Compressor: Before, after, or both?

[343 Salty Beans]

Yeah, I know 'yet-another-compressor-thread'.

I'm in the middle of my ultimate-pedal-chain-to-end-all-pedal-chains list (i plan on a multi-thousand dollar income boost in a bit, fun details, but long story). And I was figuring out compression, and how I'm gonna do it. Since I put my ME-50B different spots in my current (lousy) chain all the time, I was wondering where I might put my compression. With my bad experiences with envelope filter, wah, flange, and phaser "in-phase" boosts that blow out speakers I've always wanted compression at the end of the chain. However, compression at the beginning has a certain sex appeal, in that 1) my favorite overdrive tone ever has been an overdriven compression, and 2) it seems to be the common practice.

So how do you guys do it, and what is your experience with it?

PS: Also, if its not first or last, but 'close', what effects do you use before/after?

[Foamy]

I put it pretty close to first - and often first. I want to NOT compress things like chorus and OD and such. I am still debating with myself if I should put it before or after my POG - my thinking is that the POG and bassballs should go just after the compressor though. It may also depend on what you want your cpmpressor to do. See, in my mind, I want the compressor to make up a bit for my ever-improving fingering, so I put it just after the bass.
Maybe, for some reason, I'd want to squish my OD or something. In that case, I'd run it after the OD.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Enchanter_Tim

It may also depend on what you want your compressor to do.

Big +1. It's always worth looking at each link in the chain to see what actually needs compressing. The only time I don't bother with that is if I'm using a rackmount comp, which necessarily goes at the end.

[markjazzbassist]

i'm getting an EBS multicomp and it will go first in my chain.

[SteveC]

I generally put it first. I think you want to have your signal compressed before it goes to anything else.

[SpankyPants]

While I generally like compression after my effects to normalize volume spikes, etc. while I play and switch effects. Usually a compressor before effects will ruin the dynamics for envelope-based effects (OD, low pass filters, phasers, etc.).

However, sometimes a compressor before effects will help tracking and let the effect stand out with more clarity and strength (octavers, some sample and hold, etc.).

[343 Salty Beans]

I dunno...I compress kind of heavily, and I want *insert envelop filter I'm going to choose, I haven't really decided yet* to be able to pick up the heaviest of my picking (I'm all over the place with dynamics, and I want it to respond to my everything .

The only few things I don't want compressed are delay and reverb.

I was planning on having my chain be something like this:
Lilah (A Godin Freeway 4 with PJ setup) >
DL (my sweet lil DIY delay) > Env. Filter/Auto-Wah > Overdrive > Sovtek BMP > ToneFactor Nebula Phaser > Some Stereo Flanger > Ashdown Dual-Band Compressor > DD-20 or some nice delay > CE-20 or some other true-stereo chorus > Verbzilla > A DIY panner >
two amps, one is my SWR LA15.

My confusion is that I need a stereo compression of some kind to make this work. I don't want to buy two Ashdown Dual Bands, but I might have to. And I don't want to switch from anything that doesn't have seperate compression bands (also important to me).

Also, I want everything TBPed, or at least very well-buffered bypass. My tone is super-important to me, because my bass + my amp = beautifulness. I may end up ditching the stereo idea and going mono, and therefore solving this order/compressor issue. In which case I can also loop some of my pedals with a sweet-looking fender blender clone I built (i plan to post some pics in the PYP Part III thread later). If I don't do that, I'll at least throw my ME-50B on the fender blender so I can get some of the odder things (octave, slow gear, whacky EQ settings) in the chain if needed.

[bassman314]

If Bass + Amp is the sound you want, and just add the effects on top, I'd highly recommend not getting a panner to place after the effects, but rather dedicate one amp as a clean signal, and one amp for your effects. Go Bass -> AB/Y Pedal -> A (Clean Amp), B (Effects -> Amp)

That's how I roll. I place my compressor before the AB/Y pedal, so the clean amp is really smooth and warm, and honestly, all three of my envelope filters don't seem to mind the difference.

[The BurgerMeister]

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

i'm getting an EBS multicomp and it will go first in my chain.

i have an EBS multicomp, and it's at the beginning of my chain. i use it to even out the string response on my Sterling. it does it's job beautifully. the only time i turn it off is when i'm using my Maxon AF9 filter. in that case, i want the Sterling's string un-evenness. keeps things juicier.


(i may also end up with one at the end of my chain to even out any volume spikes... but i may also just get a volume pedal. this isn't too much of a priority as of now.)

[JanusZarate]

Since we're talking about the EBS Multicomp here...

