MXR M102 Dyna Comp Compressor

This is the tried and true red 2 knob MXR Dyna Comp. It's been around forever, well more accurately, I think since the 1970s.

I acquired this pedal used for $40. New they run about $70.

It is simple to use. It gives a great boost as well as will tighten things up if needed. Great if you want to even out your guitar's signal.

The best sound I got out of it was using is together with a clean Fender strat into a Fender Twin Reverb. Reminded me of some of the sounds you might hear from Stevie Ray Vaughan or John Frusciante.

If I had paid the new price of what these pedals go for I might feel a bit let down. The pedal is noisy on the high end. There isn't much else out there for the same price. I did hear that Behringer is coming out with a similar pedal. I'm curious how that will stack up. The Behringer will probably not be as durable, but it will most likely be half the price.

Quality and construction are fair for a sub $100 pedal.

If you need a simple compressor for your live guitar rig, this is it. If you want a better hi-fi sounding one, look elsewhere. You will hear a little noise and that is the only reason I suggest it more for live use than in a studio setting.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Paid $75 at a used place

I like everything about this pedal. It is tuned and set up for the guitar and enhances all manner of signal you throw at it. Whether you want to bring out the clean tones or sustain the gritty tones, the dyna comp does the job and adds very little noise in the process. It's also very easy to use, unlike many compressors. I like to put the output at 3 o'clock and the sensitivity at 8:00 o'clock. The effect is there but is unobtrusive.

I can't think of a bad thing to say.

Excellent

A must have for any analog pedal maniac. Don't leave home without it.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The MXR Dyna-Comp is probably one of the more famous compressors out there. It's been around for who knows how long, and it's been part of rigs since before I was born. The ability to squish the notes works awesome for clean tones, and it can actually be used as a bit of a solo aid as well, assuming you don't plan on squishing the piss out of your tone. There are very few compressors out there as readily available as this, as well as being as musical sounding as this one.

UTILIZATION

MXR pedals are put into very strong housings. You could jump on this from the balcony, and I bet it would still survive. The only real issues I ever see with these are that the switches will sometimes go, but that's after years and years of hard touring abuse. I've seen people spill beers on these without any issues at all. Using it is very easy as there are only two knobs. You simply adjust the two knobs to the amount of compression you're looking for, and you're good to go. There are a few sample settings in the manual, and if you want more info, you can look in there, but considering how easy this pedal is to use, it's really not needed.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound is great. For clean tones, if you ever wanted that spanky kind of clean sound, this is the pedal you're looking for. You can squish the clean tone enough to where it sounds a lot more even and not nearly as "peaky" as clean tones tend to be. Country cleans are pretty much always heavily compressed, and this can do that kind of tone in spades. I don't really recommend using this on rhythms too much as it tends to be a bit too compressed, but on leads, it can be a pretty sweet lead boost that helps give you some extra sustain without harming the original tone too much.

OVERALL OPINION

If you're looking for a solid compressor for the price, this is probably the one you want to get. There are better ones out there such as the famous Keeley Compressor, but that's very expensive, and it's not exactly necessary for everyone. While that happens to be my main compressor, this one is great in a pinch, and I find myself using it whenever I go to a store to test out clean tones.

There are really two theories with pedal compressors. You either have a ton of control over your threshhold and attack, or you just get the normal two know volume and compression deal. MXR is very clearly a simple side to this coin. I remember a few years ago this was one of the few compressors out there. The mind with a lot of players was that a compressor was a compressor and that was the end of the story. So you just got a boss or an mxr and called it a day. These days you have a lot of choices and in different price ranges. This is in the lower end of the ranges and the control layour reflects that.

UTILIZATION

If you can't figure this out you have no business using a comp. It's got a sustain control. That's basically it. How much do you want? Most players are going to keep it around noon. Honestly it would be nice if MXR would have one of these with a fixed at noon control and just an on off switch. EHX has been doing this kind of thing with some of their pedals and it seems like a good idea.

SOUND QUALITY

Here's the thing. I've used about every comp out there. From the $300 boutique ones to the mid priced stuff to the cheaper ones like this. For the most part you get what you pay for but there are exceptions. I use this pedal in my beater rig. It's basically a Thinline tele with a Vox AC15 and some rendom pedals. I would have to say I run my knob at about 11 oclock most of the time. I don't like it to sound overbearing which can be an issue with this pedal at times. It's not as transparent as a Diamond comp which is obviously a lot more. This pedal will get you that nashville sound though, and in the sub $80 range I think this is your best choice for a comp. Yes, the script comp is a bit better. But in my opinion it's not worth the extra. If you're going to spend over $100 or so I would get a Keeley or something even nicer.

OVERALL OPINION

Like I said, great value for the sound quality. Not it's not going to sound like a Keeley or a script logo. But those are a bit pricier and not everyone wants to drop $160 on a compressor. This is a great beginner comp or just for people who aren't crazy about them. I recommend.