TC Electronic SPECTRACOMP BASS COMPRESSOR Ultra-Compact Multiband Compression Pedal for Bass with Built-In TonePrint Technology

Well funkateers are you ready to lay down some nicely compressed Bass ? This is what you need. It takes the guess work out of compressing. The factory setting works great. However the tone print option is where it gets really fun. Download presets made by some of your favorite bass legends and some I have never heard of. From funk to crab metal there’s something for everyone. Buy it you’ll love it.

All I needed was a means to even out my volume as I played. At times during some songs my bass’ voice was more than I wanted it to be and I always had to check myself to be sure I did not strike the note too hard. So I looked into compression. There’s so many awesome solutions out there but there’s so much more emphasis on tone and evening out slap and tap methods that I always just gave up. Until I gave this little gem a try. Wow. Sooo easy to use! The default setup actually does everything I need right away with only two controls. Totally worth it. Eventually I’ll play with some of the other setups that can be uploaded to it, but as it is out of the box? A++

I love this compressor. Simple and easy to use. It makes a big difference in my sound. I am not a professional player. I have played bass guitar in church for 35 years. This compressor evens out the tones. I can hear the high and low ends evenly and clean. If you are a newby to pedals like I am I would recommend this for sure. No intimidation or learning curve with this one. YOu can also download new tones with the tone print app, really cool, just find the tone you like and hold your phone in front of your guitar pick up and the pedal is reprogrammed. easy peasy!

Right out of the box, this pedal was pretty useful . . . but after using the app and trying out many different toneprints, I was able to find some truly great compression settings. The toneprint app from TC Electronics is not the greatest thing in the world, but it does allow for extreme tinkering with the technology that's going on under the hood of this seemingly simple pedal, if you're into (and knowledgeable about) that kind of stuff.I play with a pick, and many of the toneprints from the TC app cater towards players who slap. It might seem a little overly-weighted towards those kinds of players (and if you are a slap-and-pop bassist, then you'll really enjoy digging into this pedal), but you can get just about any style of playing served with the Spectracomp. I play prog rock bass, and I found the Tonebooster toneprint from TC to really nail exactly what I was looking for. Very even, very smooth, very transparent . . . and it makes playing even more enjoyable as a result.I've spent a great deal of time trying this pedal out and putting it through its paces with my band, and I feel pretty positive that it's now an invaluable addition to my sound. Really great!

This compressor, despite the small size and having only one knob is one of the most versatile pedals ever. The toneprint functions is just awesome.The downsides are:1) You need a power source since it can't operate with batteries2) To change the toneprint setting on a gig you'll have to turn down the volume of the amp. So the singer, or someone should talk for a couple seconds as an MC while you do it.3) Also toneprint related, the app takes around 10 seconds to start in my phone (Samsung J7 2016) because everytime it starts it connects to the internet to see if there's an update or something. The app should let you know via Goggle Play that's there's an update instead of checking on oits own and delaying the loading of the app. Then again, to use it in a gig, you'll have to set up before hand.Those 3 negative things are just small nuisances (I'm being picky) compared to the benefits of the pedal. Actually, with the tone print app boot fix the pedal would be perfect (I'm my humble opinion).

I gave this review of the TC Electronic SpectraComp a five-star review because this is a great product! However, I feel it was released before it should have been. It does all it is advertised for - and really sounds great doing it! But to get inside the system to program it requires much more time than I had to learn it (I'm not talking hours here, I'm talking weeks). I reverted back to my dandy MXR Bass Compressor pedal and haven't looked back. Perhaps I'll give the TC another chance in a few months when I have the time to devote to it. For those who want plug and play, you might look elsewhere.

This item has no battery and no plug. It should have one or the other. An expensive paperweight.

While this device doesn't have all of the onboard controls of a traditional digital compressor, it does have a way to load in many different settings, or even create your own. Be warned, you will need to buy a Mini (NOT micro) USB to whatever your phone takes to load 'tones' into the pedal. Only one custom tone can be stored at a time, so find something you like and just stick with it.This may be a 'me' problem, but my Jazz bass is already a little on the noisy side (shielding issues), and this pedal takes those noises up to 11. Not a deal-breaker, but be aware that certain settings at higher levels (I use Captain East) can and will cause your hum to be much more noticeable. Again, not TC's fault.If you are looking for an 'easy' compressor that is more or less plug and play with minimal knowledge on settings, this might be for you. I watched a lot of videos before I bought it and the thing that really sold me was that many artists who use it say it is the only pedal they use live, and it is always on. Good enough for them, good enough for me :)