Trying to understand rack mount compressor

joeypistol · #1 05-01-2009, 04:34 PM

Hey guys,
im looking to get a rack mount compressor but dont really know that much about them. from what i have read the purpose of them is to make your sound much more even or something. and that they are used in recording.
I would really like to know what exactly do the compressors do. How will it effect my bass tone/sound
What is the difference between a single channel and a duel channel? ( someone said something about running stereo ? )and which would be better suited for bass not reccording?
how exactly does it hook up to my head?
Any brand suggestions or advice about the product? i see BBE floating arround all the time.

thanks a ton
JoeyP

rustynuts · #2 05-01-2009, 04:43 PM

Search for bongomania, then look in his signature for his compressor reviews.

PS: This really should be in the effects forum.

i_got_a_mohawk · #3 05-01-2009, 04:51 PM

Duel channel means there are two compressors in parallel so you could use stereo.

Using a compressor you set a threshold point. You also set a ratio.

What happens is when the signal goes above the set threshold point, the ratio kicks in. Say you are using a 2:1 ratio, every 2dB increase in volume would only be 1dB (the compressor was kicking in), if it was 10:1 ratio, you would need a 10dB increase to get a 1dB increase out the other side (beyond threshold).

There is a lot more to them than that, but it hopefully explains something (and im probably totally wrong

)

BurningSkies · #4 05-01-2009, 05:51 PM

Do a search to find out what they'll do for your sound before you decide that that's what you want or need.

Do you want something that acts as a limiter, are you looking to even out the volume dynamics of your playing, or thicken up the overall tone of your sound?

I like compression for recording, but never use it on my bass.

BurningSkies · #5 05-01-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Duel channel means there are two compressors in parallel so you could use stereo.

Using a compressor you set a threshold point. You also set a ratio.

What happens is when the signal goes above the set threshold point, the ratio kicks in. Say you are using a 2:1 ratio, every 2dB increase in volume would only be 1dB (the compressor was kicking in), if it was 10:1 ratio, you would need a 10dB increase to get a 1dB increase out the other side (beyond threshold).

There is a lot more to them than that, but it hopefully explains something (and im probably totally wrong

)

That's really about half of it...but once you compress, you then can increase the output from the compressor, which brings up the softer bits of your playing and makes them more 'hearable' without them seeming too loud.

Archangel_Bass · #6 05-24-2009, 08:58 AM

ime its been best to just hook one up so you cant do any damage and start fiddling with it. there are often gates, thresholds, limiters built in on top of a standard compression control in rack compressors i too am looking for one. or the other way is to youtube billy sheehans advanced bass or find the dvd the first thing he explains is what a compressor is, what it does and how to use one. essentially you're just shaping the overall frequency and dynamic range of your signal

**Mark Wilson** · #7 05-24-2009, 09:01 AM

Off to effects.

dmusic148 · #8 05-24-2009, 09:06 AM

The basic version: it makes loud notes quieter. But it doesn't make quiet notes quieter. So it evens out your volume, and can add sustain and/or 'punch' as well, if it's a good one and set up correctly. See Bongomania's reviews/FAQ's.