Back in July 2016 I did a review on the Flex Reaction Compound 44 Programmable Loop Switcher. I was very impressed with that product, so I was excited to get contacted by Taradol Chansriwong (owner of Flex Reaction – based in Bangkok Thailand) to see if I would be interested in checking out the Flex Reaction Compound 55. Well sir, yes I would!
In contrast from the Compound 44 which was in a shape of pedal with in/outs left, right and the top of the pedal. The Compound 55 is a loop strip with a classic row of footswitches and in/outs on the back of the strip. Now, there are plenty of loop strips out there, but again, what I liked about the 44 and the 55 is how they’re programmed.
I love simplicity. I love consistency. When I hear the word programmable, I get a little nervous *tick*. My beef with “programmable” is that I always have to review the manual when I need to program or re-program. I also run into issues when my programs get corrupted or erased, etc. But Flex Reaction has a great system for this. They use DIP switches on each loop. Meaning, that you can assign pedals in the loop to a number. You assign each loop (5 in the Compound 55) with what pedals you want in that loop.
I love the simplicity. I’ll never need to refer to a manual on how to do this. I don’t have to worry about things getting corrupted or erased – granted, someone could mess with the switches, but it so intuitive – I love it.
The strip is very clean, with a low profile. LED indicators are bright, but not too bright. The unit offers a non-buffered or buffered input, which is great as well.
Here is a breakdown of the features of the Compound 55
5 True Bypass Loops (electromechanical relay switching)
5 Programmable Channels with “All OFF” in each switch
Programming each channel by using DIP switch
1 Non-Buffered input, 1 Buffered Input (High Quality Clean Buffer Circuit)
1 Output
Red LED for Channel Status Indicator
Blue LED for Loop Status Indicator
Heavy Duty Footswitches
Gold Plated Relay and construction with High-Quality Components
Light Weight Aluminum Enclosure , Dimensions 300x56x40 mm or 11.81×2.20×1.57 Inch
9VDC 250 mA Center Negative 2.1mm. (Ac Adapter Not included)
The Flex Reaction Compound 55 is available for $229 directly from their website.
I’ve received a few products from Flex Reaction, and I can say that each item I have received – I’ve always been impressed with their build quality, and the thinking process that was involved to design these products. If Flex Reaction is not on your radar.. you should give them a look. Please check out their website, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Let me know what you think by commenting below!
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