Line 6 Constrictor

The Line 6 Constrictor is a compressor pedal from the ToneCore range, a digital pedal that models three different compressor circuits: Compact, Squeeze and Mellow. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes all three as based on classic analog compressors from the '60s, '70s and '80s, and sums up the pedal's intent as a way to "give your favorite tone a major squeeze"¹. The pedal is no longer made: Line 6 states plainly that "Constrictor is no longer made"².

What it does

The Constrictor's central feature is a Dynamics Model Switch that reconfigures the pedal's virtual circuitry between three compressor models². Each model changes the compression ratio, attack time and release time, which are the settings that determine how hard and how quickly the pedal clamps down on your signal. The three models side by side:

The Compact model is the most aggressive of the three, with a 37:1 compression ratio and a slow 295ms release; Line 6 says its virtual circuitry is "automagically reconfigured" to run those settings when you select it². Squeeze backs off to a 19:1 ratio with a slower 31ms attack and a fast 98ms release². Mellow is the gentlest, at a 3:1 ratio with a 10ms fast attack and an 82ms fast release².

If you are new to compressors, the ratio figure tells you how much the pedal reduces the signal once it crosses the threshold: a 3:1 ratio is gentle leveling, while 37:1 is close to hard limiting. The attack time sets how quickly that reduction kicks in, and the release time sets how quickly it lets go. For more on how these controls shape a signal, see Compressor Pedals.

Power and hardware

The Constrictor runs on a single 9-volt battery². It is a compact stompbox format pedal in the ToneCore enclosure, with a width of 3.375 inches².

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