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EBS multicomp or Demeter Compulator

J

jacobm

May 31, 2002
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#1
So ive been searching old articles on compressors for some time, i found bongomania's review site and read it pretty thoroughly. This is what i found- there both great, the demeter is kind of a smooth one trick pony where the ebs is very transparent and more versatile. Heres where i get confused. On other posts people state that the EBS is an excelent unit that is very transparent, some even stated somthing to the effect of "its so good you wont even notice it." And concerning the Demeter, ive read in different posts that it is both smoother and punchier than the EBS.

I play a musicman sterling through a mark bass lmII rig. I play about 50% finger style and 25% slap and pop and the rest what ever the song calls for; a pick, a soft thumb, taping, etc.
I want a compressor to help even out the musicmans natural tone (E and A strings loud while D and G strings taper off), to help even out the dynamic variances with these different playing techniques, and one that also is able to give my slap and pop that "compressed, squishy, or squeezed" tone. I dont really have the opportunity to go on a compressor "tasting" spree so your input is greatly apreciated. Thanks guys.

P.S. I was set on the T-Rex Squeezer untill i read bongomanias review tonight, it seemed like everything i needed :bawl: .About the only brands im oposed to are EHX and Behringer, so im definately open to other recomendations as well. Thanks again guys.
 
#2
I have not had the opportunity to try out many compressors but I liked the Maxon CP101. The ART levelar was nice but too subtle. MXR Supercomp was just OK, lost some bass I think. I'm really looking forward to Bongo's promised review of the CP101. I would imagine that you would be happy with either the EBS or the Demeter.
 
#3
Hey, why are there two threads on this?

Anyhow... I don't think the EBS is the best for squish. Its ratio isn't high enough for that sort of tone, IMO - it generally seems to stay cleaner and more open than other comps I've tried. But that's why I own it :smug:

Another one to consider is the Barge Concepts Ross compressor clone - I forget the model, but Bongomania has reviewed it and regards it pretty highly as well. It seems to be more versatile, and more like what you might be seeking.
 
#5
After posting a similar thread a while back, I just got my Demeter Compulator. It's fantastic. Just what I wanted. I used to have an EHX Black Finger, which I loved, but it was too noisy and too big on my pedal board. I sold that for the Maxon RCP660, and I hated the tone. Too much squash. I sold that one on eBay, read everything I could on the EBS and the Demeter, and went with the Demeter. It sounds similar to the Black Finger but it is much quieter, and more compact. I had to turn the gain trimpot all the way down due to my 18V preamp, it was distorting at first. But, I used it this weekend and it sounded killer. If you have a passive bass, you might keep the gain trimpot level up, but for my active bass it's all the way down. I use the EBS Octabass, but the Demeter seems to fit my overall sound better. I don't think I'll be looking for a different compressor anytime soon.
 
#7
hey guys this is all good stuff, thanks for the quick input. The squish sound for me is really more of a novelty, i would never use it besides jaming during set up, so id be willing to do with out that. I own an EBS valve drive pedal and have been nothing but impressed with it, i guess thats the reason im biased towards the Multicomp. Its simplicity kinda scares me though.
 
#8
The EBS is no simpler than the Demeter - both have 2 knobs. Heck, the EBS has a few more modes, while the Demeter only has one. :p

IMO, there's no need for me controls on these two pedals - they simply don't need them. They're amazing with the most basic of parameters!
 
#9
Everybody will have different tastes and needs of course. But I tend to favor compressors that can do a good job as a limiter, only compressing peaks above a certain level, and not allowing big spikes through. That approach can be adapted well to the player who needs to both even out imbalanced strings and squash the slaps and pops. For that, I give the edge to the Demeter. The only downside there is the E and A will be heavily compressed, less dynamic. The EBS might do a better job of keeping them all in line transparently, but it's not so hot as a limiter unless you crank it to maximum, which is a great slap effect but not great for fingerstyle.

AFAIK, I'm the only person who hates the T Rex Squeezer. I don't know, maybe mine was defective, or maybe it was electro-magnetically allergic to my studio space. But even if the noise I heard was a fluke, the physical design was not; and I guarantee you can get a better-designed compressor for less money. You get up to that price point, there should not be any BS to contend with.
 
#11
MysticBoo said:
IMO, there's no need for me controls on these two pedals - they simply don't need them. They're amazing with the most basic of parameters!
Click to expand...
+1 for fewer controls. I tried out a Carl Martin comp/limiter (which has threshold and attack controls) and found it a lot tougher to dial in usable sounds. I'd rather have a simpler pedal where all the sounds were usable.
 
#13
bongomania said:
Everybody will have different tastes and needs of course. But I tend to favor compressors that can do a good job as a limiter, only compressing peaks above a certain level, and not allowing big spikes through. That approach can be adapted well to the player who needs to both even out imbalanced strings and squash the slaps and pops. For that, I give the edge to the Demeter. The only downside there is the E and A will be heavily compressed, less dynamic. The EBS might do a better job of keeping them all in line transparently, but it's not so hot as a limiter unless you crank it to maximum, which is a great slap effect but not great for fingerstyle.

AFAIK, I'm the only person who hates the T Rex Squeezer. I don't know, maybe mine was defective, or maybe it was electro-magnetically allergic to my studio space. But even if the noise I heard was a fluke, the physical design was not; and I guarantee you can get a better-designed compressor for less money. You get up to that price point, there should not be any BS to contend with.
Click to expand...

I find that the Demeter is capable of not over-compressing, leaving some dynamic left on the E and A.
 
#14
jacobm said:
Hey i just saw Ashdown has a dual band compression pedal, seperate compression for high and low freq's. has any one tried this, sounds like it might be able to get some squish when i pop a string and add sustain on the lower notes.
Click to expand...

We've had a lot of threads on the Ashdown compressor... it get mixed reviews, both good and bad.

The EBS Multicomp also happens to be a dual-band compressor (that's what Multiband mode is for).
 
#16
ive been looking into the ebs also. i have the boss limiter/enhancer( i call it the air pedal) and it just isnt really cutting it. it has alot of noise, even with the enhance knob on zero. it also has kind of a "pop" sound when the thresehold is reached.
im looking for more of a "subtle" compression if you will. we recorded our last show via condenser mics, and it came out great, but my D and G string dissapear, and the E and A are booming. i need to even things out alittle, without completly getting rid of my dynamics. i dont really need the "squish". i play fingerstyle, i need the higher notes to be heard with the lows also. what you think? EBS multi sound good for all that?
 
#19
jpark369 said:
hmm...ive never messed with my pups before. what should i look for, if they need adjustment?
Click to expand...

Height issues. It's simple, really.

I'd try adjusting the pickups by raising them a bit on the D/G string side, or you could do the opposite and lower the E/A side instead.

There are some potential drawbacks, though. Raising the pickup raises the output, which can be a bit different tonally. The same can be said if it's lowered on one side. If you set it too low, you lose a lot of output. If you set it too high, your strings will hit the pickups when played.

The pickup adjustment assumes that the rest of your setup is fine, of course.
 
#20
ok, i'll check it out. my setup probably is a little of, i havent done a set up on it since i got it 8 months ago. should i get on that or what?
anyways...EBS vs. boss LMB-3, not even fair, am i going to notice the difference, or are they similar?
im running my geddy through the sans amp, a dunlop 105q wah, boss LMB-3, and a guv'nor. would the placement have anything to do with it?
 

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