In this article, we’re going to be talking about the top 6 best Bass Compressor Pedals that you can get for your bass rig in 2023.
No matter the playing style, a compressor pedal is one of the most important pedals in a signal chain, and it is hard to find a bass player who doesn’t this effect today. Simply, it became a critical part of tone shaping, so it’s no wonder that almost every pedal maker offers compressor effects designed for bass guitars on purpose.
The offer of amazing products is huge, so we’ve picked some of the best options you can find on the market today. Before we start with our list, let’s say a few words about these pedals.
What Is A Compressor Pedal?
Bass compressor pedals are units that produces so-called dynamic range compression. In common language, it is called just compression and what it actually does is compressing the signal’s dynamic range. This means that quieter tones are amplified, while too loud tones are reduced. What this does is making the sound more balanced.
This pedal is particularly important when playing advanced techniques, where it’s not always possible to play with technical perfection. For example, when you slap pretty fast, it’s not possible to play every note with the same dynamics. A compressor pedal is here to help you and counterbalance your dynamical amplitudes.
This pedal is used in various situations. For example, you can get a nice boost when playing solo parts, you can counterbalance your slapping tones, or simply tighten your overall sound. In any case, this pedal is usually positioned first in your signal chain, before other effects.
Bass Compressor Pedals
BOSS BC-1X
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The main thing about Boss pedals was always about the build quality and overall reliability, but this unit takes the sound quality to the next level. It represents the company’s new generation that brings a completely new circuit design, intelligent multiband technology, which ensures the equal amount of compression in all frequency ranges.
The result is a pretty solid pedal, which sounds amazing but remains very simple. You may count on a typical Boss layout, on housing that hasn’t been changed for decades. Four knobs are more than enough to dial an impressive range of colors, while you can also notice a cool little indicator, which shows the amount of compression in real-time.
With this pedal, you can be sure that your tone won’t get moody or squashy, whether you are a picker, slapper or fast player. Another thing we should mention is that it works at 18V, so you can use it with hi-output active pickups without any worries. Typically for Boss pedals, the overall design is extremely sturdy and you can be sure that this pedal will last for ages.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
Boss had some pretty good compression pedals in the past but this is by far the best we’ve ever seen. Simply, it takes all typical Boss qualities to the next level and delivers the sound that’s on par with other big names in the business. At the same time, it remains super easy to use and extremely functional. A great piece for all those who look for an amazing balance between price and value.
MXR Dyna Comp Bass Compressor
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The family of Dyna Comp pedals is considered crème de la crème in the world of compression pedals by a vast majority of musicians. Simply, these pedals shaped the sound of the modern music and this bass iteration is equally impressive as its relatives. The secret is in the fact that tone isn’t just amazing, but also easy to dial.
The pedal comes in a typical MXR layout, in a compact housing. While the sound is easy to dial, a number of knobs provide lots of tweaking options. First of all, there are pretty sensitive Clean and Tone knobs, which allow you to find a nice balance between dry and effect tones, as well as to set perfect dynamics. On the other side, Output and Sensitivity knobs are here to help you find the right volume and sustain amounts.
Another super cool feature on this pedal is the Attack switch. It allows you to change the pedal’s character entirely. You can choose between a vintage-style slow attack and a modern fast attack time. The pedal is built around the legendary CA3080 “metal can” integrated circuit, which is famous for its amazing dynamic range, and that’s one of the things that makes this pedal so great.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
It is extremely hard to say no to this pedal. In our humble opinion, this is one of the best products around and you should definitely try it. A fully analog pedal designed in a pretty straightforward fashion is a perfect choice for a player who needs a pedal that balances well between tone quality, easy operation and versatility.
MXR M87 Bass Compressor
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The MXR M87 Bass Compressor is what we call a studio quality in a simple pedalboard-friendly package. Simply, this pedal puts so many great things into its small housing and manages to remain simple and easy to use at the same time. That’s the biggest quality of this fantastic-sounding unit.
In terms of controls, you will find MXR’s typical knobs, such as Clean and Tone. The former allows you to dial the desired amount of dry signal, while the latter is a classic tone control. Also, there are Output and Sensitivity pots, typical volume and sustain controls. In addition, this pedal comes with the fifth knob, positioned in the middle. It is a typical Ratio control, which lets you dial the right amount of compression.
As we’ve just mentioned, the pedal features studio quality, while the feature you’ll definitely like is a built-in Constant Headroom Technology, which ensures tons of headroom in all conditions. Another cool feature is a small gain-status LED indicator, which indicates the threshold status in real time.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
This pedal perfectly balances between studio-quality tone and on-stage functionality. Therefore, those players who want a little bit of both worlds, something that works in every situation, can rely on this unit for sure. Somehow, the price remains more than reasonable, despite all the features, and that’s something we really like about this pedal.
Electro-Harmonix Bass Preacher
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Many musicians like to keep things simple and bassists are no exception, especially when it comes to on-stage performance. For that occasion, all we need is a super-reliable and easy-to-use pedal, which dials great tones at once. The Electro-Harmonix Bass Preacher does such a job in an amazing way. It may not be the most versatile unit around but it preaches bass compression in the right way.
