All user reviews for the Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer

This is Boss's third and final installment of the compression pedal. They took what they weren't able to do with the Boss CS-2 and compounded upon that platform to create the Boss Cs-3. They have been producing this pedal since 1986 and is still available today. So in 25+ years they haven't updated this pedal.

The CS-3 saw a chip replacement during the early 90's. Early pedals used a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) DBX1252 but it was changed to a THAT2159 some time in the early 90s. The pedal was modified for the PSA adapter in 1997.

UTILIZATION

Specifications

Controls: Level, Tone, Attack, Sustain
Connectors: Input, Output, AC Adaptor
Current Draw: 10 mA (DC 9V)
Weight: 400g (15 oz.)
Recommended AC Adaptor: ACA (black label) or PSA (silver label)


SOUND QUALITY

The Boss CS-3 will compress high input frequencies and boost low input signals which will in turn give a much better sustain to the notes you on the guitars.. However, by boosting the lows of your signal comes a lot more noise in the circuit. This will increase the amount of noise you hear in the signal.

The compression pedal in general works best with effects such as choruses and delays. This give the needed boost in order for those repeats and lush chorus modulations to jump out in the mix much better.

OVERALL OPINION

This pedal is still around today. At new they come in at around $99. That is a good price for this pedal. Not really the pedal I would get for compression, but a decent one nonetheless. I prefer the Keeley Compressor. that pedal is probably the best pedal out on the market today.

compressor

UTILIZATION

Very simple one obtains immediately a good sound deal at twelve o'clock

SOUND QUALITY

sustain breath after midday but it crushes the sound too so it's not worth going there

OVERALL OPINION

Thanks to this pedal my marshall amp has a warm sound, like jazz or blues good. And then there are more attack. I do spend more, it is always connected. All sets at noon there is little wind. It does not bother. So it amplified the effects (chorus, delay). And for the rhythmic dechannées is genial, the volume remains regular, very effective ...

- Controls for level, tone, attack, and sustain

- LED battery indicator

- Easy access battery compartment

- Powered by 9v battery or Boss style adapter

- Solid enclosure

- Boss buffered bypass

UTILIZATION

Quite a bit of control actually. The volume knob is self explanatory, as is tone. Sustain lets you dial in how long you want your notes to ring. Compression dials in the extent to which you are squashing the signal volume, boosting lows, and bringing down anything loud.

The Battery change feature actually really nice, a lot of pedals require unscrewing the bottom of the pedal, this is quite a bit simpler.

Generally, I've found the buffer to be very low quality, and really does a horrible job of preserving your bypass tone.

SOUND QUALITY

To be honest, this is one of the very worst compressors that I have had the pleasure using. In a nutshell, it turns your guitar into a rubber band. Some compressors will do a pretty good job of retaining some dynamics. This one pretty much steamrolls your playing, you get one one volume, that is it. The higher up the compression and sustain settings, the more noise you get. And forget about using it with anything high gain, that will take you right into the land of feedback.

Very little that I like about the sound of this pedal at all. I found it to be pretty much unusable.

OVERALL OPINION

Save your money. Compression isn't really an effect that you ever want to cheap out on. It can destroy your tone far too easily. At this price point, look into the MXR dynacomp. For a little more, the Barber Tone Press is killer. And for a little more than that, the Diamond Compressor is hands down the best I've used, topping an $800 BJFE compressor in my opinion.

There really isn't any budget or setup that I would recommend this under.

Pass.

(Originally written by Marty62100/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
4 knobs:

Tone, Level, Attack, Sustain

9-volt operation.

--- EDIT ---

The pedal has been modified;

UTILIZATION

Quite easy but it's a compressor so you have to get used to the way it works.

SOUND QUALITY

I'm satisfied with it but I think I will test other models. Considering its price, you could even buy it just to get to know what a compressor is.

I find the effect pretty effective especially on the attacks. It's also possible to use soft compression.

It is more effective with a clean sound than with an overdrive. With distortion the effect didn't convince me at all.

But it does enhance clean sounds and balances the overall sound (especially when it comes to level, which is normal for a compressor), and it provides a wonderful color to the attacks. I find the effect excellent for blues and even better if you add a slight modulation. (a chorus for example, although I prefer a hi-band flanger). BTW, Boss even recommends doing this.

With an overdrive, the pedal softens the sound (I have a SD1 which sounds quite dry). With the right setting you can easily get a TS9 tone.

With this pedal I use mainly my guitar's neck pickup so my clean sound becomes rounder and nicer.

------ EDIT --------

I modified it today.

Now it's a killer pedal!! The sound changed radically: less noise, no feedback with high compression ratios. The tone is clean, rich and thick. The compression effect didn't change.

I can now play a clean sound with full compression... With overdrive the sound becomes thicker but not dirty. It's AWESOME!

OVERALL OPINION

I review this small compressor without having tested many others so I'm trying to be objective.

First of all, you have to understand how a compressor works (see forums and other information sources) if you want to make the best use of it.

I give it a 9 because I haven't tested many others.

--- EDIT ---

After I modified it, this pedals does deserve 10/10 or even a 12/10 considering its price and the cost of the modification. It's mind-blowing!!

This is a Compression pedal only. They say compression/sustainer, but sustain is a standard option on a compression pedal. I believe this is all analog. There are no visible digital parts at least. This is not editable through a computer. Its is 1/4" audio only, and no it is not rackable in the traditional sense (as in you would have to mount on a drawer, then rack that).

UTILIZATION

The general setup on most stomp boxes is pretty simple, and this one is no different. The idea is finding a balance between the sustain and the attack. I would start my setting the attack first, and then playing with the sustain until it sounds just right. My only problem was I never found that tone I was looking for.
Its very easy to edit the boss pedals because all of the options are labeled and adjustable by a dial. That is the beauty of these pedals, they are exceptionally easy to use and therefore great for beginners.
I never consulted a manual because I got mine used and never got one. But again, most boss pedals are really easy to figure out.

SOUND QUALITY

Is this a good compression pedal, NO! Pair this one up with just about any other compressor out there and you will hear what I am talking about. Its not very transparent. Every time I clicked it on I noticed a reduction in the good tone coming out of my Parker Nitefly. If you want more sustain, wave good bye to even more tone, it starts to sound really cheap the more you add. I run my Parker through my effects and into a Fender Twin, and when this pedal is not in my effects chain, things sound way better. I can't say I liked this pedal with any of my instruments.

OVERALL OPINION

I used this pedal for about 4 months. I promptly sold it and purchased one of the finest compression pedals on the market. The Analogman Bi-compressor (check out my review on that). There really isn't anything good about this pedal. The worst thing about this pedal, besides the tone reduction, is when using it live, I would click it on and loose about 25% of my volume. I would crank that level parameter up and still nothing. I couldn't figure it out. Sometimes it wouldn't drain as much volume, but overall it was never consistent. Sometimes transparent (in regards to volume) and sometimes if was like someone turned down my amp. This was my first compression pedal and I bought it on a whim off of ebay. After doing lots of research I found the Analogman Bi comp and was very happy when I got it.
Honestly, there is no value in crap, so don't waste your money on this pedal.
The only Boss pedal I would ever buy again is the Tuner and possibly one of the Digital delays.