multiple compressors - good?

[SamJ]

Ok, so I have a dbx160A and I also have a Keeley Bass compressor pedal... and I just bought an amp that has a built in compressor as well... so that makes 3..

Is there any benefit, or for that matter does it do any harm if you run all of them vs just one at a time?

Any particular way to set up the signal chain if so?

Thanks all..

 

[GMC]

Only if you want very squished sounds.

 

[knumbskull]

I defer to more knowledgable comp experts, but i think in theory you could set one for a mild squash and a low threshold, to gently even out your levels, and one for hard peak limiting with a high threshold to catch any big spikes.

Logically i guess the peak limiter would go first in the chain? As this would let most of your signal through unaffected.

I’m guessing the dbx would work as a limiter?

 

[MartinB]

A transparent hard limiter at the end of the signal chain can be useful to control effects that can be a bit peaky (e.g. envelope filter, synth). Either the dbx or the Keeley Bassist (which is based on it) would work well for this. Then you've got space for more "effecty" compression at the start of the chain.

 

[chiphaleonbass]

Really depends on how you set them all up. I use the Cali76 as my always on and can tell you some FOH engineers compress my signal more, some like it as is. If you find a way to use them all that you like that doesn't completely kill your transients I don't see the harm. Could imagine the noise floor will be fairly high with that many compressors though

 

[Bob_Ross]

Is there any benefit, or for that matter does it do any harm if you run all of them vs just one at a time?

There can be some benefit...but it is much much easier to do harm.

btw, this thread reminds me of a conversation I had 20-something years ago. I was the A1 at a small theater, and some new kid had just been hired to replace our recently departed A2. One of the stagehands came up to me and asked "Have you met the new guy? He used to work in recording studios. He must be good; he uses three compressors simultaneously!"

No joke. :smh:

 

[NoiseNinja]

I personally use a TC Eclectronic SpectraComp placed as the very first thing in my signal chain after the bass, dialed in to give me extra punch and bite, but blended in parallel with clean signal, in fact, something about whole 70% of clean signal on an average between the 3 frequency bands of the compressor, and fairly low compression ratios as well ,which the toneprint editor allows for, resulting in a compression that as said adds a great deal of extra punch and snap, but almost leaving my playing dynamics 100% intact.

Then as one of the last things in my signal chain, followed by some quite minor EQ adjustments, but otherwise right before my cab sim and preamp, I use another subtle compression from my Zoom MS-70CDR, which in fact is the model emulating the dbx160A rack unit, no idea how accurate it does that, but it works extremely well on bass, but again dialed in so it practically doesn't effect my playing dynamics, just tightening up the signal a bit, with a compression ratio of 2.5 and a fairly high threshold.

And both with a sufficient slow attack that they actually enhance the transient slightly rather than killing it, hence the additional punch and snap..

This works extremely well for me, and it is not squished in any possible way, as said my playing dynamics are left almost completely unaffected, just making my tone more punchy and snappy and tightening it up a bit.

The key to using 2 compressors though here is being subtle, but if you know how to use them in my opinion it will often give better results than just using 1.

Using all 3 would probably be overkill though, I'd say try using the Keeley as the first thing in your signal chain, right after your bass, and then the dbx160A as the last thing, right before your amp, or eventual even in the effects loop of your amp, using a fairly subtle setting on both, and turn off your amp's build in compressor.

Only if you want very squished sounds.

Far from necessarily, you'll only get a squished sound from using 2 compressors if you either want to, or if you don't know what you are doing.

I as well as most people familiar with music production would disagree with you.

More subtly/moderately dialed in using two compressors, one at the start and one at the end of your signal chain, will in many cases give favorable results.

 

[beatmachine pro]

There can be some benefit...but it is much much easier to do harm.
He must be good; he uses three compressors simultaneously!"

No joke. :smh:

lolz..funny

so if you dont know how they work your headed down a rabbit hole
the comp in your amp also might not be as good

try using one and see how you do
* they are meant to level out peaks so your playing should be more consistant re volume
...if it starts sounding "muddy" your overdoing it

start with a 2:1 ratio and move the
threshold up and down to start

 

[Bassology]

I personally find 3 a bit more than what I need. But if having 3 compressors help you achieve a specific goal/tone then why not......

I use 2 compressors myself. My go-to preference is having a tone enhancing compressor in the beginning of the chain, ie, Durham Sex Drive or Diamond BCP1 and a hard-levelling compressor at the very end of the chain, ie Empress Comp or MXR M87.

