Compressor suggestions?

novellc · #1 09-19-2009, 02:11 AM

I am someone who loves to play, but has always hated screwing around with gear. I'm simply not a tech head. Recently I purchased an Ampeg SVT 4 Pro which I love the sound of, but many of my friends and fellow musicians tell me that I need a compressor to go in my rack along with the Ampeg and my Tech 21 SansAmp. Years ago I had a Beringer Compressor in my rack with an SWR SM-500 and the SansAmp, but just got rid of it one day because it seemed to be completely squishing my tone and I was able to get better sounds without it in my arsenal. Since I have minimal experience with compressors I have no idea where to begin, several different people have suggested the following models to me:

dbx 266XL
BBE MaxCom
EBS MultiComp
MXR Dyna Comp

I have done some reading and they all seem very different to me but for some reason I was drawn to look further into the dbx 266XL. I found a used one for $79, but am not sure now because I read a bunch of reviews on Harmony Central that stated that it doesn't work well with Bass rigs (of course there were other reviews stating that these people had no idea what they were talking about). Anyhow, if anyone has some experience with these units or compressors in general I could sure use some guidance and tips.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

scotch · #2 09-19-2009, 08:20 AM

Helpful Links:

http://www.ovnilab.com/faq.shtml

http://www.ovnilab.com/index.shtml

WaldoNova · #3 09-19-2009, 09:53 AM

Read through the Compressor Review Megathread that bongomania put up a while ago. I read through the whole thing asked a few questions, checked out a few of bongo's links(scotch has conveniently linked them for you^)(there is one that reviews many different compressors including all those you mentioned) and now I have a better understanding of what I think I need.

LowendinFL · #4 09-19-2009, 08:57 PM

I have a DBX 166A I picked up on here for $80 shipped and works great.

two fingers · #5 09-19-2009, 09:19 PM

One quick question. Have they told you WHY you need one???? OK more than one question. Do you use PA support? Are you too loud? (Seomtimes people think a comp makes you "quieter".) What kind of style(s) do you play? You may not need one at all and are just being pushed around by some know-it-alls. They have probably played with several bassists who have one in their rack so they expect to see one in yours. Anyway...I'm not saying you DON't need one. But if you don't know much about them, you may not know enough to know that you don't need one. (This is starting to sound like I'm calling you an idiot but I promise I'm not). All I'm saying is that a bunch of non-bassists telling me I needed a comp wouldn't be enough for me to run out and get one. I would need to know WHY they think so.

JimmyM · #6 09-19-2009, 09:32 PM

You don't NEED anything unless you think you do. Peer pressure is no reason to buy a compressor. OTOH, it doesn't hurt to have a decent compressor for when you really need one. I find it way more useful in the studio than live, though.

I'm not a fan of cheap compressors because they squish the sound like your Behringer. So I'm not really a fan of any pedal compressors. I do like the 266XL for other instruments and vocals, but it has occasional problems with handling the low end...it'll make clicking sounds. I also have a FMR RNC comp, which is very nice for the money and works better with bass. But cheap comps are always noisy and hissy and squishy, so if you really want one, be prepared to open up the wallet a little more than the price range you're in.

Boot Soul · #7 09-19-2009, 09:47 PM

IME the dbx 266XL is not well suited to bass rigs for all the reasons you have read. It does click, snap, pop...whatever you want to call it. I had one of these briefly and the replaced it with a dbx 166XL which looks and adjusts similarly, but worked much better, with no pops, and sounded better in other ways also. It has a "contour" setting which is just a side-chain EQ that causes the compression to not affect the low frequencies as much as the mids and low mids. It prevents the "pumping" or "breathing" sound that can occur when compressing bass.

Later however, I replaced the 166XL with a Rane DC24, which is a dual band compressor with an adjustable crosssover. This is a fantastic compressor for bass. And like a lot of fantastic gear, it has been discontinued, and is only available used.

And the later yet, I switched to all-tube power, from the solid state power I was using (a Crest CA9, which was really great). But tube power is a whole other thing, and natural tube compression creates a feel that I don't think can be emulated by dedicated compressors. Not better, but different. For me, tube power has become an addiction. I'm hooked and can't willingly go back.

bikeplate · #8 09-19-2009, 09:59 PM

HI

If you are good player and your attack is pretty consistant its not that important to have alot of compression. I tend to like compressors they are very transparent. Id look at an EBS or a BBE optostomp. Both are pretty colorless. Great units

Rob

ksandvik · #9 09-19-2009, 10:00 PM

Doesn't the SVT already add a lot of compression -- especially rock-centric-compression -- so you should be all set, unless you want even more like Billy Sheehan?

