August 19th, 2026 | Jacob Holdsworth
Cali76 FET vs Stacked Compressor
We often get asked “which is right for me, the FET or Stacked Compressor” and it can be a tough question to answer. Ultimately, it depends on what you’re trying to achieve with compression and the effect you want to hear.
In the video below we go over each model, their similarities and their differences, with aims of helping you make an informed decision.
Similarities
There are some things you don’t need to worry about when choosing between the compressors.
Both are FET-based compressors based on the UREI 1176, meaning they both have an incredibly fast-acting dynamic response and share a similar sonic character. Both units also utilise the same internal power supply, taking a 9V input voltage and stepping it up internally to 24V where required, giving you high-headroom operation.
In addition to each pedal’s respective compressor controls, both also feature a DRY level control, allowing you to blend between your compressed and unaffected signals.
The Cali76 FET Compressor
The Cali76 FET Compressor is our interpretation of the legendary UREI 1176 studio compressor, brought to the pedalboard. It is a single compressor with all the controls you’d expect to see on a full-featured studio unit. Input, output, attack, release, and ratio can all be individually adjusted, giving you all the control you’d expect to have in the studio.
The Cali76 FET Compressor can be used at the front of your signal chain, as you’d expect from a pedal compressor, evening out dynamics, adding sustain, or emphasising pick attack. It can also be placed further down your signal chain after drives, or in the effects loop of an amp, for control over the overall dynamics of your signal and to keep your level consistent between sounds.
The Cali76 Stacked Compressor
The Cali76 Stacked Compressor, whilst still a studio-style FET compressor, takes aim at a studio technique historically used on slide guitar to maximise sustain on a clean tone. But those origins don’t mean you can only use it on slide guitar!
The Cali76 Stacked Compressor is a dual-stage compressor, which means it’s two compressors in one. Specifically, it’s one 1176-style compressor feeding into the input of a second 1176-style compressor, stacking the compressors in series. To give you control over each compressor stage, the Stacked Compressor combines each stage’s attack and release controls (labelled ATT/REL), allowing you to sweep between the most useful settings. Both stages have a fixed ratio of 4:1, allowing for delicate control over progressively more extreme amounts of compression.
The Cali76 Stacked Compressor is best placed towards the start of your chain and excels at compression-as-an-effect sounds. The phrase “overdrive for your clean tone” has been used to describe some of the effects it is capable of producing: soaring sustain, funk-fixes, and squashy solos that keep you at the front of the mix, even when clean. The Cali76 Stacked Compressor specialises in the obvious, though you can set it to be subtle too.
Which to choose?
Both are fantastic options, and each can cover some of the ground of the other. But depending on what you’re hoping to hear or how you’re going to use it, one will be the better choice for you.
If you’re someone who values subtlety or the ability to use a compressor as a studio tool, the Cali76 FET Compressor is probably the better option for you. It can work anywhere in the signal chain, and the separate attack, release, and ratio controls allow you to finely dial in your sound so that it’s just doing enough, and nothing more. There is plenty of room to push the compressor further for more extreme sounds and sustain, but you can still keep things controlled, and it’ll always sound like only one thing is happening.
For simple funk sounds, put the compressor up front and dial in a slower attack and faster release. To keep the level between clean and driven sounds the same, place the compressor after your drives with a faster attack and slower release, so it catches everything and brings it back in check.
If you’re someone who wants a wider range of extremes and you’re not too fussed about detailed control, the Cali76 Stacked Compressor is a great option. Dual-stage compression opens up a world of exaggerated compressed sounds: a Gilmour-approved technique for clean solo tones. The Cali76 Stacked Compressor can do subtle when you need it (just turn the IN and THRU down), so you don’t always need to be lost in a sea of squash. It’s a compressor that you’ll want to put up front to get the most out of it, and it really is compression-as-an-effect.