Orange’s new King Comp is a Class A VCA compressor pedal designed to give guitarists and bassists studio-style control over their tone, right from the pedalboard. Built around a super low-noise analog circuit, it enhances every note with warmth, clarity, and touch-sensitive response.
At the heart of the pedal lies a Class A VCA compression engine that delivers smooth, precise dynamics without flattening your sound. Unlike many compressors that dull your tone, the King Comp enhances it — adding shimmer, body, and sustain while retaining your natural attack. It’s a design inspired by classic studio gear but optimized for stage and pedalboard use.
The pedal’s tweakable attack and release knobs are its secret weapons. Faster attack settings clamp down on peaks for a tight, percussive feel, while slower attacks let transients breathe for a punchier response. Release times can be dialed to offer transparent compression or long, blooming sustain, allowing you to tailor your tone to your playing style.
A color-shifting LED gives instant visual feedback, changing from blue to pink when compression engages — helping you dial in settings by both ear and sight.
Powering the unit at 18 V DC provides massive headroom, ensuring clarity even with high-output pickups or complex rigs. This high-voltage design delivers open, dynamic tone free from unwanted compression artifacts, keeping your signal clean and full.
The King Comp also features a high-quality buffered bypass, preserving your tone when the pedal is disengaged. This ensures signal strength and clarity across large pedalboards or long cable runs — making it an ideal “always-on” compressor for players who demand professional consistency.
In use, the King Comp brings the refined feel of a studio compressor to your live rig. It adds sustain, sparkle, and polish to any setup while maintaining your instrument’s natural touch and expression. Get the Orange King Comp VCA Compressor here for $179 and check out all our other Orange coverage right here!
