RigShare Top 10 Compressor Pedals of 2021

Origin Effects

Cali76 Compact Deluxe

The Cali76 Compact Deluxe is an 1176-style studio-grade FET compressor Featuring high-current, low-noise, discrete Class-A circuitry and a dedicated parallel compression control… all contained in one compact, stompbox-sized package!

Boss

CP-1X Compressor

Powered by BOSS’s MDP technology, the CP-1X is a new type of multiband compressor for guitar that preserves the character of your instrument and technique for unlimited musical expression. Intelligent processing analyzes your signal in multiple dimensions as you play, providing advanced dynamics control that never colors or muddies your tone like typical stompbox compressors can. The simple, four-knob interface makes it easy to dial in sophisticated results, while the handy gain reduction indicator always shows you how much compression is being applied. Optimized for all types of guitars, the CP-1X offers next-generation performance for every style of music.

Keeley Electronics

Compressor Plus

The Keeley Compressor is the most popular boutique compressor in the world. With well over 52,000 compressors built in our shop we have an expert understanding of compression, limiting, and sustain. We know what it takes to make an instrument sound like it’s been professionally recorded. We know how to make your guitar jump from the mix. We know how to make it fun and easy to play. Keeley Compression is how. The Keeley Compressor Plus is the first true advancement in our 2 and 4 knob compressor line. The new features are simple and straight forward. Now there is a simple Release Switch that is tuned for single coils or humbuckers. No more wondering if you have the attack or release set right. Your humbuckers will have all the attack and punch that they should. Our team designed a gorgeous sounding Tone Control which emphasizes the most sensitive harmonics that can be lost in compression. The Compressor Plus now sports a Blend Control that retains the peaks in your playing and, more importantly, the proper phasing of your guitar signal. The Keeley Compressor Plus offers the same gorgeous push of frequencies and sweetening of tone that the old comps gave you, now with the flexibility to easily handle any instrument. The Keeley Compressor Plus is a compressor with an expander/sustainer. Not only does it act as a regular compressor, limiting the peaks in your playing, it adds more and more gain as notes fade out. Now you have sustain. Nothing worse than a note or a bend that has died before its time. The Keeley Compressor Plus adds just the right amount of sustain and expressive bloom to your notes. The new Release Switch on the Keeley Compressor Plus is designed to make it very easy to transition between single coil and humbucker guitars. Humbuckers have more average energy than single coils which can cause compressors to stay in “compression mode” for a lot longer. When this happens, any series of notes you play will sound dull. With the quick release of the new Compressor Plus, your humbuckers remain true sounding, and each note retains dynamic attack and definition. The Tone Control is our own design taken from analog delays and other vintage effects. Those effects used an emphasis circuit to recover treble and highs after they went through the BBD or other analog delay lines. We took that circuit and made it into a full fledged tone control! We have found that it is the perfect way to gently add back in those highs lost in the compression process. The Blend Control is a way of getting the peaks to come through while having sustain at the same time. So if you want sustain more than peak-limiting, this style of Manhattan Compression is for you! Keep all the peaks and transients with the Blend and Tone Controls while adding sustain on the back end. Heaven! This compressor isn’t just for heavy funk or chicken pickin’ anymore. The new Compressor Plus is for players wanting a smooth, subtle wash from their guitar. Remove just the right amount of peaks for an ambient layer and then blend in the right amount of treble for a nice shimmer to your guitar. Use with your favorite fuzz to create a wall of tone like you’ve only heard on records. Looping has never been easier than with this compressor. Consider it an essential tool when creating loops that sound well-balanced. Forget it all and use the Compressor Plus for the best amp boost you’ve heard. Nothing pushes an amp better than the Keeley Compressor Plus. The new Keeley Compressor Plus is the result of us specializing in compressors for over 15 years. Chief Engineer and founder Robert Keeley said, “Compression was the first effect I found that was hard to make sound good off the shelf, so I set out to create the best sounding compression effect possible.” We have it down to a science but still treat it like art. Since it is at the core of what we do, we can offer it for an incredible price now. The Keeley Compressor Plus is completely made in the United States. Come by our shop and watch the magic happen. We didn’t just start making compressors to look good alongside co-branded coffee mugs and shirts and hats. We’ve worked with and listened to the pros who have had the the original compressor on their boards for 10 to 15 years and found out what it would take to keep it on their boards for another 10, 20, or 30 years…. Add the Compressor Plus to your rig, you and your guitar will be singing for days.