I place mine close to the end of the chain. It's after everything except my stereo chorus pedal. When everything's off, it does a wonderful job of mild compression, and when effects before it are on, it controls volume spikes with ease.

I tried it up front, and it works nicely there too. I'm still sort of tossing it back and forth, but for now, it's staying towards the end.

[The BurgerMeister]

that, boo, brings up something i forgot about: another reason i put my multicomp at the beginning is because it sounds a little better there. i also have an 18dB pad (aka boss pq3b ) at the beginning of the chain to drop the signal coming from my hot-output sterling (some of my effects don't react well with such a hot signal). the multicomp does not sound as good with the pad before it (tubesim is nowhere near as warm or fat, for example). it seems to favor a direct signal.

i guess i could put it at the end of the chain if i was just running my (passive) jazz, and it would even things out and cure any volume-spike issues... but, alas, that is simply not the case.

[343 Salty Beans]

I'm glad I use a passive. Most actives don't get good sex with pedals.

[The BurgerMeister]

i've found a way to get good sex happening between the sterling and my pedals... there's always a way!

but i'll always have my jazz....

[bassman314]

Originally Posted by 343 Salty Beans

I'm glad I use a passive. Most actives don't get good sex with pedals.

hmm.. never had a problem with mine..

[343 Salty Beans]

Well, 'most' was too fast, perhaps. I've just heard a lot of complaints about actives and pedals not 'connecting ' right.

[DaveAceofBass]

Use this order:

Bass-->Preamp/DI-->Fuzz/Synth-->Envelope Filter-->Compressor-->Octaver-->Overdrive-->Chorus/Flanger/Delay-->Amp.

This is a decent sounding setup. If you use rackmount versions then maybe use the FX loop. Stompboxes in front of the amp most of the time sounds best.

[bassman314]

Originally Posted by 343 Salty Beans

Well, 'most' was too fast, perhaps. I've just heard a lot of complaints about actives and pedals not 'connecting ' right.

I have too.. I think mostly of it is that the onbaord's on my Lakland's aren't exactly 'hot', despite being 9v... they output is the same, or simialr to a passive bass.

[markjazzbassist]

Originally Posted by jetpackbassist

i have an EBS multicomp, and it's at the beginning of my chain.

thank you jetpack. due to your observation that i don't have a EBS and you do, i had to right the wrong.

Just ordered one, should be here in 3 days.

[343 Salty Beans]

Originally Posted by bassman314

I have too.. I think mostly of it is that the onbaord's on my Lakland's aren't exactly 'hot', despite being 9v... they output is the same, or simialr to a passive bass.

My passive's pickups are rather hot for being a passive, from what I'm told...and every once in a while I have trouble overdriving the input of an effect.

And that ABY to two amps is a pretty cool idea. Plus, if you had a true stereo delay, you could run the clean channel into the stereo in, then go through the 2nd out, and still get ping pongs!

I'm diggint your idea. I posted another solution at HC:

"I'm debating on building a splitter/blender since I'm a bassist. I originally built a fender blender, but it will go like this instead.

It will be two boxes.

The first box will get the input from my bass. Then there will be a switch that sends signal to one of two clean boosters (each will have a boost knob)....One will be for clean signal, one will be for effects. There will be a defeat footswitch that sends the signal to both as well.

The effects booster will run through the chain, and the clean booster will run around the chain.

Then there's a box at the end. It will have two input jacks to receive the signals from each booster line, then a 'blend' pot that will vary which of each signal comes through more. There will be two footswitches on that box: One that selects between either input, and one that defeats the first switch and takes both through the 'blend' pot. Then there's one output jack to my amp.

Naturally, both will have LED indicators. I'm considering using an XLR cable for the 'clean' line, so I can send power through one pin of it and not have to use two outputs from my pedal power or anything. I assume I could also make it 1/4" and allow two effects chains to be blended together.

Basically, it's two complicated ABY boxes."

In DIY terms, this really isn't too hard to do. And it would be kinda fun to build, and probably cheaper all in all than another amp.

[343 Salty Beans]

Originally Posted by DaveAceofBass

Use this order:

Bass-->Preamp/DI-->Fuzz/Synth-->Envelope Filter-->Compressor-->Octaver-->Overdrive-->Chorus/Flanger/Delay-->Amp.

I put my big muff after my ME-50B when I'm playing with the T-Wahs, because if I don't the muff kills my dynamics, and therefore there is less funk to be had.

I suggest you also switch the order so you can go funk yourself only kidding