Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter

The manual is a great place to start with some "basic" settings. The RESP and THRES can look to be usless until you hear what they do.

I'm using the Carl Martin with a 2002 USA Strat, George L Cables, T.C. SCF, MXR Bluface Digital Delay, and a Fender '65 Twin Reissue. (clean side of rig)

I've heard that some people have some noise issues with this pedal. I haven't had any problems so far. Some people maybe cranking the gain up too much.

Looks to be pretty solid athough I wouldn't have put the "on" LED so close to stomp switch. Some people wear combat boots and that LED may get broken. Usually, the aggressive players won't be seen with a Carl Martin anyway. I'll have mine on all the time so I don't really have to worry.

Haven't dealt with them. So I'll assume they will be kind and helpful.

You may think I'm crazy, but I actually sold a Keeley Compressor to get this. Yes, I did. The Keeley's are in thier own world. They're dead quiet, and super smooth, and built very well. But, me being the compression hog that I am, didn't get enough out of the Keeley. This is where the Carl Martin shines. Plenty of compression, and options that could enable me to dial it in right. I could also dial a Keeley/ROSS sound out of it too.

If you want a meat&potatoes compressor, get the Keeley. If you want meat, taters, salt and pepper, plus A-1 compressor, get the Carl Martin.

After unpacking the unit and plugging it in, I found it to be relatively easy to use. After tweaking the controls I would say that you could even use this unit without a manual as the characteristics of the controls become evident after a little woodshedding. As far as the sonic characteristics, I would give the Carl Martin Compressor a 10 as it sounds as good as some of the more high end studio compressors I've used in the past.

Used first with a 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb & a Tele, the Carl Martin compressor yeilded all the twangy/sustained clean tones of the Nashville scene, then plugged into a 100W Marshall Super Lead with a Les Paul, the control of the dynamics was great.

The pedal seems to be built very well. I've had mine for about 2 years. I had one problem with the switch, but I guess that could happen with any pedal. I would use it without a backup and feel comfortable.

When I had the problem with my switch, I contacted the Carl Martin warranty center (listed on the Carl Martin Website) filled out a simple form and sent the pedal back to be repaired. All I had to pay for was shipping, but most manufacturers require that. The turnaround was extremely quick and the customer service was excellent.

I play all styles of music professionally, from classical, to country, classic rock to metal. I've been playing for 32 years so I have had the chance to use every fad out there. I usually play any variety of Strat or Tele, but I also use LP's, Ibanez RGseries(for a metal gig) and Ibanez AM series semi-hollow for jazz or blues. I've used the Carl Martin Compressor with many combinations of guitar & amp and found it to be an indispensable tool for my personal playing style. Prior to owning the CM Comp I used a Bellari tube compressor, but found the CM to sound like a studio compressor, but all controls are geared more for the guitar players use. I like most that they have incorporated the thres and comp controls to be able to dial in just the right amount of compression, without all the breathing associated with most compressors that only have 2 controls onboard. All in all I would say this pedal does everything I need, fits my playing style well, is easy to use and reasonably priced, considering the features you get. I like it!

Very easy.

Studio quality.

Unreliable. Pots went bad and are prone to break.

Outside of warranty -- fogetaboutit!

Poorly designed build quality. Pots are prone to stress and will break off the board. Replacing them is not easy. The pots are hard to find and must be identical to line up with mounting holes after being soldered directly to the circuit board. Ditto with the jacks -- they mount directly on the board and must align with the mounting holes. For an expensive pedal, this is inexcusible, and, imho, the kiss of death. Mine failed after only minimal home use, and it was in perfect, like new condition when I bought it.

Easy is relative. The unit is somewhat easy to use if you are familiar with compression and somewhat difficult if you are not. I'm familiar with the concept as I have used the Boss compressor and various rack models for years. The manual is minimalistic, but offers a good explanation of each parameter and gives you a few typical settings to start with. There's a built in regulated power supply, so no wall warts. This feature is likely one reason that the pedal sits awkwardly high. However, I came to love this feature, as you can place it behind other pedals (like my Recto footswitch) and still access the on/off footswitch...very nice design.

Various guitars (Strats, LPs, PRS, Ibanez etc.) -> Carl Martin Comp/Limiter -> Cry Baby -> Triple Recto (3-ch) and (2) 212 Genz Benz G-Flex cabs. Fulltone ChoralFlange -> Alesis NanoVerb in the loop. The Carl Martin Compressor is as transparent as the finest crystal...no joke. It changes the dynamics of your sound, but not the tone. Unbelievable sound quality that rivals the best studio compression units. I use mine for slightly compressed clean sounds. I use a slightly higher gain setting in order to overdrive the front end of the Recto just enough to provide extra sustain for soloing on the two high gain channels. Awesome.

