You Should be Using a Compressor - Walrus Audio Mira | Secret Weapons Demo & Review

[@UnconsciousChanting]

Tremendous communicator. You took some exceptionally nuanced sonic qualities and applied really varied, highly-descriptive language to zero-in on the essence of this pedal. I previously thought of compression as either a mastering glue or sidechain tool exclusively, but this has opened an entirely new area for me to explore. Thank you for sharing your gift with all of us. Beautiful playing, too. Excellent video.

[@blakethomas3366]

I love this demo. I just got this pedal and it’s on light/moderate settings and it helps me bring out a lot of expression in my playing without changing my sound. Seeing him use this pedal as a “support pedal” was honestly super helpful for me. Subbed 🤘

[@lavalizard1]

That was a delight - I’m a big believer in the value of a compressor in the signal chain. Used a Diamond for years (and loved it) but have recently been blown away by the Keeley Mini-Compressor… it really retains the top-end of my Jazzmasters while providing a bunch of dynamic control. Tough video to attemp - kudos - I end up having to try and explain why compressors are vital.

[@richardsp2794]

I've had a compressor on my board for ages but rarely used it. From mixing I understand studio controls like this and always knew my compressor wasn't really suited to me. This video and showing how to really practically use it like this convinced me the Mira was for me. And it is. Superb video. Thank you

[@mp-ov9dh]

best explanation and demonstration of compression i have ever seen. well done!

[@Jimmichanga999]

This is rhe absolute best explanation on what a compressor is and does. Every video kept saying "squish' over and over and here you taught a whole class with a examples. Thank you for helping me understand compression.

[@jmichaelE68]

Just bought one,. Thank you for this video Mark, it's been SUPER helpful.

[@santiagogonzalez5822]

Bro, the intro song was AMAZING. Is it possible to hear it anywhere but this video? Congratulations!

[@nothingman7163]

Thank you for doing this pedal justice; the Mira is definitely right up there with my next pedal options to upgrade my board because it is so universal yet so unique

[@samizdat113]

I play metal and have been running a Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone (1st gen) for about a year and I love it.

[@mralgebro]

It’s definitely subtle and like you said, a secret weapon. You explain things very well. Absolutely love your “sloppy” playing 😉

[@markjohnstonofficial]

Haha thank you. I am pretty happy with my weird form of playing I’ve developed for myself but it’s undeniably imprecise.

[@enickma]

I wish you wouldn't use so many other effects. Buried in delay and reverb, it's harder to hear the compressor's dynamics

[@yegemusic]

Very good explanation. For me compressor pedal is a must. Subtle used in compressor pedal may not give big difference in small speaker, but once you take it to big stage with big speakers, the difference is very noticeable, at least for me.

[@robb4340]

2nd Great Review i've seen in 2 days ! Subscribed.

[@orryfishburne5326]

Saw the email about this pedal's release today and was intrigued. Glad u got sent one to demo, so i can get a good listen to it. U usually do a great job cover a large amount of ground with your demos. I really want to upgrade my compressor sometime soon. Currently using a Wampler Ego V2, but want to try something thats not a OTA. Was eying the Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio, Empress Compressor mkII, and Collaboration Devices The Compressor, but now i have another good compressor to decide over when the time comes. Lol.

[@chipsterb4946]

Great explanation of the Ratio control. Even better you are the first to explain the Makeup control. Thanks!

[@MaxYoder]

Thank you, Mark! I enjoy your videos a lot.

[@SeriousPoo]

Stunning playing and incredible sounds!

[@jasoniversen7124]

Thanks for the video. I always use a compressor but very sparingly. I usually tweak it until I like the sound but it's nice to get some of the controls explained a bit more thoroughly

[@annedeoedipus7849]

How informative your videos are is really helpful. I still use some budget gear (out of necessity!) but I am slowly swapping some out as I can afford it. Compression isn’t the fancy addition to sound of other effects but after this video I know I can’t pretend it’s not essential and something I can just put off.

[@DurvalLacerda]

Have you tried Earthquaker's The Warden Compressor? I'm in doubt between the Mira and The Warden.

[@markjohnstonofficial]

I have not. I know it's well liked but I've never really looked into the Warden.

[@Surrey_01]

Did you ever decide? I have the exact debate

[@DurvalLacerda]

@@Surrey_01 I got Earthquaker's The Warden because it has a reputation of sounding amazing. Of course, Mira is a new pedal, but I heard so much things about The Warden I had to get it. And I'm loving it! It adds a special sparkle to your tone. Go for it! (and if get one, please remember to tell me your thoughts)

[@kingsecho3351]

Damn that fender jazz bass is bad ass looking

[@XxXHardcoreshredderxXXxxxxxxxx]

How does this differ from the warden by earthquaker devices? Any info on that would be great! Thank you! Im really considering the mira

[@erickenmelson]

I had to re-read that title haha

[@douglasmayhall8279]

outstanding presentation.. thx for the great effort

[@99cobra01]

I play humbuckers almost exclusively and even my clean tones are on the raunchy side. Is there any benefit for using a compressor for my applications? I play mostly blues, hard rock, and metal.

