Electro-Harmonix Black Finger (Original)

This is a pedal compressor for guitars, but I've heard it can be used for basses and keys as well. It is pure tube compression, the same voltage that can be found in highend studio compressors. This unit cannot be edited on a computer and is not MIDI ready, and it is not rackable.

UTILIZATION

The sound effect editing is pretty easy. It's a little bit more complex than a lesser compressor such as a Boss CS-3, but not quite as much of a bear to use as a rackable studio compressor. It's easier to use live than in the studio, as I prefer to use the multitude of outboard compressors that most studios, including the one I work at, have. However, live this thing is incredible. It offers you as much range and voltage as one of those studio ones would (300V), and it doesn't give you that cheap dynamic-robbing sound that most pedal compressors are known for. In fact, it puts most of those, including my former go-to, to shame. The manual explains the technology and the applications of the pedal pretty well. The two modes, Normal and Squash mode, change the basic shape of the compressed signal, and offer two drastically different sounds even when all the settings are identical. Squash, as the name implies, flattens the sound considerably more than normal mode, which I was apprehensive about at first. I eventually discovered to my surprise that this mode was preferable in certain situations.

SOUND QUALITY

I use it mostly with my Strat and Telecaster, and I have also had greater success with acoustic guitars that are amplified. Most often, when I'm playing live, I would naively assume that I could plug my Taylor Acoustic/Electric straight in and start playing. However, the sound that I get would sometimes be particularly harsh, and far too unnaturally bright. I find that this compressor works wonders in smoothing out the acoustic, and actually gives it a sound far closer to its natural acoustic sound than I had previously achieved. With electrics, especially single-coiled pickups, I find that the compressor works great at giving a lead tone more beef and sustain. It actually even works wonders with (gasp!) rhythm tracks, something I've never been satisfied with in a pedal compressor. The vast range of the compressor will allow you to solve your biggest volume/tone problems. It is diverse enough to go from being really transparent in normal mode, to coloring the sound impressively in the higher compression modes.

OVERALL OPINION

My only beef with this compressor is a small one, and that is the fact that I can't use it with my EH Big Muff. This is because that pedal already has a ton of compression on it. But that pedal is all about noise and gain anyway, so it's not too big a deal at the end of the day. With a good distortion pedal, the lead tones are out of this world, and they give your playing a beefiness and sustain that will totally boost your confidence as a player. Even with clean lead tones, the effect is great. The main reason it works so well is because it doesn't really sound as though your amp is heavily compressed, which can be painfully obvious with lesser pedals. If you can afford to add it to your arsenal (it averages about $190 online), it's well worth it, especially if you are frustrated with your current compressor or don't have a compression pedal at all. For the live guitarist, it's a very valuable and reliable tool. Just be careful not to break those tubes!

Compressor, ancestor of the modern Black Finger, but without the lights.
Compltement analog, 70's EHX Casing: all aluminum, just big enough and simple!
A jack in, jack out, a mini-jack for power (can also be done by 9V battery). There's also a switch "Off" on it to cut power and prserver the battery without removing the plug from the input.
Mine takes a few seconds turn on like a light amplifier ... Strange.

UTILIZATION

Three pots: Volume, Sustain, and Tone. RULES The volume output level, sustain the compression ratio and the tone tonality. In fact it's like a Big Muff but without distortion. Very easy to use, capable of a large output level!

SOUND QUALITY

Well then, sound quality level ... A large default: It blows. But then a really blows! With compression bottom is like a day of tempt out, nothing to do with a Dynacomp which remain within reasonable ... Anyway.
Compression is trs musical thanks the Tone you can easily sculpt the sound. The color is trs enjoyable, and with the breath has given a lo-fi ct enough INTERESTED (play the intro to Under the Bridge with for example is fun!)
Finally, his breath is both a default and a quality ...

OVERALL OPINION

I found in my basement, y'avait wire soldered the indoor, fast aa t rgl.
I love the sound of the pedals, extremely type ... The problem is that the coup is not able to do something else. It's more a kind of filter to sound like a washing machine 4 tracks.
The PDAL is plutt rare, not even n'tait REFERENCE on this site ... The fact qu'EHX produce another pedals under this name must be for something.
I keep it, because it is INTERESTED, but it's more a collection than anything else.