Better Compressor Model Options With A Soft Knee Mode

[billlorentzen]

I was really surprised to see the DynaComp as one of the compressor options. I had one back in the day, and was thrilled by the improvement a good studio compressor made when I stopped using pedals and built a rack for effects. The comp I used and still love for guitar is the dbx 160x. It has an "Over Easy" mode option for a soft knee, constantly variable compression ratio. This mode sounds way better on guitars than most anything else I've used.

While the LA2A is a great compressor, it would not have been one of my top choices for a guitar rack effect, because it's not particularly versatile. And the DynaComp would have been one of the last pedals I would have picked.

Maybe next go round Line6 could add a soft knee compressor to the arsenal?

[Bushman2]

A Soft Knee compressor would be nice, to make the "Choke" effect of a compressor more transparent.

I have not used the Dyna Comp (the actual pedal) but on my analog pedalboard, and IMHO, the Barber Tone Press

takes the idea and does one step better, it has two signal paths.

One stays uneffected, and the other is ran through the compressor circuit, then the ability to blend the two together

gives you a pure guitar tone and attack (via uneffected path) and a buttery compression.

A very nice way to achieve a transparent compressor.

A Tone Press would be an awesome additon as well....

[spaceatl]

Strymon OB.1 is one of my favs...There is a voicing switch, clean boost and internal voicing dips that change how the voicing switch works...killer little opti-comp pedal...never much liked the Line 6 modeled comps...spoiled by UAD comps I guess.

[billlorentzen]

Yeah, I'm spoiled by the UAD stuff, too. In fact I sold my 1176LN after I heard the UAD one.

For me a compressor is one of the most valuable effects for guitar, so I would like to see a really excellent model of a really choice compressor inboard.