touches your signal. Watch the gain-reduction meter as you set it.

tip: Set this by ear and by meter together: play your loudest passage and dial in until the gain-reduction meter shows the amount of squash you want (around 8dB for everyday use, 10dB for country spank).

Compression usually makes things quieter overall, so this knob lets you bring the volume back up to match your bypassed level — or push it past that to use the pedal as a clean boost for solos.

tip: Set your compression first, then use OUTPUT so that flipping the pedal on and off doesn't change your perceived loudness. Crank it above unity for an instant solo boost.

This decides whether the compressor pounces instantly or waits a moment. Fast (counter-clockwise) grabs the pick attack immediately for a smoother, softer sound; slow (clockwise) lets the initial 'snap' of each note through before clamping down, keeping your pick attack punchy.

tip: For a percussive, snappy country or funk sound, use a slower attack so the pick transient pokes through. For smooth, mellow leads, use a faster attack to tame the initial hit.

This sets how fast the compressor lets go after grabbing a note. Fast release feels lively and can add a 'breathing' pumping effect; slow release is smoother and more even but can dull the sound if too slow.

tip: If you hear an unnatural pumping or 'sucking' between notes, slow the release down slightly. For sustain-heavy leads, a medium-to-slow release keeps notes singing evenly.

Instead of choosing between 'compressed' or 'natural,' this knob lets you have both at once. Mixing some of your untouched dry sound back in restores the natural dynamics and life that heavy compression can flatten out.

tip: The classic trick: squash the compressed signal really hard (sounds over-compressed on its own), then back the MIX off from fully clockwise until you blend in enough dry signal — you get huge sustain and excitement while keeping your natural attack.

A single knob that tilts your tone brighter or darker. Right of center makes things crisper and more cutting; left of center makes things warmer and fuller. It's a see-saw — as one end goes up, the other comes down.

tip: Compression can sometimes dull your top end; a small clockwise nudge restores brightness and sparkle. For bass or a warmer lead tone, go counter-clockwise.

This picks how hard the compressor clamps. 2:1 barely squeezes and mostly just sweetens your tone; 4:1 is the everyday do-anything setting; 10:1 seriously flattens your dynamics for maximum sustain and a heavily-compressed effect.

tip: Start on 4:1 for almost everything. Use 2:1 when you want the compression to be invisible, and 10:1 when you want obvious squash, endless sustain, or a limiter-style sound.

This stops booming low notes from hogging all the compression. Without it, a big low string can trigger heavy squashing across your whole sound. Switch it on and the compressor ignores that low rumble when deciding what to do, so your lows stay full and powerful while high notes still get controlled.

tip: Especially useful on bass and for palm-muted low riffs. Try 120Hz first; go to 240Hz if the lows are still triggering too much compression. Your actual bass tone is unaffected — only the detection is filtered.

The foot button that turns the pedal on and off. Light on means you're compressing; light off means the pedal is completely out of the way, as if it weren't there.

tip: Hold this switch down while powering on to enter advanced configuration mode, where you can set whether the pedal starts up engaged or bypassed (see the FAQ).

A simple on/off light so you can see at a glance whether the compressor is doing its thing.

This shows you how hard the pedal is squashing at any moment. The further down the meter lights up, the more compression is happening. It's your visual guide for dialing in the INPUT knob.

tip: Use it to set repeatable amounts: aim for about 8dB reduction on your loudest hits for everyday playing, or 10dB for a snappier country sound.

This shows how strong your incoming signal is before compression. It helps you confirm you're feeding the pedal a healthy signal — not too weak, not overloading.

tip: Watch this alongside the gain-reduction meter when setting the INPUT knob so you understand the relationship between how hot your signal is and how much the pedal reacts.

Where you plug your guitar or bass cable in.

Where the compressed signal leaves the pedal on its way to your amp or the next effect.

An advanced connection that lets you customize what the compressor 'listens to.' Insert an EQ here to make the compressor react differently to certain frequencies, or feed in a different instrument so, say, a kick drum could duck your guitar automatically.

tip: You need a 1/8" TRS (stereo) plug wired tip=send, ring=return. Most players never use this — it's a pro feature for creative routing and ducking effects.

Where your pedal power supply plugs in. It only runs on external power — there's no battery option.

tip: Use a quality 9V isolated supply that provides at least 100mA and standard negative-tip polarity; anything less than 100mA may cause the pedal to malfunction.