 

[lermgalieu]

I would start with zero and then add one and see if it helps or hurts, and if you can dial in what you need with the one. If it doesn't help, zero is a good number. If it helps but not enough, add a second and so on. But 3 seems like overkill to me.

 

[littlebun]

Ok, so I have a dbx160A and I also have a Keeley Bass compressor pedal... and I just bought an amp that has a built in compressor as well... so that makes 3..

Is there any benefit, or for that matter does it do any harm if you run all of them vs just one at a time?

Any particular way to set up the signal chain if so?

Thanks all..

I haven't read through all the posts. The unit with the highest input impedance would be best as first comp. Stacking 3 would add a bit of noise, despite the quality of all the units. Running through a unit with the compression idling is the way some get the flavor of the unit without ruining the tone with too much compression.

 

[dkelley]

Ok, so I have a dbx160A and I also have a Keeley Bass compressor pedal... and I just bought an amp that has a built in compressor as well... so that makes 3..

Is there any benefit, or for that matter does it do any harm if you run all of them vs just one at a time?

Any particular way to set up the signal chain if so?

Thanks all..

There's no harm at all. It does NOT make a very squished sound, if you know how to use compressors how a mix engineer uses compressors in the studio.

Having the first compressor in your chain set to a high ration (8x up to limiting) and only having it's threshold hit when you play very hard....

And then having the second compressor after it set to a low compression (like 2x) and having it act on your regular playing so it's reducing by 4 or 5 db all the time at regular playing level (with make-up gain of course bringing it back up to normal level)..

that's one common and practical way to use two compressors on a signal, and it's used often in the studio on many instruments and on vocals.

But there are lots of other ways to use two compressors.

 

[vvvmmm]

Live, I sometimes engage the built-in on my PF500 to sound different, by itself or with whatever's on the pedal board (lately and for a while now a Toadworks Mr. Squishy).

Recording, I often run whatever I'm going thru if I am, into a Meek VC3Q and a dbx160XT in parallel.

 

[Peltor]

I hated compressors, then I disliked them. Then I used them but did not understand them. After I started mixing and mastering I finally got my head around compressing sounds and the different types of compression and how the different compressor types work. And how/why they color the sound, help with taming transients and give you more sustain. And now I prefer to use several compressors instead of just one. Both live and when recording. I sold my Cali76 and my Strymon OB.1, and if I were to get one of them back it would be the more transparent optical Strymon and not the FET-compressor Cali76.

I run 2 or 3 compressors on gentle settings to warm up the sound and to get a bit more sustain. I never go hard or squash the sound.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

A transparent hard limiter at the end of the signal chain can be useful to control effects that can be a bit peaky (e.g. envelope filter, synth). Either the dbx or the Keeley Bassist (which is based on it) would work well for this. Then you've got space for more "effecty" compression at the start of the chain.

Agreed. I have a Kongpresser for traditional use and an Accountant following "spikey" effects. For example, the C4 works best with instrument volume at 10. I use the Accountant as a volume limiter.

 

[Mushroo]

 

[Bass4Brkfast]

As others said, running 3 comps is not a crazy proposition if: a) you know how to use them and b) you can dial in what you need from the devices you own.

I should start by saying I like compression to be subtle, and not too "effecty"...if I can hear a lot of the action of the comp, I've set too much comp.
IMHO it is generally better to apply just a little compression using 3 devices along the chain, than medium or heavy compression in one unit. The result will have very controlled dynamics and not sound overly compressed.
For bass, I would put three comps on my board any day, and the dbx160a unit is indeed a nice one to have near the end of the chain IME.
My experience with onboard comps on amps is that it's hard to dial them to act subtly. YMMV.

 

[Silky Johnson]

I defer to more knowledgable comp experts, but i think in theory you could set one for a mild squash and a low threshold, to gently even out your levels, and one for hard peak limiting with a high threshold to catch any big spikes.

Logically i guess the peak limiter would go first in the chain? As this would let most of your signal through unaffected.

I’m guessing the dbx would work as a limiter?

That is my approach using two, I use the dbx160a at the end of my chain as hard limiter. Then I have an optical one up right after effects to give squish effect as needed. Works well

 

[Windreaper]

Yeah, it's called serial compression and is pretty common in the studio. As mentioned above, using a separate compressor to catch peaks will give the following compressor a smoother signal to work with, hopefully resulting in less breathing/pumping and a more natural result in general. A classic combination would be something like a 1176 into an LA2A.

Need to be careful not to overcompress though, as ratios are multiplicative(!), but you usually use different compressors with different settings anyway.

 

[dkelley]

yea, and of course that's true with two you can set them for different uses and alternate. one for slapping, one for ballad sustain. stuff like that.