XoticSP Compressor Pedal

Pressed for time, but a quick review: Took me a while to realize the subtleties of a compressor. Finally made the decision due to trying to control dynamics and even out attack when amp master is cranked. Running the SP as first in my effects chain in front of a Blues Junior NOS, using a Strat w/Texas Specials. I did not expect the tonal aspects of this pedal. As a clean boost, this pedal makes my amp sparkle. Beautiful full, super clean tone with just the right amount of breakup for pick attack.Very solid and well built little unit with very good loocks. When you crank either knob, the noise floor is amplified; I think this is more of an issue with equipment noise, not the SP. The manual specifically points this out, so if you hear people complain about noise, it might not be a fair assessment. Important to know that it's very easy to dial in the noise by adjusting the knobs. I've been able to get the tone I want with no noise at all.Compressor evens out dynamics and adds sustain. I prefer the mid-compression toggle selection. Haven't played with the internal dip switches that affect attack. Not interested in this level of refinement right now. Enjoy playing with the volume and blend knobs -- so many great tones.Not usually into pedal aesthetics, but this is a sexy piece of kit. The LED shines through the translucent knobs and looks like eye candy.Only issue is that it's so thin it can tend to tip to either side with the weight of cables. Haven't been able to velcro it down yet. Only play in bedroom and cannot give feedback on stage worthiness.This is definitely going to be an always-on pedal. So glad I bought this. Unexpected all-star. Can't wait to try out more Xotic products.

It's very stout, relatively quiet for a Compressor, and despite having only two knobs, the internal and external switches make it considerably more versatile than I ever would have imagined. I bought it looking for a simplified but fully-functional compressor with a blend knob. Before I was using a Boss CS-3. I won't say this pedal is 'better' than the CS-3 because I have a positive predisposition to it despite its quirks, but for someone looking for versatility and a professional studio-quality compression, this is you guy. Small profile, but heavy and well made. As I said, you might end up preferring a different compressor, but you could do no better than this one. I suspect I will be using it the rest of my life.

I've tried 3 compressors now ranging from inexpensive to very expensive. The MXR Dynacomp, the Wampler Ego, and the SP. Compared to the Wampler Ego there is little difference in sound and compression, but I didn't like the Ego because there were too many controls and I just don't see the need for that much compressor control. The SP has 2 knobs, Volume and Blend, and it has a Hi, Lo, Mid switch. I keep mine on Mid with the Blend at 12 o'clock and the volume at unity. Compared to the MXR Dynacomp, the differences are night and day. The Dynacomp seems to color my sound bringing out the bass, and in a lot of ways this is great. The Dynacomp encriches a clean tone and can also give you a very good 70's tone with distortion. I keep both compressors on my board because I love what the Dynacomp does to a clean signal, but the SP plays so much more nicely with pedals whether they are in front of it or behind it. When the SP is behind an auto-wah it tames it. When the SP is in front of some distortion pedals, it improves them or alters them in good ways. The thing I like most about the SP compressor is how transparent it is. It is just utterly transparent while still compressing. There were several reviews when the SP Compressor first came out that called it the greatest compressor on the market and I totally agree. Xotic really nailed it on this one.One additional BEST THING about this compressor is the high frequency cut you can activate internally. Sick or your chords sounding harsh? Best thing ever on the planet. My favorite in addition to all the rest.

Tiny housing somehow manages it include place for a 9V battery. Great sound; the mix or blend function preserves expression and pick attack. Adds body and sustain with very little noise. Highly recommended!

I've been on the hunt for a great compressor pedal and I've found it! . I've used a boss cs3, an mxr custom comp, mxr dyna comp, but this one blows them all away! Those pedals are all good too but I feel that the sp is more musical. The blend knob is great! It is a parallel compressor and so this allows you to blend your unaffected dry signal to the compressed signal. The result is that you can dial in the perfect amount of compression. This pedal is often compared to the barber tone press and I've read many reviews on that too and supposedly the sp and the tone press are very similar. Haven't tried that pedal out my self though. One day I'll try it out but as of now I'm very happy with the sp compressor. It's on my pedal board first before overdrive and it's on all the time. Sounds really good and it makes playing feel easier. There's dip switches inside the pedal too to custom tailor the sound but I haven't bothered with that. It sounds good just the way it is. I recommend this awesome pedal. It's great!