guitar compression pedal for bass use?

[project_c]

i have 4 gigs this month with a LOUD band, so to keep my levels even and solid through all the guitar noise I'm looking into compressors. I have a 2 part question..

1. as far as I know, a compressor is a compressor, regardless of whether it's working on bass, guitar, drums etc. would i be correct in assuming then that using a decent guitar comp pedal will behave as it should when used for bass?

2. the reason i'm asking this is that i have a Boss CS3 which seems to mess with sub frequencies quite a bit when in use. This is not really noticeable at home, but at rehearsal through my Epifani 210 the difference is massive. Is this because the CS3 isn't that great, or is it because it's primarily designed to work with electric guitars?

thanks in advance

[whoatherechunk]

you need bongo

[bongomania]

Check the FAQ and reviews linked in my sig. A pro audio compressor will generally work across the whole frequency range, but many guitar-oriented pedal comps do lose some low end. The CS3 can be modded to (mostly) fix that. Additionally, the lowest frequencies can often have very large signal peaks relative to the rest of the signal, which causes the compressor to clamp down on the whole signal. Solutions include bass-specific compression or dual-band compression.

[JimmyM]

I consider the CS3 more of an effect than an actual compressor. It'll work for what you want, but it always puts out that squashy sound even at low levels, as well as added noise. Great if you want guitar sounds like Sgt. Pepper era Beatles, otherwise I'd say get a more transparent one. I had pretty good luck with my FMR RNC 1773, though Bongo doesn't seem to like it. Price is right, and it's quiet. I quit using compression once I went back to tube amps, but I thought the RNC 1773 was really good.

[project_c]

excellent, thanks for that. any recommendations for a comp that gives decent, even tone which won't destroy subs but will squash some of that high frequency scrape (which the CS3 likes to bring to the foreground for some reason..)?

[JimmyM]

That one may be tougher. It's kind of the nature of the compressor to elevate those highs a little. I don't know...I thought the RNC does well with it. Got just a tad glassy but wasn't overbearing. But with compressors, you get what you pay for usually. There are very few compressors under $350 or so that do a good job with bass IMHO. The RNC is one, but I'm stumped to think of another.

[bongomania]

I think the Demeter pedal is calling your name.

[project_c]

well, demeter pedals are virtually impossible to find in london, so i've gone ahead and bought an EBS multicomp, i haven't even tried it yet but hopefully this will do the job neatly.