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Is a bass compressor really necessary?

#61
i wouldnt say compression on a bass is necessary but i definitley think, used in the right way, its very very helpful.

my multicomp from ebs is my only "always-on" pedal. without the compression my sound is cool too, but with compression, it just gets that "edge" more and i really love that.

finding the right compressor can be a bit of quest though ... but imo its worth it.
 
#66
It's necessary for me because most basses aren't balanced very well across strings. There are lots of variables like string brand, gauge, pickup height, intonation, spacing between strings, speaker cabinet, etc, etc. Compression allows me to balance my volume and sustain across the strings and gives my live sound more studio quality. But the key is to find agood compressor. There are some pretty bad ones out there.
 
#67
u84six said:
It's necessary for me because most basses aren't balanced very well across strings. There are lots of variables like string brand, gauge, pickup height, intonation, spacing between strings, speaker cabinet, etc, etc. Compression allows me to balance my volume and sustain across the strings and gives my live sound more studio quality. But the key is to find agood compressor. There are some pretty bad ones out there.
Click to expand...

Finding a good one is no problem. But you'll always want a better one.
 
#69
wong99 said:
Not at all.
A compressor like any other effect should not be identifiable. Like spices in food, if you notice it you used too much.
I am an instrument-amp-speaker kind of guy.
"less is more"
Click to expand...

Indeed. If that is what you are after you should go after it. For a lot of live stuff, and for almost every recording situation, compression of one kind or another is going to occur, sometimes without a conscious decision to do so. The classic example is SVT fridge with a player tuning from another persons instrument. Nothing but a cable connecting the instrument to the pre. But if you crank it, you're getting quite aggressive compression during the pre and power amp sections. The cab will also sculpt the tone by varying degrees depending on the frequency and the speaker 'breaking up' or reaching it's limits (hopefully not all the time for the drivers sake).

That's my understanding anyway.
 
#70
wong99 said:
Not at all.
A compressor like any other effect should not be identifiable. Like spices in food, if you notice it you used too much.
I am an instrument-amp-speaker kind of guy.
"less is more"
Click to expand...

I really don't think the word "should" is appropriate here. I really like the sound of obvious compression as an effect. I don't use it all the time, just like I don't use an envelope filter all the time.
 
#71
I was never a big fan of compressors at all and played without for over 30 years. Why then, do wee see many really great players using compression? There is a use for it.

Recently, I found a compressor pedal that I really like! It is very musical and does not destroy the dynamics of my finger-style tone while it does something good for my slap tone and also enhances my solo tone up the neck.

It is the Aguilar TLC Compressor. I use this pedal in front of my other pedals most of the time now. It's set with a low ratio, low threshold, fairly slow attack, and match the level so on and off are about the same. It is especially good when my amp is turned up LOUD and the PA is mixed for lots of thump in the subs.
 
#72
I am a fan of compressors but I didn't really catch on until lately. I use my dual engine compressor for the wide range on one of my instruments and to gain a bit more presence out of my standard 4 string, since it's truly lacks due to my removal of the pre-amp system and it's general lack of quality all around.

I use the TC Electronics Nova Dynamics pedal because of the diverse options and ability to route it in different spots on my pedal chain.
 
#75
JimmyM said:
So let me get this straight...some people like compressors and some don't?
Click to expand...

:hyper::hyper::hyper::hyper:

Here:
owen1.gif
 

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