This unit is built well, and I gig without a backup.

Never had to deal with the company. Somewhat informative web-site.

This is simply the best compressor I have ever used. Your tone always comes through, and the unit must be a true bypass design, because when its off, you never know its even there. Components are of the highest quality, and there's a built in regulated power supply, so no wall warts. Icing on the cake.

It helps to pull the manuel from the Carl Martin web site. You need to understand what "threshold" and "resp" does. But within an hour of messing with it I found some great tones.

INCREDIBLE TONE. I wish I could give it a 15. It is truly transparent and no bass response loss. My Boss CS-3 is now in the drawer (I used it for 10 years but now it's bye - bye -- I did a side by side comparison and WOW) My favoite settings on the Carl Martin are as a limiter ( that is resp knob fully clockwise and thres. set so it just beeps on with the peaks, comp is at 10:00 and gain set to make up for loss. ) the tone is just gorgeous. I play a customized 1989 EC Strat with aftermarket P.U. s - also a no-name big hollowbody with great P-90s and a custom tele. with b - bender. Here's the chain: Carl Martin limiter----Tube Screamer-----Boss EQ----Ibanez analog delay ---- Fender vibrolux or Allen Old Flame. (notice the absence of digital junk) This compressor made a huge difference in chime and clarity. It is not noisy at all. I've played 35 years - mostly like rockabilly, funk, R+B

don't know yet. I carry a backup compressor - hope i never need it.

This is the compressor to own if you care about preserving real tone. I would buy another if necessary. Well worth the price. The foot switch seems a little flimsy but so far it ain't broke.

I thought this pedal is quite easy to use. If someone is unfamiliar with compressors and how they work it will take some playing with the knobs to get familiar with it.

I play a six string bass and it handles everything with beatiful integrity, even when I tune down to a low A. This is a very well made pedal.

I have never had any problems with the pedal. I've been using it at gigs regularily for about 6 months now.

I play bass, and have done so for 12 years. I use a ton of effects, everything from the EH Polychorus and Q-Tron+ to the Moogerfooger phaser. I bought the Carl Martin compressor after trying out quite a few different ones, namely Boss, MXR etc. For the bass the Carl Martin blew them all away. It doesn't fart out on the low end, not even when I tune the low B on my 6-string down to an A. For a pedal compressor it is top-notch. Sure, it's not going to be like a Manley vari-mu, but it is for a totally different purpose.

Matthew Freed
domobass@aol.com
www.thedomosound.com

There are several different settings that you can use for this pedal; you have to go to the online manual to really take advantage of its features, there really should be a manual included. You should read the manual to understand how the response knob works. But once you've played with it there is good deal of versitility to work with. I like to set my pedals and forget them, but I find myself using two or three different settings on this one depending on the situation. I find this to be a good thing. It does the full array of stuff you can do with a compressor for instrument usage.

Crystal clear transparancy. The dealer who sold me the pedal left always his on, with the compression off, at the end of his effects chain as a gain boost to hit the amp with a harder signal because of the boutique pedals he owned, this was the one that did not alter his sound at all. Turn the compression off, set the gain flat and when you turn it off and on, you'll hear no tonal change at all.

With all that said, when the compression's on, I'm amazed at how much it warms up my sound. Rather, it fattens it up very nicely. I'd thought of compressors as something that basically changed the amps behaviour more than it's sound, but I'm re-thinking that now. I play a Fender Japanese re-issue strat, a Hamer Archtop and an Ibanez RG-550, all with aftermarket pickups, through a Rivera Hundred Duo Twelve which has a boost on two different channels.

But when I use the compressor for a gain boost instead of the amp's, it achieves a a different sort of tone, very warm and organic, not as edgy. I can even use it with the Rivera's "Fenderish" channel boosted; it only gets out of control or excessively noisy when trying to use it with a really high gain boost. I can set it to get some nice sag, or for hard limiting, or so that it's not really noticable yet providing great sustain. Clean chords chime with a psuedo-chorused shimmer better than any other compressor pedal I've tried. I never need to turn the compression up past the 11 o'clock position.

Best of all, if you use somewhat more subtle settings that lean towards the limiting feature on the Carl Martin by reducing the threshold and adjusting the response knob correctly, you can get the complete dynamics range on your guitar when you turn its volume knob down around half or so. From as quiet as you like to Townsend like hits depending how hard or soft you strike the strings. Then turn your guitar up, and you're in compression heaven again.

