[I consider it CLOSED] FEA DE-CL problems: insist or resign? .......

[mbrancalion]

I think the FEA sounds great in the clip you provided but you don't like it...

So, you don't hear an unbalance between low and high notes? ........
If you like something similar, i have nothing more to add

 

[Jim C]

So, you don't hear an unbalance between low and high notes? ........
If you like something similar, i have nothing more to add

Here is my setting from Thursday night with a Lakland 4402
It's is not the same as the settings I use for a my P or J bass.
Each bass and player are different and require individual settings.

I am assuning you did not use an infinity:1 ratio as shown in the photo of the dbx as that ratio looks very different than what was used with the FEA

I think the tonal differences heard are right hand technique.
I move my right hand more toward the neck as I move to the "D" or "G" sting tro maintain bass / treble balance
Still suggest you try a HPF as this solved a problem with compression and a Stringray

 

[Wasnex]

So, you don't hear an unbalance between low and high notes? ........
If you like something similar, i have nothing more to add

The FEA sounds darker and fuller to me and the balance from the high notes to the low notes seems at least as good, if not better than the DBX. In comparing the tracks, the high notes seem to be about at the same level with both compressors, but the low notes are fatter and more present with the FEA. If the low end was being overly compressed, I would expect them to be lower in the mix. Also the DBX seems to be letting a bit more of the pick attack through before the compressor locks down. This is not good or bad, it's just an observation. You could probably get a similar sound with the FEA by dialing in a longer attack period. Overall the FEA track seems more heavily compressed to me.

We all have different tastes, so it really doesn't matter what I think. If you don't like the way the FEA sounds/feels and are unwilling to try the recommended remedy, then IMHO the best solution is to flip it. I don't think it reflects poorly on you or the pedal.

Sorry it didn't work out.

Nice playing by the way!

 

[jwr]

I had an DE CL for a long time and it was probably the hardest out of the FEA comps to use for me. It peaked way too hard with my active bass. Frank offered me solutions and they worked. It does color your tone a bit but I liked that color.

It sounds like it’s just not for you. Which sucks and I feel your pain. It’s a great comp though! Maybe there’s another application you can use it for. Guitar or another instrument? If not, I’d snag it off you if I were in Italy! VAT sucks!

 

[mbrancalion]

I chose to wait several days, but i'm seeing that my post with my recording comparison had no comment from many people previously involved in the thread, and especially from the builder of the DE-CL.

This leads me to suppose that there's nothing more to say on the subject, and that the unbalanced level between low and high strings (unwanted and unexpected for me) is real and confirmed.

Very sad, that this issue has to end this way. I learned a lesson.

 

[boomertech]

I chose to wait several days, but i'm seeing that my post with my recording comparison had no comment from many people previously involved in the thread, and especially from the builder of the DE-CL.

This leads me to suppose that there's nothing more to say on the subject, and that the unbalanced level between low and high strings (unwanted and unexpected for me) is real and confirmed.

Very sad, that this issue has to end this way. I learned a lesson.

Marco,

What comment or reply could I have made on your clips that would have made any difference to the dissatisfaction that you have?

You told me that you wouldn't return the pedal for a refund, so how can I possibly resolve your situation?

-Frank

 

[mbrancalion]

You could say that i'm not wrong when i say that this compressor plays unbalanced with normal players, and mainly WRITE in your website the exact specs regarding the lows boost in the sensing circuit, so that people like me searching for a real professional limiter don't purchase the wrong device.

If you want to be a serious builder and seller and not fool around people just to sell, you can do this, and have to do this.
See yourself if you want or not want to do this.

 

[Raoul_Duke]

At the risk of upsetting anyone, I’d just like to chime in and say that I use the FEA DE-CL as an always on compressor. It unseated a Rothwell Love Squeeze I’d been using for around six years. I don’t feel like the description on the FEA website omits any crucial details or misrepresents the capabilities, or overall character of, the pedal. It works really, really well with bass, at least in my experience.

It sucks that the OP has to take a financial hit if he decides that he’d be happier with another unit, but it hardly seems like anyones’ “fault”. Also, it sounds like there are a ton of good options which offer the type of sound sculpting which is desired, so thats a definite positive. Good luck in your search! Compressors are a super personal choice for every player.

