BBE Opto Stomp

This pedal is very easy to use with two knobs (volume and level).

I'm using this pedal with a Fender Custom Telecaster and a Gibson ES Artist through a custom built 5F6-A Bassman clone. My pedalboard contains Dunlop Crybaby Classic, EHX Q-Tron, BBE Opto-Stomp, Visual Sounds Jekyl & Hyde and Tech 21 Boost RVB in that order. I play in a jazz fusion band and a country folk band. My sound is very clean yet pushed. The only effects that I have on at all times are reverb and compression. I've used many other compressors including Boss, DOD, Carl Martin and Electra and the BBE is by far the best yet.

The compression is very subtle and transparent. If you are looking for something that is really going to squeeze the tone, this is not the pedal for you. It fills out the tone and adds definition. This is also the quietest compression pedal I've ever used.

I've only had it for about two months and eight live performances. So far, so good.

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As I stated earlier I play jazz fusion and country in two fairly active regional acts. I've been performing on a regular basis for about 14 years playing jazz, rock, country, jamband. If it we're lost or stolen I would definitely get another one.

Very easy to use, two knobs a toggle switch, jack input and outputs, power supply and battery compartment.

Im impressed with this compressor, very quiet, and also very subtle.

Well I have owned many BBE pedals and they have been solid no problems at all.

Never used them.

Well I have no complaints about this pedal, its is very quiet, very usable on Bass and Guitar, even sounds cool on Acoustic Guitar too.

2 knobs no waiting

utter GARBAGE. I thought that BBE's Orange Squash was lousy, then I played the OptoStomp. This hunk of junk enters a whole new level of sewage. This product is so bad that I will never even look at another BBE product. On the other hand, if you're at the store and see this box, plug it in just so that you can get a good laugh.

who knows. if their sound quality is any indicator, I'd say it will last a matter of minutes before it implodes.

never contacted BBE, and never will

Should be in the Hall of Shame. I have one piece of advice for you before you buy a compressor - play it through YOUR rig first. Every compressor sounds uniquely different, depending upon the guitar, amp, etc. I've heard the Keeley sound absolutely perfect on one rig, then sound thin on a similar (but not identical) rig. For me, it's the Frantone Sandwich all the way.

Very, very, very easy to use! There are 2 knobs, one for volume and one for compression level. Some compressors add a lot of extra knobs to complicate things, but this one is very simple. There is also a pad switch which comes in handy if you're using an active instrument with a vintage amp.

This is the perfect compression pedal for bass guitar. It seriously sounds like a rack unit, but it's small and lightweight. I use it as an "always on" effect because I can't really see a reason to turn it off. I keep mine set at about 35% compression, 75% volume, and this is the perfect combination for me. It doesn't flatten the tone or rob the low end, it just smooths everything out a little. I have never tried this pedal on guitar; since the first time I tried it on bass, it's been a permanently fixed to my pedalboard.

I've only owned mine for a few months, but it appears to be pretty solid. I get the feeling it will last for years to come.

I bought mine used and everything is in perfect order. I've never needed them so I have no opinion.

I sounds like a rack compressor, but costs much less and does require and extra rack space. I would highly recommend this pedal as an "always on" effect for bass guitar.

2 knobs: Comp & Level. Easy. Also a switch to drop the output 15db. I guess this is for line or instrument level (maybe for use in a recording setup?), but it I keep it at the normal switch position. Comes with a power plug but any normal Boss-style will work.

The sound is great on this. It's a very subtle compression, and even if you crank the comp, it's not going to give you a ridiculous squish. But that's fine by me. I was looking for something subtle, to add sustain to my lead tone and to even out my cleans. I have the comp up to about 3oclock and the level around 4 oclock (for unity). At this setting, there is practically no added noise. Even with a TS engaged before it, the comp adds almost zero noise/hum. I was impressed.

I bought this for my bedroom rig, which is a 70's SF Fender Vibrochamp. The chain is:
Guitar (single coils) > Tonefactor Analogue Filter > TS9dx > BBE > Pedal Dr DD5 > amp.

The BBE really helps even out my amp tone, and when I crank the amp, the natural breakup is much nicer. Adds nice sustain.

Got it on ebay for $100 shipped. Great price, especially considering it includes a power adapter. i bought it mainly for my bedroom rig (described above) but am going to try it out with my main rig as well (which consists of a Mesa F100, Lovepedal boost, Keeley 2knob Comp, and a bunch of other pedals), to see if I like it better than the Keeley in that setup.

My only complaint is the size. I really would like something MXR-sized, and I imagine this would fit fine in an MXR box. But the price was right, so...

And again, the absence of noise was fantastic.

So long as you know how to make a compressor work for you you'l have no trouble making this one do it.

