Australia’s MI Audio is a bit of a boutique powerhouse in the music-making game down under, churning our top pedals such as the Plexi-esque Crunch Box and the amp-like Tube Zone as well as offering their own amp ideas in the forms of multi-channel Revelation and the metal-ready Megalith. Fairly recently, the effects side of the business released the MI Compressor with the promise of offering a studio-quality effect in pedal form loaded with a couple of unique controls that would make the stomp stand out from the crowd. Curious, we opted to investigate. So where does the MI Compressor fall with its capabilities… is it a studio squeeze or a commercial-grade chokehold?

The MI Compressor features six knob controls – two large and four minis. The function of the large knobs – Volume and Sustain – is pretty self-explanatory. Volume controls the overall output of the signal, while Sustain adjusts the amount of compression/sustain of the signal. The mini-knobs include Gate, Release, Attack and Level. The Gate control allows the user to engage an onboard noise gate in the MI Compressor. When stacked with a dirt pedal in the signal chain, sometimes compressors add a bit of noise to the output. The built-in gate is very sensitive and can keep hiss to a minimum when off the strings. The gate also has an internal trim pot to control the release time.

The pedal’s Release knob, like the Attack, control the feel and response of the compressor. Attack adjusts how fast the compressor reacts, while Release sets up how long the compression level is maintained. For fast attack response, dial the knob up. If you want the compression to last, turn the Release knob to the right. Level is the last control. It adjusts the strength of the input signal. It also has a small Clip LED next to it. If the signal gets too hot, the light will come on. With the Level turned up, you can also use the MI Compressor as a bit of a boost.

It is also worth noting that the pedal can run off of a 9v battery or standard Boss-style DC power, but is designed to run ‘comfortably’ up to 25v.

Diving into the MI Compressor, we’ll go for a little twang with the Strat, bridge pick-up. With the Volume at noon, Sustain at around 2 o’clock, Gate at noon, Release at noon, Attack dimed and Level around 10 o’clock, here’s a quick pick. First open, then squashed!

You can here the compressor engage and pack down the sound into a more narrow band. Settings like this are great for country riffs as well as subtle arpeggios for any occasion. Next we switch over to the Les Paul and hone in a three-chord classic from The Cars. With the Volume at noon, Sustain at around 9 o’clock, Gate rolled off, Release dimed, Attack at noon and Level around 3 o’clock, here’s a little rock and roll. First clean, then here she comes again.

The MI Compressor is a full-featured, highly capable compressor with a few extra tricks up its sleeve to give players a bit more sonic palette to play with. The inclusion of the Level control will allow players to match input and output levels to taste, and can also come in handy if you want to use the pedal as a boost. The Gate is another nice bonus and is useful when using the compressor with an overdrive pedal. Priced at around $200, the MI Compressor is worth a hard look if you’re in the market to add a little squish to what you dish. That’s our take anyway… your mileage my vary!

PLEASE NOTE: All YMMV Review clips are played through a Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb RI using Lava Clear Connect cables. 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.