The Becos FX CompIQ Pro Mini is a compressor pedal that packs a studio-style VCA compression circuit into a mini enclosure measuring 92 × 37 × 55 mm. It is made by Becos FX, hand-built in Romania and designed for both bass and guitar1. Where most mini compressors trim the circuit down to two or three knobs, the Pro Mini keeps the core of the company's larger CompIQ pedals: a 4320 THAT Analog Engine, meaning a Blackmer voltage-controlled amplifier paired with a true RMS-level sensor that reads the signal and controls how hard it gets squeezed21.
Guitar World's reviewer called it "a stunningly beautiful and transparent compression that immediately enhances the overall sound dynamically," noting it does not color your guitar tone but makes it sound more present and appear louder in a room1.
A Blackmer VCA compressor with an RMS sensor
The Pro Mini uses the same core Blackmer VCA / RMS-level analog engine as its larger CompIQ siblings, so the small box is not a simplified re-voicing but the full circuit topology in a smaller format2. In plain terms, the RMS-level sensor continuously measures the input signal's actual level rather than its peaks, and the Blackmer VCA (voltage-controlled amplifier) turns that measurement into gain reduction. This is the approach used in classic studio rack compressors, and it is what reviewers mean when they call the pedal "studio-grade"21.
Guitar World's Paul Riario found the pedal delivers "superior studio-quality compression" from that engine, and rated it a top-quality VCA-style compressor in a mini-pedal format with every control you might need1.
The controls: eight controls and three switches
The Pro Mini carries eight controls: three binary switches and five fully variable knobs, three large and two small red ones23. That is a lot of surface for a mini pedal, and it is what separates it from the two-knob CompIQ Mini One Pro that started the mini line in 2019.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| RATIO | Sets the compression ratio; the available range depends on the Feed mode selected2 |
| KNEE | Switches between Hard and Soft Knee operation3 |
| THRESHold | Sets the level where compression begins3 |
| Make-up GAIN | Restores level lost to gain reduction3 |
| WET > DRY Mix | Blends compressed and dry signal for parallel compression3 |
| Auto TIMING | Sets attack and release behavior, Fast or Slow3 |
| SCF Side-Chain Filter | Shapes which frequencies trigger the compressor3 |
| Feed Mode | Selects Feed-Forward or Feed-Back operation3 |
The side-chain filter deserves a note for bass players: on the larger CompIQ pedals, filtering the detector path keeps low frequencies from triggering the compressor too quickly, and the SCF control on the Pro Mini gives you the same kind of adjustment34.
Feed-Forward and Feed-Back modes
The Feed Mode switch is the pedal's most distinctive feature. In Feed-Forward mode the detector reads the input signal before it reaches the VCA, which allows the full ratio range up to Infinity:1, effectively limiting. In Feed-Back mode the detector reads the signal after compression, the way vintage feedback compressors work, with a maximum ratio of 10:12.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described the difference in character:
"The Feed-Forward Mode is more precise, harder-hitting and more expansive overall - up to Infinity:1 Ratio"2
with Feed-Back being "more on the feels, with less precision, Max 10:1 Ratio, and all-round a little looser and more subtle"2. He frames the Knee and Feed switches together as a four-step scale: Hard Knee plus Feed-Forward at one end, through Hard Knee plus Feed-Back and Soft Knee plus Feed-Forward, to Soft Knee plus Feed-Back at the other, giving you four distinct compression characters from two switches2.
Where it sits in the CompIQ line
Becos FX's CompIQ range runs from simple to full-featured, and the Pro Mini sits near the compact end with the full circuit intact2:
- CompIQ Mini One Pro (2019): a two-knob mini compressor with a dry/wet mix button and a Sense threshold switch56
- CompIQ Pro Mini: the mini format with the full Blackmer VCA engine and eight controls23
- CompIQ Pro Yuna (2025): a streamlined soft-knee-only model with eight controls and internal jumpers for Feed mode and RMS level7
- CompIQ Stella Pro and Stella Pro MK2: the flagship, with 13 surface controls, tilt EQ and an optional DITOS transformer-balanced DI output74
- CompIQ TWAIN Pro: a dual-band / stacked compressor with two independent analog engines89
The trade-off against the Stella Pro MK2 is surface area: the Stella's 13 controls include a tilt EQ and more timing flexibility, while the Pro Mini condenses the essentials. Against the Yuna, the Pro Mini adds Hard Knee operation and a Feed mode switch, where the Yuna is soft-knee only with feed selection on an internal jumper378.
What reviewers said
Published reviews of the Pro Mini have been positive. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing it in August 2026, wrote that "this smallest one might not have all the bells and whistles of the Stella, but it's still incredibly mighty, and carries all the essentials with style"23.
Guitar World's review reached a similar verdict, rating it a top-quality VCA-style compressor in a mini-pedal format with every control you might need. The reviewer praised the transparent, uncolored compression and the completeness of the control set for a pedal this size1.
On price, published figures disagree. Guitar Pedal X lists the CompIQ Mini Pro at €249 / $249 / £219 as of October 2026, with €249 direct from Becos FX, £219 from Joe's Pedals in the UK and ¥48,620 in Japan23. Guitar World's review lists €1691. The newer 2026 figure is $249 in the US3.
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Questions
Is the Becos CompIQ Pro Mini analog or digital?
It is analog. The compression is processed by a 4320 THAT Analog Engine, the same core Blackmer VCA and RMS-level analog engine used in the larger CompIQ pedals, so the Pro Mini keeps the circuit topology of its bigger siblings in a smaller enclosure.
What is the difference between Feed-Forward and Feed-Back mode on the CompIQ Pro Mini?
In Feed-Forward mode the ratio sweeps up to Infinity:1, which reviewers describe as more precise and harder-hitting. Feed-Back mode tops out at 10:1 and is described as looser, more subtle and more about feel. The Feed switch selects between the two, and it combines with the Knee switch for four overall characters.
Does the CompIQ Pro Mini have a wet/dry blend?
Yes. A Wet > Dry Mix control blends the compressed signal with your untouched dry signal, which allows parallel compression. That is useful for keeping pick attack and dynamics intact while the compressed path evens out sustain and level.
Does the CompIQ Pro Mini have a side-chain filter?
Yes. One of the eight controls is an SCF Side-Chain Filter, which shapes which frequencies trigger the compressor. Filtering low frequencies out of the detector path keeps heavy bass notes from clamping the compressor too quickly.
How much does the CompIQ Pro Mini cost in the US?
Guitar Pedal X lists the CompIQ Mini Pro at $249 in the US as of October 2026, alongside €249 and £219. Guitar World's review lists a price of €169, so published prices for this pedal disagree; the newer 2026 figure is $249.
Sources (9)
- Becos FX CompIQ Mini Pro Compressor review, Guitar World, 2021-07-15
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-08-11
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X
- Becos CompIQ Stella Pro MK2 Compressor Pedal, Bass Gear Magazine (bassgearmag.com), 2024-10-09
- Becos Effects CompIQ MINI ONE Pro Compressor: Studio-grade compression in a mini pedal?, gearnews.com, 2019-06-18
- Becos Effects introduces two-knob CompIQ Mini One Pro Compressor, guitar.com, 2019-06-17
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-10-08
- BECOS FX Releases the CompIQ Twain Pro Compressor MK2, Bass Magazine, 2024-07-30
- Becos Unveils New CompIQ Twain Pro Compressor, Premier Guitar, 2020-02-13
