The Cali adds coloration. I use it for the fatness. If you want transparent compression it might not be for you.
Any comp w/ a side-chain input, and an HPF pedal, can give you this function.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Can't find a compressor I like
- Thread starter kcducttaper
- Start date
Any comp w/ a side-chain input, and an HPF pedal, can give you this function.
Are you evaluating the compressor in isolation (bedroom tone) or in playing mix situation? What sound less than great in isolation may work just fine in the mix.
My fav pedal comp was the Keeley Bassist. Easy to set, sounded better on than off.
Recently I've been using a SansAmp pedal mainly for the light compression it gives. I find it to be very natural sounding.
I am also using both a light preamp OD plus the built-in compressor in my HX Stomp. It sounds fine. No issues. Maybe I'm just not picky enough.
My fav pedal comp was the Keeley Bassist. Easy to set, sounded better on than off.
Recently I've been using a SansAmp pedal mainly for the light compression it gives. I find it to be very natural sounding.
I am also using both a light preamp OD plus the built-in compressor in my HX Stomp. It sounds fine. No issues. Maybe I'm just not picky enough.
Properly using pedal compressors will yield good results the first or close to the first time if you had used compressors in the studio for recording. But since 99% of us are not tracking, mixing or mastering engineers, we probably do not know how to use compressors or we think we do. Before all these fancy pedal compressors, I used a DBX 160 rack unit and that thing was great and almost no brainer.
The other route is to get the Source Audio Atlas compressor. Why because the curated default bass mode 6 presets just work. What this does is that it gives a novice 6 compressor types and a familiarity of what they do. Then later on you can get a boutique 700 dollar compressor pedal and will not look like a fool using it because you got the education with the Source Audio. Yes the thing is digital but the latency is very low. The guys in this company used to work with Analog Devices that made the DSP chips and know how to extract the performance out of this chips. I honestly can't tell the difference and unless you zoom within 0 to 2 ms in a spectrum analyzer, there really is no practical latency that will affect the compressor performance,
And if you are a tweaker, you can definitely adjust the 6 default presets to your liking. One thing that OP is complaining about is the excessive clamping on the low B and that can be mitigated by using a Dual Band compressor. Google what it means and probably what you need. The other thing that they have is the look ahead feature in one of the presets.
And on the flipside, the old MXR one knob compressors and others before and after it can also work for some people and yield good results. Maybe it's just what the doctor ordered.
And as @Killing Floor said, your probably need to own 10 - 20 more to find what works for you. That is why we have compressor mega thread that is going for more than a decade now. Dive into that thread and listen to the samples and join the discussion. @scubaduba compressors reviews and sound samples are excellent.
The other route is to get the Source Audio Atlas compressor. Why because the curated default bass mode 6 presets just work. What this does is that it gives a novice 6 compressor types and a familiarity of what they do. Then later on you can get a boutique 700 dollar compressor pedal and will not look like a fool using it because you got the education with the Source Audio. Yes the thing is digital but the latency is very low. The guys in this company used to work with Analog Devices that made the DSP chips and know how to extract the performance out of this chips. I honestly can't tell the difference and unless you zoom within 0 to 2 ms in a spectrum analyzer, there really is no practical latency that will affect the compressor performance,
And if you are a tweaker, you can definitely adjust the 6 default presets to your liking. One thing that OP is complaining about is the excessive clamping on the low B and that can be mitigated by using a Dual Band compressor. Google what it means and probably what you need. The other thing that they have is the look ahead feature in one of the presets.
And on the flipside, the old MXR one knob compressors and others before and after it can also work for some people and yield good results. Maybe it's just what the doctor ordered.
And as @Killing Floor said, your probably need to own 10 - 20 more to find what works for you. That is why we have compressor mega thread that is going for more than a decade now. Dive into that thread and listen to the samples and join the discussion. @scubaduba compressors reviews and sound samples are excellent.
Ovnilab Smoothie, if you can find one. I’ve had a bunch of comps come and go. The Smoothie stays.
I'd be lying if I said I knew what a compressor actually does, BUT the compressors I've had success with were the tc spectra comp and the source Audio atlas, they both have a library of user settings i can rip and let the other do the work. Im currently running the SA Atlas and I'll add some screen shots of the 1st 2 pages editing app. The 3rd page is an EQ and the 4th is the external knob configs
Attachments
I think a mistake a lot of people make is buying complex compressors for always-on use. Really one does not want to tweak around with settings, they want the system to work.
IMHO the best compressor for this is the Keeley Bassist. One has to actively try to get a bad sound out of this unit.
Robert Keeley - protecting players from themselves.
IMHO the best compressor for this is the Keeley Bassist. One has to actively try to get a bad sound out of this unit.
Robert Keeley - protecting players from themselves.
Don’t foget to avoid practicing and keep shopping
Buying stuff always makes you play better
That’s the TB way
I recommend the Aguilar TLC Compressor! I’m surprised that nobody recommended it 3 pages in.
It’s very simple, intuitive, and easy to use. And that’s always nice, especially when you have a lot of other pedals.
It’s very simple, intuitive, and easy to use. And that’s always nice, especially when you have a lot of other pedals.
I've been pretty happy with the Becos CompIQ Stella Pro mk2. It's got the important side chain HPF to help on the B string plus a mess of other adjustments. Coming from the compressor in a TC Spectradrive I wasn't really sure how to set a compressor or what adjustments I really wanted. The flexibility of the Stella has let me figure a lot of that out.
I have this one and love it.
PC-2A Tube Compressor - Effectrode
It can be as subtle as a compressor or as punchy as a limiter as you would like. Two additional adjustments inside make that range easy to dial in.
PC-2A Tube Compressor - Effectrode
It can be as subtle as a compressor or as punchy as a limiter as you would like. Two additional adjustments inside make that range easy to dial in.
Two that I like for different reasons: Fairfield Circuitry Accountant for simplicity & effectiveness and the Orange Kongpressor for smooth optical compression. Cheers!
I always thought i needed fine control over compressor characteristics because of how much I like multiband and stuff in a DAW and rack compressors. I went from the Markbass to a Keeley Bassist for my bass rig and it just works well in a live setting despite the 3 knobs. I use mine mostly as a limiter so my volume doesn't get out of hand with slap or other aggressive techniques. I would try one before hitting up the really high dollar ones.
There are splitters available to do exactly that. But the more common approach is a dual band compressor. Compress your highs and lows to taste separately.
I like to imagine I've got a decent compressor hanging off my right wrist. But I had a lot of fun with the TE dual band back when.
Edit. Probably doesn't hurt that the Markbass amp has a built in zero knob limiter.
Last edited:
To reinforce what has been said already, knowing how to use a compressor will yield better results than trying to find the “perfect” compressor. Compression should also be used subtlety and not as a fix all for inconsistencies in dynamics.
If you find a compressor you do like please share your experiences with us.
Cheers.
If you find a compressor you do like please share your experiences with us.
Cheers.
I’ve never heard anyone having trouble with the Empress. Many like it, but that’s personal taste.
The LA-1A is a fantastic compressor.
The LA-1A is a fantastic compressor.
