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Barber: Tone Press
List: $259
Barber’s Tone Press is a compression unit- it evens out your instrument’s (guitar’s) signal by truncating the highs & boosting the lows, this is the fundamentals of a typical compression unit you should be aware of before you try one. There are countless units out there today which adds volume/ drive boost & bolster signal sustain. The Tone Press (TP) here has another offering which the manufacturer describes as parallel compression.
How does it work?
In a nut shell, the manufacturer had incorporated a proprietory circuit which automatically detemines the level of attack you dial in & correspondingly calibrates the required output. This way, there is no need for manual tweaking which is largely a trial-&-error process. This is controlled by the pedal’s Blend knob.
In use
The fundamentals of compression are typified by this pedal; turn it on & you’ll hear even responses from the treble & bass ends (all knobs set to noon position). The volume control has a treshold value; it will not exceed a certain output, based on your amp’s volume. The Blend knob as promised, regulates your picking intensity, there were no pops heard with every picked note. But the gem here would be the sustain offering; makes every note lasts longer, a typical bolt-on guitar will appreciate this enhancement.
The major appeal, compression ethics aside, would arguably be the fattening effect this pedal produces. With both humbucking & single coiled guitars on tow, what you hear is a fattening of the notes, an impressive layering effect at work. If you love your clean single coil snap, the TP will simply make it fatter. Tele twang antagonists might consider this provision if you deem your inherent tone too crisp & a little hollow. Drive fans would appreciate the TP’s thickening effect if power chords are your staple. So there you have it; the TP cuts both ways pertaining to the pickups employed.
Last say
In general, signal compression benefits the bass more than the guitar as the former suffers from a marked signal anomaly due to the nature of its employment- snapped/ popped notes are more marked in volume than plucked/ picked ones. The guitar is in need of compression more in the recording studio where its signal is scrutinized by magnified recording implements. After trying the TP, the immediate benefit the guitar player obtains is from the thickening effect & its sustain inducing power, nevermind if you aren’t recording. If you suffer from any inferiority complex because your tone sounds thin (especially against Les Paul toting players), the TP might just be the remedy.
Rating: 8.5/10
Likes:
• Thickening effect
• Simple 3-knob layout
Dislikes:
• Battery access (complete base-plate removal)
• Price
Worthy rivals:
• Marshall ED1
• BOSS CS-3
• EHX Black Finger
• MXR Super Comp
• Digitech Main Squeeze
Thank you Tymusic for the review invitation 8)
TyMusicCenter
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