MXR Dyna Comp

Couple knobs and a switch

It's not very transparent as far as compressors go, but if you want that squished and pumping sound this box is for you! There's no gating feature so be prepared for a substantial noise floor when your not playing. The attack seems to be a bit slow giving it a sound like a fast engineer "gain riding".

I've had this thing since 1984 and it has never failed. It may not be the best sounding device, but it is going to outlive me! You could run over it with a car and it would survive.

Who are these guys anyway?

I was surprised to see people raving about my first compressor, so I dug it out of the closet, put in a fresh battery, and re-discovered why I put it in the closet in the first place. I do think it would make an excellent projectile if needed (this thing is a metal brick!). Don't get me wrong, while it has done it's time serving as a door stop in my home studio, it is in fact, what I reach for when that cheesey pumpin' compressed sound is all that will do :-)

Two Knobs - Output and Sensitivity (which controls the amount of compression). I usually just keep mine at 2 O'clock and 2 O'clock.

I use a Strat and a '74 Gibson SG Std and a variety of amps, also Direct input. This is an original MXR made in 1978 - no LED or power jack but the battery lasts for months even when used for a few hours every night. By itself the Dyna-Comp adds virtually no noise to the signal but it will amplify any other noise so it is important to use high quality cables and take precautions to eliminate any hum. I always put the Dyna-Comp first in the chain which really makes the signal noise free. It does exactly what a compressor should and does it extremely well. It enhances the quality of the other effects especially distortion. Sustain is very pure and clean.

Very dependable - although I'm considering purchasing one of the new ones for gigs just because the original MXR's are difficult to find. I'd be heartbroken if mine ever got trashed or stolen.

It is twenty years old and still works beautifully. MXR is history though, so no support exists.

I play all kinds of music. This device is always in my chain and is usually on. The quality of this compression with virtually no noise is hard to find in a pedal. Wish I'd bought a case of these way back when (sigh).

Step on it.

I've played a vintage Dyna Comp, and I own a new one. The vintage pedal is a lot more quiet, and is a bit better than the new re-issues. But the new one is as good as a compressor as they come, and is a lot better than the BOSS models.

I always use it for all my gigs. If you use the pedal with a 9 volt, take an extra battery with you. The great advantage of the newer models is that they have a LED light, and you can use a DC/AC adapter with then(unlike the vintage pedals). But it's made like a tank, so no problem dropping it or jumping all over it.

When I play with the Dyna Comp, I kind of didn't like how it held the sound to a certain level when I first start playing. BUT, if I turn it off, the tone I have created goes to pot. This pedal really does wonders for clean tone and distortion pedals. The sustain given really is awsome. And once you get that sustain, and you punch the pedal off, you will cut the pedal right back on because everything that you love about the tone is lost when you cut it off. Also, if you cut the pedal up in volume, it can help push your amp into some nice distortion. If you use a low watt tube amp, say a Fender Princeton, or a Blues Junior even, it will help push them a bit more, and get a nice dirty sound from them.
So this pedal is great, if you are going to get a compressor, buy this one. The end.

only 2 nobs, so it's easier than most compressors right off the bat. Not restrained, though, the 2 nobs really give everything you will need in a personal compressor (get a rack comp for extremely pro situations). There is a Sensitivity nob which controls the compression, and an output nob to control the level of the compressed signal leaving the box.

Really good. Creamy and sustains well. Makes my other effects sound better, except for my Small Stone phaser which sounds a bit less trebley on the non-color mode. Otherwise, it works good. Not th ebest personal compressor I have used, but definitly better than any Boss CS-1/2/or 3 that I have tried.

MXR are great, the jacks feel a little tight, though--I have to really try to get my chords in and out.

never had to deal with them

Really good compressor for the money. The only better compressor is a Ross one. The grey Ross compressor has to be one of the best compressors out there.