You will find just a couple of tone knobs on this pedal, and that’s the simplicity we were talking about. One of them is a typical Volume knob, while the other pot lets you dial the amount of Sustain. Although simple, both knobs offer a wide range of tonal options. At the same time, they are intuitive and will let you dial amazing sounds in rapid speed. In addition, there is a small toggle switch in the middle, which lets you switch between three different attack speeds. That’s more than enough to cover both vintage and modern compression styles.
A typical thing for all pedals from this brand is that they are rock solid. The Electro-Harmonix Bass Preacher is no different and also comes in a super compact size, which is fantastic in terms of pedalboard space-saving. Speaking of the on-stage practicality, a good thing to know is that the pedal features true bypass, so your tone remains unaffected when the pedal isn’t in use
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
Analog tone quality comes in a combination with a super-simple interface. Add an affordable price to this and that’s enough reason for everyone to at least try this unit. The Electro-Harmonix Bass Preacher is a perfect choice for all those who don’t like to play with knobs too much but rather prefer instant great tones.
Aguilar TLC Bass Compression
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This retro-looking unit is one of the most powerful bass compressor pedals around. The renowned manufacturer managed to pack a studio-quality pedal in a compact housing, which delivers exceptional on-stage functionality and tonal diversity. That’s one of the main reasons why Aguilar is so popular among professional bass players.
The Aguilar TLC Bass Compression comes packed with the so-called Trans Linear Control (TLC stands for it), which gives an impressive amount of options for sound tweaking. You can tighten your tone in many ways, thanks to a variety of controls. Another great feature we should mention is a built-in gig saver, which keeps some power on the side, in case your battery dies. Of course, you can also run this unit on a 9V adapter.
With this pedal, it’s not hard to be in full control of dynamics. The pedal features pretty common knobs for a compressor, each of them offers an impressive range for tweaking options. Therefore, count on a wide choice of attack speed, all kinds of threshold variants and pretty much all kinds of slope levels.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
If you look at the list of the musicians that use this pedal, it’s clear that this unit is designed for professionals. Still, that doesn’t mean others shouldn’t enjoy it as well. Everyone wants a great tone and functionality, even in a bedroom studio. Therefore, if your budget isn’t tight, go for it.
Diamond Pedals Bass Compressor
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The Diamond Pedals Bass Compressor is another premium pedal on the list. Although it may look simple, it offers impressive functionality and versatility. The main reason probably lays in the middle knob, called EQ. As you may presume, it is a typical tone control but the thing that makes it so flexible doesn’t lay in the pot’s sensitivity only, but also in a small toggle switch bellow. These two work in a correlation and the toggle switch lets you put the focus on different frequency ranges. That’s the thing that makes this pedal great for all kinds of basses, no matter the number of strings, active or passive pickups etc.
The rest of the pedal comes with typical controls. Two more knobs can be found there. The first one is Comp knob, which lets you dial the amount of compression, while the other one is a typical Volume knob. Both pots are very sensitive and offer an impressive range of tonal options. Furthermore, the pedal also works great as a booster.
The overall layout is typical for this brand. It’s not the smallest pedal on the market, but it’s definitely compact enough to fit any pedalboard. The build quality is great and promises excellent reliability and durability. Of course, we appreciate the fact that the pedal features true bypass, which keeps the tone intact while the pedal is not engaged.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
Things are pretty simple here. This is another premium pedal on the list, characterized by impressive tonal characteristics. Still, it is primarily designed for those who seek easiness of use and a pedal with a simple layout. Therefore, those who prefer additional flexibility should check other pedals as well.
Our Number One Choice
The MXR Dyna Comp Bass Compressor is a quintessential bass compressor that has pretty much everything a bass player needs. Of course, it features the company’s legendary CA3080 “metal can” integrated circuit, while four knobs offer a lot of room for tone tweaking. In addition, there is a switch that lets you chose between slow and fast attack, so we can say that the pedal doesn’t just sound great, but also offers impressive flexibility. All these features come at a quite reasonable price, so we highly recommend this pedal.
Buy On AmazonOur Premium Choice
If you’re not on a tight budget, this pedal should definitely be on your list. It is very popular among professionals and the list of users is really impressive. We presume that’s for a reason and one of the first things that come to mind first is that there aren’t many pedals that offer such impressive dynamics control. The pedal sounds great and offers impressive functionality. At the same time, it remains straightforward and easy to use. It’s hard to find a bigger drawback on this unit.
Buy On AmazonBest Value For Money
It may look too simple by modern industry standards, but if you look at the tone quality you get for a super-affordable price, this pedal is a real bargain. Moreover, many players actually appreciate its super-simple layout, which includes just two knobs and one toggle switch. This pedal is a great way to tighten the sound without paying too much money. In our humble opinion, this is by far the best value for money on the list.
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That concludes this full buyers guide on the best bass compressor pedals. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions regarding the products you have seen in this article. Check out our other buyers guide for Bass Synth pedals and Bass Preamp pedals.
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Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API