Where many compressors can be fickle and complex, the Catalinbread NiCompressor is refreshingly quick and straightforward in its tone-evening capabilities. With the Compression dial below noon, the NiComp is a balancing act of lows and highs, attack and sustain. But crank it past 1:00 and this compressor rewards the player with thick speaker-moving chunk and laser-beam leads. Additional gain and EQ controls make this pedal a bona fide preamp for guitar and bass, with discrete analog circuitry that will delight today’s tone fanatics.