Adding tightness to big open chords doesn’t sound like it would work on paper, but in practice, it gives the chords a unique character. Before we really dig into the details, it would be important to note where in the signal chain the Dyna Comp is most effective.

If you're running a script or application, please register or sign in with your developer credentials here. One of the most popular compressors of all time, the Dyna Comp is the secret weapon on many stars' pedalboards. The MXR Dyna Comp wasn’t the first compressor pedal on the market – the Maestro SS-1 Sustainer and Electro-Harmonix Black Finger preceded it by a few years – but it was certainly the first to be embraced by a wide variety of professional players who helped it become a standard, essential item in many guitarists’ rigs for nearly five decades. The Dyna Comp Compressor is famous for its first-rate, no-nonsense approach to tightening up your guitar signal and creating rich, full-bodied sustain. If you need your item delivered on a specific day, you can leave a comment in the box at the checkout and we'll take it from there.But, as you strum the rest of the notes, it opens up as a gate would open after pushing it from the center. For that "large" (compared to size and features) amount of money you could get a relatively good distortion pedal or almost a delay pedal.

Having used various compressors since the 70s, MXR is well made and the mini pedal does not disappoint. So, with MXR having joined the new wave of ‘blend knob’ compressors, once I decided to revisit the squishy-squashy world of compression it was natural that I would start with the MXR Dyna Comp Deluxe. The run at the end seemed unchanged other than a slight sweetness that the pedal seemed to add to the tone itself. It’s because when you add sensitivity, or the actual compression to the clean signal, it really tightens up the tone.In addition to the Output and Sensitivity controls found on the original MXR Dyna Comp pedal, the Dyna Comp Deluxe now features Clean and Tone controls along with an Attach switch.

At this level, this adds a nice amount of pop to upper register funk chords, and adds a nice crispness to lower register notes as well. Though I used to run a compressor early in my chain, I now like it towards the end because I have some nice fancy ‘touch-sensitive’ overdrive pedals and I want them to respond to my playing dynamics before the signal gets compressed. Credit is provided by a panel of lenders with whom we have a commercial relationship (so we cannot provide independent advice).More on that in a bit, but before we go any further, we should ask the question: what is compression, and what does the Dyna Comp do?

By turning the Tone control, you can really fine your compressed signal to add that extra bit of polish to your sound. I mostly use it for bluesy situations with my PRS and I really love how easy it is to achieve that chicken-picking sound with only a few buttons.

The answer, crank up the tone control on the compressor and I’m pretty much back to where I was without it. Spec'd from our own 1976 Dyna Comp Compressor, this pedal is built around the rare CA3080 "metal can" integrated circuit (IC), which yields quieter operation, greater transparency, and increased dynamic range. After the midrange test, I knew that I would really have to push this pedal if I wanted to feel a difference with a full-on distortion sound.