CMATMODS Signa Comp

Easy to use

It was a disappointment the tone on this thing is annoyingly harsh no matter what way you turn the knob and this pedal has a bit of a noisy circuit that hisses a bit.

I compared this to my Bonepicker Tight Squeeze Compressor and a Maxon Compressor, I find the Maxon to be present in tone and compression and the Tight Squeeze Professional transparent compression and Sustain with no Hiss or raspy tone.

I had it long enough to know I didn't like it or want it, sold it two weeks after buying it.

Been playing a long time 30+ years and have used and built some classic pedals, this compressor needs to be worked on a little more to be a good compressor and it could be a good compressor if they would stop tweaking pedals to the level of uselessness.
Sorry it is a short coming of the same old piece of equipment.

pretty simple, level-tone-sustain knobs. easy.

This is a killer comp. the most quietest and organic sounding comp ive heard. compared to those higher priced comps this is a no brainer. Very subtle pedal, its one thats on but you dont realize its on. If you crank the sustain youll start to get some string noise but the pedal is dead quiet(true bypass). For the money you want find a better sounding comp. I play all stlyes of music, this pedals stays on almost all the time. I play a olp luke model with his signature emg prewired pickup set that i had installed in the guitar and had the old electronics gutted out, and also have an american strat(sunburst)w/ seymour duncans ssl-5's. the comp brings out the best in both guitars.

this casing is strudy and it seems like its a tank but havent had any trouble with it.

In short this thing kicks ***... if you know anything about boutique comps, when you hear this one compared to those other overpriced comps out there it will be a motion of you getting out your wallet(or purse)grabbing the cash to get this thing. It works well in the signal chain, in an fx loop, with other stompboxes, this thing is the one for me. Ive been playing professionally for about 15 years and this comp is the best bang for the buck, analogman, keeley, aint got nothing on this little thing. Ive compared them all and this is the best out of the bunch. If it were stolen id buy another that day.

I tried the Keeley and Carl Martin Comps. They are high quality pedals. But I ended up moving those pieces because they geared for guitar and I experienced Bass Frequency loss. The Tone Knob on the Signa Comp takes care of that problem. Putting the Tone setting on 2 or 3 easily matches my Dry Bass level. I have the 4 knob model. It is always ON. I cant imagine how I endured my tone on all those gigs before I got the Signa Comp.

I have only had it a for a little while, but it is built like it could last through some serious wartime. The Blue LED is blindingly bright. I think you could navigate Colossus Cave with the Signa Comp on your forehead :)

Chad personally answered all of my boneheaded emails. He always maintained a positive and helpful vibe.

I highly reccomend this pedal to electric bassists. For me, it out performs other comps that cost $80+ more. Get `em while they are still a steal.

Tone means everything to me. With all my expensive stuff, the Signa Comp still significantly raised the level of my sound quality. My rig was always great, but I have an awesome new prescence in the stage mix. Since using this pedal I have yet to encounter a room where I felt my sound was being swallowed up.

As easy to use as it can be. Three knobs - LEVEL, TONE and SUSTAIN. There was no manual but if you are buying a boutique pedal, you should already know what those 3 knobs are for.

Very transparent is the first thing that comes to mind. No coloration. True bypass. This thing is dead quiet until you turn up the sustain to high. Then it's string noise that becomes more apparent, not pedal noise. That's what a compressor/sustainer does. I am playing a Fender Highway One Strat SSS through a Headstrong Blue Lamp 1x12 (5e3 tweed replica). Experimenting with a Digitech Screamin' Blues distortion and Digtech Chorus pedal. I'll probably replace the distortion pedals with a CMATMODS Signa Drive based on my experience with the Signa Comp. Favorite artists? Santana, Los Lonely Boys, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Clapton and Prince.

Built like a tank with all top level components. I have no doubt that it would gig well. The paint is a translucent copper over raw metal. No chips or scatches so far.

