Recorded using a Schroeder Chopper TL with Lollar Special T pickups going into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV miked with a Royer R-121 feeding an Apogee Duet going into Studio One with no EQ-ing, compression, or effects.
Clip 1: Sustain and Level knobs at noon.
Clip 2: Sustain at 3 o’clock and Level at 1 o’clock.
RatingsPros:Beautiful vintage-style squish. Less noisy than the originals. Cons: Pricey. Not a lot of options for tone tweakers. Street: $225 Ross Compressor rossaudibles.com | Tones:  Ease of Use:  Build/Design: Value:  |
Who doesn’t like a great comeback story? Especially when it’s about super-hip vintage pedals. In 2018, Cameron Ross (grandson of Ross and Kustom founder Bud Ross) and Ben Brazil decided to bring back the Ross line by meticulously reverse-engineering the pedals. Naturally, the first pair of releases for the revived brand are the Distortion and the grey-box Compressor. Both look exactly like their vintage counterparts. But how does the reissue of this classic compressor hold up?
Still Squishy After All These Years
Way back before parallel compression was all the rage, compressor pedals had a very specific sound—and it wasn’t very subtle. Nor should it be. When you stomped on that grey Ross you knew exactly what you were getting, and this reissue carries that torch. According to Ross, they followed the schematic of the original exactly, right down to how they printed the circuit board. Thankfully, they added a few upgrades including an LED light. (Although I doubt anyone could mistake a vintage Ross Compressor from being on.) Other upgrades include true bypass switching and a Boss-style power jack.
Other descendants from the Ross tree of influence chose to move on from the CA3080e IC that was in the original, but Ross and Brazil chose to keep it in the reissues, which I would say contributes to that Ross sound in a big way. Even though vintage models could struggle with noise, I found the reissue to be a bit quieter. But let’s face it, if you’re using a good amount of compression and gain, there’s going to be some noise.
With any vintage-style compressor, I start with the knobs at noon and season to taste. On more modern compressors you could find controls for attack, sustain, ratio, and threshold, among others. In the Ross circuit all of those are wrapped into a single sustain knob. This is great news for the set-and-forget crowd, but not as interesting for players who love to turn and tweak knobs.
Depending on how hard you play, the sustain knob might not do much until you get past noon. I found my sweet spot was right around 1 o’clock, and it gave my Schroeder Chopper TL that chicken’ picking sound I heard on so many old country albums. The slow attack allowed for the occasional transient to pop through before the compression hammer came down. To me, this is a sign of a faithful reissue of the early Ross compressors.
Something’s Phishy
In the ’90s, the Ross Compressor had a resurgence thanks to Phish’s Trey Anastasio. Gear-minded Phish heads dug deep into his rig and found that the Ross comp was a crucial element. It went to such a feverish level that when Anastasio removed the pedal from his rig, fans banded together to chip in and purchase a vintage model for him. It was a symbolic gesture, but the pedal did make its way back into Anastasio’s rig.
The typical setup for Trey’s smooth, singing lead tone was to add the Ross with a Tube Screamer-style overdrive. I reached for a Jackson Audio Broken Arrow and dug in. From the research I did, it looked like Trey would keep the sustain knob around 9 o’clock and the output just past noon. The single-coils in my Schroeder responded well to the dirty squish, but I found that the sustain needed to be boosted just a bit. This is likely due to the lower output of the T-style pickups. The Ross did play well with other overdrives. Quite impressively, actually, since it has such a specific sound for a compressor. One minor quibble would be that the range of the sustain knob could be a bit more nuanced, as I found not much action happening below 11 o’clock.
The Verdict
If you’re looking to use compression as a central part of your tone and want to keep it dead simple, then you’d be remiss to overlook the Ross Compressor, even if the nostalgia factor isn’t there for you. Yeah, it’s a bit pricey for a simple two-knob compressor, but the sound of the Ross squish is pretty unmistakable, and for some comp addicts the grey box is the only way to go.
You can access your complete TONEX library, including Tone Models, presets and ToneNET, quickly load favorites to audition, and save to a designated hardware slot on IK hardware pedals. This easy-to-use application simplifies workflow, providing a streamlined experience for preparing TONEX pedals for the stage.
Fine-tune and organize your pedal presets in real time for playing live. Fully compatible with all your previous TONEX library settings and presets. Complete control over all pedal preset parameters, including Global setups. Access all Tone Models/IRs in the hardware memory, computer library, and ToneNET Export/Import entire libraries at once to back up and prepare for gigs Redesigned GUI with adaptive resize saves time and screen space Instantly audition any computer Tone Model or preset through the pedal.
