New Pedals – Swindler Effects’ Workers’ Comp

Fairly new to the stompbox world, Swindler Effects has recently introduced to the world their flagship compressor, the Workers’ Comp, which you will be able to see at our upcoming Summer NAMM shared Stompbox Exhibit booth. It’s a re-invention of a tried-and-true stompbox compressors, the beloved Ross/DynaComp design, which has been retooled for added versatility.

The control scheme includes an output ‘Volume’ control, ‘Compression’ which determines the threshold and how much squish is added to the sound. Also present are parameters for manipulating the envelope by way of ‘Attack’ and ‘Release’ controls – standard on almost all studio compressors but seemingly absent from many stompbox designs (including the Ross/DynaComp). A bright switch allows for the makeup of precious high frequencies that tend to disappear from a guitar’s tone when its dynamics are squashed.

The Worker’s Comp also features increased headroom, so the pedal can be run at about as full blast as the player desires. Rock solid construction and soft touch, true bypass switching round out an impressive feature set. While not the most transparent compressor around, the Worker’s Comp offers compressed tones that are aggressive without overpowering your sound. – Brandon Stoner