MXR M87 Bass Compressor Bass Effects Pedal

Solid construction and nice compressor. Preserves tone but gives a lot of options. LEDs showing gain reduction are nice to have.

I am a bass player and this compressor was highly recommended by other bass players. I needed to even out the output from my bass and this does the job perfectly. I especially like seeing the LED meter so I can set the levels properly like a rack mount studio compressor. I get that level of control on a pedalboard friendly form factor.

Plug and play Easy to select the right amount to all levels

I use it as both a compressor and a "preamp" to connect to by audio / computer interface. I like that this unit has the gain meter, as well as input and output volume controls. Any other pedal that doesn't have volume controls for in and out falls short. Important: Realistically you will want to buy the ECB004 18-VOLT AC ADAPTER to run this box. Otherwise it will drain batteries like there's no tomorrow. Apparently if a cable is connected to the input jack, it's as if the unit is turned on. Also, tech support was very fast in responding to my questions, even replying by email later into the evening.

I like having the full control that the M87 provides. Even though I try to compress with my ears, I appreciate the visual feedback from the gain reduction meter. I will be using this for both performances and recording.

it's hard to tell what is really happening here unless you really pay attention very closely to the sound of what's NOT happening, meaning, you are trying to focus the sound, tone, ambience, etc. yet at the same time, you want it to do what it's meant for - very hard to discern when there's no manual to go by. The manual for this unit is absolutely TERRIBLE - sure it's in every language in the world, but NO real directions for setup or how to make the sound improved. No theory of operation, nothing. Worst manual I ever opened. For anything ever bought in my lifetime. And no link to direct you to better, more detailed instructions on how to use. Very disappointed in that regard. Other than that, it does seem to make my overall sound less sloppy ( less speaker "wow" & flutter is the goal, when playing bass, with one of these compressors) so it seems to be eliminating what you DON'T want to hear, but it takes some time to get this pedal oriented correctly, with the controls. And you really have to pay attention to what you're NOT hearing, as you tweak it - that's the only way you'll know if you are improving on the sound.