Tiny compressor

[Gambisk]

I know there are hundreds of threads out there about which compressor is the best. But unfortunately I may not have room for the best.

Up to now i used a rack compressor however after buying a Genz benz shuttle as my main amp this seams a little silly as the compressor would be bigger than my amp. My pedal board however is nearly full and at the minute they are all being used alot it my music. There is room for one more pedal and I thought a compressor is probably what I need the most as I have no real need for envelope filters etc. So basicly whats the best compressor thats small enough to fit on my board, in terms of size I could probably go as big as a boss pedal but not much bigger, eg something the size of a bass big muff just wouldnt fit.

Cheers

[Munjibunga]

[EskimoBassist]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

+1

[Bassnut62]

Keeley 4-knob compressor is studio quality in size of an MXR or ZVEX pedal. It is a very very good compressor with no colouring, top-rate tru bypass and superb attack, sustain and clipping control. It does what it should with no BS and it can be driven off a 9v battery forever, so can go without a power supply if you want.

[Happynoj]

Originally Posted by Bassnut62

Keeley 4-knob compressor is studio quality in size of an MXR or ZVEX pedal. It is a very very good compressor with no colouring, top-rate tru bypass and superb attack, sustain and clipping control. It does what it should with no BS and it can be driven off a 9v battery forever, so can go without a power supply if you want.

According to our resident compressor expert, it suffers from a slight noise problem and low end loss...

http://www.ovnilab.com/reviews/keeley.shtml

[Stuggi]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

+2, amazing pedal and it's soo tiny!

[bigchiefbc]

The Philosopher's Tone by Pigtronix is that same mxr-sized box, and can do some great squish with amazing amounts of sustain. Plus, it has a blend knob if you still want your attack to come through. Fantastic comp.

[stflbn]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Yet another +1

Only sold mine because I'm using a combination of slight compression on my carvin bx500 head, then added presets as needed for specific songs off my line6 M13.

[Happynoj]

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

The Philosopher's Tone by Pigtronix is that same mxr-sized box, and can do some great squish with amazing amounts of sustain. Plus, it has a blend knob if you still want your attack to come through. Fantastic comp.

I hadn't heard about that one. Sounds awesome.

[Grimoire]

The Demeter Compulator might fit. It's slimmer than a Boss, but a little taller.

[Bassnut62]

Originally Posted by Happynoj

According to our resident compressor expert, it suffers from a slight noise problem and low end loss...

http://www.ovnilab.com/reviews/keeley.shtml

interesting review on the Keeley, there are many other v.positive reviews and I've not read any mentioning hiss and low-end-loss problems.

I've not noticed any problems with hiss. I think I would probably notice this if it was a serious problem, as I'm playing in a 3-piece (keys, drum, bass & vox) and using effects and dry signal a lot, without any guitarists to cover hissy tones.

I haven't noticed any problems with low-end loss either; but I do have plenty of sonic space for bass in this band and use a big old 2x15 cab with Bassman 135 - so plenty of warmth and bass available; so I might not have noticed that as a problem.

What I've not liked about other compressors is the loss of tonal range and how overly squeezed the bass signal can sound - amost like your tone is no longer your own. I've found the Keeley doesn't do that, it still sounds and feels like my tone and playing - so that's why I rate it so highly.

I haven't tried recording with the Keeley yet; so maybe some of the issues mentioned will reveal themselves in studio. Certainly, they don't seem to be a problem to me in live & rehearsal use.

Hope that's useful.

[agedhorse]

Be sure that if you plan on using the comp in the effects loop, it's capable of true +4dBu operation. The effects loop was designed for pro signal level standards (in and out) like what's found on most pro rack gear. Many pedals and mini products designed for use at the front end crap out at around +6dBm or so and will not have the headroom to drive the power amp and internal tube emulation limiter.

[bongomania]

A couple comments just for clarification, not argument or defensiveness :

Originally Posted by Bassnut62

interesting review on the Keeley, there are many other v.positive reviews and I've not read any mentioning hiss and low-end-loss problems.

99.99% of those reviews are from guitarists, who are used to a high level of hiss in their rig already (from cranking and driving various noisy gain stages, as well as noisy modulation effects), and who do not have a bass's low B. Also most of the pedal compressors that guitarists have been using over the decades are noisier than the Keeley, so if anything guitarists are likely to say the Keeley has very low noise! It's all about context.

