Compression vs EQ Pedal Advice (And other good stuff)

[Meg Learmonth]

I thought it was about time I got myself some pedals for gigging. I'm only looking for a small setup - I've got a PedalTrain Nano+ board so nothing major, but I'm looking for some suggestions.

So far I've got a BOSS Tuner and I know I'll be getting a compression (Most likely MXR as it has great reviews all round), however my question is would I need a EQ pedal as well as compression? Would they aid each other, or would it be pointless? Any other suggestions for pedals would be great too!

Another little thing I'm looking for advice is about my PSU. I have a 1Spot Pro CS6 from a previous Guitar Pedal board project, and I was planning on using that. Is it too big for my bass pedals? Should I size down to a T Rex Junior?

Finally, I know quite an eclectic post; I'm looking for LED Lights that I can plug directly into my PSU, if I had the option of changing their colour that would be awesome but if not I'd love either Pink or Purple to compliment my bass (Adam Clayton Signature J-Bass in purple - Too fabulous for words!) - Any suggestions?

Thank you all for your help! These forums truly are amazing for getting friendly advice!

 

[K-2]

Hey Meg,

I can only comment on Compression/EQ. Will leave 1spot and LED light to others.

In short - Compressor and EQ pedal serves a different purpose. Compressor will help you out in taming peaks, or just in general "smooth out" your playing. Compressor is not dependent on your EQ setting. Would advise to check ovnilab.com - I believe it is a website made by one of Talkbass member - it has a ton of compressor pedal reviews, but most important in your case - it has a compression FAQ, it really helped me understand what compression does and how to better use. Highly recommended.

EQ pedal - is not a necessity. |I believe you have some sort of an amp and it already has an EQ (or should have ). However EQ pedal - (as you are looking into MXR compression, there is an MXR 10band EQ pedal you might like checking out, as well MXR have their preamp which is pretty neat as well) - would give you more options in sculpting your own tone. Don't like specific frequencies in your tone - cut it out, want more zing/presence - boost another, etc.

In my eyes - Tuner, Compressor and EQ or preamp pedal are great contenders to be on a compact board.

P.S. I have used Seymour Duncan Studio Bass Compressor for quite a while with great results. It is cheaper if I recall correctly than MXR. Might check it out as well if you want a quality product but are on a limited budget. Of course, if budget is unlimited, there is a ton of options to check.

Best of luck in your quest, hehe !

 

[Meg Learmonth]

Hey Meg,

I can only comment on Compression/EQ. Will leave 1spot and LED light to others.

In short - Compressor and EQ pedal serves a different purpose. Compressor will help you out in taming peaks, or just in general "smooth out" your playing. Compressor is not dependent on your EQ setting. Would advise to check ovnilab.com - I believe it is a website made by one of Talkbass member - it has a ton of compressor pedal reviews, but most important in your case - it has a compression FAQ, it really helped me understand what compression does and how to better use. Highly recommended.

EQ pedal - is not a necessity. |I believe you have some sort of an amp and it already has an EQ (or should have ). However EQ pedal - (as you are looking into MXR compression, there is an MXR 10band EQ pedal you might like checking out, as well MXR have their preamp which is pretty neat as well) - would give you more options in sculpting your own tone. Don't like specific frequencies in your tone - cut it out, want more zing/presence - boost another, etc.

In my eyes - Tuner, Compressor and EQ or preamp pedal are great contenders to be on a compact board.

P.S. I have used Seymour Duncan Studio Bass Compressor for quite a while with great results. It is cheaper if I recall correctly than MXR. Might check it out as well if you want a quality product but are on a limited budget. Of course, if budget is unlimited, there is a ton of options to check.

Best of luck in your quest, hehe !

Thanks so much for your reply! It's helped me out, I'll be sure to check out the Seymour Duncan pedal - I'm open to ideas!

In regards to the EQ or Pre-Amp pedal, would you suggest choosing one or t'other? If so what would you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[fasterpussycat]

First off, if you are thinking of getting a compressor, you should check out reviews by @bongomania and @scubaduba. There are different types of compressor and one or other may fit you better depending on the style of music you play. You may not even need a compressor at all.

Separate EQ isn't essential at all. You might look at a preamp/DI which will come with EQ, possibly overdrive, and will connect to front of house if you need to (Darkglass and Sansamp are two of the more popular flavours around here).

There are thousands of dirt pedals (overdrive, distortion, fuzz), modulation (chourus, flanging, phasing) and filters, octave, delays, synths etc, etc, etc.

Now for the important stuff. I have a Temple Audio RGB light strip under my Nano+

 

[jazznrick]

For lights I would suggest looking into the Dr. Scientist Spectrum Analyzer. Awesome Adam Clayton Bass!!

 

[K-2]

Thanks so much for your reply! It's helped me out, I'll be sure to check out the Seymour Duncan pedal - I'm open to ideas!

In regards to the EQ or Pre-Amp pedal, would you suggest choosing one or t'other? If so what would you recommend?

Thanks!

