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Compression revelation
- Thread starter emil_fh
- Start date
A compressor is one of those incredibly useful pieces of kit once you finally get your head around what it can actually do and how it does it. The two biggest barriers to using compression effectively are:
Most players that dump any preconceived notions they have about compression and invest the relatively small amount of time and effort needed to get a solid handle on how to use one soon discover just how useful a device they can be. Maybe it’s not something you’ll put in your personal “always on” category. But when you do need one it’s nice to know you own one and know how to use it.
IMO, a decent compressor and a HPF are a bass player’s two best secret weapons, whether you keep them in your gig bag, on your pedal board, or they’re built into your amp.
Just my 2¢ anyway.
- Believing it can’t do anything beneficial for your sound.
- Thinking it’s too hard to master.
Most players that dump any preconceived notions they have about compression and invest the relatively small amount of time and effort needed to get a solid handle on how to use one soon discover just how useful a device they can be. Maybe it’s not something you’ll put in your personal “always on” category. But when you do need one it’s nice to know you own one and know how to use it.
IMO, a decent compressor and a HPF are a bass player’s two best secret weapons, whether you keep them in your gig bag, on your pedal board, or they’re built into your amp.
Just my 2¢ anyway.
I thought the same thing! Does that mean our OCD is showing?
Yes, yes it does. And I'm serious about the offer - verified that I can find and send it on Amazon. Heh.
And the ever-popular misconception around here that they're only used to cover up bad technique.
My personal favorite is - "it's the most transparent compressor I've heard". Well, are you sure it's actually doing anything given your current settings?
Spot on the sugar.
Most times, if you have really bad technique a compressor is more likely to highlight it or make it sound worse. The old rule: “garbage in = garbage out” pretty much applies here. There’s a big difference between tidying up and major junk removal.
Compressors can fix some fairly minor issues and add a little something extra to your sound. But they definitely won’t work miracles.
to the OP, I'd suggest you make sure that you're getting the same results when you're in group performance, whatever format that may be. The things that make for enjoyment in isolated home practice *might* result in a tortured experience with a live band. Context is everything, though, so just a quick heads-up before you fall in love with your home rehearsal settings.
LOL!
Indeed. Somebody tells you how much they love their new “transparent compressor” and say how they like it best with the ratio set at 1:1. And when you say: “Oh! So what you actually like is a clean boost. What made you decide to get a $200 Keeley Bassist for that instead of a $50 Spark Mini Boost?”
And then…they just look at you blankly… and you start to wish you’d kept your mouth shut.
Yeah. I’ve run into that more than a few times.
to the OP, I'd suggest you make sure that you're getting the same results when you're in group performance, whatever format that may be. The things that make for
^ This may well be one of the most valuable observations to emerge from this thread.
^ This may well be one of the most valuable observations to emerge from this thread.
Yes, from personal experience...a cruel teacher, but a thorough one.
I am a multiband compressor fan myself. I found that compressing the low end while leaving the higher frequencies alone helps me sit in the mix better and does not affect technique. You can get the same dynamics while keeping the bottom glued to the band.
Whoever says that you don't need a compressor hasn't mixed a rock band yet.
That is true statement, but remember that distortion is a very aggressive form of compression. I did a lot of rock tours using an OD up front to add a little grind and never really needed a compressor after that. My FOH guy would add his at the end of the chain for mixing the band, and that worked for me.
I say this only for the people reading this who already use a drive pedal always on. While you can add compression after if you want, if you want a more open sound, the distortion will do more than enough.
For clean tone and synth pedal players, it can be very nice to have a compressor up front. It will just matter your personal taste and style.
For a while I use using really light OD at the end of my chain as a way to stop peaks and add really subtle dirt. It was basically like a limiter and it sounded really cool. No real rules, find what works for you.
Yessir! Mine too. Any old progger like me soon learned the hard way back in the 70s that all those settings - and that stunning reverb/delay effect you worked so hard on at home to make it sound like the heavens were opening up - did absolutely nothing in a live gig situation except make the bass completely disappear from the mix.
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May I ask when you use your delay? Only for soloing or upper range? Or always on?
Haha. Believe it or not, I don't have as many as you might think. I've sold several to keep funding getting new ones. It is expensive to keep running the tests.
Says the guy with ... how many compressors do you have now?
Don’t know about @scubaduba. But the Compressore is one of my favs too. And I’ve got six so far.
Yep. The Compressore is one of my favorites. Got me rethinking selling it.
"The trick is to not use too much." <---THIS!
The best use of compression is when the folks listening to it don't recognize it as compression. Sounds like you are already discovering how the right amount of compression can go a long way to complementing your sound. And that MarkBass compressor has all the controls you need to really dial it in.
