• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Do you REALLY need a compressor?

#62
Bongo's article is excellent, spot on.

I dont NEED compression. For that matter I don't NEED a G string. Or a tweeter in my speaker cab. Or a tuner - easy enough to get a pitch from the piano player or even a pitch pipe. Or... well, I could go on... Point is, there's very little that I really NEED to play bass on many gigs and do a great job.

But over time compression has become an important part of my signal path and I don't view it as a crutch (as some seem to be suggesting).

A lot of the compressors on the market CANNOT do subtle compression. (And I'm including some of the hot, new gizmos that have generated a lot of buzz on TB lately). So it's not surprising to me that many players get turned off to the tool and rightly complain of a loss of dynamic control.

But a good tool in the right hands... that's a whole 'nuther thing. Having a fully functional compressor - with attack, release, ratio and threshold controls - that is capable of operating at nuanced levels can be a real asset to even the most technically capable of players.

While I can agree with those who say "I don't NEED a compressor to do what I do", I am not one of those for whom saying so is like wearing a badge of honor.
 
#66
i dont use compression on bass guitar, but i do use it on treble guitar...

my gf has a emg-81 in the bridge position only, its twangy as hell. using a durham sexdrive with the comp at low smooths out the highs a bit, which normally are louder (or at least more noticeable) than the other frequencies generated by the guitar. so in this case, yes, a comp is very, very handy. makes her guitar sound a lot better...

my bass is kinda twangy too, but i don't want to attenuate the loudness of my clickitty clack, so i don't compress. i do tone shape though with a submarine, to even out the frequencies a bit, and often, to accentuate.

i would like to try a 'good' comp someday, just to know for sure. for now, i just use the comp on my amp (sometimes) as a limiter to protect the speakers from volume spikes, but thats rare.

cheers if compression works for you... but saying its 'essential' if you want to sound good live is a bit presumptuous. just as presumptuous to say that using compression is a crutch to sloppy playing, which happily, no-one here has yet to say. different strokes for different folks and all that...

compression in the studio is a whole 'nother thing.
 
#72
EscapeNote said:
Vlad5 - I appreciate you post and point of view. Well said.

I had not heard of the Submarine before but your post got me curious; just googled it. Cool looking pedal! I think I have just enough room left on my pedalboard for it...

Question: is it really clean in bypass mode?
Click to expand...

I don't notice it coloring my tone in bypass. I do leave it on most of the time though, as it is a tone shaper/enhancer. The company is out of business, so the used market is your only choice for acquisition. There a bunch of threads here on TB describing it too.

Cheers!
 
#73
I've used an EBS comp for the last year, and really dig it.

Do I NEED it? no, but I sure do like it on my pedalboard.
Helps keep down my level when I get a little heavy handed on stage.....plus I use a lot of overdrive/fuzz and my pedals certainly prefer the comp. out front.

I'm not sure what the up turned noses are about when it comes to using a compressor?
It's a great tool, even with controlled dynamic picking. :)
 
#75
bongomania said:
So, no offense, but the comps built into amp heads tend to be among the WORST. Someone whose experience with compressors is limited to those sorry doodads, saying they don't have much use for a compressor, is like someone who has only dated ugly and stupid girls saying they don't have much use for women.
Click to expand...
With all due respect, you haven't used my on-board compressor. If you did, I think it would change your mind. But I agree that I searched long and hard and I did not like the onboard compressors of a lot of company's amplifiers for the reasons you state. And BTW: my references for what is a "good" compressor as opposed to an "ugly girl" include regionally known studios, Branson theatres, and broadcast TV.
 
#77
Avezzano said:
Plain and simple: I stopped using a compressor several years ago and have no regrets since then. I realised pretty soon that the natural contact of the fingers with the strings allows you to better tailor the dynamics of the notes and gives you more freedom of expression.

Not for everybody, obviously; surely for studio applications a compressor is very useful to avoid excessive signal dynamic with too low signal during the execution of a given track; but live there's nothing like "pure power" from your fingers. Anyone?
Click to expand...

I find the exact opposite to be true. With compression my dynamics are more clearly heard and musical. I can lighten up my touch and still punch through the mix and when I dig in I don't have to worry about out of control volume spikes. I feel like I have a solid plucking technique and my compressor use enhances that.

Combine that with the amount of gain pedals that are part of my signal chain and a solid compressor is pretty much essential for my needs.

Need is a relative term,...some of us do actually benefit from having a compy on our boards.

I think a lot of the gripes with compressors is that people are quick to settle on a budget compy and I advocate that compressors are not a device you can scrimp on.

One of my first pedals when I got serious about FX was a BOSS LMB-3. To be honest I really didn't feel like it did anything for my tone,...so off it went. Then a year or two later I had the opportunity to buy a compressor off of Bongomania; an FEA Labs OptiFET, and the difference was night and day. I could actually hear the OptiFET doing it's a job (the fact that it has a little LED that lights up when the threshold is crossed helps) and for me that was a breakthrough in understanding what compressors do and how they were beneficial to my sound.

In the end,...if you are satisfied with your tone without a compressor then no you don't need a compressor.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back