As Fasterpussycat above mentioned - you might not need a compressor and/or EQ/preamp.
It all depends on what you want to achieve, what type of music you play, etc.
However I still believe that compressor is a useful tool in any case.

As for EQ/Preamp - it as well comes down to what you want to achieve. Many preamps (MXR, Sansamp, EBS, Darkglass, etc.) have an EQ section as well as some type of overdrive section. If you are happy with your clean tone and just want to "enhance" it - EQ is the way to go. Lets say your Amp has Bass/Mid/Treble knobs only, with EQ pedal you would be able to cut/boost frequencies more precisely.
If you would like to add some "grit" to your tone or even have a possibility to switch between clean and dirty tones (Sansamp Programmable, Darkglass Ultra pedals, etc.) - then Preamp is the way to go. Alternative is having EQ pedal and a separate pedal for dirty tone - but not sure which way is more effective/budget friendly.

Of course, take it with a grain of salt. Most likely you will get a lot of different opinions and suggestions - ranging from "You don't need any pedals - work on your technique" to "buy X pedal" and so on and so on.
Therefore my suggestion is firstly understanding what you want to achieve and then looking into as many options as you can before pulling a trigger on a new pedal.
As well BEWARE - when you start buying pedals it might be really hard to resist buying and exploring more and more and more.... Hehe

 

[equill]

For more information about compressors than you probably realised there was to know: Compressor Reviews

EQ can be very useful, but really only if you need tone-shaping that you can't already get from your bass and/or amp tone controls.

Seconding K-2 on "firstly understanding what you want to achieve and then looking into as many options as you can before pulling a trigger on a new pedal." Buying pedals for the sake of it will only waste time and money.
If you really want to explore just what can be done with various types of effects, look into getting a multi-FX box. None of the effects will be best-in-class, but they'll be good enough for you to figure out what you do and don't want to do to your sound. It'll still soak up a lot of time, but it'll be less expensive in cash.

All of that said... chorus, flanger and phaser can all do interesting things to a bass' sound, as well as overdrive/distortion. Delay generally works better for bass than reverb, but all of this is a matter of opinion, and only three sets of opinions matter: yours, your bandmates' (if any) and your audience's (again, if any).

As for the LEDs, I have NFI.

 

[Meg Learmonth]

Thank you all for your replies! They've been very useful, and I think I know what route I'll be going down, like Equill said, I don't to be getting pedals just for the sake of it!

I have a Temple Audio RGB light strip under my Nano+

As for the LEDs, I have NFI.

Loving the LED suggestions too, thanks! Equill what are NFI, I'm probably being thick here, but is it a brand or an abbreviation?
Fasterpussycat - What size of LED did you go for if you know?

Any suggestions on the PSU yet too? If not no worries and I'll work it out!

Thanks again everyone!

 

[mmbongo]

There's no such thing as having a power supply that's too big.

 

[equill]

Equill what are NFI, I'm probably being thick here, but is it a brand or an abbreviation?

*ahem* It's an abbreviation for having No Fluffy Idea

 

[tsverrir]

Just to add to what has already been said above. An EQ before a compressor can radically change how the compressor responds. So, depending on the sound you are going for and the type of compressor, an EQ before compression can be a huge tool in sculpting your sound. For EQ after the compressor, the amp should suffice in most cases.

 

[40Hz]

There’s two philosophies when it comes to using a compressor.

School-A mainly wants compression to limit peaks and boost lows in order to even out the overall signal level. If you’re a very dynamic player who does a lot of slap, or plays with a lot of harmonics (or maybe you sometimes just get a little sloppy with your plucking or picking technique) but you don’t want anything changing your tone, then a “transparent” or “limiting amplifier” type compressor is what you’re looking for.

A good example of that type of compressor is the Keeley Bassist.

School-B views compression more as an effect. Something to add a little special sauce to their tone. These compressors (often referred to as ‘colorizing’ type compression) do what the transparent compressors do plus add something extra to your sound. Something you either want or you don’t. It’s a personal thing with no right or wrong answer.

Some examples of colorizing compressors are the: Ovinlab Smoothie, Doc Lloyd Death Ray, and BOSS OC-2.

Beyond limiting and colorizing, compressors also have some additional lesser known uses. Some are more specific to guitar than bass. But it’s good to be aware of them since most can be adapted:



—/—/

Outboard EQ is a whole separate issue. First question is: do you actually need it?

If you like the sound of your bass and you can dial in the tones you want using just your amp and bass, you probably don’t need additional equalization. But you may want it if you’re trying to get something your amp isn’t capable of giving you. Or you need to rein in a string of effects pedals.

So it’s hard to recommend EQ pedals without knowing more specifics. However, one bit of advice I was given that could have saved me hours of grief and many dollars had I heeded it earlier is this:

Whenever adding anything new to your rig - take one, not two.​

So I’d suggest you start by getting only one pedal, and get that pedal sussed out to your complete satisfaction before you think about adding something else to the mix.

I personally think compression is something every bass player should be knowledgeable about and comfortable using - whether or not they actually do. So I’d start there.

