Olinthus Pillbug - World's Smallest Compressor

Happy New Year, everybody!! Instead of starting 2026 of with a big bang, we’re gonna shrink it on down today, as we check out the Olinthus Pillbug, the World’s Smallest Compressor!! Just a little bigger than your favorite guitar pick, this black beauty follows in the footsteps of the Cicada Overdrive and Earwig Fuzz, the first two super-small pedals from Olinthus. They’ve got a good thing working, and this mini compressor will shock with with the power and sound it can produce…

Pillbug utilizes a classic OTA (Operational Transconductance Amplifier) compressor circuit, delivering the hallmark pedal compression sounds widely heard in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Inspired by two iconic compressor pedals — the 1974 Ross Compressor and the 1981 Boss CS-2 Compressor/Sustainer – Pillbug skillfully shapes your front-end tone with warm, smooth, and musical compression that thickens clean tones, adds depth to leads, and keeps chords articulate. This signature circuit delivers a wide range of dynamics control—everything from subtle squash to towering sustain. All stuffed into a comically small footprint.

Pillbug delivers pure analog vintage-style compression, from gentle squeeze to soaring sustain—all packed into the smallest compressor pedal ever built. This pedal may be absurdly tiny, but it packs more than enough might to tailor your dynamics for any style or setup. Silky, organic compression, and a soft midrange warmth provide a natural feel that enhances clean tones and fattens leads, without losing your instrument’s personality. It’s like magic, but it’s actually science.

By challenging the notions of what an effects pedal is supposed to be, a new world of possibilities opened up that Olinthus never expected. Turns out, making it small also makes it pretty awesome, too. I love the look and size of the Pillbug Compressor, and if you couldn’t tell already, it will fit on literally ANY PEDALBOARD, as well as under your hat, in your pocket or in your shoe…you know, ANYWHERE. Be sure to check out the Olinthus website for more info, and order one of these $99 gems for yourself! Be sure to head to YouTube for our demo, too – let’s have an awesome year, everybody, cheers!!