Like any compressor, the more gain you use on your gear the more your noise floor is going to come up; make appropriate adjustments.

I had been using a Boss CS compressor until I bought the Carl Martin. At this point I don't even know where it's gone to. Boss makes some pretty good stuff, but there is no comparison here. I've also tried some boutique compressors like the Way Huge Saffron Squeeze and was not very impressed.

I have started noting at higher gain settings I've started getting a small pop when I use the switch if I'm not playing. So far this is something I can live with if it doesn't get worse. I've had the pedal for going on a year now, it's held up fine although it hasn't seen lots of abuse.

I've never dealt with them. I believe they are in Denmark so I don't know if that would be a hassle or not.

I've played all kinds of rock, from bluesy to pop to metallic stuff for many years. I'd have to get another if this one disappeared. By the way, it comes with it's own AC cord built in. Whoo-hoo! It also has an LED that lets you see how much signal its' getting. That can be a really useful feature when you are setting the pedal. You can do a lot of stuff with it, it's quiet, clean, and yet does a great job
at helping you sculpt a sound. Some people claim that other high end compressor pedals have a warmer sound, and maybe they do a particular thing well or they clolor the sound in a fashion that some people like. But I've never been convinced.

If you feel that a compressor is a crucial item to have in front of your instrument, you have to check one out.

There is a manual online, but none included with it..pretty lame for a $200 pedal...the controls are interactive, but they are easy to use once you understand compression

The sound quality is superb...this will surpass any comp. pedal in terms of sound...it is very transparent and can really be used as either a comp or a limiter..not noisy...

My footswitch has broken 2x in 8 mos....pretty bad..it was repaired and shipped for free, but I had to wait about three weeks...still it seems that the switch is very delicate...not road worthy...I would never gig this w/o a backup...but the electronics have been fine, just the simple mechanical problem, and to make it worse you cannot fit a heavy-duty wah type switch to it

the rep in New Jersey was helpful, but it seems he has a hard time getting co-operation from Carl Martin...as I said he did cover my shipping costs, and the footswitch is not his fault so I give him an 8 but CM a 5

I love this comp, but the footswitch is the achilles heel...if they could correct it it would really be something, but a studio quality comp/limiter in pedal form with a footswitch thats too delicate to use on stage is just a studio comp in a pedal...what's the point?

Great compression in a stompbox, probably the best one out there. I've had no RF problems at all, as mentioned by the previous review. RF seems to be a "local" problem, so perhaps it depends on the local environment.

Use an LP and Strat, both with great results.

No problems.

My emails to the US distributor were promptly replied to.

Great Box. Will improve any rig.

I briefly owned this pedal two years ago. I am exploring compressors again and wanted to comment on this one. I plan to look at the new Blackbox Oxygen and Analog Man's CompROSSor.

The Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter has an excellent range of adjustments for a stompbox compressor. See the online instruction sheet for pointers and additional ideas on how to use.

Mixed bag here. I like the sound of this compressor the most of all stompbox compressors I've heard yet. It can be adjusted for subtle compression of a high output guitar signal without squashing. I've owned the Saffron Squeeze and Marshall ED-1, too. The Carl Martin is the most transparent. However, there is a major problem with it that forced me to return it. At my house, it picked up a lot of RF noise which in the same rig neither of the other two compressors had any problems. I communicated with Carl Martin Denmark and they ackknowledged the RF rejection issue, but had no fix. Because of the RF issue, I have to lower the rating here. Perhaps the newer ones are redesigned?

Sure, I'd gig without a backup, but then it's no big loss for me to do without a compressor if it quits working at a gig.

Excellent communication, both with TC US when they still distributed Carl Martin, and also the folks in Denmark.

True Bypass would be nice, but then it's wouldn't be such an excellent buffer. If they would fix the RF rejection problem I would get one again.

The pedal is a tad complicated but after a while you'll learn how to get great sounds out of it. There is no manual, but if you go to www.carlmartin.com you can just print out the official ones.

OK. Here's a secret set-up that I've worked on for a while. The order is Gibson Les Paul Standard > Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter > Boss GE-7 EQ > Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble > Fender Hot Rod Deluxe... There are advantages and disadvantages of the Carl Martin Compressor. The Good = 1~You get really cleaned-up tones so even strumming chords sounds great b/c the distortion is really tight. 2~The sustain is unbelievable. I already have an all-tube amp which has great sustain, but this pedal sustains solos and chords forever.
The Bad = 1~Noise... If you turn up the knobs too much, much noise. But, if you don't want to max out the pedal then no problems.