Swift713 · #10 09-20-2009, 12:32 AM

Who told you you need a compressor? I've known some drummers who liked to tell me what kind of equipment I need and just what the bass' role is. I think you're the only one who should be deciding whether or not you need a compressor. I love my Maxon CP9 pro+, it's very flexible, can be transparent or obvious. It's easy to use.

JimmyM · #11 09-20-2009, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksandvik

Doesn't the SVT already add a lot of compression -- especially rock-centric-compression -- so you should be all set, unless you want even more like Billy Sheehan?

I don't hear it that way, personally. Besides, he has an SVT 4 Pro, not a tube SVT.

BiigM · #12 09-20-2009, 01:46 AM

The new Markbass comp. is really good. I had the demeter, also very good, but for me at least, a tendency to make my attack to soft.

Read Bongo's review. They are spot on. He like's the markbass to by the way :-)

novellc · #13 09-20-2009, 10:14 AM

Wow, first let me say as a newbie here I'm totally geeked by the fact that so many people responded so quickly. Thanks a lot everyone.

To 'two fingers,' I am told that a compressor should help me clean up and allow me to control my tone a bit more. Live, yes, I do use PA support, but I would say that too much volume isn't the issue. Until I got my SVT 4 I couldn't even compete with my guitar player. He can be ridiculously loud. If anything I am just trying to develop a tone where I can stand out from the guitar a bit more when necessary. The style that I am playing with this rig is pretty much 'nu metal,' although I will probably end up using this rig for my prog metal band too once I get my Bee Bass sold and get another Modulus Q6.

To 'bikeplate,' I believe my attack is fairly consistant, I have been working on lightening up my right hand touch for years, so it's not like I'm over-driving or farting out by any means. The Ampeg has plenty of power to spare. I would agree with you, a transparent compressor (if any) would be what I would like best.

To 'ksandvik,' the SVT 4 Pro does have a built in compressor, but there's not much to it and doesn't give a ton of control, so that would be why I am looking for something with a little more functionality.

I think my best bet at this point is to spend some time reading up on the links from Scotch (thank you so much by the way) and see what I can learn. Right now I am fairly happy with my tone (moving from the B2-RE to the SVT 4 Pro was quite a leap), so I will do what many of you mentioned and make up my own mind as to whether or not I really even need a compressor!

Thanks again everybody!

Mobile Sprout · #14 09-21-2009, 05:07 PM

Some of the pedal units you've posted above are very different from each other. You should decide what it is you want to get from a compressor and then experiment with one.

I've got an EBS Multicomp that I use to lower the volume of my string popping while playing slap, as well as lower the volume of my lowest string when using a pick (my volume problems were especially bad when I'd play songs with a lot of alternation between the open string and, for example the 10th & 12th frets). Set as it is for slap and pick styles, it doesn't do much when I'm playing fingerstyle. It has a very transparent sound, especially the Multi-band mode: I can use that even with higher compression and still hear my high frequency "metal-ness"..

A hidden issue with the Multicomp is that because it has no threshold control it can be tricky to get the proper level of compression if you have a quiet instrument and no way to boost your signal going into the pedal. You can turn down the trimmers inside, but that's less of an option if you play at multiple volumes (and with multiple instruments) like I do.

Recently I've started experimenting with a much more extreme compressor, a Jacques Fat Burner, to change my fingerstyle dynamics. I've found its nice for some of these driving modern rock songs where my standard "finger funk staccato" isn't appropriate. I'm not totally sure if it's worth having two compressors at my feet now... but the "boost" output from the Fat Burner lets me tweak my level going into the Multicomp. So it's like I have this new pedal adding to the value of my old pedal..

And that's my compressor advice. Also, read Bongomania's website.

Swift713 · #15 09-21-2009, 06:03 PM

In a situation like Mobile Sprout's with different volume levels the Maxon CP9 pro+ is pretty easy to adjust. I turn my compression ratio up from say 2.5:1 to 3:1 for slap, I turn the threshold up (or is it down?) for a quieter instrument. It's pretty easy to set for just limiting my envelope filter or squashing my finger style a la Tony Levin.

jam.majors · #16 09-21-2009, 06:22 PM

I went with the Demeter Compulator after reading almost all of bongomania's website (links in second post). It does exactly what I need (very well and with no color/noise excepting high compression) and only has two knobs: compress and output. One for how much, the other to keep your signal loud.

It costs a couple more dollars, but they show up used now and again and I think there is one for sale on talkbass.