For many bassists, an essential pedal in their arsenal is going to be a compressor. It keeps your output consistent, helps cut through a mix, and can eliminate any dead spots to allow for a smooth, even attack. There are a wide variety of options to choose from, and Pigtronix offers a compressor specifically tuned to the lower frequencies of a bass that is quiet, easy to use, and affordable.
The Philosopher Bass, based on Pigtronix‘s lauded Philosopher’s Tone compression circuit, is a compact, three-knob compressor that offers plenty of sustain and a range of compression, from a subtle punch to an almost overwhelming squish. It’s pretty low noise and doesn’t color the tone of your bass very much, so anyone who shies away from comps for those reasons have nothing to fear here.
The Volume knob controls the basic output volume, with 12 o’clock being unity. I like to keep it around 1 or 2 o’clock to give my passive Precision a bit of a volume push, but active basses can afford for it to be kept below the 12 o’clock range without any loss.
The Compression knob is actually a blend control, allowing for adjustments of the amount of compression in your signal. All the way to the left is just your dry signal, all the way to the left is just compression. Again, I like to keep things around 1:30; it offers a nice amount of consistency in the tone and attack of each note without outright choking everything. I’m not much of a slapper, but anything above 3 o’clock gives a nice punch perfect for that technique.
The final knob, the Sustain control, is actually what attracted me to this pedal in the first place. I’ve used a few comps before, mostly two-knob set-ups, that have a volume and blend control and that’s it. With the added sustain knob on this unit, you can ring out a single note for days while still keeping each successive note crisp and clear. With either sustained whole notes or quick runs, every note has definition and clarity and never gets muddied up. Even better, areas notorious for dead-spots are improved upon, with the 4th-6th frets on the G string ringing out just as well as the 5th fret on the E string.
As an added bonus, the stompbox has a Grit switch that does just that: adds a bit of drive and dirt to your signal. More a fuzz than anything else, it’s a nice sounding circuit. I’ve never used it in a live setting, but for a studio recording it could add some nice character if utilized well. The main drawbacks to it are the fact that the switch is so small it would be difficult to activate on the fly, and it doesn’t have its own isolated controls so if you don’t like where it’s set, you have to mess with your Compression and Sustain settings to dial it in.
The unit itself is nice and compact, about the size of an MXR pedal, and can run on either 9v or 18v for more headroom. Though I usually play with passive basses, I keep it at 18v to reduce noise and offer the maximum amount of power available.
I use this at churches for the most part, and even by itself running directly into the system it offers a nice, clean tone that sits well in the mix. They retail for around $170, but can be found cheaper if you look hard enough, and are a great compressor for someone either starting out with the effect or professional musicians needing a sturdy, affordable comp that will retain the tone of their bass while giving it just an extra push.
Specs from the Pigtronix website:
-Analog Optical Compressor
-BLEND knob for Parallel Compression
-GRIT switch for harmonic grind
-Tuned for Bass Guitar
-Noiseless clean sustain
-18VDC 300mA supply included
-Chassis Size – 2.4” x 4.4” x 1”
-Circuit Design by Howard Davis
-Sound Design by David Koltai
-True Bypass
