Remove? No
Reduce? Yes, that's the point
Reduce? Yes, that's the point
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Does a Compressor Remove Your Dynamics?
- Thread starter Smallmouth_Bass
- Start date
Try it out for yourself. You don't have to squash your sound, although you can do that for effect if you want. Find a compressor with a transparent sound and use gentle settings.
I use the Empress Compressor. I tend to set the threshold for about -8 dB on the loudest parts, use a 4:1 ratio, set the attack and release times fairly short, and then blend the compressed and uncompressed signal about 60:40.
It's a subtle effect you barely notice, just makes the bass sound a little better IMO.
I use the Empress Compressor. I tend to set the threshold for about -8 dB on the loudest parts, use a 4:1 ratio, set the attack and release times fairly short, and then blend the compressed and uncompressed signal about 60:40.
It's a subtle effect you barely notice, just makes the bass sound a little better IMO.
Holy cow, I DO! Maybe you can help me, when I step on my chorus pedal it sounds like there's three or four more bassists playing fancy chords in the background. How do I get them to quit it?
Ditch the delay and chorus?
Lots of people like them. In my music, I use a lot of ambient effects on the guitars and keys. I need a tight bass line to hold it all together.
you're onto something here, to stop my sound going swoosh I should avoid turning on my phaser. 
I'd keep the attack longer than the attack of the note - when you set the attack short, it squashes the dynamics... when you set it longer (with a low threshold), it increases the dynamics of the attack and makes it more punchy.
Yes, I guess I am talking mostly about volume
If it's that subtle, is it worth it?
I have had a couple of compressors and am always interested in them (for some reason), but find I don't like heavy settings. And with subtle settings, I am always wondering if it's worth it. It's almost like an "effect" that has no effect. The Empress has me intrigued though…
So is compression how all they get all these new pop recordings (Top 40, etc…) to sound so loud?
So is compression how all they get all these new pop recordings (Top 40, etc…) to sound so loud?
Pretty much, multiband compression on the final mix can push up the perceived volume a lot. I think it's often overused, there is no air or space left in the mix sometimes.
I use a comp to limit the hardest peaks and spare my speakers from too much excursion. I also use it for sustain and as a tone enhancer. I never really have a problem going from quiet to louder passages or slap/pop where the comp clamps down on everything. It's all in how you dial it in, though I definitely like comps with "color" over clinical/transparent ones and use it as an effect just as much as do a utility.
For me the biggest use of a compressor (when not used as an obvious effect, e.g. for slapping), is within a band context. The compressor will help you define where in the mix the bass sits. The compressor and EQ are the two basic tools helping you with that.
Are you playing in a loud rock band and have a hard time hearing yourself, but increasing volume will drown the guitars? A compressor could help you to be heard better at a lower volume.
Are you playing dense pop or dance music where the bass should be a solid foundation heard all the time, but never in the forground as a solo/melody instrument? The compressor is your friend.
It doesn't seem like you're using compressors to get the exact bass tone or bass response you'd like, and if this is the case I would strongly suggest evaluating your compressor settings in a band mix. That's where it really matters!
Long thread for a very "simple" initial question. Lots of good input though!
Cheers,
Kalle
Are you playing in a loud rock band and have a hard time hearing yourself, but increasing volume will drown the guitars? A compressor could help you to be heard better at a lower volume.
Are you playing dense pop or dance music where the bass should be a solid foundation heard all the time, but never in the forground as a solo/melody instrument? The compressor is your friend.
It doesn't seem like you're using compressors to get the exact bass tone or bass response you'd like, and if this is the case I would strongly suggest evaluating your compressor settings in a band mix. That's where it really matters!
Long thread for a very "simple" initial question. Lots of good input though!
Cheers,
Kalle
I love a compressor when I'm whacking/slapping the hell out of the bass with great abandon! Because it flattens the dynamics and prevents notes being lost if my whacking is insufficient. Other than that, I find they have little use, except as limiters when your amp hasn't got enough headroom. Mostly I play quieter rooms with fretless, so I like a lot of dynamic range, so no compressor for me!
If you use a program like Audacity or Anytune where you can see the waveforms, those dense mixes just show the waveforms as full solid bars! I know there has been other topics on that subject, but it seems like overkill.
Yup! Death Magnetic by Metallica was one particularly egregious offender that actually got a lot of press for it. Any album mixed like that gives me headaches, it's just too much.
I also do. Been using a limiter for a couple of years and though I can feel it working, I'm not sensing its killing whatever dynamics I generate. My settings are slightly different from the manual's slap settings (o'clock knobs, left to right 12-9-12-9), which I believe to be moderate in terms of limiting. There's probably sexier pedals around, but I can't find a single reason, logical or not, to change my LMB-3.
Last edited:
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
I wouldn't recommend one for those long "dynamic" bass solos and that's why I stopped using one at shows because I got sick of people in the audience telling me my dynamics sucked so I just use one at home with the door closed.