A compressor is a professional’s tool. Or maybe a “grownup’s toy” as I like to think of it. It’s one of the two pieces of outboard gear I think virtually every working bassist needs to know how to use - and probably own. That said, it might not be the idea first effect to get

But that’s me. So don't take the above as gospel. Go with what works for you.

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

There's no such thing as having a power supply that's too big.

This is really good advice, which would have saved me a couple hundred bucks if someone had mentioned it to me when I started building my current pedalboard. Spend the money on an awesome power supply now so you save money on incremental upgrades and wind up with the awesome power supply eventually anyway.

 

[Silky Johnson]

I thought it was about time I got myself some pedals for gigging. I'm only looking for a small setup - I've got a PedalTrain Nano+ board so nothing major, but I'm looking for some suggestions.



So far I've got a BOSS Tuner and I know I'll be getting a compression (Most likely MXR as it has great reviews all round), however my question is would I need a EQ pedal as well as compression? Would they aid each other, or would it be pointless? Any other suggestions for pedals would be great too!

Another little thing I'm looking for advice is about my PSU. I have a 1Spot Pro CS6 from a previous Guitar Pedal board project, and I was planning on using that. Is it too big for my bass pedals? Should I size down to a T Rex Junior?

Finally, I know quite an eclectic post; I'm looking for LED Lights that I can plug directly into my PSU, if I had the option of changing their colour that would be awesome but if not I'd love either Pink or Purple to compliment my bass (Adam Clayton Signature J-Bass in purple - Too fabulous for words!) - Any suggestions?

Thank you all for your help! These forums truly are amazing for getting friendly advice!

Only wisdom I have is that having eq Before compression is nice...it shapes the sound differently than doing it afterwards IME of course. It seems to me like bumping up the lows before the compression makes it sound smoother and applies to low and high pitches more evenly. Other people may feel differently of course

 

[jazznrick]

Get some rad pedals like a fuzz and analog octaver.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

I thought it was about time I got myself some pedals for gigging. I'm only looking for a small setup - I've got a PedalTrain Nano+ board so nothing major, but I'm looking for some suggestions.

So far I've got a BOSS Tuner and I know I'll be getting a compression (Most likely MXR as it has great reviews all round), however my question is would I need a EQ pedal as well as compression? Would they aid each other, or would it be pointless? Any other suggestions for pedals would be great too!

Another little thing I'm looking for advice is about my PSU. I have a 1Spot Pro CS6 from a previous Guitar Pedal board project, and I was planning on using that. Is it too big for my bass pedals? Should I size down to a T Rex Junior?

Finally, I know quite an eclectic post; I'm looking for LED Lights that I can plug directly into my PSU, if I had the option of changing their colour that would be awesome but if not I'd love either Pink or Purple to compliment my bass (Adam Clayton Signature J-Bass in purple - Too fabulous for words!) - Any suggestions?

Thank you all for your help! These forums truly are amazing for getting friendly advice!

My board, when it is used, is fairly simple. Chorus/Flanger Deluxe, Envelope Filter, Delay, and NEVER leave home without my MXR M87 compressor.
A good amount of quality compressors out there, but IMO for the money, simplicity, tone, and overall quality it's MXR for me.
Had a rack mounted DBX 160a compressor, and it was probably the highest quality and easiest to use compressor out there. 3 knobs, true bypass ultra high quality but at $525, and in a rack, well I chose to downsize LOL.
IMO the M87 will give a player a studio quality compression when attack and release are at about 12 o'clock, ratio set at 15:1, input at about 3 o'clock and output as you desire. At about $125, it is a well rounded versitile mid/mid-high quality piece of gear. While it does not give a negative compression ratio as the DBX 160a, it is MORE than adequate for rehearsing, gigging, and or recording.
...but, if I could remember the model/nomenclature of a compression pedal I bought back in '91 that somehow disappeared onto the Island of Left Socks that the dryer ate, I would consider that one also.
Maybe someone could assist?
4 knobs across the top, a low profile foot pad, tank tough, purplish/pinkish in color, and maybe from DOD? As with the MXR, stupid easy to set/use with great compression/shaving.
Anyway, good luck in your quest.

 

[dave_bass5]

There's no such thing as having a power supply that's too big.

Well there is if you want to put it under a Pedaltrian Nano+;-)

As already posted, the Cioks DC-5 is perfect for this board.

 

[40Hz]

Well there is if you want to put it under a Pedaltrian Nano+;-)

As already posted, the Cioks DC-5 is perfect for this board.

+1! Cioks makes a really fine product.

 

[SmokinJoe992]

My current pedal set up is, Boss TU-3 tuner, Keeley Bassist comp, and VT Character Deluxe. I am very happy with it, and highly recommend each pedal. To me the tuner and compressor are essentials. The EQ is only important if you are not completely satisfied with the tones your bass/amp give you. In my case the VT deluxe enhances the tone of my rig and gives me 6 programmable settings for live use. I could not be happier with it. The Keeley comp is awesome as well.

 

[thebreakman]

On my Nano, I have a korg pitchblack tuner, diamond bass comp and a Darkglass B7K. That's all I need but lately, I have just plugged straight into the amp and that has been a breathe of fresh air.