This is a simple little compressor box with 2 knobs, labelled "output" (volume) and "sensitivity" (threshold). Basically, you adjust the sensitivity to the desired amount of compression, them adjust your output to balance your original / compressed signal. Although I bought mine new (a Dunlop reissue), I never looked at the manual. It's pretty self-explanatory.

I generally use this for solos, as a boost & sustain box, also to add some pre-amp gain to my overdrive. It's hands-down the best-sounding compressor stomp box I've heard; very natural and milky, not harsh & thin at all. It is a little noisy. Mine seems to pick up any interference available. I use it for live shows, but have had to borrow an original from a friend for studio work. For some reason, his doesn't make as much noise, though the sound quality is the same. With a strat & a clean fender amp, it's easy to get a nice Robert Cray sound with it. Makes an overdriven amp sing.

This has to be more solidly built than a Boss pedal. It's a solid hunk of metal. Requires a screwdriver to take the bottom plate off, if you need to change the battery. Beware of power-drains when you're gigging with this thing. I use an AC adaptor, so I don't have that problem.

N/A

I actually got this (and some other pedals) in a trade. I find a compressor pedal to have a number of uses in contemporary guitar performance, for that reason I chose the Dyna Comp. it's the best I have heard so far. I would definitely replace it if it was lost or stolen. I love the tone & simplicity. I can live with the noise for live shows, but I wish it was quieter. I have used both Boss & Arion compressor pedals, and never cared for the sound of either.

Note: This is a Jim Dunlop MXR reissue <<
Two knobs: Level & Sensitivity -- very sturdy and straight forward. I like the rubber foot grips that slide over the knobs -- very handy for quick tweaks using the tip of your foot, I wish all boxes offered this feature.

I'm using this with an Epi Les Paul GoldTop going through a '65 Ampeg tube amp. No inhereint noise but it will amplify any other noises in the loop as all compressors will do.
This is the best sounding compressor I found in a pedal. The Boss and DOD just didn't compress enough and had no personality. The Ibenez actually had alot of compression which I liked, but it was very "poppy" on the attacks.
The MXR has alot of compression and never pops on your attack and has a nice warm sound -- I love it! For ryhthm, I use it with the Sensitivity set at 9 o'clock, for lead; I set the Sensitivity at 4 o'clock and combine it with my Boss Blues Driver.
This box gives great compression and sustain and has a very earthy/warm tone -- very nice indeed! If you want good sounding compression, you really owe it to yourself and band to find a music store that carries these reissues and demo this pedal.

Rock solid -- let me mention that if you use batteries for your pedals during performance, be sure to start out with a new battery as you have to unscrew the back cover plate in order to access the battery.

Never had to deal.

I play contemporary Christian pop/rock and have been playing guitar for 25 years, but electric primarily for only 3. As mentioned above, I have an old Ampeg tube amp and my effects chain is as follows: DOD Tuna(stage tuner) - MXR Dyna Comp - DOD Envelope Filter - Boss Blues Driver - SansAmp GT2 - Boss Dig. Delay 5 - Boss Flanger. Depending on what songs we're doing, I usually play with 3 to 5 pedals per performance, but the Dyna Comp is always one of the pedals in the set-up. This one's a true "must have".

this thing is unbelievably easy. It's pretty small, and it's red. i don't recall a manual, but this thing's got two knobs, output and sensitivity. Sensitivity modifies the amount of compression (though I can't imagine why anyone would want only a miniscule amount of compression). The output knob, well...

I use mostly Fenders with the Dynacomp, and most always a Vibroluxe amp. The dynacomp gives a great sound. It sounds wonderful with my strats and teles, but there are two particular instances in which it really stands out: with my Les Paul Standard (compressed, yet at the same time, very crisp), and with my baritone guitar. (I bought a reissue Fender Bass VI that they made in the 60's and had it adjusted to be a baritone tuned to a low B) Since the baritone is very bassy sounding, it really takes away a lot of the deep end and it makes it sound well rounded. It really sounds great.

i give it the lower rating because it's been my experience that it doesn't last very long on the battery. Be sure to use it with the AC adapter during a gig.

