compression??? ***

[wagstaff]

what is compression used for, all it does is clip your sound which gives it a slightly fuzzed sound theres no point in it, all it does is make the song the same vol all the way through

[ksandvik]

The Billy Sheehan Advanced Bassd DVD has a good description what's going on in case you want to use compression with bass.

Basically, think of compression like a really fast hand on a volume control. If the sound is low, you crank up the volume. If the volume is loud you take it down. Compressors do this automatically, really fast.

In real life, bass playing, what happens is that sounds that are weaker will be heard better, let's say harmonic overtimes. The playing is closer to how it sounds if you play with no amplifier, as the amplifier has a much bigger range so it will amplify things you don't expect.

The drawback is that the bass tends to have more of an artificial sound, especially with the attack sound, it might be clipped and everything sounds more even.

It all is a personal choice, it's worth testing out compression use for your specific case. There are many cheap stompbox compressors out there that do a good job (I use the Line 6 LowDown built-in compressor, works really well.) --Kent

[irvinz]

slightly fuzzed sound on a compression? that must be a real noisy one you have there. search it on the thread and look for bongo's site'

argh, here it is http://www.ev-b.com/compressors.html

[optikhog]

I dunno what compressor you're using but you need to try another one. If you're clipping your signal then you have issues beyond that of a compressor.

[Swift713]

There are many different compressors out there that sound quite different from each other and hence do different things. Read Bongo's reviews and links. Some people use two different compressors at once.

[niftydog]

Sounds like you've been given a 2 bit description of how a compressor works! I suggest you find some other tutorials to better understand compression.

Compression affects the gain of your signal, it just reduces the amplitude of the waveform - this is very distinct from clipping the waveform.

[ksandvik]

Originally Posted by niftydog

Sounds like you've been given a 2 bit description of how a compressor works! I suggest you find some other tutorials to better understand compression.

Compression affects the gain of your signal, it just reduces the amplitude of the waveform - this is very distinct from clipping the waveform.

It's really the attack which could cause problems with compression and bass lines, slow attack will especially hide initial transients and so on.

--Kent

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by wagstaff

what is compression used for, all it does is clip your sound which gives it a slightly fuzzed sound theres no point in it, all it does is make the song the same vol all the way through

There may be a better way of expressing your question.

First, compression does clip the signal. But not all clipping sounds the same. Clipping can be like harsh distortion, or like a slightly fuzzed sound, or like "warmth", or it can be completely inaudible. The goal of most compressors is to provide completely inaudible clipping. If your compressor is making a fuzzed sound then one of three things is likely:

1) it is a bad compressor
2) you have it set wrong
or
3) the attack and decay characteristics designed into that particular one are not well-suited to handling low frequencies.

If what you're hearing is that it "makes the song the same volume all the way through", then you're dealing with excessive compression. Badly used, badly set, or not understood at all. Compression is designed to be an artful tool for sculpting the placement of your sound in the mix. Anything beyond that is mis-use (except in instances where heavy squashing is the intentionally desired effect). If you learn how a compressor works, and study the way different compressors handle your signal when used carefully/conservatively, you will not have these problems.

That said, some people have no patience for learning how to use subtle tools.

[derelicte]

^ You go girl!

[The Lurker]

Four simple steps.....

1) Read Bongomania's post.
2) Read his compressor review page
3) Admit that Bongomania is always right when it comes to compression. The rest of us have,
4) Hit self in face with a brick, and repeat steps 1, 2, and 3.

[bongomania]

Oh, now, I wouldn't go that far. A brick is over the top, really, you can hit yourself in the face with a loaf of stale bread, or a Book of Mormon, or an Ugg boot just as effectively.

[The Lurker]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Oh, now, I wouldn't go that far. A brick is over the top, really, you can hit yourself in the face with a loaf of stale bread, or a Book of Mormon, or an Ugg boot just as effectively.

Bricks are cheaper.

[Toasted]

Jack Orman's essay on compression is another good one.

[wazzel]

I agree with bongo also. I have always used my compressor set that you really do not notice it is on, but when it is off it sonds and feels like something is missing that you just can not place. Been running that way since 95.

[lowbass68]

Originally Posted by wagstaff

what is compression used for, all it does is clip your sound which gives it a slightly fuzzed sound theres no point in it, all it does is make the song the same vol all the way through

If your comp sounds fuzzy, back off the input. The nice thing about a good compressor is that it can really even out the volume when palying, especially usefull for my slap style.
I have a BOSS Limiter and an Ashdown Dual Channel Compressor. I use the BOSS for all my basses except one. The Ashdown will clip like mad if the input is set too high. But if it is backed down it sounds very nice. Once I figured out the right mix for my basses, it works with no clipping and really does a great job for one of my basses that I use for a lead sound.