Broughton Audio Super Thread

[esoxhntr]

That's what I figured - yeah your intuition about the importance of attack and release is correct. After you set your threshold and ratio, those controls are where the majority of the tone shaping happens.

It seemed to me when working with the attack and release controls that they affected the threshold. Is that correct?

 

[Somnambulance]

Im gonna tune up my O M N I before I make some alfredo

 

[Derek Williams]

So I'm still grossly unfamiliar with Broughton gear, and while I haven't tried any of his pedals aside from the HPF/LPF (which has become the most important pedal on my board, aside from my tuner, which is why I'm here), I've spent quite a bit of time learning and studying home recording, especially compression.

The thing is you have to train yourself to hear what compression is. And to do that, you have to listen closely to your transient. That's the very fast, higher-pitched click that your fingers or your pick make when they very briefly make contact with your strings. Everything after that, you can consider the sustain - that's the sound of your string ringing out.

To learn how to hear what the compressor does, make your threshold really low. This knob sets the level at which your compressor will start to work - in other words, the compressor will do nothing until your levels hit the threshold. Keep in mind you're not trying to sound good right now, you're just trying to hear what the compressor is doing.

Next, set the ratio really high. The ratio controls how much volume reduction you're going to get when the compressor crosses the threshold. You want it as dramatic as possible so you can hear the pedal in action.

Then ask yourself a couple of questions. 1) How loud do I want my transient?, and 2) How long do I want my transient? If you want a fast, kind of ice-picky click right when you hit that string, you want your attack time low (i.e. fast) - this means the compressor will allow a tiny bit of that click through before clamping down and shutting it up. If you want a kind of smooth, creamy transient (that's what I prefer), you want your attack time high (i.e. slow).

Attack affects the beginning of the transient. Release affects the end - in other words, how slowly (or quickly) the compressor backs off your signal. I tend to hear the release in terms like coldness and warmth: a fast release is kind of jarring and cold, while a slow release is gradual and warm. Slow release also brings the effect of the compressor past the transient and into your sustain - a longer release time will mean that your notes will sustain longer.

It's not bass specific, but this video by Greg Scott at Kush Audio is a great intro to hearing what compression does in the context of a mix. Please disregard the clickbaity title, it's a really good video.



Does the Omnicomp have an adjustable side chain? Without getting too in the weeds, a side chain basically ignores lower frequencies, letting your low end come through at its natural loudness. But the higher end gets compressed, which is where your transient lives. So the way you're using it is pretty much on the nose.

One small point to help here in regards to the Omnicomp: a traditional “low threshold”, meaning the compressor triggers earlier, you need to turn the threshold up, as I believe it’s actually a gain control for the side chain.

 

[jschulman]

It seemed to me when working with the attack and release controls that they affected the threshold. Is that correct?

One small point to help here in regards to the Omnicomp: a traditional “low threshold”, meaning the compressor triggers earlier, you need to turn the threshold up, as I believe it’s actually a gain control for the side chain.

I'm not familiar with the Omni but I'm assuming that if it's got a user-adjustable threshold, then it will be fixed wherever you dial it in. A slow attack might give you the impression that the threshold is changing, but what's probably happening is the compressor is just taking longer to kick in.

 

[Ewo]

It’s a fixed side chain that is tuned to work well with most instruments.

I just received an Omnicomp yesterday so my time with it is limited, but I'd agree that it works well on bass. (I play fivers.) I've been using the Empress Bass Comp since they came out, and they have an adjustable HPF in the side chain. That can really make a difference in how the compressor behaves in the low register. Seems like Josh tuned the Omni's HPF to work pretty much the way I've had the Empress adjusted, so it's in my happy place.

 

[esoxhntr]

Im gonna tune up my O M N I before I make some alfredo

ok

 

[Charlie Tuna]

It seemed to me when working with the attack and release controls that they affected the threshold. Is that correct?

They shouldn’t but the compression light may come on sooner/later depending where you set the attack, so you may think it is affecting the threshold.

 

[JeffTCS]

Actually, quite the opposite - I'm very happy. But apart from the fact that I like the sound, I have very little idea what I've actually done here.

I think he was saying that because your clean tone is probably about 75% of your mix at that setting and your other settings are rather light as well so maybe not hearing too much of the actual pedal compressor working? I don't know, but our settings, for now, are pretty close just my blend is around 3 o clock.

