My compressor search continues . . .

[JimmyM]

I don't see anything finicky about the RNC, but then again, I'm not trying to do stereo or different settings on the fly or anything. I set it to lightly tame the peaks and valleys, and that's it. For more squashy type compression, I prefer a pedal.

 

[monkeyland]

what about the keeley comp?

 

[bongomania]

It loses low end, not suitable for the more heavy-dub-acid-jazz stuff the OP wants to play.

 

[pbass2]

Sorry, but that's not accurate. I have used a great many compressors, from $15 to $1500, and TBH a great many of the rack units I've used, at all price points, had similar noise to pedals. And the main thing stopping me from buying an original LA2A (one of the most frequently-used bass comps in serious professional studios) is not the price, but the fact that they are known for being noisy. Even the 1176 (the other "big gun") and other "character" comp/limiters can often be noisy. Contrasting that with the Carl Martin, the new TC Nova Dynamics, or the Maxon CP9Pro+, which are essentially noiseless.

Yes there are low-noise rack comps, the RNC among them, but generalizing about rack versus pedals is not sensible.

Also while it is possible to set up the RNC for bass, one of my chief complaints about it is that setting it for multiple instruments or different genres/tasks is heinous, taking several minutes to find useful settings that don't distort on the low frequencies. Yes, it can work, and I know lots of people use it, but to me it is one of the worst possible choices for a bassist due to its finickiness.

yes, you are right--my generalizations were too sweeping. I guess I started off thinking about what the OP wants to achieve, and then took off on a tangent. I've just never personally encountered (or really took the time admittedly) to find a stomp that I would also consider using in the studio. I've just always considered stomp compressors to be more of an effect, than for "typical" dynamics use, and he originally lists 3 desired uses that fall into that ballpark. I've currently got an LA2A here, have had an 1176 on and off, use the RNC, and the RNLA, TLA50,, and all manner of software---they are all different it is true.
Actually, the Summit TLA50 is one I would actually rack up for live use on bass in heartbeat--it is fantastic on bass--if the OP wanted to go with a rack and spend a little more I'd highly recommend that half-rack wonder for about $600.

 

[jbybj]

and it's getting frustrating. Here's a (probably overly long) explanation:
I've liked what I've heard about the EBS but I don't know if it does limiting well enough for my needs.
Advice? Suggestions?

I would highly recommend not just hearing about the EBS multicomp, but actually listen to one. Do yourself a favor, and good luck.

 

[pickles]

I've used the EBS and Demeter, neither worked for me at all. I still love my old Trace Elliot SMX comp, but it puts a major stamp on the tone and I've been looking for something a little more transparent.

Just picked up a Maxon CP9 Pro+, and it is doing well in the at-home tests. Definitely going to try it on a gig. Sounds like a DBX160, maybe with a little more bottom end. They do some kind of magic with the power to step it up to 18v from a single battery, which I'm sure is part of why I like it. I just don't think you can compress bass with 9 volts.

 

[jpark369]

maxon for sure. quiet and transparent. i record with it all the time and youd never know.

 

[12bass]

I've used the EBS and Demeter, neither worked for me at all. I still love my old Trace Elliot SMX comp, but it puts a major stamp on the tone and I've been looking for something a little more transparent.

Just picked up a Maxon CP9 Pro+, and it is doing well in the at-home tests. Definitely going to try it on a gig. Sounds like a DBX160, maybe with a little more bottom end. They do some kind of magic with the power to step it up to 18v from a single battery, which I'm sure is part of why I like it. I just don't think you can compress bass with 9 volts.

Perhaps you can post your thoughts after you've given the CP-9 Pro+ a more thorough test?

BTW, I've made some modifications to the RNC you sold me a while ago - new LM4562 op amp, bypass capacitors on the output, and adjusted the internal trims to minimize distortion. It sounds a bit clearer than it was stock.

Also, I think what probably makes the CP-9 Pro+ work so well is that is has a preset attack and release, with values which were carefully chosen to be long enough for bass usage. I suspect that many people set the attack and release too fast on the RNC, which leads to the distortion artifacts many complain about. A longer preset attack/release avoids this problem....

 

[JJBass30]

boss lm-2 should do the 3 things u mentioned i love mine

 

[bongomania]

I suspect that many people set the attack and release too fast on the RNC, which leads to the distortion artifacts many complain about. A longer preset attack/release avoids this problem....

Not completely. I had distortion problems any time I set the comp up for a high ratio, or fed it a very strong low frequency signal, regardless of the attack/release settings. Only at lighter ratios, and with a less extreme input signal, and at a slow attack/release, was I able to successfully avoid distortion.

 

[Munjibunga]

There's a dbx 160A for $240 right now in the ads.

 

[12bass]

Not completely. I had distortion problems any time I set the comp up for a high ratio, or fed it a very strong low frequency signal, regardless of the attack/release settings. Only at lighter ratios, and with a less extreme input signal, and at a slow attack/release, was I able to successfully avoid distortion.