 

[willsellout]

I’ve owned every FEA compressor. Multiple times. What you are hearing isn’t what I heard on any of them, much less the DE. It also isn’t what Bongo heard. Or what Scuba heard. All three of us have extensive experience with compressor pedals. I can’t speak for a Bongo or Scuba but I also have pretty recent experience with “real professional” compressors made by Manley, Chandler, UA, Dangerous Music, and others as well as plug in versions of just about any compressor you can think of.

I think you are being unfair in this thread. I absolutely love FEA stuff and I love the company in general. it’s upsetting to me that you have been offered a solution by Frank and instead of resolving your issue, you continue to drag this out.

If you don’t feel the pedal is doing what you want, return it. No amount of argument will quell whatever it is you have going on.

 

[yaksonator]

I don't understand why the builder of this pedal would need to make any adjustments to the description of the pedal based on one persons experience with it. There is a HUGE amount of info on all of his pedals. Research harder...? It doesn't matter where you live, its clear with doing a quick search on how the pedal functions. There is a website dedicated to compressors,
FEA DE-CL Dual Engine Compressor Limiter

I own this pedal and use it with various instruments and it works as it should. Not to sound rude but i don't get the entitlement. Uncalled for in my opinion. Sell it and move on?.

 

[petrus61]

Can’t speak for the comp in question, but Frank was more than helpful when it came time to purchase my Opti-Fet and even helped me after the fact with some follow up questions with regards to the internal gain/LPF settings. His comps are comprehensive, yet intuitive, and 100% top build quality. I have no reason to doubt him and crew have done anything less than stand behind a product that is truly from the soul. I have yet to use a comp pedal that has considered the end user more than Frank. I know it won’t negate any hurt feelings, but it’s just my 2c.

Peace!

 

[Wasnex]

You could say that i'm not wrong when i say that this compressor plays unbalanced with normal players, and mainly WRITE in your website the exact specs regarding the lows boost in the sensing circuit, so that people like me searching for a real professional limiter don't purchase the wrong device.

If you want to be a serious builder and seller and not fool around people just to sell, you can do this, and have to do this.
See yourself if you want or not want to do this.

If I didn't make it clear enough in my earlier comments, I don't hear the unevenness you are concerned about in the clips you provided. I totally respect that you do not like the pedal, but as far as I can tell, the problem is a matter of your subjective opinion.

Any time you buy a piece of music equipment blind, without trying it first, you take a risk. In my opinion, this is 100% on you because you took the chance and it didn't work out the way you wanted it to. I don't find this surprising, because everyone has a different idea of how a compressor should sound.

I believe the builder has offered a refund and you turned it down because it is not convenient to your circumstances. This is something you should have considered before you ordered the pedal. I have stopped buying used mics from Europe regardless of how good the deal looks, because the risk of having to pay shipping on a return is just too much.

I can empathize with your disappointment and frustration, but my advice is take responsibility for your actions and move on. IMHO, there is nothing to gain by slagging on this further.

 

[Mosfed]

Dear friends bassists,

i'm no more a gigging bassist, and i usually play electric bass in my own tracks at home, together with other instruments, and such.......
Anyway, recently i had a growing desire to investigate, for the little that i need, on some pieces of bass gear...... preamps, eqs, and compressors.

I got hooked in the few reviews and videos i saw of the DE-CL. In particolar due the favorable review by Ovnilab (not the only one) i decided to order one unit from the builder.

Anyway, the unit arrived 9-10 days ago, and i'm trying since to tweak and use it for recording. Without success.......

My problem, short described is this:
i have always too much compression/limiting in the lower strings (more low frequencies content) and too much little in the higher strings. I'm at the point of having squashed lower notes, and almost through-passing higher notes, especially most dinamic ones (like pops).

I play through an FMR RNP preamp, with also a Speck equalizer in the loop, besides the compressor. I tried to use the compressor in front of the preamp, or in the loop: alone, or after the eq, or before the eq (this seems the best solution of all).
I used at least 4-5 basses, five or four strings, actives or passives.

I've tried everything for days, nothing solves it. It's actually unusable, for me.

