Many beginning guitarists may be unaware of how to use a compressor pedal because, at first glance, it does not appear to change the sound much. But in fact, if you use the best compressor pedal, you will be able to fine-tune the sound quality more effectively.

Usually, such pedals have several knobs for altering the sound of musical instrument:

  • Sustain. This effect increases or decreases the compression effect.
  • Level. It is used to adjust the sound volume. With this, you can compensate for the increase in compression or increase the volume.
  • Tone. It is used to make your sound brighter.
  • Blend. This effect makes your guitar sound more “real” as if you didn’t use a compressor at all but instead used enhancing effects.

A compression pedal’s primary function is to make soft sounds louder and loud sounds quieter, equating them to a mid-tone. As a result, the tone range narrows, resulting in a more even and sustained sound. So, let’s look at some examples of how to properly use a compressor pedal.

Sound Enhancement

The pedal’s main advantage is that it can make your mid-priced guitar sound like an expensive one. By narrowing the sound range, you can make the sound more punchy. Moreover, you can make the sound more aggressive.

You’ll notice that the guitar sound is much quieter when the controls are turned off, but the compressor is turned on. To adjust the compressor, you need to use the sustain and tone controls. You can also use a blend control if you want. To make the sound louder, you should use level control. Because the sound tuning is mostly determined by your guitar, it’s worth experimenting with the mids, lows, and highs to find the best one.

Compression Depth Adjustment

Some sounds may fall out of the tone you want to give to the melody. The sound of a guitar, for example, is affected by its flatness. This noise has the potential to detract from the start of your song. To get rid of this effect, simply set the compressor pedal to the desired settings. To make it not so loud, just turn on the compressor and set all the settings to 0. After that, try to set the sustain and level controls to different positions to achieve the perfect result.

If you need to muffle the clicks that occur when you strike the strings and leave the main sound of the guitar untouched, simply set the settings to low values so that the compressor can do its job quickly.

Video Tutorial — How To Use a Compressor Pedal