Strymon Engineering burst onto the pedal scene a little earlier this year with an unique-looking brushed aluminum golden box dubbed the OB.1 – an optical compressor and boost pedal that promised studio quality effects in a compact, dynamic package. Intrigued, we sought out Strymon and a chance to put the OB.1 to the test. Since that time, we’ve come to learn the company is working in concert with the minds at Damage Control to bring a new line of effects to market starting with a delay and phaser offering. The OB.1 has garnered praise among the forum and magazine crowds, so we were eager to see if it would live up to its tone enhancing rep or not.

Out of the box – a larger take on the standard little white pedal box – the OB.1 is an impressive looking beast. With a footprint just under that of a standard CD case, the OB.1 features three knob controls – Output, Boost Level and Comp, one mini-toggle and two foot switches. Output governs the level out of the pedal. Boost Level controls the amount of punch added to the signal. Comp varies the level of compression added to the tone. The three position mini-toggle sets a treble or mid boost and also has a flat position for no added bounce. The Boost foot switch engages the boost, while the Bypass switch shuts the pedal down allowing the signal to pass through unaltered.

When the Bypass LED is lit, the effect is active. In this mode, the Output and Comp knobs are active. The Boost is active when its LED is lit. In this mode, the Boost Level and toggle switch are also active. Additionally, there are two internal dip switches to select mid and treble boost frequencies. If you want to use just the boost without compression, you can simply roll the Comp all the way off and the compressor is out of circuit.

In the name of continuity (and lack of originality), I’m going to play the same riff on each clip so you can get a comparative ‘feel’ for what the OB.1 is doing to the sound from the respective pick-up configurations. There’s a lot going on with the OB.1, so these clips are going to be a little involved. We grab the Strat, neck pick-up first… you’re going to hear clean, then the compressor, then the compressor plus boost – from there we’ll run through the boost voicings in this order – flat, mids, treble. Got it? With Output at noon, Comp at 3 o’clock and Boost Level at noon, here’s a little blues progression from my favorite guitarist. Ok! Enough of my yakkin’… let’s boogie!

You can get a good flavor of the range of options with the OB.1 from that clip. The compressor is very clear and smooth, while the three-band boost function offers up additonal tonal possibilities. Dialing the Comp back to 10 o’clock and upping the Boost Level to 3 o’clock, here is the same riff and same ‘tweaking’ order using the bridge pick-up on the Strat.

Switching over to the Les Paul… Output at noon, Comp at 3 o’clock and Boost Level at 2 o’clock, here is the same progression – both chords and tweak pattern.

We liken the Strymon OB.1 to a studio quality Swiss Army Knife… something any player could turn to in a pinch to work his/her way out of a tonal rut. While we enjoyed some compression settings more than others, the OB.1 offers up near endless possibilities for the ‘tweakheads’ among us that love to spread out on the floor and dial in the perfect tone. The clean boost is just that… a clean boost, with little to no discernible coloration to the guitar and amp’s natural sound. Not everyone is ‘in’ to compressors as a point of taste, but if you are and are looking for studio-quality compression in a small, pedalboard-friendly package… with a clean boost thrown in the mix as well, we recommend you take a good look at the Strymon OB.1. That’s our opinion anyway… your mileage may vary!

PLEASE NOTE: All YMMV Review clips are played through a Reverend Hellhound 40/60 combo amp with 1×12 extension cab. No reverb or other effects were added to the clips. Guitars used in this review include a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom and a 1998 Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster.