The Pill is a Swiss boutique pedal maker founded by multi-instrumentalist, producer, and sound engineer David Koch in Lucerne. The brand is built around a single, focused product: an analog ducking effect pedal that brings sidechain compression — a staple of electronic music production — to the live stage in hardware form. Koch built the first prototype in a rented trailer studio in 2017 and released an initial limited run of 30 units called #berlinbounce exclusively for fellow musicians, which sold out in under 12 hours. A successful Kickstarter campaign in April 2019 brought the pedal to wider availability.

The Pill is offered in both mono and stereo versions, housed in Hammond die-cast aluminum enclosures. The pedal uses passive optical compression circuitry — with no digital components — and each unit is handmade with hand-selected components and calibrated by ear. It accepts instrument and line-level signals, making it compatible with guitars, synthesizers, microphones, and studio gear. Trigger inputs accept audio signals, CV/gate, or footswitch control, allowing flexible integration into a variety of rigs. The brand claims the pedal has found its way into touring setups for a number of high-profile pop and electronic artists.

Production has been limited to small batches, contributing to the pedal's rarity and cult following among electronic musicians and live performers seeking to replicate the pumping, breathing effect of DAW-based sidechain compression in a pedalboard-friendly format.