How do i use a compressor in my guitar setup?

great question, I would just turn the knobs until you get the right ratio for the sound you’re going for. in my experience the compression pedal has been used as somewhat of a volume control, but the thick sound you are going for is out there you just have to play around with it.

A compressor flattens your sound; not in a musical sense, but in a volume sense. It flattens out the peaks and valleys, so theoretically the volume of each note should be the same regardless of attack.
Actually the guy who should answer this one is SndFreq…

The way most “two knob compressors” work is by reducing the volume (level) of signals by a preset ratio (amount), but only if those signals reach above a certain threshold. If the signal coming into the compressor is low (or not “optimal”), then the compressor will not actually process the signal, but just pass it on to its output stage and sound as if nothing’s happening.

The closest analogy I can draw is if you visualize a speed governor on a car; if your car reaches a certain physical speed on the speedometer, then even if you step on the gas more, the car won’t continue to accelerate by the same amount. The governor will have no effect on the engine if your speed never reaches the “threshold” speed.

Likewise, in audio, compressors only begin to work once the signal levels reach above a certain volume
The proper way to set this thing up is, first off, make sure the level coming out of the Pod-3 is optimized (if it has a level meter, check it to see if it is somewhere around “0dB” at its peak).

If the signal is optimized, then the compressor will do its work without any need for input gain. So, next step, turn the Input knob all the way to minimum. Adjust the output level so that the signal can be heard or read at the output level meter (in vintage meters the VU meter will bounce around and peak around “0” VU). If you end up turning the Output level way up to hear the sound, then the input level needs to be boosted. So next step, turn down the Output level, and turn up the input gain control. This was kind of what tennesseejac was describing, but I’m adding that, you should pay attention to the inbound signal level from the Pod-3, so you are maximizing the effectiveness of the compressor.

If your incoming signal is excessively high, then you comp will be “saturated” by the incoming level, and that’s where you really start to hear that crunchy squashing of the signal. Back off of the input level on the comp first, then continue to back off on the signal source (the Pod-3’s main output).

Remember, set Input knob to minimum, then adjust / optimize output from the source; then adjust output level (also called “makeup gain”) on the comp. Input on the comp “drives” the compressor harder and results in a “squashier” sound (if that’s a word).