Joe Meek FloorQ Compressor...any users?

[schenkadere]

I'm in the market for a new comp...saw one of these used...any opinions?

It seems a little complicated for my feeble mind...I dig simplicity, but I like the demos I've seen.

[benderb9]

I've wanted one for a long time but...other things always seem to come first. Guitar Player rated it as a very good compressor, their reviews are usually pretty reliable. Joe Meek recorded the song Telestar by the Tornados amongst others...the guitarists son on that song is the guy in Muse, Matt Belamy. Joe Meek was a legendary producer that killed tragically killed himself. That compressor is an attempt to recreate his signature sound. Whew...priced right I'd snap it up, hope THAT helps lol

[lefty73]

I've had mine for about two years and it would take a whale of another product to make me peel it off my board. It loves my Tele, my Carvin shredder, my Fender J, and just about any other signal I've thrown at it.

It's not complicated to operate, but the amount of control it offers is complicated, to a degree. Once you get your head around the controls - and we're talking maybe 15-20 minutes of reading about the parameters - you'll realize you have a very powerful, studio-quality compressor on your board.

If you can find it used, and it's in good shape - snag it. It's incredibly transparent (or not, you can set it so it's crazy aggressive) and very, very kind to your original tone. If you're looking for some MXR DynaComp "color" you might be better served getting one of those little red boxes (great compressor in its own right).

[ChipOnly]

I've mentioned this before in another thread but I had concerns about the build quality. Specifically, the jacks, which simply protrude through holes in the casing, seemingly secured only internally (to PCB?), and had way too much wiggle and play for my comfort when I first plugged in. That alarmed me enough that I packed it up and sent it back without thoroughly testing how it actually sounded. Instant dealbreaker, for me.

That may sound nitpicky or paranoid, but it just didn't feel to me like a $250 box should, and I was concerned that it might not hold up long term to weekly gigging or touring.... YMMV I suppose.

For that kind of scratch, I'm looking at the Empress comp... If you got a chance to check out a used one, please let me/us know what you make of the jacks.

[schenkadere]

Originally Posted by ChipOnly

I've mentioned this before in another thread but I had concerns about the build quality. Specifically, the jacks, which simply protrude through holes in the casing, seemingly secured only internally (to PCB?), and had way too much wiggle and play for my comfort when I first plugged in. That alarmed me enough that I packed it up and sent it back without thoroughly testing how it actually sounded. Instant dealbreaker, for me.

That may sound nitpicky or paranoid, but it just didn't feel to me like a $250 box should, and I was concerned that it might not hold up long term to weekly gigging or touring.... YMMV I suppose.

For that kind of scratch, I'm looking at the Empress comp... If you got a chance to check out a used one, please let me/us know what you make of the jacks.

thanks for the heads up, and I agree...for that much $ it should be a top notch build.

[lefty73]

Originally Posted by ChipOnly

I've mentioned this before in another thread but I had concerns about the build quality. Specifically, the jacks, which simply protrude through holes in the casing, seemingly secured only internally (to PCB?), and had way too much wiggle and play for my comfort when I first plugged in. That alarmed me enough that I packed it up and sent it back without thoroughly testing how it actually sounded. Instant dealbreaker, for me.

That may sound nitpicky or paranoid, but it just didn't feel to me like a $250 box should, and I was concerned that it might not hold up long term to weekly gigging or touring.... YMMV I suppose.

For that kind of scratch, I'm looking at the Empress comp... If you got a chance to check out a used one, please let me/us know what you make of the jacks.

And just because the Universe likes to be balanced, my floorQ is carted around on a board, separately in a bag when I use it for bass or mobile recording, and plugged in as the first effect in my chain night after night. It's rock solid. YMwillV- just make sure you test it if you pick it up.

And because we're all pedal fiends here, I checked out the Empress compressor... damn, why did I have to view that? ;)