MXR M87 Bass Compressor (long guitar review)

Godspeed64

Active member
MXR M87 Bass Compressor

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Word on the street is that the MXR M87 Bass Compressor is the new kid on the block. Being given accolades such as the Editor Award by Bass Player Magazine's and the Gold Award by Guitar World, one can expect to derive great tones from this compressor.
Despite being mentioned that it “sounded fantastic on electric as well as acoustic guitars”, one can barely find any written review or video demo on the said pedal being used on guitar (as of when this review was written).
Hopefully this will allow more guitarists to ignore the moniker “bass” written on the pedal and accept it for what it is – an excellent compressor.


Construction/Features:

Like most MXR pedals, it is a well-built pedal that is friendly on the board and on Velcro attachment.
The sturdy metal chassis is coated in an aesthetically pleasing white paint with a brilliant blue LED as a bypass indicator.
The ten gain-reduction status LEDs give it a studio vibe that oozes of class and attitude.

Rating: 95%

Ease of Use:

Obviously there are 5 knobs so it is not as straight-forward as most 2 to 3 knob guitar compressors on the market.
The Input and Threshold features access the compression aspects of the circuit while the Attack and Release knobs control the nature of the compression (when it sinks in and when it stops compressing the signal).
Output pretty much sets the overall volume of the signal post-compression.

One thing I noticed which was rather different was that the Release function worked in an opposite manner (personal opinion).
Basically a fast release is fully maxed out (clockwise) and a slow 800 microseconds can be found fully anticlockwise.
Other than that, the other knobs function the way you’d expect them to.

Rating: 60%

Tone:

Now comes the most important part of the equation; tone. If I may say so, this is a compressor in the sense that it is a tool rather than an effect.
Some want that percussiveness and ‘clunkiness’ from their compressors, while this lives up to its title as a studio grade transparent compressor.
It limits your volume without an obvious squish unlike most Ross-style comps.

Setting the Attack and Release knobs right allows me to get the most common style of compression that I use, where my phrasing can remain dynamic yet at the same time volume-wise it operates within a certain threshold due to the slightly late attack.
The reduction meter allows me to keep tab of how exactly I want my compressor to operate by adjusting accordingly.

I can also set it for some heavy compression (limiting even) for a constant volume for those difficult phrases where my dynamics are inconsistent.
In this aspect, it doesn’t get chicken-picking kind of squishy but just dampens the signal in a no-frills no-compromise manner.
Save this for a particularly funky day if you require compression but don’t fancy the tone of traditional compressors at high settings.
Stacked with gain pedals, the pedal does not alter the tonal characteristic both before and after dirt pedals (yes, after as well). At higher compression settings, palm mutes spring with greater precision and clarity without adding inherent noise to the set-up.

Tone test equipment:
Guitars: Gibson SG Standard, Fender ’62 Reissue Jaguar
Amplifiers: Vox NT15 Night Train with (V112NT cabinet), Randall RG100SC, Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue, Vox VT100 [studio], PRS SE30 (with matching cabinet) [30min shop test run]
Pedals: T-Rex Engineering Mudhoney II, Boss SD-1 (MIJ), Menatone Blue Collar, Retrosonic Boost, z.Vex Fuzz Factory (pre-compressor), Morley Mini Wah-Volume, TC Electronics Nova Repeater, Line 6 M5 (Cave reverb only) [all powered by a DC10; all isolated]


Rating: 90%

Conclusion:

Overall, the MXR M87 Bass Compressor offers no-frills compression without compromising your tone. It doesn’t have the added jangle of a Forest Green Compressor or the warmth of a CS-2, rather choosing to keep your tone constant.
With the myriad of tones available and plenty of tweakability on your desired style of compression, you can expect that a certain amount of knowledge is required to fully utilise this device.
This device is for those who need a low-noise compressor (or should I say no noise?) and do not like the normal tonal attributes of guitar compressors in the market.

Overall Rating:
88%


Likes:
Tone remains flat
No-frills compression device
Low-noise operation
Beautiful LEDs and overall aesthetics
Great footprint

Dislikes:
Not simple to use
There are better compressors for chicken pickin’

Worthy Contenders:
TC Electronics Nova Dynamics
Empress Compressor


Hope you enjoy this review and find this useful! Like all reviews in the market, take it with a pinch of salt and let your own ears decide in your rig. What I hope to achieve from this review is to encourage guitarists to consider this excellent compressor in the market instead of being deterred by the term 'Bass' in its name.
 
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