Very reliable. Sturdy and tough just like Boss pedals. I would only need one of these wherever I go.

Never had to talk to them, though I can imagine it must be tough b/c Carl Martin is a foreign company and these pedals are imports.

I'm a praise leader for my church and thus I've been looking all my life for clean, tight distortion. This pedal (along with the other things mentioned) finally helped me to achieve just that. Whether if I'm strumming or soloing or playing arpeggios, this is simply the pedal to get. Only problem - it's expensive. Retail for 300 bucks, maybe you can get it 150 at the cheapest. But it's really worth the money, even if it's double other pedal prices. You don't really need that many pedals once you've got the compressor and the EQ, those two pretty much can shape any sound you want.

There is a learning curve in getting good results with this pedal. There is no manual with it but you can print one from their website
www.carlmartin.com. Trust your ears and be patient. This box is capable of more subtlety than most stompbox compressors.

I use various strat type guitars through a Matchless Lightning or
Mesa Boogie Blue Angel with delay and occasionally othe effects. It
is quiet as compressors go and gets a comparatively wide range of
sounds. I am rating this 8 which should be regarded as excellent.

It seems well built.

Have had no dealings with the manufacturer.

As the owner of several compressors (MXR / Electro Harmonix / Boss)
I can honestly say that this pedal is the most versatile. It is also the most expensive. If compression is an important component of your sound then it is worth looking into. I leave my compressor on all the time! If not the Boss would probably meet your needs at less than half the price.

While I have played for 15 years, I just never owned a compressor. Boy, have I been missing out! To start with, I used the settings recommended on their web site. It's a good starting point.

I use it with a custom tele and a Marshall jubilee combo. This unit is very quiet and transparent. It does a great job of booster low frequencies, and just evens out your whole volume and attack. It's great! And by using it, all of a sudden I have complete control over feedback just by facing my amp. I leave this effect on for all my songs. Used with a TS-9, it's really a great tone for rock soloing.

I run from my wireless, to a stage tuner, then to my compressor, then to a Teese wah, etc. It's important to run this effect first in your signal line.

BTW, I first heard about this compressor in a Guitar Player review. They gave it a good rating,and I concur.

Seems plenty solid. It is a bit higher than any of my other effects, so those with a pedal board need to think about that if they don't have much clearance.

Haven't used them yet, so N/A.

I really couldn't be happier with it. If you can't find one used, and can't swallow the $200 they average at, then try the marshall footpedal compressor. I've heard good things about those. But if mine got stolen, I'd certain buy another one.

Fairly easy, but does take some work. The setting they recommend on their website is a good place to start.

Clean, clear, and unbelievable sustain, I can't get over how this pedal will keep things going. hard to explain, but it seems to brighten, bring out the notes better. i leave it on all the time, so the no-true-bypass is not a problem for me. no battery! it's quiet unless you turn up the gain too high, but there is no need for the gain to be up that high.

Looks like it's built well.

My emails got answered promptly, but no manual is not good, and their website suggests talking to an engineer to understand the use of compression. Why should I ask another company to explain your pedal? They need to write a report on compression and put it on their website, and they need a manual with a handful of suggestions.

Best compressor out there by far. I'm SO glad I did not buy an overpriced saffron squeeze or an overpriced ross. If you want the top end compressor this is it. It cleans things up so well, that I hardly need my chorus for that, it's unreal. and you can set it so that you can tell a compressor is on or not. If you'll notice, these are never for sale on HC or ebay, all the others are. and they are hard to find b/c companies keep selling out.

This pedal is very easy to use. Takes a while to dial in your desired settings at first, but after that, its a peice of cake. There was no manual that came with it, but after doing some research, Carl Martin has set up one on its web page (carl martin.com). The reviews above also helped a great deal in the ease of use of this product.

The sound is great on this unit, much better than the MXR, Ross, Boss pedals. You can get that squashed tone like the MXR but you have the versatility to get even more defined tone, way beyond the other effects. Not a peap, no noise here, can't even tell the thing is on. You can get that wet sound that Trey from Phish does, very cool. The pedal also make your distortion more cleaner, the notes just sing out.

Unit is made well. Just got it so I'm not to sure how it will handle out in the world. Nobs are sturty, well built little box. Love the already preasant power chord.

Didn't deal directly with the company, went through a out side dealer.

