Empress Effects Compressor Pedal - The Extreme Of Boutique Range
- Archive review
From our archive. This review was published on GuitarFella and has not been re-tested. Specifications describe the model as it shipped then — check the maker's current range before you buy.
Empress as a manufacturer are responsible for putting out some of the most all-around pedals on the market, which comes from their philosophy - specializing in crafting pedals meant to inspire musicians, instead of limiting them.
The company is founded in 2006 by Steve Bragg – a genius designer when it comes to pedals, since then they’ve had an ever-expanding team of specialists aiding in the manufacturing process, bringing to life a variety of pedals backed up with remarkable quality. Today we are featuring the Empress Effects Compressor Pedal that we consider to be one ot the best compressor pedals.
The control knobs are as follows: Input – adjusting the input gain from your guitar, Attack/Release – controlling the compression’s reaction speed and how fast the signal is released, respectfully. Mix lets you smoothly blend clean signals, and lastly we have the standard Output control knob. The three-way switch on the left side of the pedal signifies Ratio control (2:1|4:1|10:1), and on the right side there’s the aforementioned switch for controlling the LED lights.
Features
This compressor pedal may look overly-complicated at first, due to its wide range of control options, but you won’t feel like that upon first use, the designers make sure to equate a fine balance between versatility and ease of use. The box itself is naturally quite a big one with the inclusion of True Bypass, as witnessed in other pedals by the same manufacturer, also its modern design with a multitude of arranged LED blinkers make it quite attractive to the eye. In terms of power, it requires a 9V power supply to run, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.Controls
The most obvious highlight of this pedal is the long line of LED indicators controlled via a corresponding switch, which above all else provide the user with knowledge on how much exactly their signal is being compressed. The lights can also display levels of Input and Gain, individually or simultaneously, as well as providing understanding on the Attack and Release timings. Truly remarkable, isn’t it?
The control knobs are as follows: Input – adjusting the input gain from your guitar, Attack/Release – controlling the compression’s reaction speed and how fast the signal is released, respectfully. Mix lets you smoothly blend clean signals, and lastly we have the standard Output control knob. The three-way switch on the left side of the pedal signifies Ratio control (2:1|4:1|10:1), and on the right side there’s the aforementioned switch for controlling the LED lights.