The T-Rex Squeezer is a compressor pedal built around a 12AX7 tube, made by the Danish pedal company T-Rex. It covers everything from subtle smoothing up to heavier squashing and some moderate peak limiting, with a full array of parameter controls, each with a wide useful range of function1. The tone is described by its long-term reviewer as very crisp and "hi-fi", not the fat, warm tone players often hope for from tubes1.
How it sounds and what the controls do
The Squeezer's compression range is wide for a stompbox. On ovnilab.com, reviewer Cyrus Joaquin Heiduska wrote that "It can cover everything from subtle smoothing up to heavier squashing and some moderate peak limiting"1. The control set matches that range: "It has a full array of parameter controls, and each has a wide useful range of function"1.
On tone, his verdict was that "The tone is actually very crisp and 'hi-fi', and not at all the sort of fat/warm tone that people hope for from tubes"1. That matters if you are choosing a tube compressor expecting warmth: the tube here works as a make-up gain stage, restoring level after compression, rather than driving the sound1.
"Also they installed a little orange LED in there to light up the tube, so you will think you're getting some legendary"
Noise
The Squeezer has some hiss, and the reviewer's view of it changed over time. In 2009 he bought a second Squeezer and softened his earlier criticism, finding the hiss tolerable at most settings and about the same as a Boss CS-3, and attributing his earlier "waterfall" noise report possibly to wiring and EMF in his former location1.
The same reviewer also noted the hiss becomes really noticeable with the Gain around 12:00 and higher, so where you set the controls affects how much noise you hear1.
Bypass, size and build
The footswitch is not true bypass, but the reviewer found it quite clean sounding1. The housing is the "medium" size of Barber or Diamond pedals, and the construction quality is fairly good1.
Power
The Squeezer runs on a 12V DC wall wart and needs 260 mA minimum1. That is well above what many single-output daisy-chain supplies deliver, so it needs its own adequate supply output on a pedalboard.
Related compressors
T-Rex has made other compressors, including the T-Rex Comp Nova and the T-Rex NeoComp. A later, bass-focused version of the Squeezer concept came from Bassics: Guitar.com described the Bassics Squeezer as "a no-frills compressor stompbox"2. For how compressors like this fit a rig, see Compressor Pedals.
Videos
T-Rex Effects
T-Rex Effects
T-Rex Effects
Questions
Does the T-Rex Squeezer use a real tube?
Yes. The Squeezer uses one 12AX7 tube, but only for a make-up gain stage after the compression. The reviewer at ovnilab.com found the tone is very crisp and hi-fi, not the fat, warm tone players often hope for from tubes, and noted that T-Rex installed a small orange LED to light up the tube. The tube has little effect on the tone.
Is the T-Rex Squeezer true bypass?
No. The ovnilab.com reviewer found the footswitch is not true bypass, but described it as quite clean sounding, so the buffered bypass was not a problem for tone in his testing.
Is the T-Rex Squeezer noisy?
There is some hiss. The ovnilab.com reviewer, revisiting the pedal in 2009 after buying a second unit, found the hiss tolerable at most settings and about the same as a Boss CS-3. He suggested his earlier, harsher noise report may have come from wiring and EMF in his former location.
What power supply does the T-Rex Squeezer need?
The Squeezer runs on a 12V DC wall wart adapter and needs 260 mA minimum. That current draw is high enough that a standard daisy-chain supply output may not be suitable, so plan your pedalboard power accordingly.
Sources (2)
- T-Rex Squeezer, ovnilab.com, 2009
- Bassics introduces four new effects pedals, Guitar.com, 2018-07-17
