Does anyone know what compression pedal Zender used in Jamiroquai?

Ryan Mohr · #1 02-09-2008, 03:17 PM

I posted a similar thread a while ago, but I was wondering if anyone knew what he used. He definetly was using heavy compression. Any ideas?

bongomania · #2 02-09-2008, 03:22 PM

While I don't know the answer, I can say he may not have been using a pedal. Whatever you hear on recordings is the sound from either the PA rack or the studio processors, which may not have had anything to do with Zender- usually that stuff is chosen by the sound engineer. Unless he was using a pedal, pre DI, you wouldn't hear the gear in his personal rig.

Ryan Mohr · #3 02-09-2008, 03:46 PM

I know what you are saying but it doesn't seem like normal compression, more like compression as an effect. Here's an example http://www.drgroovenstein.com/smith3.mp3

Ryan Mohr · #4 02-09-2008, 03:53 PM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rND8EqzxcA4
That's another example of Zender's slap tone with compression.

bongomania · #5 02-09-2008, 05:47 PM

I do dig his funky tone. If I was to reach for any one compressor I've owned to help me get that sound, it would be the ADK CLA-1, which is loosely based on the Urei LA3A. After that, the Retrospec Squeezebox which is loosely based on the LA2A. After that, the Distressor which is very loosely modeled on the Urei 1176. I would bet a substantial sum that they used one of those Urei models in the recording studio. Just because it's used as an "effect" doesn't mean he brought a pedal into the studio (not that you were saying he did, I'm just saying I'd bet the house that the recordings there were not made using any ordinary pedal).

I guess among ordinary pedals I might reach for the Jacques Fat Burner, although the usual suspects (EBS and Demeter) can get there too at their max settings.

Ryan Mohr · #6 02-09-2008, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

I do dig his funky tone. If I was to reach for any one compressor I've owned to help me get that sound, it would be the ADK CLA-1, which is loosely based on the Urei LA3A. After that, the Retrospec Squeezebox which is loosely based on the LA2A. After that, the Distressor which is very loosely modeled on the Urei 1176. I would bet a substantial sum that they used one of those Urei models in the recording studio. Just because it's used as an "effect" doesn't mean he brought a pedal into the studio (not that you were saying he did, I'm just saying I'd bet the house that the recordings there were not made using any ordinary pedal).

I guess among ordinary pedals I might reach for the Jacques Fat Burner, although the usual suspects (EBS and Demeter) can get there too at their max settings.

Thanks! I read your review on the Fat Burner and and I can say is wow, that looks exactly what I've been looking for. One of the most positive review I have read from your compressor reviews. I was previously looking at the Compulator, Multi-Comp, and Analog Man Juicer for a compressor (I only have the compression on my amp which isn't very fat sounding). How would these do for that sound? Also, can the fat burner be used as an always on compressor?

bongomania · #7 02-09-2008, 06:11 PM

The Fat Burner can be an "always on" comp if you "always" like that heavy squished sound. The Juicer is not my favorite OS clone; and no OS clone, no matter how good, has the same ultra fatness of lows as those Jamiroquois clips. Levin and others who use the OS clones are typically happy with the frequency range it is strongest in, and don't mind that its bottom is not boomy fat.

bongomania · #8 02-09-2008, 06:16 PM

Oh, and I forgot to mention- that first link, the "smith3" track, the bass is double-tracked, a clean bass signal blended with his synth pedal signal. At least that's how it sounds to me. I'd assume they sent his clean and effected signals in parallel to two separate mixer channels, because there's some synthy buzzing panned off in the far right, while most of the clean bass is in the center. There might even be three channels, as there's some filter-y sound in the center as well.

Ryan Mohr · #9 02-09-2008, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Oh, and I forgot to mention- that first link, the "smith3" track, the bass is double-tracked, a clean bass signal blended with his synth pedal signal. At least that's how it sounds to me. I'd assume they sent his clean and effected signals in parallel to two separate mixer channels, because there's some synthy buzzing panned off in the far right, while most of the clean bass is in the center. There might even be three channels, as there's some filter-y sound in the center as well.

Interesting obvservation, I never noticed that.

Ryan Mohr · #10 02-09-2008, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

The Fat Burner can be an "always on" comp if you "always" like that heavy squished sound. The Juicer is not my favorite OS clone; and no OS clone, no matter how good, has the same ultra fatness of lows as those Jamiroquois clips. Levin and others who use the OS clones are typically happy with the frequency range it is strongest in, and don't mind that its bottom is not boomy fat.

Does that fat burner have the same fatness of lows?

bongomania · #11 02-09-2008, 06:26 PM

Tough call... I no longer have it here to confirm, I should buy another one as it did sound cool. What I wrote in my review was that the lows were "not notably rolled off", which means I didn't hear any loss worth complaining about; but it also means I probably wasn't super impressed by its depth either. But it's probably fine in your application, compared to other options in that price range.

Ryan Mohr · #12 02-09-2008, 06:29 PM

Do you think the Demeter or EBS could pull off those tones?

bongomania · #13 02-09-2008, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

I guess among ordinary pedals I might reach for the Jacques Fat Burner, although the usual suspects (EBS and Demeter) can get there too at their max settings.

^^^

pickles · #14 02-09-2008, 06:33 PM

99% of that tone comes from the Warwick basses that he played and his technique. Most Warwicks have a natural compression to the sound that you'll never get from an effect.

Ryan Mohr · #15 02-09-2008, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

^^^

Sorry, missed that.

Swift713 · #16 02-09-2008, 06:37 PM

+1 to Pickle's Warwick comment. That's what I was thinking, "you could never get that tone from a bolt on/Fender style bass." That said, I'd like to prove myself wrong.

sincity · #17 02-09-2008, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swift713

+1 to Pickle's Warwick comment. That's what I was thinking, "you could never get that tone from a bolt on/Fender style bass." That said, I'd like to prove myself wrong.

Oh, I don't know, this Fender P-Bass sounds like the tone I hear from Zender's Warwick sometimes.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1m...rom-abbey-road

Ryan Mohr · #18 02-09-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swift713

+1 to Pickle's Warwick comment. That's what I was thinking, "you could never get that tone from a bolt on/Fender style bass." That said, I'd like to prove myself wrong.

He does use a standard p bass sometimes.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=H_aqBobfXFY

Swift713 · #19 02-09-2008, 09:17 PM

Happy to be wrong, that's a sick tone

pickles · #20 02-10-2008, 08:31 AM

Stu's bass in when I started listening was a stage I, which has a P pickup, so thats been a big part of his sound. He later switched to LX5s, but I like the older tone better. The definitive stu tone to me is that stage I he used on "emergency on planet earth". That P-bass tone on the you tube vid is great too, but notice it does not have that signature compression, which I think comes from low action on a wenge fingerboard.