Engineer´s Thumb - Compressor kit

you dont have to be an engineer to build this compressor, but its a fun build and the end result is superb. A lot of tweaking options to get desired sound and as others have mentioned - no additional noise.
This stays on my board

Edgars A., 31.03.2022

I had a lot of fun building this. Its easy enough for a beginner, and it sounds great. I would highly recommand this build !

Romain B., 22.04.2022

You can dial it from very subtle to squashy and everything in between. Very low noise even at extreme settings.

Guglielmo C., 31.05.2022

As said by many here, its an incredible, versatile and silent compressor.
Based on the Merlin Blencowe recommandation on its project page, I build a slightly modded version for guitar or bass .
I added a double switch to toggle between 1u and 2u capacitors for C3 and C4.
I must admit that the change is subtle but still relevant .

I placed the switch ( with the four capacitors soldered on) between ratio and level knobs. Then I had to move the DC power jack from the top to the side ( like the BEOD Overdrive) .

At the end of the day, I use it only for the bass .... but the compressor is allways on :-)
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Comme on peut le voir sur tous les messages, cest un compresseur topissime , versatile et silencieux.
Sur la base de la recommandation de Martin Blencowe sur son site, jai construit une version légèrement modifiée pour guitare ou basse.
Jai ajouté un switch double pour basculer entre des condensateurs de 1u ou 2u sur les C3 et C4.
Le changement est subtil, mais utile , surtout pour la basse.

Jai placé le switch (avec les 4 condos dessus) entre les boutons ratio et level . Du coup, jai du décaler le jack dalim DC normalement situé en haut vers le coté de la pédale (comme sur la BEOD overdrive) .

Au bout du compte, je ne lutilise que pour la basse .... mais il est toujours enclenché :-)

Eric D., 19.10.2022

Whoever Valve Wizard is he knows his circuit design! This is one superb compressor. (And while here, Ill mention how helpful musicding were over a construction feature). A great effects unit to have in kit form. Top marks all round.

Ivor S., 27.12.2022

I play bass, and I played through a lot of compressors over the past ten years; the last one was the EBS Multicomp, and my first impression is that this one compares very well with the quality and musicality of the swedish pedal. However it has a different feel, and in my opinion suits much better to my playing style (mostly funk and jazzy tunes); not to mention that its a bit more versatile, being able to tweak attack and decay in the front panel, which is good. I might consider adding a second one to the pedalboard in order to achieve a stacked compressor configuration, or have different settings according to what Im playing.
The assembly process was straightforward, and the quality of the PCB its just superb, as well as the enclosure. And, finally, it doesnt cost too much, which is why DIY pedal kits are for!
Definitely recommended.

Roberto V., 25.01.2023

Antes que este, probé el Supreme Compressor de Effect Pedal Kits que resultó ser una castaña, porque metía una extraña distorsión. Revisé soldaduras y demás y no encontré nada mal. Acabé tirándolo a la basura. Este en cambio muy bien, nada que ver en calidad de la PCB, y sónicamente al menos suena bien, limpio y sin distorsiones. Muy satisfecho.

Luis C., 15.11.2023

This was my first compressor build and probably the last, unless I need this same pedal somewhere else. I built the kit with default components, no mods, and use it for playing guitar and bass. Works perfectly on both, there is no LF roll off (checked by ear and with spectrum analyzer). Building was very straight forward. I highly recommend!

Tapio S., 24.10.2024

First of all, I have little experience with compressor pedals. This is my first one. Having said that I picked it because of the control you have over the sound with the 5 knobs and reviews said should be good.

I have built kit pedals before so the build was pretty easy, although it would have been useful to have a list of components and their values so you dont have to look up the values in the schematic all the time. It all worked on the first try.

The pedal is very quiet and introduces no additional noise when turned on. The controls all work like they should, although I need to practise some more to find the right settings for my playing. I managed to get it to distort a bit by driving it too hard but that is to be expected, or so I read.

All in all I think this is a clean and versatile compressor and good value for your money.

Floris G., 24.03.2025