Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal 

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

This pedal is great. It does what it says. Very transparant and sustains nicely. It is Die cast so for those uncertain, like I was, it is built like a tank.

The XLR out could come in handy if you play acoustic guitar and that would supply you with phantom power.

The DB meter is a great addition in that it shows you where your signal is in the chain. No lights, then you should turn up your guitar volume or perhaps even plug it in. ;) (Yes i've done that alot)

The pedal itself is a bit large and takes up considerable space on my PT-2, but, because of how well it performs, I really don't even care.The knobs on the pedal are quite tall also. I measured and the stand about an inch so if you are clumsy, you could step on them.

Overall this pedal lives up to my expectations and is a winner for me. Quality and performance are very important for me so it's nice to know that there are still companies out there who are dedicated to making quality products.

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

Great, clean compressor. Does what it's supposed to do and doesn't add a lot of noise. Very controllable.

The gain reduction LED ladder isn't really necessary, but is a nice little addition.

My only criticism is that it is a bit larger than it needs to be. It takes up a little more valuable pedalboard real estate than I'd like.

One more (neutral) observation: the XLR DI out is a little weird. I can't think of an application where I'd want a direct out from this point in the signal chain. I dunno- maybe for recording bass direct? I only mention it because without the DI, perhaps this pedal could be made no wider than my foot?

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

I was looking for a quality sounding compressor that doesn't make a "clicky" sound when playing clean solo/single note lines. This does the job. I have had it for about 2 weeks now and I am very happy with it. The other brands I've tried or owned make that annoying sound. The only "con" is the size. I'm not sure why it is as big as it is but I plan to open it up to see what's inside. Also, the db meter is, in my opinion, kind of pointless. However, it was worth the purchase price for me, it does what it should do. The construction is very sturdy and it has a high quality silent switch.

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

I was not looking for a hyper-squashed effect, but this is so transparent that it's hard to hear the difference between off and on. I'm still working with it in a live guitar rig setting, but am a little disappointed at this point. Certainly not the magic that I read about in so many reviews.

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

Does exactly what it is supposed to do. Works great in home studio recordings. Would still go with a rack mount compressor for pro recording. The case is a little larger than I expected when I ordered it. But it works well and I have no complaints...especially since I purchased it as a stupid deal of the day for an insanely low price.

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

this is a GREAT sounding pedal,I've used a lot of other compression pedals in the past and none compare to this .single coil and humbuckers both sound cooler.Worth every pennie I spent.

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

I am not an expert musician (like most of you too). So, I didn't get it at first. At first I thought it was an out of box failure. Leave it off, play a note. Switch it on, play the same note. You can't "appreciatively" tell the difference in the sound of when it is off...that is....until you realize...the note, whatever it sounds like, sustains when it is on. Then...you get it.
Most compressors like my Boss CS3 have a little distortion affect on the signal. You turn them on and you sound gains a bit of tone distortion that is usually pretty cool sounding and you are not really seeking absolute sound. And that is what my naive butt was expecting when I got this. I just wanted to know what the difference was.

BUT...the (DUH) idea of the compressor is to sustain the signal level...NOT change it! Adding the distortion is the job of the other pedals or the amp or preamp, or the guitar's setup/pickups.

So with opticals, you get "true" sustain of the input sound rather than an altered version you can't turn off. Hit a note on a Strat, its going to sound like a note from a single coil. BUT it keeps on sounding like the note from a single coil. Hit a note on a Les Paul, it's going to sound like the note off the humbucker and will keep sounding like the note off a humbucker.

I am not a guitar pedal or setup expert, but I am smart enough to realize, why would I want a device that is designed to "sustain" the level my signal, to alter it too? Just about everything else alters the sound. What if I just wanted to hold a note that is clean? Good luck doing that with a "distorting" compressor. It's more input to output "fidelity" issue. Much of the time, it simply does not matter.

But, that's why you need an optical compressor rather than a regular compressor. If all you want is to sustain a distorted signal, then most any compressor will do. Why waste money on an optical one when there are cheaper ones that do their own signal alterations that cannot be changed? But, if you want to leave the choice of to distort or not, up to the other components in the setup, and STILL want sustain from hell? You need an optical compressor, and this is a very good one.

Bottom line: If you expect your sound to be different switching on or off? You will be disappointed. But, when you realize that's what a good compressor does, sustain it without changing it? You want optical and you realize this is one of the better ones!

Ok, so that's my experience. You experts probably think this is a silly way to explain it but I am kind of fascinated by this thing. There are probably more novices out there that have no clue, like I didn't, than there are you guys that who knew what makes a "good" compressor, all along. :)

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

Great tool. I was having issues with my sound distorting and this solved that period. It gives me better definition on both channels, clean and dirty. I never realized how much a compressor can help your sound. You can really get your tone in control using one of these units.

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

Great clean boost. Really sounds like a PURE boost with no other change which is something I really like/can use and have not see in other pedals and added some nice harmonics to the distortion channel (6L6 Boogie) and little or no boost using Fender Strat (both humbuckers and single coil modes), Tele and Gibson SG with P90s. Similar effect using Epi Casino/P90s. Did not notice all that much mod to the sound using Gibson SG with humbuckers.

Comments about Aphex Punch Factory Optical Compressor Effects Pedal:

I have used this product to connect directly to the mixer for live performance with my bass guitar an what a difference it makes! My lead guitarist said ..."I do not know what you did but you sound great!" It also improves the sound on my electric guitar bringing a nice level output and may be used after other effects pedals without interfering with the output levels or effects. I am very happy with it and use it all the time.