I'm curious.... what ratio were you using? I've not had such problems with mine, although I generally use mine for moderate gain reduction (1 - 8 dB) somewhere between 2:1 and 10:1, with the attack between 20 and 60 ms, and release around 0.1 s. The only time I've had noticeable artifacts is when using it for bass when the attack was set to 6 ms or less. Were you running a straight bass signal, or was it processed, like a subharmonic enhancer or something? Also, I'd like to think that I have pretty good ears, given that I can reliably hear significant audible differences between op amps, cables, capacitors, etc..., so if there were artifacts present, I should be able to hear them.

 

[EricF]

My dos (that means two ) centavos...

- The Compulator is EXCELLENT. As I understand it, it's based on the LA-2A circuit - which is a good thing for bass. It's transparent-ish (not totally invisible, but not a big "color" unit either). For me, it's been THE answer for a comp pedal.

- There are as many good rack-mount comps for bass as there are bad - just like pedals. The FMR Audio RNC is a great unit for a lot of things, but for bass, the RNLA is often a better choice.

 

[12bass]

- There are as many good rack-mount comps for bass as there are bad - just like pedals. The FMR Audio RNC is a great unit for a lot of things, but for bass, the RNLA is often a better choice.

If I didn't already have an RNC, I would probably choose the RNLA, as it imparted a more interesting, aggressive, midrange growl to the tone, while the RNC seems to stay more clean and safe....

 

[Spikeh]

Have you tried an EBS MultiComp? I bought one a while back and haven't looked back - hardly any noise at high gains, smooth all round compression and 3 different settings for different situations... though I generally just use the multiband setting.

Makes my bass and rig sound righteous

 

[one]

There's too much Math going down in the effects forum!

 

[bongomania]

I'm curious.... what ratio were you using? ...Were you running a straight bass signal, or was it processed, like a subharmonic enhancer or something? Also, I'd like to think that I have pretty good ears...

The clipping I heard would have also been heard by someone with much less refined hearing. It was grating and not subtle. I was not processing the signal except for adjusting the onboard pre of my active bass. I used all ratios during testing, but the clipping definitely began at 10:1 and higher, and as low as 6:1 if I was feeding it a signal with the bass boosted. Again, with slow attack/release settings; although I couldn't use the slowest settings in those extreme-signal cases, as I needed the RNC to work somewhat quickly in order to function as a peak limiter, which it fails at.

Now, it's easy enough for someone to say "well, then don't boost the bass into it, and you shouldn't be using such a high ratio anyway", but these are things that bassists do sometimes (e.g. when peak limiting), and there are many other compressors which don't crap out in those circumstances.

Again, I know it is perfectly possible to use the RNC happily if your signal is moderate to begin with and you just need some moderate compression.

 

[pickles]

The RNC worked fine for me in "supernice" mode, and not at all in normal. I sold it since it was too clean in supernice. It didn't even sound like compression, it just corrected the levels with no artifacts at all ... so the same thing that made it ultimate for some people (and for mastering program material) made it not what I was looking for.

 

[ga_edwards]

Going back to the OP comments.

I'm in a couple of bands too, one is my main band that does a mix of pub rock and functions, with a diverse set list, the other is a disco band that has recently got off the ground.

I've been on the endless search for the perfect set of pedals too, as many of us have for a number of years. After going though a couple of zoom units, then the mighty GT6B, a rack, V-amp, then stomp boxes, I've decided to go back a few step to a multifx again. I need more versatility for different styles that a few stompboxes just can't give me, and I don't want to cart around a huge pedalboard either. I'm not saying I need drastic changes in tone, my sound is still there, sometimes I want gentle compression for some stuff, sometimes I need major squish-age for example.

I've gone back to basics with a korg AX3B for the time being, as I've been very impressed with the performance of my Pandora PX4D. (I was tempted by the Zoom B2, but wanted the synth and drives in different sections, and I've heard the korg's drive models are slightly better).

This will do me for the time being, yet to gig with it, but so far it's more versatile soundwise than my pedal board, and for such a cheap device, the sounds I use actually sound better than my old GT6B! (the drives and compression models on the GT6B are awful IMO).

As much as I like a the small footprint of the Korg (fits in my LMII case with the amp!), I do miss having individual pedals for each effect rather than just patch up and down. I know Korg make the AX3000B, but I am now very tempted by the new Zoom B9.1ut. It's very rare that I see a multifx unit that on paper does everything I want it to do, which is kinda why I went stompboxes in the first place. I'm looking forward to trying one out very soon.

Just my thoughts I'd thought I'd share, might be worth a ponder.

 

[pickles]

Perhaps you can post your thoughts after you've given the CP-9 Pro+ a more thorough test?

Used the Maxon on a rehearsal last night.

It is the best bass comp pedal since trace elliot. Period.

I can't see any reason to buy a Demeter or EBS. Get the Maxon.