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Compressor into overdrive or overdrive into compressor?
- Thread starter FunkyYeti
- Start date
I use three stages of drive the last in the chain adds some mild compression ... last because it’s like pushing a tube front end. No science to it, just always worked for my needs, others may reverse the order for their needs.
I feel it works best to place OD before a compressor. Filter type things too. Because OD's and filters usually respond to player dynamics (playing hard or soft, fast or slow) and this may be lost to a small or large degree by the compressor. But as always somebody out there PREFERS it that way, so the best advice is to try it both ways and see.
This is what I’ve always heard, and the logic makes sense. But I’ve also been told that drive/distortion before compression causes signal noise to be amplified since compressors make the “quiet stuff” louder. That logic also makes sense to me
...luckily I don’t use compression and don’t have to worry about it
I use my compressor before my drive pedal.
Depends on how much drive I want. Low to mid OD: Drive into comp.
If I want to slay small animals with my chainsaw, I go comp into Distortion to smooth out the peaks for more consistent toanz.
If I want to slay small animals with my chainsaw, I go comp into Distortion to smooth out the peaks for more consistent toanz.
I like drive first. I vary my playing style quite a bit for brighter to more mellow tones. One minute I'll be using a pick a few inches from the bridge. Next minute I'll be using the side of my thumb over the fretboard. Drives react better to those changes before compression in my experience.
I always figured drive and ef’s before comp, octaver after.
Then I found a pedal comp that I love, rather than hate or just tolerate, and found out the exact opposite is what works for me.
I run pretty mild compression on the Cali 76 CB, but also a fair bit of gain - it’s just what sounds best - and found it was really messing with my octavers, so I put the octaver first.
Then I realized that a slightly reduced dynamic range made it way easier to dial in my OD and EF’s for touch sensitivity. Especially for the EF’s it’s like they’ve been born again. Very even response over the entire range of my fingerboard now, but I have more touch control too.
Then I found a pedal comp that I love, rather than hate or just tolerate, and found out the exact opposite is what works for me.
I run pretty mild compression on the Cali 76 CB, but also a fair bit of gain - it’s just what sounds best - and found it was really messing with my octavers, so I put the octaver first.
Then I realized that a slightly reduced dynamic range made it way easier to dial in my OD and EF’s for touch sensitivity. Especially for the EF’s it’s like they’ve been born again. Very even response over the entire range of my fingerboard now, but I have more touch control too.
Comp 1st, set "mildly" .......and I don't use OD, fuzz or drive pedals, only modulation stuff.
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Octaver > comp > OD > fuzz > chorus > filter 1 > phaser > filter 2 > boost.
I can’t really say, the knobs are not well marked, but ratio ~3:1 and about +3dB of overall gain when engaged; at the very loudest playing roughly unity gain. I adjusted my amp’s gain and my filters and drives to work with the new gain from the comp.
Which compressor and where to place it depends very much on your goals, along with everything else you’ve got in your signal chain.
There’s many effects that add a touch of their own compression. And as was mentioned earlier, there’s some effects that don’t work well with compression either directly before or after them. So you don’t want to assume you need or even want a compressor in your lineup. Ask yourself: What are my goals? Why do I think a compressor will help accomplish them? And of the dozens of compressors out there, which model is best suited for what I’d want it to do?
To me, compression on bass is most effective when used as a “feel” or texture tool that shapes your instrument’s note response rather than an audible thing. I don’t see compression as “sound effect” although there’s many who will disagree and use a compressor quite effectively for just that purpose. This is one of those things that really is all about what you like and want to do.
There is no gear decision out there that is as individual and personal as a player’s choice of which compressor to use. Or not. So there's two ways to go about it. The expensive and time consuming way is to just start buying and trying everything you can. The smarter way is doing your best to determine exactly what you want a compressor to bring to your sound first. Then use that criteria to build your candidate list and start auditioning pedals.
Wish there was an easier answer. But if there is, somebody other than me will have to supply it. Because I know I haven’t figured it out yet.
Luck!
There’s many effects that add a touch of their own compression. And as was mentioned earlier, there’s some effects that don’t work well with compression either directly before or after them. So you don’t want to assume you need or even want a compressor in your lineup. Ask yourself: What are my goals? Why do I think a compressor will help accomplish them? And of the dozens of compressors out there, which model is best suited for what I’d want it to do?
To me, compression on bass is most effective when used as a “feel” or texture tool that shapes your instrument’s note response rather than an audible thing. I don’t see compression as “sound effect” although there’s many who will disagree and use a compressor quite effectively for just that purpose. This is one of those things that really is all about what you like and want to do.
There is no gear decision out there that is as individual and personal as a player’s choice of which compressor to use. Or not. So there's two ways to go about it. The expensive and time consuming way is to just start buying and trying everything you can. The smarter way is doing your best to determine exactly what you want a compressor to bring to your sound first. Then use that criteria to build your candidate list and start auditioning pedals.
Wish there was an easier answer. But if there is, somebody other than me will have to supply it. Because I know I haven’t figured it out yet.
Luck!
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I've always done comp first, but after 12 years of doing it that way, I've started appreciating the hitting the distortion/OD first. I just turn the compressor off at the same time. (this is with an Aguilar TLC-into-Agro pairing).
I don't set the TLC to anything drastic, so if I end up with both on at the same time, it doesn't really do any major harm.
An added note, for a long time, the only OD I used was my Fairfield Accountant compressor (set with the Pad at 0), so they were the same pedal.
I don't set the TLC to anything drastic, so if I end up with both on at the same time, it doesn't really do any major harm.
An added note, for a long time, the only OD I used was my Fairfield Accountant compressor (set with the Pad at 0), so they were the same pedal.
Depends on what you want. If you use a drive pedal that's really touch sensitive and want it to respond more to your playing, then OD first into comp.
If you want more of a consistent response from your drive pedal, then comp first.
I do comp first 9 times out of 10. Usually set pretty light, so I do still get some dynamic response from the drive pedal.
If you want more of a consistent response from your drive pedal, then comp first.
I do comp first 9 times out of 10. Usually set pretty light, so I do still get some dynamic response from the drive pedal.
I do both: A light compression first, just to even our a litlle bit the volume and bring forth the attack, still retaining the dynamucs (not compressed at all when I play softly, but compress a bit when I dig in), then effects, then a nother compressor at the end just beforre the preamp/di pedal, set as peak limiter with a high threshold and a high ratio to maintain thingd under control (especially envelope filter pikes).
