The Harley Benton Custom Line CS-5 Compressor is a compact compressor pedal from Harley Benton's Custom Line range. Harley Benton describes it as a "boutique-style compressor in studio quality", with three adjustable parameters, Level, Attack and Sustain, that let you dial in your tone quickly and easily1. Like any compressor, it sits in your signal chain to even out your playing: Harley Benton describes compressor pedals as thickening up your clean sound, giving your solo more sustain and delivering a more compact tone1.
The controls: Level, Attack and Sustain
The CS-5 keeps things simple with three knobs1:
| Control | What it adjusts |
|---|---|
| Level | Adjusts level |
| Attack | Adjusts attack |
| Sustain | Adjusts sustain |
That three-knob layout is the whole interface: Harley Benton says the CS-5 lets you dial in your tone quickly and easily using those three adjustable parameters1. A single On/Off footswitch with an LED status light engages and disengages the effect1.
Power, connections and housing
The CS-5 runs on a 9 V battery or a 9 V power adapter, and the adapter is not included with the pedal1. Input and output are both 6.3 mm jacks1.
The 9 V power adapter is not included in the box. Harley Benton notes that one is available separately, so plan for a battery or your own adapter if you are adding the CS-5 to a powered pedalboard.
The pedal measures 120 x 56 x 95 mm (W x H x D) and weighs 0.350 kg1. Harley Benton describes the housing as "Heavy Duty" and suitable for stage use1.
Where it sits on a pedalboard
As a compressor, the CS-5 is typically used to even out dynamics and add sustain, and Harley Benton's own description of the effect type is that compressor pedals thicken up your clean sound, give your solo more sustain and deliver a more compact tone1. If you are comparing it within the maker's range, Harley Benton also offers the Harley Benton Dynamic Compressor, and the CS-5 belongs to the wider family of compressor pedals alongside effect types like overdrive pedals and delay pedals1.
On the sound it suits, Harley Benton's product page is direct:
"Best of all, it sounds GREAT with a clean tone (think Def Leppard's "Hysteria)."
Videos
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Questions
Is the Harley Benton CS-5 Compressor true bypass?
Yes. Harley Benton lists the CS-5 as true bypass, meaning that when the pedal is switched off, your guitar's signal passes through without the compression circuit loading it. The pedal is switched with an On/Off footswitch that has an LED to show when the effect is engaged.
Does the Harley Benton CS-5 take a battery?
Yes. Harley Benton says the CS-5 can be operated with a 9 V battery or with a 9 V power adapter. The adapter is not included with the pedal, so you would need to supply your own if you want to run it from a power supply.
Does the CS-5 Compressor come with a power adapter?
No. Harley Benton states that the pedal runs on a 9 V battery or a 9 V power adapter, but the adapter is not included in the box. A suitable adapter is sold separately.
What does the Sustain knob do on the CS-5?
Sustain is one of the CS-5's three controls, alongside Level and Attack. Harley Benton describes compressor pedals in general as giving your solo more sustain and thickening up a clean sound, and the Sustain knob is where you set how much of that compressed sustain the pedal applies.
How big is the Harley Benton CS-5 Compressor?
Harley Benton gives the CS-5's dimensions as 120 x 56 x 95 mm (W x H x D) and its weight as 0.350 kg. It is a compact single-effect pedal in a housing the maker describes as Heavy Duty and suitable for stage use.
What kind of sound is the CS-5 described as suiting?
Harley Benton describes the CS-5 as a boutique-style compressor in studio quality, and says it sounds great with a clean tone, pointing to Def Leppard's Hysteria as the kind of sound it suits. The maker also notes that compressors thicken a clean sound, add sustain to solos and deliver a more compact tone.
Sources (1)
- Custom Line CS-5 Compressor, Harley Benton (harleybenton.com)
