Compressors are the pedals that can make one of the biggest sonic impacts on not only how your bass sounds, but also on how it feels, and most importantly, how it sits in a mix.  If you've ever listened to a professionally produced track and wondered how the bass guitar manages to sit so perfectly in the mix, chances are compression is playing a major role. 

What happens if you want access to tones that are not simply possible to achieve with your bass >cable>amp setup? What you need are bass effects pedals. While similar in concept to their six-string counterparts, bass pedals are engineered to handle the lower frequency range and dynamics of the bass guitar.