Originally Posted by Bassnut62

I've not noticed any problems with hiss. ...I haven't noticed any problems with low-end loss either; but I ...use a big old 2x15 cab with Bassman 135

Ah-hah! The low-end loss I'm talking about starts to slope off around 40 Hz, and the noise lives in the frequency range up around 18 KHz and higher; and a typical old 2x15 has a usable frequency range of more like 50 Hz to 10 KHz. Also a Bassman 135 has its own inherent noise floor and some rolloff of the extreme highs and lows. So no, you wouldn't be able to hear the issues I described. That's normal.

[bongomania]

As far as tiny compressors go, there are several good ones in small MXR/Boss-sized boxes: Demeter, FXEngineering Mirage, Maxon CP9Pro+, Menatone JAC (new version), Barge RC-3, BJFE/Mad Professor Pine Green, I could go on. The Guyatone ST2 is the smallest I know of, and if (a) you play 4-string, and (b) you don't plan on stomping it on/off much, then I highly recommend it. For 5-string or active stomping it needs modding. Slightly larger than the MXR/Boss size, but not by much, is the Rothwell Love Squeeze. Since you're in the UK, I recommend checking it out.

[jam.majors]

I love my Demeter Compulator. I loved my first and sold it, and just bought another from jokerjkny. I thought about the EBS, but Bongo and their site indicated that it only goes up to 5:1, but the Demeter can go a LOT higher and give some crazy compression.

Read his review of each, they are in his signature. I think I've read about half of his reviews (there are SO many), and I kept wanting to get a different compressor to replace the Compulator after I sold it. I had to come back. The only different one I would consider might be the Compulator Pro, but that's another $100 that I can't get together or justify!

[dkhp124]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

+10 to that.

The MultiComp that stflbn sold made itself at home right here on my pedalboard..

[Bassnut62]

Originally Posted by bongomania

A couple comments just for clarification, not argument or defensiveness :

99.99% of those reviews are from guitarists, who are used to a high level of hiss in their rig already (from cranking and driving various noisy gain stages, as well as noisy modulation effects), and who do not have a bass's low B. Also most of the pedal compressors that guitarists have been using over the decades are noisier than the Keeley, so if anything guitarists are likely to say the Keeley has very low noise! It's all about context.

Ah-hah! The low-end loss I'm talking about starts to slope off around 40 Hz, and the noise lives in the frequency range up around 18 KHz and higher; and a typical old 2x15 has a usable frequency range of more like 50 Hz to 10 KHz. Also a Bassman 135 has its own inherent noise floor and some rolloff of the extreme highs and lows. So no, you wouldn't be able to hear the issues I described. That's normal.

No offence taken at comments at all - it's all about learning from other TBers experience for me.

Just for completeness and any other useful knowledge sharing.... the Bassman 2x15 cab has been rebuilt and all joints heavily reinforced and strengthening struts fitted front to back and reloaded with nice tight Emminence speakers; so i reckon the cab performs more like a modern cab than the original weak Fender 2x15. I forgot to mention too that I place an attenuated 4-horn Randall bright box between the Bassman 135 head and the 2x15 cab. This gives a lot more top end and clarity. Even with all these mods the performance along with the compressor sounds great to me.

Maybe I have been lucky to choose a compressor that works well in my situation.

thanks for all the feedback.

[ga_edwards]

Originally Posted by Gambisk

I know there are hundreds of threads out there about which compressor is the best. But unfortunately I may not have room for the best.

Up to now i used a rack compressor however after buying a Genz benz shuttle as my main amp this seams a little silly as the compressor would be bigger than my amp. My pedal board however is nearly full and at the minute they are all being used alot it my music. There is room for one more pedal and I thought a compressor is probably what I need the most as I have no real need for envelope filters etc. So basicly whats the best compressor thats small enough to fit on my board, in terms of size I could probably go as big as a boss pedal but not much bigger, eg something the size of a bass big muff just wouldnt fit.

Cheers

As you can see, there's a lot of stomp compressors around, esp if you check out Bongo's reviews page.

Are you happy with the sound of the quality and tone of the rack unit you currently use? If so, perhaps tell us what it is and maybe someone can point you towards something that behaves and sounds similar.

One person's idea of 'best', is completely wrong for someone else.

[4StringsEnough]

I like the sound of the Modtone Lemon Squeezer:

http://www.modtone-effects.com/Lemon...ompressor.html

I really like the Modtone range and, from the way they've described this one, it sounds like it might work well for bass (Bongo?!!).

[stoolpigeon]

Originally Posted by dkhp124

+10 to that.

The MultiComp that stflbn sold made itself at home right here on my pedalboard..

+743...these things are fantastic.