Studio to Stage
Edit any onboard Tone Model or preset while hearing changes instantly through the pedal. Save new settings directly to the pedal, including global setup and performance modes (TONEX ONE), making it easy to fine-tune and customize your sound. The updated editor features a new floating window design for better screen organization and seamless browsing of Tone Models, amps, cabs, custom IRs and VIR. You can directly access Tone Models and IRs stored in the hardware memory and computer library, streamlining workflow.
A straightforward drop-down menu provides quick access to hardware-stored Tone Models conveniently sorted by type and character. Additionally, the editor offers complete control over all key parameters, including FX, Tone Model Amps, Tone Model Cabs/IR/VIR, and tempo and global setup options, delivering comprehensive, real-time control over all settings.
A Seamless Ecosystem of Tones
TONEX Editor automatically syncs with the entire TONEX user library within the Librarian tab. It provides quick access to all Tone Models, presets and ToneNET, with advanced filtering and folder organization for easy navigation. At the same time, a dedicated auto-load button lets you preview any Tone Model or preset in a designated hardware slot before committing changes.This streamlined workflow ensures quick edits, precise adjustments and the ultimate flexibility in sculpting your tone.
Get Started Today
TONEX Editor is included with TONEX 1.9.0, which was released today. Download or update the TONEX Mac/PC software from the IK Product Manager to install it. Then, launch TONEX Editor from your applications folder or Explorer.
For more information and videos about TONEX Editor, TONEX Pedal, TONEX ONE, and TONEX Cab, visit:
www.ikmultimedia.com/tonexeditor
PRS Guitars today released the updated MT 15 and the new Archon Classic amplifiers, along with a larger Archon speaker cabinet. The 15-watt, two-channel Mark Tremonti signature amp MT 15 now features a lead channel overdrive control. An addition to the Archon series, not a replacement, the 50-watt Classic offers a fresh voice by producing retro rock “classic” tones reminiscent of sound permeating the radio four and five decades ago. Now twice the size of the first Archon cabinet, the Archon 4x12 boasts four Celestion V-Type speakers.
MT 15 Amplifier Head
Balancing aggression and articulation, this 15-watt amp supplies both heavy rhythms and clear lead tones. The MT 15 revision builds off the design of the MT 100, bringing the voice of the 100’s overdrive channel into its smaller-format sibling. Updating the model, the lead channel also features a push/pull overdrive control that removes two gain stages to produce vintage, crunchier “mid gain” tones. The clean channel still features a push/pull boost control that adds a touch of overdrive crunch. A half-power switch takes the MT to 7 watts.
“Seven years ago, we released my signature MT 15 amplifier, a compact powerhouse that quickly became a go-to for players seeking both pristine cleans and crushing high-gain tones. In 2023, we took things even further with the MT 100, delivering a full-scale amplifier that carried my signature sound to the next level. That inspired us to find a way to fit the 100's third channel into the 15's lunchbox size,” said Mark Tremonti.
“Today, I’m beyond excited to introduce the next evolution of the MT15, now featuring a push/pull overdrive control on the Lead channel and a half-power switch, giving players even more tonal flexibility to shape their sound with a compact amp. Can’t wait for you all to plug in and experience it!”
Archon Classic Amplifier Head
With a refined gain structure from the original Archon, the Archon Classic’s lead channel offers a wider range of tones colored with gain, especially in the midrange. The clean channel goes from pristine all the way to the edge of breakup. This additional Archon version was developed to be a go-to tool for playing classic rock or pushing the envelope into modern territory. The Archon Classic still features the original’s bright switch, presence and depth controls. PRS continues to stock the Archon in retailers worldwide.
“The Archon Classic is not a re-issue of the original Archon, but a newly voiced circuit with the lead channel excelling in '70s and '80s rock tones and a hotter clean channel able to go into breakup. This is the answer for those wanting an Archon with a hotrod vintage lead channel gain structure without changing preamp tube types, and a juiced- up clean channel without having to use a boost pedal, all wrapped up in a retro-inspired cabinet design,” said PRS Amp Designer Doug Sewell.
Archon 4x12 Cabinet
As in the Archon 1x12 and 2x12, the mega-sized PRS Archon 4x12 speaker cabinet features Celestion V-Type speakers and a closed-back design, delivering power, punch, and tight low end. Also like its smaller brethren, the 4x12 is wrapped in durable black vinyl and adorned with a British-style black knitted-weave grill cloth. The Archon 4x12 is only the second four-speaker cabinet in the PRS lineup, next to the HDRX 4x12.
PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40 th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year. For all of the latest news, click www.prsguitars.com/40 and follow @prsguitars on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