I plugged a the wrong adapter in and fried the pedal. Duh! I emailed Chad and to find out how much it would cost to repair it, figuring I had just cost myself another pedal. He covered it under warranty and had the pedal back to me within a week from the day I shipped it. That's quick, that's customer service. He documented what was repaired (diode) and signed and dated the pedal.

I'm playing blues and some classic rock. Besides the Fender Hwy One and Headstrong amp, I have a PRS SE Temonti and a Dean Sweetwood DM. I compared this pedal to a Keeley 2 knob compressor (with a noisey pot) and a Keeley 4 knob. It's obvious which one I purchased. I would not hesitate to buy this pedal again if it was stolen.

It explains itself. A 5th grader could figure it out. It's a no nonsense pedal that is very easy to dial in. All the knobs and the led is very easy to see. There's no way to NOT get it set the way you want it. It didn't come with a manual, but I see no reason to have one. You won't need one.

I was really going after my own sound and finally found it. This thing sounds awsome. I haven't had it long so I haven't messed with it much, but I did find a setting the is real close to Lynyrd Skynyrd. I play a Strat through a Fender Blues Deluxe and paired with my Jekyll and Hyde, it got Sweet Home Alabama to a tee. This is an amazing pedal. It's so quiet I keep looking at the LED to see if it's on. But as soon as I touch a String I know that it's on. It made my amp come alive. I only wish I would have bought one sooner. CMATMODS has all the other boutique's beat buy a mile. It's simply amazing.

I haven't owned it long but you'll know the quality of this pedal at first glance. It's a tank.

I've emailed Chad a couple times and he was very friendly and very helpful. I haven't had to have him do any repairs or anything yet but I have no doubts that he is a first class guy.

I play alot of blues and southern/classic rock. I'm currently in a band that plays contemparary Christian. I play some country from time to time. But no matter what I'm playing at the time, this is the one pedal on my board that is always on. I have a Tube Screamer TS-9 modded to a TS-808. These two pedals were made for each other. Each one compliments the other one. My board consits of a Signa Comp Tube Screamer, Jekyll and Hyde by Visual Sound, EH Small Clone, and a Dunlop Cry Baby Wah( which I plan to have chad mod) and no matter what pedal(s) I'm using, I most likely have my Signa Comp on. By far the the best pedal I've had in my 25 years of playong guitar. The price on these has all the other boutique's beat. You can't go wrong with this one. I plan to have more CMATMODS pedals on my board in the near future.

Very easy 3 knob version for guitar. Level, Sustain, Tone.
Many Bass players need this pedal but convincing them is another matter.

SUPER EASY

Very few vintage rock hadr and soft was resorded with studio compressors. To cop Mark Knofler licks and other artists you must have a great compressor and this one nails it! From country through my '53 Tele my dad bought new to my bass for recording it does it with NO NOISE whatsoever. Also, very transparent but the tone knob can really change the tone when desired. The 4 knob version with the attack knob is overkill for most unless for a studio. I have worked with a lot of high end studio comps with tubes..very expensive gear. This compressor in a pedal gives stunningly clean quiet compression I didn't think possible in a pedal.
Amps..Budda, Boogies, Fenders new and vintage, ADA, others

ALSO AS A BONUS it is a G R E A T CLEAN BOOST with tons of volume if needed. I'M SELLING THE KEELEY JAVA BOOST.

It looks very well built inside and out.

Chad is one of the nicest and very professional. He must have incredible passion and patience to design these pedals.

Vintage Rock R & B dance band..playing 40 years..same band now for 13.
It is a beautiful copper color small footprint..about the size of a dynacomp. I also love that small real estate on the pedalboard thing.
Compared to the Route 66 the compressor in that pedal is aweful. I usually leave a little comp on all the time especially the '53 tele as it chimes so well...think "Stones etc". For funkier rythms it really levels things out and sounds more 'punchy' on 16th note stuff.

I have played many compressor pedals but never one this transparent and with the budda clean feedback to soft harmonic decay is a breeze.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and VERY REASONABLE..THIS IS A KEEPER and I have about 15 pedals..sounds great with Keeley BD2.

