Marshall Ed the Compressor

[jimmygoodein]

I recently acquired the Marshall Edward Compressor. I was told it would work fine through my active bass, it worked on a bass in the shop but when i got home it was distorting my amp. When i played a low note, like my B or E string it would distort and if i played a few notes at the same time it would distort.

Wondering if any one has any advice as I am new to the whole compressor thing.

sorry if this is n00by. cheers

 

[niftydog]

Put it in bypass mode, if it still distorts, and there's no "secret" input gain control, you're stuffed... basically.

This kind of thing happens a lot with active basses (and I wish manufacturers [Jim bloody Dunlop fer instance] would wake up and smell what they shovellin'!)

There's three common solutions.

1. turn the bass down. I don't like this option because it leaves you open to problems should you forget and crank the volume up again.

2. get something that can attenuate the signal for you. I use an EBS MicroBass II for this purpose, but I have multiple other reasons for going with that device - it's overkill if you just want to attenuate.

3. lower the pickups and see how you go. This has been partially successful for me, but not so much that I can match the levels between my two basses - hence the MicroBass.