Today we will be checking out the awesome Xotic SP Compressor, which is a very popular analog compressor with buyers online. As many of you may be aware the pedal uses the same OTA (Operational Transconductance Amplifier) technology as arguably one of the best compressors ever made – The Ross Compressor.
Since the SP Compressor is based on the Ross circuit, you know that you’ll be in for a big treat. The pedal is able to help smooth out the peaks of your audio output while also enhancing your subtleties with insane ease.
The analog compressor features a very simplistic design that is incredibly user-friendly. The two control knobs located on the front of the analog compressor correspond to the volume and blend controls.
Volume – Controls the overall volume of the effect.
Blend – Controls how much compression will be used. This is actually a clean blend, so if you turn the knob all the way up then you’ll get a 100% unaffected clean signal going through. This means that you can actually use the SP Compressor as straight-up clean boost if you wanted to (up to +15dB of boost). If you rotate the control knob in the other direction then you’ll only get compression and no clean signal.
In addition to this, the pedal also features a compression/sustain 3-way toggle switch (HI, LO, and MID). This can provide you with some subtle balancing when it’s set on low or even an intense squash when it’s set on high.
The Pedal can be powered on using a simple 9V battery or through an external power supply. It should be mentioned that the unit does not come with a 9V battery, so you’ll have to go and supply one for yourself, which is easy enough anyway.
One thing we haven’t mentioned yet is that the SP Compressor is a true-bypass pedal. This means that the audio of your guitar will not be altered in any way as your signal runs through the pedal. True-bypass is a pretty common feature found in most pedals nowadays, and thankfully this pedal allows for that too.
What this also means is that there will be no interference to your guitar signal when the pedal is turned off too. You can leave it sitting in your pedal chain without any worries of it impacting your tone.
There are quite a few parameters you can play around with using the SP Compressor’s dip switch for attack control.
XOTIC SP COMPRESSOR VS KEELEY
Let’s go over some of the similarities and differences between the Keeley Electronics C4 4-Knob Compressor and the Xotic SP so we can compare the two together.
First things first, both of these pedals are honestly both very high quality products. There are definitely other options like the Wampler EGO or the empress, but I’m sure you won’t be disappointed by either choice.
The SP Compressor is definitely the better choice if you’re looking to spend a bit less than the C4. In addition, the SP Compressor is also smaller in size. The footprint of the pedal is great if you don’t really have much room left on your pedalboard.
One thing that you may not like about the SP Compressor though is the fact that you have to open it up to tweak it according to the different pickup combination you’re using, which may be a bit intimidating for people that are not too familiar with that kind of thing.
You’re not going to be able to have as much freedom as the C4 on-the-fly, but you’ll also be saving some money that you can put elsewhere. So the decision is up to what you think is more important between the two.
XOTIC SP COMPRESSOR SCHEMATIC
We have been searching for the schematics of the SP Compressor. If you know anyone, or have any information of the schematics of the pedal then please contact us using our contact page.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, the Xotic Effects SP Compressor really lives up to the hype surrounding it. It’s a wonderful compressor that comes in a small portable package. We hope our review has answered any questions or concerns that you might have had regarding each aspect of the pedal. I can tell you right now that you will not regret picking up the SP Compressor, but don’t just take our word for it, check out some of the feedback from buyers online!
Thanks for checking out our review, if you have any questions on comments regarding the Xotic SP Compressor then feel free to mention them in the comments below.
Alex is a man of many talents. He’s been playing music since he was young, and has been the main content writer at Tone Start for the past few years. Alex loves to play around with different styles of music and enjoys listening to anything from country to classical.