Empress Compressor MkII Settings Guide
The Empress Compressor MkII is a fully-featured studio-grade compression pedal with Input, Output, Attack, Release, Ratio, and Mix controls — genuine studio compressor functionality in a pedalboard format. The Blend (Mix) control enables parallel compression; the GR meter shows gain reduction in real time. At the higher end of the boutique compressor market, it is the most parametrically complete guitar compressor available.
The best Empress Compressor MkII settings start with: Input at 5/10, Output at 6/10, Attack at 5/10, Release at 5/10, Ratio at 5/10, Mix at 7/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Country (heavy squash): Input 7/10, Output 6/10, Attack 3/10, Release 5/10, Ratio 8/10, Mix 9/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Input | 5/10 | Low → Hot |
| Output | 6/10 | Off → Loud |
| Attack | 5/10 | Fast → Slow |
| Release | 5/10 | Fast → Slow |
| Ratio | 5/10 | 2:1 → Limit |
| Mix | 7/10 | Dry → Wet |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
High Input and Ratio with fast Attack — classic country compression. Fast Attack clamps quickly on pick transients; high Ratio produces significant gain reduction. Mix at 9 means the compressed signal dominates. The GR meter should show 6–10dB of gain reduction on peaks.
Moderate settings with equal Mix — parallel compression at 50/50 dry/wet. At Ratio 4:1 the Empress is gentle, adding sustain without obvious squash. Slower Attack preserves natural pick attack transients before compression engages.
Reference compression settings — Ratio 6:1 with moderate Attack and Release. Mix at 7 means more compressed than dry. Used as a studio-quality compressor on guitar recordings where precise control over compression parameters is needed.
Very fast Attack and Release keep transients tight and consistent for muted, percussive funk strumming, with high Mix leaning heavily on the compressed signal for that even, snappy attack.
Slow Attack and Release with a gentle Ratio smooths volume swells and sustained chords without clamping down on the initial pick attack, useful for building even, controlled ambient textures.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The GR (Gain Reduction) LED meter on the MkII shows how much compression is being applied — green for light, yellow for moderate, red for heavy. Watching this meter while setting the pedal is the most direct way to understand what the compression is doing.
- The four Ratio positions (2:1, 4:1, 8:1, and Limit) are significant steps — 2:1 is gentle dynamic control; 4:1 is classic general compression; 8:1 is heavy squash; Limit is peak limiting. Most guitar applications fall between 4:1 and 8:1.
- The Mix (Blend) control is what separates this from a simpler compressor — using parallel compression (blending compressed and dry signal) rather than 100% wet keeps pick attack and dynamics more natural even at aggressive Ratio settings.
- Attack time controls how much initial pick transient gets through before compression engages — a fast Attack tames pick clicks for a smoother, rounder note onset, while a slower Attack preserves snap and definition.
- Placed early in the signal chain (before overdrive or distortion), this compressor evens out picking dynamics before the gain stage, producing a more consistent drive character than placing it after.
- For always-on use as a subtle dynamics leveler, keep Ratio around 3:1 to 4:1 with a high Mix toward dry — this preserves natural playing feel while still controlling the loudest peaks.
FAQ
Empress Compressor MkII — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Empress Compressor MkII: Input at 5/10, Output at 6/10, Attack at 5/10, Release at 5/10, Ratio at 5/10, Mix at 7/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Country (heavy squash): Input 7/10, Output 6/10, Attack 3/10, Release 5/10, Ratio 8/10, Mix 9/10. High Input and Ratio with fast Attack — classic country compression. Fast Attack clamps quickly on pick transients; high Ratio produces significant gain reduction. Mix at 9 means the compressed signal dominates. The GR meter should show 6–10dB of gain reduction on peaks.
For Jazz / Clean (subtle): Input 5/10, Output 6/10, Attack 6/10, Release 6/10, Ratio 4/10, Mix 5/10. Moderate settings with equal Mix — parallel compression at 50/50 dry/wet. At Ratio 4:1 the Empress is gentle, adding sustain without obvious squash. Slower Attack preserves natural pick attack transients before compression engages.
Input: Input sensitivity / threshold (Low to Hot). Output: Make-up gain / output level (Off to Loud). Attack: Compressor attack time (Fast to Slow). Release: Compressor release time (Fast to Slow). Ratio: Compression ratio (2:1 to Limit). Mix: Parallel compression blend (Dry to Wet)
The GR (Gain Reduction) LED meter on the MkII shows how much compression is being applied — green for light, yellow for moderate, red for heavy. Watching this meter while setting the pedal is the most direct way to understand what the compression is doing. The four Ratio positions (2:1, 4:1, 8:1, and Limit) are significant steps — 2:1 is gentle dynamic control; 4:1 is classic general compression; 8:1 is heavy squash; Limit is peak limiting. Most guitar applications fall between 4:1 and 8:1. The Mix (Blend) control is what separates this from a simpler compressor — using parallel compression (blending compressed and dry signal) rather than 100% wet keeps pick attack and dynamics more natural even at aggressive Ratio settings. Attack time controls how much initial pick transient gets through before compression engages — a fast Attack tames pick clicks for a smoother, rounder note onset, while a slower Attack preserves snap and definition. Placed early in the signal chain (before overdrive or distortion), this compressor evens out picking dynamics before the gain stage, producing a more consistent drive character than placing it after. For always-on use as a subtle dynamics leveler, keep Ratio around 3:1 to 4:1 with a high Mix toward dry — this preserves natural playing feel while still controlling the loudest peaks.
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