Guitar World Verdict
A welcome return for a vintage pedalboard staple – and one that offers today's player high-quality compression in an easy-to-use format.
Pros
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Preset attack and release times make it easy to dial in.
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Smooth compression.
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Retro looks.
Cons
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Size still could be an issue for some with less pedalboard space.
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Back in the 1970s, pedals offering compression were often marketed as ‘sustainers’. Electro-Harmonix had the Black Finger, Colorsound had the Sustain Module, and Orange simply plumped for Sustain as its catchy name. Today’s Sustain is an optical compressor pedal with just two control knobs.
The attack and release times are preset so you have a pedal that’s very easy to dial in: the Depth knob sets the gain reduction and hence the amount of sustain, while the Level knob, with a detente position at 12 o’clock, sets the overall output volume. With the Depth at minimum, that detente position is at unity gain so there’s scope beyond that to use the pedal as a booster with minimal compression.
Specs
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