 

[jschulman]

I think he was saying that because your clean tone is probably about 75% of your mix at that setting and your other settings are rather light as well so maybe not hearing too much of the actual pedal compressor working? I don't know, but our settings, for now, are pretty close just my blend is around 3 o clock.

Yeah that's another thing I would add, since I forgot this pedal has a blend knob - if you're trying to learn how to hear the effects of compression, your blend should be 100% wet (which I believe on this pedal is fully clockwise). Otherwise what you're hearing is more and more of your clean tone, the further counterclockwise you go.

When you've got a good sense of what the pedal is doing, the blend knob is a useful tool to dial in more extreme compression, then mix it in with your clean tone, sort of like you're adding those extreme effects as a spice, rather than the whole flavor.

 

[NKBassman]

I'll post them - just want to make sure they are gig-worthy before putting them up. I'm finding that the Attack and Release controls are the key ingredients. Logical, but a little difficult for me because:

a) I simply don't understand how some compressor controls work - PARTICULARLY Attack and Release.
b) The Attack and Release controls both work opposite to the way I would expect them to work. So things became much easier when I got the hang of "more is less", or "forward is reverse", or however it is that my atrophied brain is understanding this.

Suffice it to say that almost completely by accident I have found a tone that is clean and punchy, with just that right amount of Phatness. If these work live, white out will be applied to the pedals so that the magic setting is always attainable.

Now, there are a number of kind souls out there who may try to take it upon themselves to try and explain how/what/why compressor controls work. @NKBassman's efforts in trying to explain how the side chain worked on the Apex were particularly heroic. Sadly, I never completely understood how to turn the theory into reality, so ended up using the side chain setting as a glorified tone control. This is because I am a spaz. So don't waste your breath. My only hope is that the Derek Zoolander Centre for Kids Who Can't Compress Good opens soon.

Attack and Release adjust the time it takes for the compressor to complete those respective actions. So when you turn the knobs up, you're increasing the amount of time it takes for the compression to kick in (Attack) and back off back to zero (Release). So higher knob = more time = "slower" attack/release.

When the peak of your note crosses the threshold, the compressor starts to react. It takes (Attack) amount of time for the compressor to fully clamp down on the note. If you have your Attack set very fast (low knob setting), it will clamp down faster on the initial transient of the note that triggered the compressor. This is what you want for more squashy sounds, or for peak limiting if you're looking to protect your amp. If you set the Attack slower (higher knob setting), it lets more of the initial transient through before the compression kicks in, so you're getting the majority of the compression after the initial peak of the note. This gives a more dynamic and natural sound because you're still getting that dynamic from the peak of the note, but then the compressor clamps down on the back end of the note behind the peak, resulting in that part being a bit louder, fuller, and "punchier".

Once the peak of your note has crossed the threshold and the compressor has done it's job on that note, it takes (Release) amount of time for the compression to go back to zero. You can observe this by setting the Release really long/slow (high knob), then hit one loud short note and watch the Comp LED. You'll see it staying lit even after you choke off the note. This is because you crossed the threshold, causing the compressor to react, and then it takes (Release) amount of time for it to let go. Slow release means that if you're playing a bunch of really fast notes, the compressor is probably going to stay clamped down through the whole passage because the release time is longer than the space between each note, resulting in less dynamics for the whole passage. Fast release time means the compressor will let go quicker, giving you an attack and release action on each note of the passage.

Generally I prefer medium-ish attack and quick release, resulting in a pretty unobtrusive and natural response for more subtle compression and tone enhancement. If you want a real squashy sound, set your attack faster and release slower to the comp stays clamped down all the time. For gentle but consistent leveling, I'd set the threshold lower so that the compressor is always working, but with low ratio (like 2:1) so it's not murdering your dynamics too much, then medium attack and slow release to keep it pretty smooth and not pumping.

 

[esoxhntr]

Attack and Release adjust the time it takes for the compressor to complete those respective actions. So when you turn the knobs up, you're increasing the amount of time it takes for the compression to kick in (Attack) and back off back to zero (Release). So higher knob = more time = "slower" attack/release.

