The Trickfish VCA Compressor is a compressor pedal aimed at bass players, introduced in March 2024 as part of Trickfish Amplification's first line of stompboxes1. Trickfish says it built the pedal to sit between two camps: the clean, accurate compression of studio gear and the tonal character of vintage compressors and beloved pedals1. Bass Gear Mag's Sean Fairchild notes that its VCA (voltage-controlled amplifier) circuit is the same type of compression found in famous studio units like the SSL bus compressor and the Neve 336092.
How it works and what it does
A VCA compressor reduces gain by controlling an amplifier element rather than by re-biasing a transistor or driving an optocell, which is the approach behind many studio bus compressors. Trickfish settled on a VCA design for this pedal1. For a bass player, that means the pedal pulls down peaks in a way the company intends to be transparent, while the blend control lets some of the untouched signal through.
The attack and release times are fixed rather than knob-controlled. Trickfish tells reviewers the attack is around 40 ms and the release around 200 ms2. That puts the timing decisions in the circuit instead of on the panel, which keeps the control count low.
The controls
The pedal has four knobs and one footswitch1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| THRESHOLD | Sets the level at which the compressor engages1 |
| RATIO | Adjusts how aggressive the gain is reduced1 |
| BLEND | Sweeps between wet/dry levels1 |
| LEVEL | Adjusts the overall output level1 |
| ON | Footswitch toggles effect on/bypass1 |
The BLEND control is the parallel-compression feature: it mixes the compressed signal with your dry signal, a common approach on bass pedals where players want evenness without losing the snap of the attack. Bass Gear Mag's reviewer found these parallel compression controls effective2.
Bass Musician Magazine's announcement of the line also noted the pedals' "smooth taper knobs, top-mounted jacks, easy to read graphics"3.
Power and hardware
The pedal draws 186 mA at 9V DC, center pin negative1. That is far more than a battery can reasonably supply, so plan on a dedicated power supply output rather than a daisy chain shared with low-draw analog pedals.
Physical and connection details from Trickfish1:
- Steel chassis with adhesive-backed removable rubber feet
- Dimensions (H x W x L): 2.29 in at the top, 1.96 in at the bottom, 2.72 in wide, 5.08 in long, including knobs
- Weight: 0.98 lbs / 0.45 kg
- IN and OUT on 1/4" phone jacks, top-mounted
- 1M Ohm input impedance, 100k Ohm output impedance
Where it came from
Trickfish Amplification, a company already known as an amplifier maker before adding pedals to its range2, built the VCA Compressor as part of its first stompbox line for bass. The pedal carries a list price of $249 USD1, and Trickfish tells reviewers its fixed attack is around 40ms and its release around 200ms2.
What reviewers said
Bass Gear Mag's Sean Fairchild reviewed the pedal line in May 2024 and reported a $249 USD price2, matching Trickfish's own listed price of $249.001. On the compressor itself, his verdict was positive about how it responded in use:
"I really liked the way the VCA Compressor reacted to my playing!"
He also noted the fixed attack and release times as a design choice, and found the parallel compression controls through the blend arrangement effective2.
Videos
Trickfish Amps
Trickfish Amps
Alexandre Panta
Questions
Can you adjust attack and release on the Trickfish VCA Compressor?
No. Trickfish tells reviewers the attack is fixed at around 40 ms and the release at around 200 ms, and neither is adjustable. The player-controlled parameters are threshold, ratio, blend and level, so the timing of the compression is set by the design rather than by knobs.
Where is the Trickfish VCA Compressor made?
It is designed and manufactured by Trickfish in the USA, according to the company's 2024 announcement of its pedal line. The VCA Compressor was introduced alongside the Overdrive Preamp, External Preamp and Signal Filter pedals in that same line.
Does the Trickfish VCA Compressor have a blend knob?
Yes. The BLEND control sweeps between wet and dry levels, so you can mix your uncompressed signal back in with the compressed one. Bass Gear Mag's reviewer found these parallel compression controls effective in use.
Does the Trickfish VCA Compressor take a battery?
No. The pedal is powered through a 9V DC power input with a center pin negative, drawing 186 mA. That current draw is well beyond what a 9V battery can supply for long, so it needs a power supply.
Sources (3)
- VCA Compressor, Trickfish Amplification
- Trickfish Amplification Pedals: Signal Filter, and more..., Bass Gear Mag, 2024-05-30
- New Gear: Trickfish Introduces New Line of Pedals, Bass Musician Magazine, 2024-03-25
