The JOYO Dyna Compressor (JF-10) is a budget compressor pedal from Joyo that follows the recipe of the MXR Dyna Comp, one of the most widely copied compressor circuits in guitar history. Like the original, it is built around two controls: one that sets the amount of compression and one that sets the output volume. Used lightly it evens out your picking so quiet notes come up and loud notes come down; pushed harder it adds sustain and can give the percussive, clicky country sound the Dyna Comp circuit is known for1.
Dunlop, which owns MXR, describes the original Dyna Comp as a pedal that "can tighten up your signal, add rich sustain, or create the percussive and clicky sound heard on numerous hit records"1. The JOYO JF-10 aims at that same territory at a much lower price.
What it does
A compressor reduces the difference between your loudest and quietest notes, then makes up the lost level with a volume control. On the Dyna Comp design, the compression knob (called Sensitivity on the MXR originals) sets how hard the circuit works, and the output knob sets the overall level. Turn the compression up for long, even sustain on single notes and chords; turn it down and raise the output for a cleaner, more subtle effect.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Compression | Sets how hard the circuit works: low for gentle leveling, high for sustain and a more obvious effect |
| Output | Sets the overall level, making up the volume the compression takes away, and usable as a boost |
In practice, the JF-10 covers the two main jobs players reach for a compressor pedal for2:
- Leveling: smoothing out strummed chords or fingerpicked parts so every note sits at a similar volume.
- Sustain and boost: holding notes longer, or pushing the amp harder with the output control.
MusicRadar's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, found the pedal also works well in the second role, calling it a "useful clean boost" and noting a "robust build"2.
How it sounds
Curwen's verdict on the compression itself was mixed but positive for the price2:
"the compression doesn't sound bad, if a little bright"
On the amount of effect available, he found the pedal's limits compared with costlier units: "The Dyna doesn't have as much 'squash' as higher priced pedals"2. For a player who wants heavy, pumping compression as an obvious effect, that is the main compromise; for leveling and gentle sustain, it does the job.
If you want the extreme, percussive "squash" effect as a foreground sound, Curwen's review suggests higher priced pedals deliver more of it. The JF-10 is best matched to leveling, gentle sustain and clean boost duties.
Where the design comes from
The two-knob format comes from the MXR Dyna Comp, which Dunlop's own history describes as using controls "labeled Output and Sensitivity, to govern the volume and compression levels, respectively"3. That circuit has been in production in various forms for decades, and Dunlop currently sells updated versions alongside the original. The JOYO JF-10 sticks to the original's simpler two-control layout.
| Pedal | Controls | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| JOYO JF-10 Dyna Compressor | Compression, Output | Budget take on the original two-control layout3 |
| MXR Dyna Comp | Output, Sensitivity | The original circuit the JF-10 follows32 |
| Dunlop CSP102SL Script Dyna Comp | Output, Sensitivity | Dunlop's reissue of the script-logo era circuit4 |
| Dunlop M228 Dyna Comp Deluxe | Adds controls beyond the original two | Deluxe version with extra features such as a Clean blend, a Tone control and an attack switch5 |
Joyo also makes other compressors, including the Joyo Dr.J CompDriver.
Videos
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Questions
What does the JOYO Dyna Compressor do?
It is a compressor pedal that evens out the volume of your playing and adds sustain, following the two-control design of the MXR Dyna Comp. MusicRadar's reviewer found the compression decent if a little bright, and noted it also works as a useful clean boost when you back off the compression.
How does the JOYO Dyna Compressor compare with more expensive compressors?
In MusicRadar's review, Trevor Curwen found it does not have as much squash as higher priced pedals, meaning the extreme, percussive compression effect is harder to dial in. For the price, though, he judged the compression sounds decent and the build robust.
Sources (5)
- MXR® DYNA COMP® COMPRESSOR, Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- Joyo JF-10 Dyna Compressor review, MusicRadar, 2014-10-06
- A Dyna Comp-rehensive History, Dunlop (lifestyle.jimdunlop.com), 2018-10-25
- CSP102SL.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2019
- M228.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2019