[@claytondevecht7472]

What is the cream guitar with the soapbox style pickups in the video? I just picked up the Mira and I am loving it! The Mira is a pedal you can really feel when you play. Most of my guitars are fitted with P90’s and the HPF selection is such a brilliant feature. My lows carry through and the comp gives the highs a shimmer that I was previously lacking. Great video!

[@MatthewSwasta]

would be nice to have numbers around the dials for very specific and trackable settings...but I guess I could put my own markings on it.

[@MC-cl9ip]

Excellent video bud

[@thomasbowlin6787]

Great video, thank you. You have a gental soul about you. I just bought one of these compressor pedals because the makeup control sold me. My sales engineer told me his favorite is the wampler ego compressor pedal with blend control but I still went with this one, any thoughts. I feel I made the right choice with this pedal. Thank you very much.

[@DolemiteSammich]

Optical compressors are the way, especially really solid ones.

[@thewatersofdream]

Heck yeah. Epic sounds Bro

[@JustSomeGuy]

I'm curious, would putting the compressor behind the drive change the dynamics with humbuckers? My compressor (Boss CS-3) doesn't have a blend option, so I'm interested if that would make a difference.

[@Davidthestratman7]

The blend makes a world of difference. Compression is better earlier in the chain in my opinion because it's the less noisy

[@kingsecho3351]

Where can I get a 1981 inventions guitar pick? I just ordered the Mira

[@markjohnstonofficial]

He might sell them on the site but I’ve always just gotten them via getting pedals

[@Matthew-OU812]

I feel like you put a lot of work into this. Thank you. Would you say the optical sounds truer, smoother, or more "transparent" than analog or digital to the original signal?

[@bassimprovjams3772]

I love this premiere music!! Sounds like a Wiz track

[@kylebichler2258]

Hey Mark, how does this compare to the Empress MKII? I ask cause I’m about to pull the trigger on one.

[@devyntavares8144]

I'm in this crossroad what did you go with??

[@beukems]

But does it beat the legend Cali76? That one’s my favorite

[@markjohnstonofficial]

I go through phases with my 76. It’s got a ton of color and when I want it; it’s great. But it also doesn’t play well at all with gain imo and this is more versatile for that reason among others.

[@jackattack8044]

hey mark, do you own/have you used a deep six? I'm curious to see how they compare

[@AryaDee72]

what drum sample pack do you use? sounds greT

[@markjohnstonofficial]

GetGoodDrums Modern and massive

[@toploadtele]

5 Stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@johnlenz420]

ive been using the xotic compressor on my board but need more control. this might be the new addition to the board. any pre amp reccos ?

[@AmiliaCaraMia]

Honestly the Chase Bliss preamp is pretty rad. Since there's an intense eq, 2 overdrives, preamp drive, and 2 fuzzes built in. Lots of options but comprehensive overall. Plus, you're only powering the 1 device on your board.

[@toploadtele]

5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@bigknuckle9689]

Sounds good, and if you play almost all single coils its probably perfect, not sure it's super helpful with buckers. Never really thought HB guitars needed much compression. It would be nice if this had at least 2 presets so that it would be easier to switch guitars mid-set without having to adjust the comp, although I guess you could just turn it off... For a pedal that is the least sexy on the board (after a tuner of course) $250 is kind of a lot of cash for a compressor when there are several options that are pretty darn good for much less. Maybe its more useful in the studio than on a pedalboard though.

[@johnlenz420]

what are the better cheaper pedals u think ??

[@BParker55]

@@johnlenz420 Mooer Yellow Comp

[@BeepBoopReBoot]

Jackson Audio Bloom V1 (no MIDI) is right around $240 used. Less tweakable compression-wise than the WA but really strong contender. 5 or so different compression types, a separate EQ and separate clean boost.

[@bigknuckle9689]

@@johnlenz420 I'm not necessarily saying any are better, I've never used the Mira, it looks awesome and Walrus makes great stuff. I just wonder how many people will balk at the price for a compressor pedal.

[@AmiliaCaraMia]

@@bigknuckle9689 Depends on what the player values. If it's super transparent, lots of control and that's what people are after, then I suppose it could be worth it. The Ego comp is similar in this way. Been digging the Diamond Comp (even though it's pricey) but it is one of those things that just seems to work, is dead simple, and I don't have to tweak it constantly. I enjoy this a lot.

[@thomaswhudson]

What tuning do you use? Is this standard E?

[@markjohnstonofficial]

Standard tuning across almost everything on the channel unless otherwise noted. I have a few guitars in D standard but not here

[@thomaswhudson]

@@markjohnstonofficial sounds killer man. Love your stuff and the tones you get.