I've never dealt with the company. I must say, though, that the first one I bought didn't work at all, and it was the second one that I kept.

The only complaint I might have for it is that it goes through batteries kinda fast. But that's easily taken care of with a trusty AC adapter. It is VERY simple, not a lot of features or knobs or anything, but if you want is compression, this is where it's at. A wonderful compressed sound with strats, teles, les pauls, baritones. I would definitely reccomend this to anyone looking for a compression device, and I would buy it again immediately. (and when the battery runs low, it distorts and sounds really cool)

This compressor is easy to use as long as you know where to put it in the signal chain and how to fit it in your style of playing. The controls are real simple, sensitivity and output. It must be hooked up first in line, straight from your guitar before any other pedal. The sensitivity adjusts how much gets compressed and the output regulates the amount of signal released and boosted.

Yes dynacomps can amplify any noise already in your rig... noisy pickups, low effect batteries, too many feet of cheap cable ect. Aside from that, the effect quality is good. Also, the noise doesn't become apparent until you pause long enough for the output to release and amplify. At this point you should either: 1 back your guitar volume off(if it's a quiet passage in a song),2 get a noise gate,or 3 switch the effect off.

I've used mine with no problems for three years. My only complaint is the original MXR models don't have an on/off light nor do they have a n AC adaptor jack. I'm sure there's ways of getting around the lack of adaptor jack, my suggestion would be to go with the new Dunlop version(unless you find an old one cheap). They make the MXR line now with improvements like effect light and AC jack. Sound seems to be just as good.

I've had no need for customer support, but I would imagine Dunlop would stand behind their product.

This is not the kind of effect you just plug in and expect to use it on every song with big results. You have to know how to applie it correctly. Here's an example: With a bright guitar plugged in (strat. or tele.)you can use it to get a quacky chicken picken sound. The overall volume from your amp will remain fairly constant and solid as your pickin' or strummin' because the compressor is sqeezing the attack(the innitial pick noise which triggers the effect). But as you lay back and do longer sustaining chords or solo bends or whatever, the compressor releases it's squash on the signal and begins to amplify the sustain, resulting in more sustain,control,and (if desired)feedback than your guitar hooked up without the Dynacomp. Don't let the effect get in the way.Turn it off if you want normal punch and sustain.I only use this effect on about two songs out of set of twelve, but when used it's fantastic. Compared to other pedals the Dynacomp is still one of the best. Boss makes a good one thats got a tone knob. This allows you to overexaggerate the quack, or pick noise which can be cool if you want that.As far as the compression effect, the Boss is a little quicker. It compresses and releases faster than the Dynacomp.Still no reason for me to want to buy one,I prefer the MXR/Dunlop

Not hard to use, since it has fewer controls than real (rack-mount) compressors. But if you have a particular goal, it may be hard to hit, since the knobs aren't calibrated.

It sounds good when running into a distorted Marshall, but clean it sucks off the high end and makes my Strat sound dead. It's not especially quiet, either.

Seems sturdy.

It's ok but there are better things out there. Might be better for bass, where the high end loss and lack of fine control isn't as important. I compared it with a Boss compressor and liked the MXR better at the store. I'm not sure now whether I would.

Overview: compressor, red box, no fancy LEDs, two knobs: output and sensitivity. Requires 9v battery.
The only hard part is not overdriving the input (see below).

This guy is noisy. It's a compressor, it tries to boost everything to a certain level, noise included. It will even make your string squeaks louder. It has a tendency to swallow the attacks of all your notes.
If your input signal is already at that "certain level", you will get a very unpleasant distortion. Any reasonably hot pickup will cause this, and you'll have to back guitar the volume down to get a good sound.

This box was probably built in the 70s and is still functioning.

This box is useful for coaxing a reluctant guitar into feedback, but that's about it. With the output all the way up, it will also provide some boost (about 16dB) for solos, etc.