What do you look for in a compressor?

[Spencer!]

What do you use a compressor for, and what features would your ideal compressor have?


If YOU could build a compressor, what would it be like?

[Chadderz]

Do I smell a crafty bit of market research going on?

[MuzikMan]

I look for one that does nothing to my signal.............

[Spencer!]

Originally Posted by Chadderz

Do I smell a crafty bit of market research going on?

Not sure about the crafty part, but yes.

[svtb15]

Something that sounds clear up top.. and doesn't loose bottom.. I like the old DBX 163x but it cuts top and bottom somewhat.. But overall it is OK. I like the Over Easy..
Would love an LA2A in a pedal ...hahahha or something that responds like an 1176... double hahah

As far as a pedal type, I had the Demeter compressor.. Overall it sounded OK.. But i found a distortion that I could not get rid of. No matter what bass i played ,passive or Active.. And adjusting the input trim set knob would not get rid of that distortion. And it wasn't input distortion anyway...
I narrowed it down to what happens when you have the attack and release too close together.. The Demeter is preset attack and release. You only have Threshold and Makeup Gain..

And since the timing is preset in the Demeter compulator, the lower the note (as in a low B ) on a 5 string bass, the more pronounced the distortion would get.. I had to sell it since it was useless to me.. I liked the two knob Compression/Makeup Vol layout though..
It was the timing of the attack and release that caused distortion. I went over it for months with James Demeter,shipping the unit back and forth., At first he did not admit it. Then finally we both came to the conclusion it was the timing ... He suggested i buy his Compulator 2.. i said nahhhhh ..
I still have not found a pedal compressor that i like... Still looking though...

[blr2]

Transparent, low noise, no artifacts, enough headroom to handle even the hottest active instruments, full set of controls with wide range, good build.
Not necessarily in this or any other order.

[Spencer!]

Originally Posted by svtb15

Something that sounds clear up top.. and doesn't loose bottom.. I like the old DBX 163x but it cuts top and bottom somewhat.. But overall it is OK. I like the Over Easy..
Would love an LA2A in a pedal ...hahahha or something that responds like an 1176... double hahah

As far as a pedal type, I had the Demeter compressor.. Overall it sounded OK.. But i found a distortion that I could not get rid of. No matter what bass i played ,passive or Active.. And adjusting the input trim set knob would not get rid of that distortion. And it wasn't input distortion anyway...
I narrowed it down to what happens when you have the attack and release too close together.. The Demeter is preset attack and release. You only have Threshold and Makeup Gain..

And since the timing is preset in the Demeter compulator, the lower the note (as in a low B ) on a 5 string bass, the more pronounced the distortion would get.. I had to sell it since it was useless to me.. I liked the two knob Compression/Makeup Vol layout though..
It was the timing of the attack and release that caused distortion. I went over it for months with James Demeter,shipping the unit back and forth., At first he did not admit it. Then finally we both came to the conclusion it was the timing ... He suggested i buy his Compulator 2.. i said nahhhhh ..
I still have not found a pedal compressor that i like... Still looking though...

The design I'm working on is optical, so it should sound exactly like an LA-2A!

I'm actually asking these questions because my only experience is with rackmount studio compressors - I've never really used pedal compressors. I love the LA-2A and the 1176 on bass, and it would be great to get those sounds in a pedal.

What speed attack/release do you like? I'm thinking fixed fast release/adjustable attack on mine.

[bongomania]

*Silverback gorilla lumbers into the room*

For me, the absolute most critical thing is for a comp to have a linear, easy-to-use threshold control, with an LED or other indicator to show when the signal is over the threshold. The control and the indicator can take a wide range of forms, but when they are missing or inadequate, I am generally not happy (unless the tone by itself is "all that", like with the Effectrode). I've even thought about kicking the Demeter off my top picks list for exactly this reason. It was one of the best in its day, but not any more.

The fact that most comp pedal builders leave off what I consider to be the absolute most important feature of any compressor just baffles and annoys me to no end.