[@bobisadrummer]

I really like the threshold LED thing letting the user know when it's activating and the intensity. Is that an optical compressor thing or just something that most pedal companies don't bother with?

[@jackgreenwood1817]

Most don't bother but there are a few. Keeley Compressor Pro has it. I agree it is a very useful feature to see how hard the compressor is working

[@bobisadrummer]

@@jackgreenwood1817 Yeah, I've seen that one and the MXR studio/bass comps. I think DSM/Humboldt recently came out with one as well. I currently use the Becos FX Stella Pro (which has probably every single control you could have over a comp and then some) and it also has a threshold LED meter like the MXR and Keeley ones.

[@AmiliaCaraMia]

The Diamond compressor does something similar. The power led changes color depending depending on hard it's compressing.

[@ThePaivarinne]

Fender the bends compressor has it, great pedal and all the same features than mira, something like 100 dollars

[@AmiliaCaraMia]

@@ThePaivarinne The Bends doesn't have an independent attack / release control, nor does it have a ratio or threshold control. Not the same features. Cheers 🤙

[@Updog89]

Have you used the Orange Kongpressor? If so, how does this pedal compare it? This seems to have a few more features than the Kongpressor, including managing low frequencies for bass. Not sure if it would matter if you use it for guitar? Also you seemed to need a separate boost, but some use a Kongpressor as a boost, would the Mira not serve that purpose well? Thanks!

[@AmiliaCaraMia]

Cutting bass w/ a compressor means that it's filtering the lower frequencies before hitting the compressor. Lower notes can cause the comp to clamp down thus stepping on higher notes. Lower frequencies generate more energy / volume, so input sensitive fx like comps or overdrives can benefit from filtering. It can be a bit more natural sounding 👍

[@everythingtakin]

Sounds a bit like everything else today. No thanks I can’t comprehend ever-wanting sound like same old status quo. But good playing and great video

[@markjohnstonofficial]

What a bizarre response to a compressor.

[@everythingtakin]

@@markjohnstonofficial it’s not that bizarre a compressor is a compressor I was commenting on the chords you used that may be even more bizarre lol now that I think of it but yo I was being nice and honest and it was my opinion that’s all hope your well I liked your video you know I hope

[@kingsecho3351]

@@everythingtakinhe’s just trying to show what the compressor can do. Go elsewhere if you want to listen to fucking shredders who can’t play. This guy has a lot of feel to his playing. Great guitarist.

[@skullheadwater9839]

You should be using a Compressor if A.) you don't like dynamics? B.) you like processed unnatural tones? C. You are a pedal junkie? D.) All of the above!

[@markjohnstonofficial]

Sounds like you don’t want a compressor. Congrats to you I guess.

[@AmiliaCaraMia]

Interesting points. A) Compressor pedals lessen dynamics to some extent, but don't latch peaks to the threshold like a studio compressor would. Don't expect a sausage unless you slam the comp. B) For cleans / single coils, they can add some aggression without adding saturation. For recording cleaner guitars, this is a must. I promise that every pure guitar tone you like has compression on record. Best of luck 🤙

[@gryphon940]

@@AmiliaCaraMiathis! When i was younger and starting to mess around recording myself my guitar never sounded right.. it sounded unnatural in the mix that no eqing could fix.. started using a comp and bam! I dont even use a compressor live (unless doing a country tune.. or a phish song for treys tone) really hate the squash of ross styles - these optical compressors though.. really like them.. no squish upfront which can really make me feel disconnected to what im playing

[@jbroutson17]

Every pedal has its place. Sounds like you need more experience with compressors

[@skullheadwater9839]

@@jbroutson17 I've tried to use compressors on multiple occasions, it gives the tone a processed quality which I don't like. And I like to use the pressure of my fingers to control the Dynamics I found that almost impossible with a compressor. A compressor can compensate for especially on a clean finger-picking type thing to make it sound more consistent but I find that it gives it a artificial quality which I just don't. I design and build tube guitar amps. I just plug in crank it up if I want it cleaner I play softer and or turn the volume knob down a very rarely use any pedals or FX whatsoever except for on occasion my Echoplex, phaser on rare occasions and built in tube amp tremolo/reverb.

[@user-kc1cc5tt9l]

Hoping walrus stops coating pedals in leather. Not cool as a vegan.

[@markjohnstonofficial]

You mean the one time they did that? Which means they’ve already stopped

[@kingsecho3351]

Oh my god tree hugger. Chill out

[@user-zv7lm8uk7h]

@@kingsecho3351 Really? You like abusing and killing animals? Maybe we should have you looked at by a psychologist. I prefer my guitar pedal companies do not abuse and kill animals, pretty simple.

[@user-zv7lm8uk7h]

@@markjohnstonofficial Great maybe I can go back to supporting them now. Love the Melee and Lore/Fable.

[@Mesa3077Boogie]

Oh my gosh so much talking.

[@markjohnstonofficial]

Check back next week for my “just talking no sounds” edit.