JHS Pedals

Pulp 'N' Peel V4

The Pulp ‘N’ Peel V4 is the truly transparent compressor pedal you’ve been hoping for and much more. Its smooth-sounding parallel compression circuit offers you the power to blend in your ideal balance of compressed and uncompressed signal. You’re able to add a touch of grit to your tone thanks to the pedal’s Dirt mini toggle. Also, whether you’re a bassist sending your signal direct or a guitarist running the Pulp ‘N’ Peel on your pedalboard, the pedal’s ¼” and balanced XLR outputs have you covered. This compressor/preamp pedal sports a ton of tone-shaping power. So no matter what your compression needs, the Pulp ‘N’ Peel V4 is your go-to solution.

Wampler Pedals

Ego Compressor

Now widely regarded as the industry standard in guitar pedal compression, the Ego Compressor brings a new level of of control to what is expected and needed by today's guitar players. What does a compressor do? A compressor adds an element of control to your playing level – it will bring the quieter parts up and the louder parts down. While an ordinary compressor pedal can give you an element of control, a great compressor will give you the “feel” that other average compressors lack. If you’ve played a great tube amp when it’s being pushed hard, you’ll know what a great natural compression feels like. When we designed this pedal, the focus was ensuring the playing dynamics could be retained and that the compressor didn’t color the tone at all. By incorporating a clean blend, it allows your original signal to be blended back in so you can get all the benefits of a great compressor (picking up the notes that aren’t as strong and increasing sustain) but have the option to remove the squash at the front. With this control, you can have full country squash or open studio level parallel compression. So, with a comprehensive array of controls and a core tone that is pure, you won’t find a compressor that works as perfectly as an “always on” or as “an effect” and is more highly regarded than the Ego Compressor from Wampler Pedals.

Walrus Audio

Deep Six Compressor V3

Updated in all the right places for top notch tone and playability. Updates to the V3 are as follows: • Added Tone knob (bass cut) for the ability to shape the low end of your guitar signal. • Soft switch/relay bypassing for smoother more reliable operation. • Moved to top mounted in/out jacks. • Updated art by Adam Forster that gives a humble nod to the original art that started it all. The Deep Six is a true bypass studio-grade compressor in stomp box form, inspired by the performance of the Universal Audio 1176 with the simplicity of the Ross and Dynacomp. Offering a Level, Sustain, Attack, and Blend control, the Deep Six will give you unmatched versatility at a price you can afford. Polarity will never be an issue as the Deep Six comes standard with a polarity correction circuit. The internal voltage is doubled to 18 volts giving you the maximum amount of headroom for your sound while maintaining a typical current draw of 8.9mA. The Deep Six also offers a Blend and Attack control which allows you to use the pedal with active pickups or humbuckers. The blend feature allows you to use high output instruments while truly being able to dial out any distortion that may be present.

Strymon

Compadre

Your Dream Tone Starts Here. Start your signal chain with the best possible version of your guitar tone. Treat your guitar signal to true studio quality analog compression with two distinct voices for smooth transparency or vintage squeeze. Hit the Boost switch to add clean boost or soft-clipped dirty boost, with the EQ curve of your choice. Mix in some dry signal for natural attack even with extreme compression settings. Feel the perfectly tailored dynamic response, feeding your amp and effects just what they need to sound their best.