Jim Dunlop MXR Dyna Comp Pedal

Product Information

The MXR M102 Dyna Comp, has become one of the most popular pedal compressors of all time; a classic "go-to" stomp box for guitarists and a secret weapon on many stars' pedal boards. I can think of only one improvement that I’d love to see MXR make to the Dyna Comp Deluxe in the not too distant future; make a mini pedal version like they’ve done with the Carbon Copy. Drawing from one of the most popular compression pedals of all time, the vintage Dyna Comp, the MXR Dyna Comp Reissue is missing a few key components of the original -- but also offers some great modern updates. The MXR Dyna Comp Deluxe is a new, upgraded version of the hugely popular Dyna Comp compressor pedal.

It has new features that alleviate most of the problems associated with using compression in your chain, principally loss of playing dynamics. Generally speaking, I found that having the Dyna Comp before all of these pedals left the effects unaffected, and only impacted my tone, which is what I wanted. In addition to the Output and Sensitivity controls found on the original MXR Dyna Comp pedal, the Dyna Comp Deluxe now features Clean and Tone controls along with an Attach switch. To my ears it sounds like a classic Dyna Comp in that it’s a pretty unsubtle compressor that gives your tone an added fatness and significantly increases the sustain. At this level, this adds a nice amount of pop to upper register funk chords, and adds a nice crispness to lower register notes as well.Growing up on the hard rock of the '80s and '90s, I have always been inspired to be a great guitar player and musician. I noticed a difference with the double stops at the beginning of clip sounding more cleaned up than it did without compression. Using the Clean control, you can blend your dry signal with the compressed signal and find that perfect level to suit your needs. It has the MXR quality and reliability and, for me, sits confidently alongside the Carbon Copy as a trusted utility pedal.

It has two controls: "Output" controls the output level, and "Sensitivity" determines the amount of compression. When I have used a compressor in the past it’s generally been an MXR Dyna Comp so I’m pretty familiar with their sound and response. The Dyna Comp Mini Compressor combines the best of classic tone and modern convenience in a housing that’s nearly half the size of the original. The Script Dyna Comp Compressor combines that old school sound with a couple upgrades for modern gigging convenience. I had tried the Tone City Comp Engine but that simply didn't seem to have much effect on the signal.During the ’70s, country guitarists embraced the Dyna Comp because its fast attack accentuates the pluck and cluck of chicken pickin’ licks, and its long release adds body to sustained notes in pedal steel bends. The M102 is designed to capture the sound and performance of the originals and does with an authentic vintage flavor. Say what you will of the Dyna Comp, it certainly can't be accused of not having enough compression; I've never had the sensitivity up beyond 1/2 o'clock, which is plenty heavy compression.

Also, the pedal adds quite a noticeable amount of "white noise" to the signal, although I believe the same applies to rival models.

If I had a bunch of other compression controls available (attack etc) then I'd only spend all my time tweaking instead of actually playing my damn guitar.

The compressor is really acting more as a limiter to stop the unwanted spikes in volume that sometime jump out of an electrified guitar set-up and it has the added benefit of giving a whole lot more sustain. It applies perfectly to MXR’s pedals; it’s a phaser and it phases, it’s a delay and it creates delay, it’s a compressor and it compresses etc… In an ever expanding world of freaky, tweakable, innovative pedals there’s something reassuring about the simplicity and functionality of MXR pedals. Having used various compressors since the 70s, MXR is well made and the mini pedal does not disappoint.I don´t have to much to say about this pedal but, that´s a compressor pedal that does this function very well.