Compressors

[naruki]

I can't seem to hear the difference between the compressor on and off. The only thing I can tell is that the volume of my pop becomes more equalised.

I don't get compressors D:

Edit: what does a compressor do in front of a distortion/overdrive?

[caeman]

Go to this site: Compressor Reviews

Read it. Then come back with any further questions.

[naruki]

Originally Posted by caeman

Go to this site: Compressor Reviews

Read it. Then come back with any further questions.

Yeah I have been to Ovnilab. Selected an Aguilar TLC based on Bongo's recommendation. Sold it because I couldn't hear much difference.

Edit: what does a compressor do in front of a distortion/overdrive?

[caeman]

If you literally had no change in sound, no matter the knob turning, it was possible you had a defective compressor.

[Crater]

Yeah, what's with the smart-assed, nowhere-near-on-topic sarcastic replies? Some people are of the opinion that compressors are horrible things. They're not...maybe not right for every player in every situation but they are very useful, especially for recording.

All a compressor is is an automatic volume-leveling device. By making the loud parts softer, you can increase your overall volume with the volume peaks tamed down. More compression and you can add sustain to long notes. But too much compression will reduce your dynamics and make your tone 'flat' sounding. Use with care!

To answer the OP's question: Yes, you shouldn't really notice whether a compressor is on or off! "Equalizing the volume of the pop" is exactly the compressor's purpose, to tame those loud peaks.

Compression before an overdrive? Pretty pointless because the overdrive will compress the signal on its own, probably much more than a compressor will. Once a signal reaches an overdrive's clipping threshold, the output won't go any higher.

[Lo-E]

In a nutshell, a compressor will reduce the gain of a signal once it has gotten louder than a certain threshhold, and can, in some cases, raise the level of the signal once it has gotten quieter than a certain threshhold.

Those threshholds are usually set by the user, but not allways. A compressor can usually be heard when it's operating. You'll hear the loudest notes being reduced to a lower level and quiet notes sustaining longer than they normally would. With extreme settings, it sounds like the notes are being squashed.

This is an oversimplification, but it gives you the general idea.
Hope it helps.

[Lo-E]

Or you could just read Crater's post... he summed it up better than I did while I was still typing!

[naruki]

So I take it that, to see what a compressor does, I have to play a song in full with the compressor turned on? Instead of the usual fuzz/distortion pedal knob turning test, while playing a short riff.

[Joe Gress]

Think of two lines, one high and one low. Your playing goes over and under these two lines all the time. A compressor makes it stay between the lines. Like a coloring book. Or ping pong. Gotta stay in the lines ya know?

[MuthaFunk]

I've gotta say.... I don't know *** these posts are about...

There are a couple of helpfull responses though. I'll add to them. If you want to hear a compressor work and don't know what it sounds like the TLC is the worst one to buy as it does not have a threashold indication for when the compression circuitry is activated. There is a method of setting it so you can hear it but since you don't have it anymore I won't wast my time typing it out.

I'd recomend you try a compressor with some kind of gain reduction indicators like the MXR M87 or Empress compressor. Even an Alesis micro compressor would work with little outlay on the used market. I typically set my compressor threshold so on my lightest touch and upper registerd notes I observe a slight -1 db gain reduction. From there set your ratio for your style of playing. Then set your make up gain (compressor output) so it's the same level as the bypassed when playing the hardest deepest notes you can. Following that you can play octave notes accross the bass and you'll most likely hear the difference in the upper registered notes as they will stand out more when compared to the bypassed notes. Also, depending on that compressors particular tone it could alter even the lowest notes sound compared to the bypassed signal.

As for using compresson before a distortion I've found it usefull to obtain a more even distortion between playing low notes and high notes. Mostly noticable when using an overdrive just on the hairy edge of distortion. In that application I've encountered the situation where my E and B string tend to drive the OD pedal a little too hard into distortion while the upper registered notes remain clean. The compressor placed before this with a high ratio will ensure you can set the output of the compressor in the sweet spot of the distortion / overdrive and it will remain there no matter where you play on the bass. This will not be near as noticable with higher gain settings on the distortion.

I hope this helps.

[Savage_Dreams]

depending on how much you are compressing you may not really hear a difference. i compress like crazy so you can really hear it, but if its mild compression to control some peaks (like popping) you probably really wont hear a difference in your overall tone.

[Epidrake]

I bought two different compressors in two months and I'm still not convinced I need them. For guitar, they are invaluable, but for bass, I don't know. They don't change your tone, don't listen for that. Listen for evenness of sound.

[grygrx]

Thread moderated.

[sammyp]

Originally Posted by naruki

I can't seem to hear the difference between the compressor on and off. The only thing I can tell is that the volume of my pop becomes more equalised.

I don't get compressors D:

Edit: what does a compressor do in front of a distortion/overdrive?

if you only hear the comp when you pop ...then you are more or less using as a limiter....depending on your pedal knob names, you need to turn up the sustain/ comp or lower the threshold to hear some compression on all the signals your playing sends. it feels nice on bass when you get the setting right ...but don't over do it!

[NickLomango]

I have a Boss CE-3. Normally I set the knobs as followed:
Vol - it depends on my clean level (pedal off)
Tone - 11
Attack - Max
Sustain - Zero

I use it on Funk / Blues / Reggae tracks. I guess it is ok for the style I was it on and I can actually feel the difference.

Can anybody tell whether it is a good set up?

I run P Bass through it and I use an Ashdown Mag300.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by NickLomango

I have a Boss CE-3. Normally I set the knobs as followed:
Vol - it depends on my clean level (pedal off)
Tone - 11
Attack - Max
Sustain - Zero

I use it on Funk / Blues / Reggae tracks. I guess it is ok for the style I was it on and I can actually feel the difference.

Can anybody tell whether it is a good set up?

I run P Bass through it and I use an Ashdown Mag300.

CS-3

[NickLomango]

Originally Posted by Fitz

CS-3

Yeah, I meant CS-3.

Cheers

[bongomania]

OK, the moderator has already been here, so I know I have to keep my tongue.

Everyone, PLEASE, read my FAQ before you read my reviews, and ESPECIALLY before buying anything based on the reviews!

[NickLomango]

My intention was really to share my settings with everybody and to get a different point of view! Peace

[raul]

i want a compressor...i dont' know if i need it though...