Compressor Pedal or No Compressor Pedal?

[frankneill]

So, maybe a silly question here but here goes...

My amp - a Hartke TX300 - has built in compression. In my usual setting I have it set to 3pm, FYI.

Since it's already built into the amp, do I still need a compression pedal? Any benefits to investing in a separate pedal?

 

[P-oddz]

The benefit of having a separate compression pedal is the amount of control over settings. If your amp is one knob, you are missing the ability to tweak other compression parameters or EQ additions.
Watch some videos on compression to understand what it's doing and what type of desired effect you are looking for. Only you can answer if you need a separate (or additional) pedal.

A good video to check out (I learned more about compression from this one):

 

[minddrain]

“Wrong” setting can squash your tone, volume, effects, and everything. Do you use pedals before the pre-amp portion? Do you play with compression off ever? How does it sound? Are you getting benefit? What style do you play? A lot of questions go in to that.

 

[Mushroo]

No "need" to own a compressor pedal, in my opinion/experience. The sound guy will apply the necessary level of compression at the sound board. In fact it can actually be counterproductive to try and compress your own signal from on stage, since the sound guy has a better sense of what the full band mix sounds like from the audience's perspective. I like to rock out, have a fun time, and let the sound guy do his job.

 

[basso_profundo]

My head has a built in compressor, which I use when I’m doing a ‘minimal gear’ gig or practice. I still have a compressor pedal (Empress) for times when I’m not using that head. Or I’ll use it with the head, but I want better/finer grain compression.

 

[Bodeanly]

I have divided my bass life into two parts:

1. Before a Diamond
2. After a Diamond

The second part is better. I prefer the Diamond to all of my other pedals.

 

[Zbysek]

do I still need a compression pedal?

Let me quote your amp's manual: "In general, if you don’t need compression, leave it off."

If you need to ask whether you need it, then you probably don't need it...