Pursuant to the usefulness of the threshold control and indicator, the input stage should accept a wide range of signals, from the quietest to the loudest (i.e. from a low-output vintage guitar all the way to high-output '90s active bass with a baboon slapping on it).

Everything else is gravy, and all comes down to personal tastes.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Spencer!

The design I'm working on is optical, so it should sound exactly like an LA-2A!

Careful with that. 90% of people making optical comps try to say it works/sounds like an LA2A, and most of them are just flat out wrong.

[audiomitch]

I'd love a pedal with full metering. A row of led light meters for input, output, and compression. That would be awesome, but don't know how practical it would be.

[Spencer!]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Careful with that. 90% of people making optical comps try to say it works/sounds like an LA2A, and most of them are just flat out wrong.

It's hard to convey sarcasm over the internet.

[bongomania]

Gotcha.

[vivifiction]

What do I look for in a compressor? ... Bongo's reviews.

[Zoa]

Originally Posted by bongomania

*Silverback gorilla lumbers into the room*

For me, the absolute most critical thing is for a comp to have a linear, easy-to-use threshold control, with an LED or other indicator to show when the signal is over the threshold. The control and the indicator can take a wide range of forms, but when they are missing or inadequate, I am generally not happy (unless the tone by itself is "all that", like with the Effectrode). I've even thought about kicking the Demeter off my top picks list for exactly this reason. It was one of the best in its day, but not any more.

The fact that most comp pedal builders leave off what I consider to be the absolute most important feature of any compressor just baffles and annoys me to no end.

Pursuant to the usefulness of the threshold control and indicator, the input stage should accept a wide range of signals, from the quietest to the loudest (i.e. from a low-output vintage guitar all the way to high-output '90s active bass with a baboon slapping on it).

Everything else is gravy, and all comes down to personal tastes.

This. In addition, I like transparency, enough headroom to handle a VT Bass, and lots of knobs.

[dannybuoy]

Headroom - some comps distort when hitting a loud note, running at higher voltages can help, e.g. the Maxon has an internal charge pump to boost 9v to 18v.

Properly labelled controls (no 'sustain' knob) and threshold / ratio / attack controls, and be flexible for use as a limiter also!

+1 to some kind of visual feedback too, maybe like the LEDs in the new MXR compressor, or a glowing one like the EBS.

[Swift713]

I'm pretty happy with the Maxon CP9pro+. I think the threshold and ratio knobs make for easy adjustment and flexibility. I do sometimes think either a second band or a tone knob might be nice to warm it up or mellow the high end.

[brendanbassist]

Originally Posted by Spencer!

...

If YOU could build a compressor, what would it be like?

The Rane DC-24, but with an internal power supply.

[Bassman71]

Originally Posted by Spencer!

what features would your ideal compressor have?

A 3Leaf Audio logo...

Oh, and some visual feedback on when the compressor is working, easily adjustable threshold, ratio and output gain (& tone to die for, whatever that sounds like)

[quadrogong]

1 knob compressor..for bass.
(like in the old Peavey or Carvin combo amps)
everything is preset except the amount if compression. Even input or output levels can be controlled on the nap or other places,
Howza bout something simple like that?

Also:
Micro sized unit
tuned especially for bass.
maybe with input/ ratio/ output?
(Everything else preset)

..2 untapped area in the market, I've never seen either of these designs yet
I'd buy either one,
( I'd love to see one co-designed by Bongomania, he'd have to at least test the thing out & give his approval)

[alec]

Originally Posted by Spencer!

What speed attack/release do you like? I'm thinking fixed fast release/adjustable attack on mine.

Wouldn't the fast release mean you can't sustain softer notes?


I don't know much about compressors but I was thinking of this the other day: a dual compressor with a side fx loop so you could provide a strong even signal for octavers etc, and then you could smooth out hard peaks from auto wahs or whatever, with one pedal.

Is that possible or feasible?