Boss CS-1 Compression Sustainer

This is the pedal that started the compression craze with Boss. Boss released this pedal in 1978 and continued to produce it up until 1982. This was a pedal that was build from the influence of the Roland AS-1. There you have a unique compression to which every other pedal after this one felt very different.

This pedal has three control knobs and switches. You have a control knob to change to overall level or volume of the pedal. next you have a mode switch and finally you had a sustain knob which controlled the overall sustain of the unit.

UTILIZATION

Specifications

Controls: Level, Sustain, 2 Way Mode Switch
Connectors: Input, Output, AC Adaptor
Current Draw: 5 mA (DC 9V)
Recommended AC Adaptor: ACA Series


SOUND QUALITY

This pedal was a first for Boss but they got it right. sometimes the first introduction isn't that great and needs to iron out some of the bugs and errors within any piece of gear. Here they nailed it right off the bat. now the sustaining units they produce now are just flowed the path of modern technology. Which makes this obsolete is design but not in tone. The tone is still classic and fantastic.

This pedal is great with a nice delay and an Ibanez TS9 pedal. You really allow those delay repeats to jump out of your amp and into the mix very well with this compression pedal. These are just perfect for giving a little boost of clarity and volume and keeping things under control. It also allows you to get a better sustain from the tone of your amp and any effects that you have going on in your patches.

OVERALL OPINION

Like I said before these pedals were discontinued long ago. You can find them on the used market but I have no idea what the going rate for one of these can be. I would suggest picking up the Keeley compression pedal. Probably the most accurate and best compression pedal known in existence. This is a good pedal for tone but not for functionality anymore. Technology has now given us a boost in how these pedals operate.

The Boss CS-1 is the original compression pedal designed by Boss and is no longer being made. It has a 1/4 inch input and output and is powered by either a 9 volt power supply or battery. This isn't a rack mountable piece of gear as it is a foot pedal.

UTILIZATION

The configuration of the Boss CS-1 is just about as simple as it can get as it only has two knobs and a single switch. The knobs are for level and sustain and the switch is to choose between either treble or normal mode. Even though this may seem like a small amount of parameters that wouldn't be enough to get your desired tone, this isn't the case and it turns out that this pedal is more versatile than the amount of parameters would lead on. Since this is an older Boss pedal, I don't have the manual and I can't speak to how well put together it is.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality from the Boss CS-1 is pretty awesome and it is probably one of the best compression pedals that I've used and even is one of the best that has ever been made. The sustain you can get on this pedal is absolutely outstanding and it will really last for a long time. It is also nice to have the two different modes which only add to the good amount of possible tones.

OVERALL OPINION

I first used the Boss CS-1 about six months ago and I now know what I was missing out on before I got the chance to use it. While I usually use the Boss CS-3 as I own it and the CS-1 is harder to find, the CS-1 has a superior sound even though it doesn't have as many parameters. If you can find a CS-1 at a decent price and are in the market for a compression pedal, I would highly recommend picking one up as they have an incredible tone and has become a classic compression pedal.

Nice pedal, the mini switch is the most beautiful effect.
LED lights only when I press the pedal, whether on battery or AC, but it is probably yours Vintage in vintage tested.

Attention at the time the transformers were overpriced especially so stabilized boss has cleverly opted for internal stabilization circuit.
Therefore, even with a bad 9v power supply it works well. BUT with a current stabilized power supply no longer enough juice in the circuit. Except the cs3 error is the same, to check.

The thing still works, that is to say ...

UTILIZATION

Cool to use, the switch is spectacular, one side is platissime but with serious and the other is skinny but with a super ideal for chouic funkifier a Les Paul for example.

The volume corrects well sustain, not tried to do a boost sorry.

The curve of the sustain is too brutal kind of fender amp volume ... Damage, ca makes everything fine metering impossible.
To think as a special effect, while the inverse of the trex compnova.
Why not!

SOUND QUALITY

The sound is dull and ugly anyway, without ceiling or other flat, it does not flatter any scratches. And as the crash happens very very soon we only want the disengage ...

On the other event of this switch is much more friendly and alive, and well regulated are not many of breath.

The problem for you is that I do not know the mxr Dynacomp, so tintin to compare and I think that was the target of boss.

OVERALL OPINION

Nah, your sound will lose three quarters of its substance from the inside it is on.
I have cs3 and I find it just as bad.
As typical compressor my dod milkbox (fx84 I think) is a hundred times better in all areas.

The cream is the tc nova dynamics but unfortunately the gas plant.

Otherwise Bébert CS400 is a very honest and above all usable compressor electric guitar declination.