I play a '50s reissue Strat or ES335 type guitar through an all-analog pedal set-up into a silverface Deluxe Reverb.
Absolutely beautiful, transparent and subtle compression. Not a compressor for getting those mega-squashed pedal steel sounds, or for getting huge amounts of sustain, but will take your signal and enhance it. Chords ring out much more evenly, single note lines are punchy and have a little extra sustain.
There is minimal loss of top-end (my other compressor is a high-end boutique Ross clone and the Opto Stomp compares favourably for tonal integrity) and no loss of bass or mids.
There isn't a huge amount of volume boost available (in fact with v high compresson ratios you'll find you need to max out the volume to get unity gain) so if you're after serious compression with volume boost then look elsewhere.
But if you're after a classy, warm compression that will not get in the way (but will defnitely be missed when it's turned off) then this will do the job perfectly.
Works v well with bass too (a '72 reissue Jazz).

Great size and ruggedness with a sturdy switch. No worries here at all.

As stated, not a pedal for severe compression, but will work well as a 'leave on all the time' pedal.
True bypass is a nice bonus, and price is very reasonable indeed.
Vaule for money-wise it's excellent.

Couldn???t be much easier... One knob for volume and one for compression with a pad switch for 0db or -15db. Simply adjust the compression level to taste and turn the volume knob accordingly. Easy!

I???m building a pedalboard for my basses and ordered the Opto Stomp to ???get by??? until the EBS Multicomp is off backorder, but I???ve been happily surprised by this pedal! So far, I???ve tried it with a MIM Fender Jazz, Modulus Quantum 5 and Peavey Cirrus 6.

I???ve read comments that this pedal is a little noisy at higher levels, so I cranked it up - volume at 3:30 and comp at 2:30 (I leave the pad switch at 0db) and I didn???t notice any noise. The Opto Stomp is really smooth and transparent, evening out my sound nicely without being heavy handed. This pedal seems a little on the subtle side which is exactly what I wanted, but you can sure get a decent squished, thumpy sound out of it, if that???s what you???re into. I found MY sweet spot by finding the lowest edge of that squish and then backing it down a little bit. Even the sound guy liked it immediately.

As far as I???m concerned, this is a ???set it and forget it??? pedal that will will always be on. I think it???s a great addition to my board and I find myself not worrying about the EBS anymore. :)

I???m pretty confident that this pedal will last a while. While it???s not overly heavy, the casing is all metal, with metal knobs and switches. The on/off switch doesn???t feel flimsy and gives you a good solid click when you step on it. The battery box is a great touch, too... you don???t need a screw driver or allen wrench to replace the battery. I???m not worried about not having a backup and look forward to having this pedal around for quite a while.

Haven't had any problems, so I haven't had to deal with BBE.

Like I said before, I was pleasantly surprised by the Opto Stomp. For $99, I don???t think you can beat the Opto Stomp, IMO. Smooth, transparent and noise-free compression with simple controls. Like a previous poster said, another ???compression??? LED would definitely be a nice touch, but I???m really happy with this pedal without it!

Well for a compressor this thing is very easy to use. Two knobs, one for volume, the other to set the amount of compression. Very easy to dial in. A 15dB switch - good for using as an insert, or as an regular guitar level pedal. (I use the 0dB on both my electric and my acoustic guitars.)

As previously mentioned, the manual has the basics, but nothing more. I agree, it would be nice to have a few example settings for different types of setups. But hey, it's pretty straight forward anyway.

I set the level and compression so the output sound level is about the same both wet and dry for chords/strumming (ie. bypass switch toggled). This is a bit of an iterative process, since with more compression the level is reduced (ie. compressed). Still pretty easy to set, but worth noting.

The battery compartment is easy to access on the bottom - no tools required. It uses a regular 9volt battery clip (like in just about every other pedal out there). There is a 9V DC input jack on the back that uses the same adapters as just about every other single function pedal out there, so multiway power splitters can be used. The battery life is supposed to be 50 hours, but I'm getting a bit more than that. Since the battery is so quick and easy to change, I don't expect to need to use the external DC adapter (which it comes with BTW!).

The true bypass works perfectly, the switch has a very definite feel to it, so it is obvious that it has been toggled - very good tactile feel, and a nice solid click.

The unit powers on in the usual way when a lead is inserted into the input jack (so don't forget to remove the lead after you finish). The bypass switch seems to turn the unit off completely also.

I use this pedal both for my acoustic (into the house PA system), and nn my electric effects chain. The electric goes BBE Opto Stomp --> Roland Cube 30 amp - Ok, I'd love to have an Orange Rocker 30 or Mesa F-30, but that'll have to wait.

I don't really use it as an 'effect' as such, more to clean up inconsistencies during picking, and to help even out the sound when transitioning between rhythm and lead. It cleans up the chords nicely, and brings out the lead/melody notes from being buried in the rhythm.

I have the level set to about 2 o'clock and the compression at 10 o'clock. So not heavy compression. But this works wonders with my sound - VERY transparent at this setting - just cleans up unintented level variations, while still letting me play dynamically. I'm impressed.