I've tried also to not look at leds, and to use only my ears, or to look at the results. Nothing prevents squashing the lows, but high spikes pass through. In my opinion, the attack of the limiter is not quick enough, and it's evident when recording.

I exchanged several emails with the builder. He's very quick at replying, but all of this was not much useful. He wrote me that the sensing circuit has some lows boosted, so it's more sensitive to low strings. I replied that i'd find logical to do the opposite (some compressors have an HPF filter in the sensing circuit for this).

He adviced me to use an eq in front for rolling some lows, and an eq post compressor, for "restoring" lows after presenting less lows to the compressor. I replied that it's an absurd and inappropriate way of solving this problem.

After he adviced me to use another compressor and wished me "good luck", i decided to persist some other time with trying to solve the problems, but frankly with today i'm really done............. When i substituted the DE-CL with my DBX 160A, having a difference like night and day in the recording track, i really decided to solve or sell quickly.

Return the item to the seller for a refund is an option that anycase makes me loose money: I live in Italy, and anyway i had to pay around the 25% added to the costs+ship, so it's a bit on the expensive side to get. The VAT+doganal costs won't be returned to me anycase.
So, if i don't find a solution i'll quickly sell the compressor in Italy or Europe.


I'm very disappointed for this purchase, maybe the most unlucky one of my musical life.
Maybe i should have read before the many threads in TB about selling the DE-CL. There will be a reason for this.


So, any observation? help? advice on the subject?

Many thanks in advance,
greetings.

Sounds like what you needed was an Opti-fet with its sidechain eq.

 

[JKos]

Marco,
I'm not hearing the unevenness problem you describe in your FEA DE-CL recording and also think it sounds much better then the dbx recording.

- John

 

[Mosfed]

View attachment 3353117

View attachment 3353118

View attachment 3353115
Recording clip using FEA DE-CL on bass (chain: bass->FEA->preamp):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Recording clip using DBX 160a on bass: (chain: bass->preamp->DBX in the loop):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]



Forgive playing errors, it's quite late here.

Greetings.

The FEA recording sounds way punchier and with fuller lows. I think it sounds fine. Better than the dbx which is kinda bland - maybe a bit more even but bland

 

[Robal]

If you want to be a serious builder and seller and not fool around people just to sell, you can do this, and have to do this.
See yourself if you want or not want to do this.

Marco, it's one thing to say you don't like how the pedal performs for your applications and that more information from FEA about its functions would have been helpful to your buying decision. I understand and appreciate that. It's another to accuse FEA, a well-established pedal designer and manufacturer who has tried to help you, of not being a "serious builder" and of trying to "fool" purchasers. That is ridiculous. In any language.

 

[Krisfield]

I spend MONTHS researching pedals before I buy something. I read the manuals, find all the videos I can find, read the threads on forums, talk with builders, read reviews from guitar and bass websites, read reviews on amazon etc, read wikipedia articles on sound effects. I sympathise with your situation, nobody likes loosing money, but you gotta do your homework.

I chase tone. I don't have a tone in my head that I'm trying the match.

 

[FaithNoMan]

I got two things from this thread.

1) Frank at FEA is a good guy(already knew that tho)

2) Now I want to go listen to some Ah-Ha.

 

[Blue Swede]

I got two things from this thread.

1) Frank at FEA is a good guy(already knew that tho)

2) Now I want to go listen to some Ah-Ha.

I’ve been nothing but happy with my 2 FEA pedals; DE-CL and the DB-CL. They are silent, musical and do everything I need from a compressor. I can add that they cost me an additional $100 dollars over stock price with import vat and duty - but that was my choice and Ia still very happy with them!

They kicked a cali 76 tx off my board ( I still have an itch to try a smoothie though)

 

[thumbslapper]

If you are recording at home you may want to get a Empirical Labs Distressor - probably the best studio compressor i've used, and incredibly versatile as well, but not cheap:

I really like my DE-CL as well, and I liked my Cali76 but as I said before it had a different sound.

and with any pedal until you plug it in and use it its tough to know if you will like it. Everyone was raving about the MDB1, but when I put it in my chain I was underwhelmed.

The good news is because of hte year wait you can probably sell your FEA pedal for what you paid for it.