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Compressor and Overdrive on a budget?

C

ChaserHUN

Jul 18, 2020
114
27
36
Hungary
#1
Hey!

I'm looking for good compressor and overdrive on a budget.

I'm playing an Ibanez SR300EB through an Hartke HA 3500 with XL 410 Cab.

It is really a hard decision. As for compressors I was thinking about the Ampeg Optocomp, it has pretty good reviews, or maybe the TC Spectracomp Bass. But was thinking of if it is worth it to save up for a more expensive pedal, I have the EBS Multicomp Blue Label in mind.

As for OD's go. My winner would be the Aguilar Agro Bass, but it pretty expensive. From sound samples I also like the AMpeg Scrambler Bass or the EHX Bass Soul Food. I don't know if the Aguilar is worht the double price. I'm not looking for any crazy distortion or overdive, just a tiny little bit grit on the sound to make it more punchier.

Something like this from 4:40


So what is your opinion? Have you tried theese pedals? From money standpoint I'm leaning towards the Ampeg Optocomp and Scrambler bass combo. From a sound standpoint EBS Multicomp Blue Label and Aguilar Agro Bass. The latter two pedals are double the price of the Ampegs. Are they worth it? Or maybe compromise with one. Like go for an Ampeg Optocomp and Aguilar combo?
 
#2
I had the Agro on my board for a couple of years. I really liked it. But I was using it as an effect, not an always-on type deal. Seriously, though? I wouldn't sweat your decision too hard. If you're like me and many others on here you'll just end up replacing it with something else in a year. I can't even think how many dirt pedals I've gone through since I started dabbling in pedals around 8 years ago. Making mental list... at least 7 different dirt pedals. Two of which I still own.
 
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#4
ChaserHUN said:
Hey!

I'm looking for good compressor and overdrive on a budget.

I'm playing an Ibanez SR300EB through an Hartke HA 3500 with XL 410 Cab.

It is really a hard decision. As for compressors I was thinking about the Ampeg Optocomp, it has pretty good reviews, or maybe the TC Spectracomp Bass. But was thinking of if it is worth it to save up for a more expensive pedal, I have the EBS Multicomp Blue Label in mind.

As for OD's go. My winner would be the Aguilar Agro Bass, but it pretty expensive. From sound samples I also like the AMpeg Scrambler Bass or the EHX Bass Soul Food. I don't know if the Aguilar is worht the double price. I'm not looking for any crazy distortion or overdive, just a tiny little bit grit on the sound to make it more punchier.

Something like this from 4:40


So what is your opinion? Have you tried theese pedals? From money standpoint I'm leaning towards the Ampeg Optocomp and Scrambler bass combo. From a sound standpoint EBS Multicomp Blue Label and Aguilar Agro Bass. The latter two pedals are double the price of the Ampegs. Are they worth it? Or maybe compromise with one. Like go for an Ampeg Optocomp and Aguilar combo?
Click to expand...


For overdrive, try a Joyo American Sound. Really good sounding and quite a lot of different overdrive tones with the voice control. It excels at those low gain overdriven sounds on bass. And it's really cheap too, but that's not why I like it, I'd still buy it if it cost 3x as much.

I had the Aguilar and I sold it within months (it's not bad, but it wasn't for me and the controls were too interactive), and an EXH Bass Soul Food which was nice as a low gain overdrive, but the Joyo covered that better, I felt.
 
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#5
Bought the Ampeg Optocomp recently and while I haven't used it live, with light settings I love what I'm hearing so far. In the past I've found all Ampeg pedals tend to set the bass perfectly in the mix.

Been using the Optocomp w/ the Scrambler, which you might consider for OD as well.
 
#6
Does the Aguilar kill the low end? Because I've red that in an interview.

The Joyo sounds actually quite good on bass, are they reliable stuff?

I was considering the Scrambler Bass too, but hearing a few other overdrive/distortions I like those better.
 
#7
ChaserHUN said:
Does the Aguilar kill the low end? Because I've red that in an interview.

The Joyo sounds actually quite good on bass, are they reliable stuff?

I was considering the Scrambler Bass too, but hearing a few other overdrive/distortions I like those better.
Click to expand...