At the settings I use, there is zero noise. It's true bypass, so if there was any noise then it could easily be 'stomped out' so to speak. But mine is dead quiet, so it's not a problem.

As I've said, I use this with both my electric and acoustics. On the electric it has obvious uses. But I was surprised to find it even more useful for my acoustic playing - both by evening out the strum attack and softening the piezo quack. Since the pedal is so transparent, it doesn't even sound like there is a pedal there - just a better more consistent sound all around. If it's not already obvious, I'm very happy with this pedal.

This looks like a good solid stomp box. All metal construction, metal knobs, audio jacks a fixed to the chassis, and the bottom is rubberised for better grip on the pedal board.

I've only had it for a short while, but this thing seems very dependable. I don't have a backup for this, but don't feel I'll ever need one.

Don't know about their customer support, since I haven't dealt with them. This thing seems so reliable that I don't expect I ever will.

I've been playing for about 10 years, I play both both church and rock music. If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy another immediately.

It was one of the cheaper ones (well it was on sale), but for me it was also the best sounding. When I got this I wasn't shopping for price either.

The Keeley, BOSS CS-1 (and Behringer clone) seemed to be aimed for a different market where the effect is much more tonally obvious and 'effecty'. Not really what I was after. I looked at the Aphex Punch Factory, and both sounded just as transparent as eachother - the BBE Opto Stomp also had a much more solid construction and its battery can be replaced quickly and without a philips screwdriver.

One thing that would be handy for setting it up would be a second compression LED that got brighter the more work it was doing so you could tell when and how heavily it was squeezing the sound. That would be cool. The alternative: use your ears. Just as effective!

For anyone wanting a very transparent compressor for acoustic, electric or bass guitar - this is it. I haven't tried singing through it, but it wouldn't surprise me if it worked for that too.

It doesn't get much easier to use. Hook it up, and you've got two knobs.

I'm using a Peavey Classic 50 (4-10s) and a variety of guitars -- mostly Strats and Teles. There's no noise in this unit, plus you get a true bypass -- so when it's out, it's really out. What I'd like to know is this -- many companies say their compressor is "transparent." I tried several -- including a brand new type from BBE (an orange one called Main Squeeze), a Route 66 (noisy as hell), the "transparent" compressor in my TC Electronic G-System, a Rocktron, and a T-Rex. The T-Rex was definitely "transparent" -- you couldn't tell it was on. I play a lot of Country, and I want squish and sustain -- not just limiting as in the "transparent" compressors. This unit provides squish AND sustain, plus it's quiet... I almost ordered a T-Rex, but after I compared them in a store side-by-side, I walked out with the Opto-Stomp. The bass player noticed it (sound-wise) without me mentioning it. It does what a compressor is supposed to do -- smooths things out and gives a clean, compressed sustain. I give it a 9, 'cause even a little more sustain would be a nice-to-have.

Not sure yet, but it looks like a well-built pedal.

No idea. If it broke, I'd throw it away and get another. It does, however have a 5-year warranty -- so they must be pretty confident in it's ability to hold up.

Great for clean country -- I don't do a lot of overdriven sounds. I've been playing for 29 years and I have a pretty clean rig -- not a lot of gizmos. If it were stolen or lost, I'd take a look at the new Dan Armstrongs (couldn't find one to try), but if I needed one immediately and I found another Opto-Stomp, I'd be content.

There are two knobs: Volume and Comp. There is a pad switch which I don't use. I usually set the volume at 12:00 and the comp at 10:00. I have had a Boss CS-3 which sounded like crap with a bass. I bought the BBE because I was looking for a compressor pedal to use on bass and read good things about the B-Max so I thought I would take a chance on this pedal.
Compressors can be tricky to set properly when you have threshold and ratio settings. This is by far one of the easiest I've ever used.

I use a Carvin LB75 five string bass and an Ampeg BA-115 with the BBE between the bass and the amp. It is hardly noticeable when setting the comp at 10:00 which is what you want with a compressor. It does a good job of keeping your sound even and natural. I have tried to set the comp knob higher at 3:00 and it seems to take away from the dynamics too much. Another thing I noticed is there is some distortion when used with bass when you crank the volume all the way up.
For guitar, this pedal works really good as well. One of the guitar players in my band tried it one day while playing clean and it sounded really nice.

I've had this pedal for 2-3 months now and have not had any problems so far. I do not have a back-up. I guess if it goes bad then I will go without it until I can buy another one.

I have never dealt with them.

This pedal works well for rock music, especially when really digging in and playing hard. Moderation is the key with this and any other compressor. I like light compression to even out the peaks and valleys. This pedal does that. I have been pleased with this purchase. I wanted a good compressor pedal since I play a combo and didn't want to buy a rackmount compressor. I've used this with a MXR M-80 pedal and that seems to be a pretty good combination as well.