This little box is the s@#t. I am pleased one hundred persent. Like I said, once you get the thing working its amazing. You can play lines clean and clear, funk away the chords and the sound stays right with you. If it was stolen I would be very upset at this point. If your getting down about compression pedals, don't even think, go out and get this wonder box (believe me, I have been there).

This is by far the simplest compressor I've used, even though it has 4 knobs. Some people get frustrated using a compressor because they don't understand them. Have patience and more importantly, get a good compressor!
You can get a good "starting" sound with all knobs in the 12:00 position.
However, I give it a 9 because of no manual. That's just dumb.

I don't understand the reviewers that didn't like this pedal. I've used 3 of them, and they are studio quiet. In comparison, the Boss and MXR sound like sandstorms! Even through distortion pedals, this thing is silent!
I never use it at extreme settings. I love it because it doesn't pump or cut notes like other compressor pedals do. It is very musical. Over the years, I never used a compressor. I knew what they were supposed to do, but when I bought one I was always dissappointed. The Carl Martin gives me the sounds I've been looking for - and know I can't live without it.

It is solidly built. The switch feels like it could be a little heavier, but I've had no problems. Also, it would be nice if the controls were recessed (like on a Boss). These are potential, not actual, problems.

I've never needed a repair or anything, but they've never responded to my e-mail inquiries. They're in Denmark...

It's a little pricey for a compressor pedal, but I'd buy it again. If you've been frustrated by the mainstream compressors, the Carl Martin will change your mind!

It is not very easy to use. Instructions were non-existant. Perhaps someone with more basic experience in compressors would have had an easier time. There is an LED labelled "busy". I never did figure out exactly what it did. It flashed brighter and dimmer all the time, whether the effect was on or off.

Controls seemed to be incredibly sensitive in some parts of their range and have no effect in other parts. The controls interacted. Changing one changed the required resetting another. The pedal was very noisy, even as first effect in the chain. Generated this noise whether a guitar was plugged in or not. What I was looking for was an effect which would enhance the ring and add a little sustain. Once I got a feel for the abilities of the device I realized that its ability to improve over the natural characteristics of the amp and guitar were very limited, subtle, if any, and difficult to keep dialed in.

I guess I noticed the superficial resemblance to the TC Electronics foot pedal and, since the price range was similar, set my expectations high. I made a mistake. The knobs and footswitch were of perceptibly lower quality. The effect housing was gigantic, but no weight to it. It picked up the local mexican radio station. It would audibly hum when my foot was poised over the pedal. I really don't know if this unit was defective or simply a poor design. It was so big, clumsy, hard to use, cheaply made, and expensive that I didn't care. I sent it back from whence it came. Good riddance.

Easy enough, Not as easy as say a two knob compressor but The threshhold knob is really nice because it really interacts with the overall volume you are playing at, Which always changes night to night. The extra knobs really help you dial it in just right. If one night you have it sounding just right and you don't move the knobs, the next night at a different venue you might sound squashed. reach for the threshold first. A simple move here might get you the sound you had before.

I've tried them all, This is the quietest floor compressor no doubt. It does it's job and is bone quiet to boot.

Don't know but seems built well

The Way huge Saffron Squeeze is very, very good and simple to use, The Ross sounds great and has a lot of snap on the strings but is kinda noisy. The Boss stuff has funky attack and I also think the Dyna Comp is hard to get a good sound without the squash. This is the Best Compressor out there. Maybe a little harder to use but worth the effort.

Great sound, especially compared to my re-issue MXR DynaComp, NO manual only a flier explaining a little about each new Carl Martin pedal.

Using this pedal with a Marshall JMP-1 pre-amp. I was very surprised to find this pedal SO versatile, that I was able to get 2 new sounds out of my JMP, 1) Distortion compressed SO much that it becomes Clean, very cool,the kind of clean I always wished for, in the JMP(IMHO). 2) Distortion compressed just enough to let individual notes ,(hammering or pulling etc.) have the same volume as the power chord you just bashed out, TOO cool. In the effects chain, it comes after Fulltone Clyde Wah, and EH Q-Tron, all other pedals follow. Pretty noisey if you turn the pedals' gain knob WAY more than necessary, but even then, the Hush SuperC handles it.

The pedal seems solid and reliable, However I did stomp the stomp switch switch in pieces, I replaced it myself with an Alco 3PDT .

Never dealt with the company, heard they were hard though.

I purchased this pedal in July of '98 and held off from posting this review to see if the newness would wear off. It hasn't. I feel this is the best compressor pedal on the market. I would definitely buy again if it were stolen.