Am I missing out?

[Snakeman1066]

So for all you Compressor users am I missing out by not using one?

I have one built into my amp but it literally sucks...

never really had to urge to use one, but lately have been eyeballing soft knee versions...

couple of my buddies claim that i'm missing an oppurtunity to improve my sound...

....so am I

 

[MakiSupaStar]

I had one and I removed it. Like my sound better without it. I had a DBX 166xl.

 

[Snakeman1066]

wow Maki has strayed form the Off-Topic forum....look out....lol

Yes they seem to have their supporters as well as their detractors....anyone else?

 

[Nikoubis]

I could live without my Opto Stomp, but I like what it does for my sound well enough.

 

[kevteop]

Same for me. I used to use one on stage for years, then it died and I never replaced it, and I haven't missed it.

I keep a limiter handy for those moments when my effects might kill something, but I haven't really used a compressor since the mid '90s.

 

[ibnzneksrul]

I could live without my Opto Stomp, but I like what it does for my sound well enough.

Same here, very happy with the Opto-stomp. Evens out my live sound and also is very handy for home recordings. Virtually noiseless comp.

 

[RickenBoogie]

I have a comp on my big board, but generally play without the board. Hence....

 

[Craig_S]

I can go with or without, but I prefer using compression as I believe it is beneficial to the sound of a bass. I feel compression is a must, if you're going to slap or if you're trying to get that Geddy type sound--he uses two Avalon tube compressors in his rig.

Personally, I use an old dirty six dirty I bought from an engineer whose studio was closing. I have it daisy chained with one side compressing and the other limiting, but only when it needs to. It sounds great to me, but I think it may have been modded. I'm not sure.

So, to answer whether you're missing out, I think you might be, depending on what you're playing.

 

[Snakeman1066]

So, to answer whether you're missing out, I think you might be, depending on what you're playing.

Mostly Stoner/Sludge/Hard Rock

 

[bongomania]

As everyone knows I'm a big compressor freak. But I don't always use one- it's like being a motorcycle enthusiast, it doesn't mean motorcycles are the only acceptable mode of transport.

I do think you're missing out if you never try a really good compressor- because then how will you know whether you like how it sounds or what it does for you? But I don't think you'd be missing out if you tried a really good one and then decided it wasn't for you.

 

[Mark Olson]

A compressor doesn't "improve" your sound, it compresses it. Whether or not that is an improvement is up to you and your ears.

For what it's worth though, I use a dirty sound most of the time, and personally I think my dirty sounds sound always just slightly better to me without a compressor than with it. But I am a Bass -> Fuzz -> Amp kind of guy and I really like my sound simple and to the point like that. In fact you're not going to see anything on my board geared towards a slight tonal enhancement or what have you.

 

[kevteop]

For what it's worth though, I use a dirty sound most of the time, and personally I think my dirty sounds sound always just slightly better to me without a compressor than with it.

I think distortion achieves pretty much the same thing anyway - if your signal is clipping then the peaks are already getting flattened.

 

[Mark Olson]

Right, and some dirt pedals are more or less compressed than others, and I do use a wide variety, and since I am using dirt pedals all the time anyway, if I want a more compressed dirty sound I could also go with a more compressed sounding dirtbox instead of adding another compressor in the chain. I'm not a big fan of combining dirtboxes with anything that may alter or color the tone to any degree, which even the most transparent compressor does just a little bit in my experience, and like I said personally I prefer the sound without it to with.

 

[whoatherechunk]

i need one for some filter spikes....

 

[sixgunner]

*hi-jack* prepare to be boarded.

Just a quick question....

The vintage script logo MXR DynaComp is my "gold standard" guitar compressor......How does it perform with a bass?
(I have not been able to try it out on a bass rig yet)

 

[bongomania]

The DynaComp, whether vintage or new, is the same essential circuit design as the Ross, Keeley, Behringer DC9 , etc. and the primary difference between any of them is the quality of the components.

Generally speaking they all roll off some lows starting around 50 Hz or so, which means for a typical 4-string player live on stage it will sound fine (even great), but for a low-tuned or 5-string player, or even a 4-banger in a recording studio situation, the low end loss is significant. Yes there are some celebrity bassists like Tony Levin that use them, but their tuning and tone choices take that frequency range into account.

If you're an EADG player then the better-quality Dyna/Ross/Keel/etc. pedals sound really nice on bass, with a top end sheen and lots of extra sustain.

 

[harrythehatchet]

i just got the maxon,and I like it alot.I think Ive decided to put it before my MURF tho because i thought i was losing some of the crazy little things the MURF does.theres all kinds of tones resonating into oblivion with the MURF and i dont want to limit one of them.