Relatively easy to use. I say that because there is hardly a bad sound in this box. I have the 4-knob version, which I highly recommend over the 2 knob version.
No need for a manual, really. Just sit down with the pedal and play with it for a while until you find what you like best.

I don't care who you listen to- you will find the sound you want in this compressor. It is extremely quiet-the quietest comp I have ever used. I use this with a Fernandes Retrorocket Elite (sustainer) through a Rivera Fandango. I use various effects that I have accrued through 45 years of playing. I try to keep it lean, using a Guyatone tube delay, a Homebrew THC chorus and one of several OD pedals occasionally. (I recently purchased the cmatmods tube slammer which I will also review)I like using the drive channel on my amp in place of drive pedals most often. I am a big fan of compressors-I've had one as a part of my set-up for decades and have used them all. Up to now, my favorite was a script-logo dyna comp that dated to 1973. I stupidly sold it at a time that I needed money and have been looking for that sound ever since. The cmatmods signa comp comes closer to the kind of compressor that I really love than any other. It is supremely quiet for a comp pedal-a real accomplishment since compressors by their very nature amplify pre-existing noise and make it more apparent. The beauty of this compressor lies in it's transparency and the ability to adjust previously fixed pedal characteristics such as tone and attack. I play classic rock and love tunes like Sultans of Swing, which relies on great compression-compression that allows the sparkle of your guitar come through while letting your notes bloom and flattening out the dynamics. To my mind, making a great pedal relies not only on engineering know-how, but on the ability to really hear and appreciate music and tonal dynamics. Being a player helps. I don't know if the folds behind this pedal are great musicians, but they sure can hear great tone and have crafted this pedal in a way no tone-deaf techie could. Having knobs for attack and tone are really useful. The knobs have that smooth, quality feel and the tonal alterations have a very useful range. I am not a compulsive reviewer, but I was compelled to review this pedal because it really attains a level of excellence that is rare in the world of guitar effects.

Too soon ot tell but I suspect this one will be around for the long run.

Haven't needed it, but again, I suspect the maker will back his product. I had the opportunity to have an e-mail conversation with Chad, the owner of the company, concerning pedal prices. I thought his prices were too high, and not really competetive. He responded with a detailed explanation, breaking down his costs for production. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. His pedals are worth it, period. You can't put a price on great tone, and his pedals are more than worth the money.

As mentioned, I've been playing for a long time. Long enough to know what I like and to judge an instrument or a pedal based on it's tonal merits as opposed to how popular it might be or how expensive it is. Some of the least expensive items have become permanent residents on my board and some of the most expensive have wound up on Ebay. This pedal stands on it's own merits. A real tone tool for the musician who appreciates quality.

This is a very easy pedal to use only 2 knobs it is a very nice looking pedal

Here is where I was overwhelmed! This pedal is so quiet for a compressor. The pedal is warm but with great transparency and it had plenty of compression/sustain and lots of volume. I have been using this as a boost and a compressor this took my Keeley off my board. This is the best compressor that I have found in a stompbox it is perfect for my needs. I play all types of music so it needs to be versatile. I play lots of diifrent guitars Les Pauls and strats my amps are Fender twins, super reverb, and a Rivera.

I have only had this a short while but I looked inside and it was very neat with top notch parts. I forsee no problems with the unit. I have faith in it and I dont need a backup.

This is where CMATMODS really shines. I had never heard of these guys but thier products really impressed me I just happened up on thier site www.cmatmods.com . I sent Chad several emails and he always responded promptly and he was very nice.

I would definatly buy one of these again. I am thinking of purchasing a second one to use one for boost and one for a compressor but he has a new pedal that looks awesome one of his signa drives and a signa comp in one pacage! This pedal is very musical and has became a part of my sound this quick. I will never be without one. I had a Keeley, and an Analog man Bicomp but this pedal is so much better and quieter.