My Agro definitely did not kill my low end. If I had had any struggle with that I'd have flipped it immediately. I did have a Joyo Ultimate Drive back in 2015. I was tempted to just try it because it was $35. Boy did it suck out the lows. The first riff I played through it I said "guitar pedal" and never used it again. I think it's still rattling around in the studio somewhere.
 
#8
I had an Agro for a while- I found that it didn’t sit well in the mix for the band I was intending it for.
I’m now using a bass soul food as my always on low/ edgy drive and after going through so many of the hype/ ‘must have’ pedals (including a few very pricey ones) I ended up using the Caline orange burst, and a bass tube screamer. Both suit the mix fantastically.
 
#9
crapusername said:
I had an Agro for a while- I found that it didn’t sit well in the mix for the band I was intending it for.
I’m now using a bass soul food as my always on low/ edgy drive and after going through so many of the hype/ ‘must have’ pedals (including a few very pricey ones) I ended up using the Caline orange burst, and a bass tube screamer. Both suit the mix fantastically.
Click to expand...
Ah, you tried Darkglass, too eh? I had a BK3 on my board for a while. It's an amazing piece of kit, but I think it is ill-suited to retro sounds and is more focused on modern metal type stuff. It's very focused, frequency-wise. Like there's no harmonic fizz flying around on top of it. And that's what I want.
 
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#10
2saddleslab said:
Bought the Ampeg Optocomp recently and while I haven't used it live, with light settings I love what I'm hearing so far. In the past I've found all Ampeg pedals tend to set the bass perfectly in the mix.

Been using the Optocomp w/ the Scrambler, which you might consider for OD as well.
Click to expand...
Does it even out you tone nicely? the Hartke HA 3500 heads compressor suffocates the low notes after a while, so it is more of like a limiter not really a compressor
 
#11
crapusername said:
I had an Agro for a while- I found that it didn’t sit well in the mix for the band I was intending it for.
I’m now using a bass soul food as my always on low/ edgy drive and after going through so many of the hype/ ‘must have’ pedals (including a few very pricey ones) I ended up using the Caline orange burst, and a bass tube screamer. Both suit the mix fantastically.
Click to expand...
I've red good reviews about the agro, also listening to differrent sound samples I really dig it, and like it the best I think.
 
#12
ChaserHUN said:
Does the Aguilar kill the low end? Because I've red that in an interview.
Click to expand...

When I owned one, it seemed like it was pretty easy to make the low end disappear, and tricky to dial it in so that it didn't. Part of that is the fact that distortion as an effect will compress, and it will emphasize harmonics and overtones, which will pull the ear's focus from the lows. I know there are folks who will say that the pedal doesn't cut the lows, but I'd be surprised. I'm also surprised that there isn't more low end with the Agro, since they seem like a company that would be concerned about that. IMHO, look elsewhere.
 
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#13
monsterthompson said:
When I owned one, it seemed like it was pretty easy to make the low end disappear, and tricky to dial it in so that it didn't. Part of that is the fact that distortion as an effect will compress, and it will emphasize harmonics and overtones, which will pull the ear's focus from the lows. I know there are folks who will say that the pedal doesn't cut the lows, but I'd be surprised. I'm also surprised that there isn't more low end with the Agro, since they seem like a company that would be concerned about that. IMHO, look elsewhere.
Click to expand...
I listened to a lot of samples, I didn't hear any low end loss
 
#15
monsterthompson said:
When I owned one, it seemed like it was pretty easy to make the low end disappear, and tricky to dial it in so that it didn't. Part of that is the fact that distortion as an effect will compress, and it will emphasize harmonics and overtones, which will pull the ear's focus from the lows. I know there are folks who will say that the pedal doesn't cut the lows, but I'd be surprised. I'm also surprised that there isn't more low end with the Agro, since they seem like a company that would be concerned about that. IMHO, look elsewhere.
Click to expand...
I'm not a sound engineer, but the way I dial in all these type of pedals is that I want to achieve unity gain in the 100-150 Hz range. Even if other higher frequencies are louder than they were with the pedal off, I need for that bump to be exactly the same volume. The pedals that you'd have to turn up ridiculously loud to achieve it are the ones that are sucking more of the lows out than can be compensated for by a volume boost. Like my Joyo Ultimate. The Agro was like most other quality bass drives: just turn it up a bit if necessary to achieve unity bump. In a mix, it all works out.
 
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