When the peak of your note crosses the threshold, the compressor starts to react. It takes (Attack) amount of time for the compressor to fully clamp down on the note. If you have your Attack set very fast (low knob setting), it will clamp down faster on the initial transient of the note that triggered the compressor. This is what you want for more squashy sounds, or for peak limiting if you're looking to protect your amp. If you set the Attack slower (higher knob setting), it lets more of the initial transient through before the compression kicks in, so you're getting the majority of the compression after the initial peak of the note. This gives a more dynamic and natural sound because you're still getting that dynamic from the peak of the note, but then the compressor clamps down on the back end of the note behind the peak, resulting in that part being a bit louder, fuller, and "punchier".

Once the peak of your note has crossed the threshold and the compressor has done it's job on that note, it takes (Release) amount of time for the compression to go back to zero. You can observe this by setting the Release really long/slow (high knob), then hit one loud short note and watch the Comp LED. You'll see it staying lit even after you choke off the note. This is because you crossed the threshold, causing the compressor to react, and then it takes (Release) amount of time for it to let go. Slow release means that if you're playing a bunch of really fast notes, the compressor is probably going to stay clamped down through the whole passage because the release time is longer than the space between each note, resulting in less dynamics for the whole passage. Fast release time means the compressor will let go quicker, giving you an attack and release action on each note of the passage.

Generally I prefer medium-ish attack and quick release, resulting in a pretty unobtrusive and natural response for more subtle compression and tone enhancement. If you want a real squashy sound, set your attack faster and release slower to the comp stays clamped down all the time. For gentle but consistent leveling, I'd set the threshold lower so that the compressor is always working, but with low ratio (like 2:1) so it's not murdering your dynamics too much, then medium attack and slow release to keep it pretty smooth and not pumping.

Okay... I'm starting to get it... I think... I'm definitely understanding more than the last time we went through this... maybe owning 5 compressors helps? Just to be sure I'm clear on this - with the attack and release controls, the further counter-clockwise you go the slower the attack and slower the release?

 

[NKBassman]

Okay... I'm starting to get it... I think... I'm definitely understanding more than the last time we went through this... maybe owning 5 compressors helps? Just to be sure I'm clear on this - with the attack and release controls, the further counter-clockwise you go the slower the attack and slower the release?

Well, I don't actually have an Omni (yet), but from the description on the website it implies that it's opposite of that. The knobs set the amount of time for each parameter, so counter clockwise would be faster (lower knob setting, less time).

And of course it's all dependent on where you have the Threshold set as well. If you're just barely tickling the Threshold, then you probably won't hear much change at all no matter what you're doing. But if you hit it harder so that more of each note is crossing and you'll start to hear the compressor working.

And then you can also start playing with the Blend... try setting it for really squishy limiting (medium-low threshold, quick attack, long release, high ratio), but then Blend back in a healthy amount of clean signal. This will give you a really thick, but dynamically squashed, fundamental underneath your dry tone. That's how I use my Monocomp right now, so you still get all the dynamics from your dry sound, but with a beefy undertone making it sound fuller and more better.

 

[labeledbass]

@jschulman thanks for that, kind of confirmed what I was wondering. This can also apply to a envelope as well, a little.

On the omnicomp I do exactly that, for quick snappy compression fast attack, moderate release, and the opposite for more subtle overall color. It is so flexible you can have the best of both worlds though, its not just like a apex, or monocomp, controls make that part very interactive in blending the two types together

 

[NKBassman]

One small point to help here in regards to the Omnicomp: a traditional “low threshold”, meaning the compressor triggers earlier, you need to turn the threshold up, as I believe it’s actually a gain control for the side chain.

From the website:

• Threshold - The amount of signal sent to the side chain to trigger the compression

So I think you're right. This imples that the actual Threshold is fixed at a certain value, and the Threshold control increases or decreases the signal level hitting the sidechain.

 

[labeledbass]

Science

 

[NKBassman]

 

[labeledbass]

Does anybody want to trade up for a monocle?

I'd be interested in a PLL, SV, og SVD, Solarian? figure those are some fair swaps -

 

[NKBassman]

@esoxhntr, at the end of the day, if you’ve found a sound that you like then that’s all that matters.

 

[saltydude]

Does anybody want to trade up for a monocle?

I'd be interested in a PLL, SV, og SVD, Solarian? figure those are some fair swaps -

@donahue

 

[esoxhntr]

Does anybody want to trade up for a monocle?

I'd be interested in a PLL, SV, og SVD, Solarian? figure those are some fair swaps -

I have a Solarian. Very interested.