Yes. The static noise is gone! The only difference I can tell from before and after the fix is a slightly higher noise floor. Other that that, the pedal works flawlessly!
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New Empress Compressor MKII
- Thread starter crguti
- Start date
Thank you. I just received what I thought would be an Empress Bass Comp from the new, noise-free batch. However, it's serial number 074, so it's still from the first batch with the static noise. I purchased it new from a Dutch dealer.
Anyway, I have yet to try it and decide what I do with it.
Anyway, I have yet to try it and decide what I do with it.
Contact Empress and they’ll send you the updated cable.
Thank you scuba. I'll give it a try, as I usually play with active guitars or buffers first in chain.
Yeah. Somebody please correct me if I've misunderstood, but the clicking noise only happened when the input wasn't buffered.
Mine is from the first run, but I didn't get the noise because all my basses are active. Went ahead and changed out the cable, anyway. It was easy enough to do; the directions Empress provided with the replacement cable were very clear.
Correct but the cable is NOT the complete fix. The BC must be sent in the Empress for a part swap in order to be current. That being said, if you don’t get the click then there’s no need to send it in.
The cable was enough for me. I was getting the click (passive basses only), and after the ribbon, no more click.
Awesome!
Unfortunately for me and a few others, the click was still there even after the replacement ribbon cable. Either way, start by replacing the ribbon cable. If that doesn’t work, send it in. I can confirm the complete fix works great!
I did experience clicking in an active, direct setup.
No worries tho, Empress took care of me and I'm a happy camper now with a new batch pedal!
An update. I tried today my BC for the first time with an active bass, a passive bass and a passive guitar, both being first in the signal chain and after other engaged pedals or buffers.
To my surprise... No clicky noise at all, not even with the passive instruments first in line. Not what I expected, believe me. And I mean, I really searched for this:
I tried then to trigger it somehow, and nothing. No clicks. Only beautiful compressed tones. The Tone + Colour options felt subtle and a bit underwhelming to me, but they are a nice option, nonetheless.
Curiously, I opened the back plate (stupidly tightened screws, by the way) to tweak the internal colour switches, and found the ribbon cable was yellow, exactly like the one used to substitute the white cable according to the Empress replacement guide.
Maybe the ribbon cable had already been replaced by the dealer? Who knows. Anyway, I'm gonna keep this one.
To my surprise... No clicky noise at all, not even with the passive instruments first in line. Not what I expected, believe me. And I mean, I really searched for this:
I tried then to trigger it somehow, and nothing. No clicks. Only beautiful compressed tones. The Tone + Colour options felt subtle and a bit underwhelming to me, but they are a nice option, nonetheless.
Curiously, I opened the back plate (stupidly tightened screws, by the way) to tweak the internal colour switches, and found the ribbon cable was yellow, exactly like the one used to substitute the white cable according to the Empress replacement guide.
Maybe the ribbon cable had already been replaced by the dealer? Who knows. Anyway, I'm gonna keep this one.
@Berme I find the Color switches particularly effective in a live band setting, adding just enough harmonic content to make bass notes clear in the mix. Just thought I’d share they really work for me, of course YMMV.
Just ordered my Empress today. Should (hopefully) arrive in time for Friday's gig. If not, I'll have to suck it up with my Keeley.
Just got an Empress Bass Compressor and am experimenting with it. Impressed!
Wasn't sure I'd like the colored tone option but it is growing on me -- especially in combination of certain pedals (haven't had it out in a live setting yet).
Dead quiet. However, it can get a little noisy depending on which pedals I use and where in the chain I place it (if only all the pedals played nice with one another!).
FWIW, this little combo sounds sweet: Sushi Box Underground Accelerator > Free the Tone Bass Blaster > Empress Bass Compressor > Sushi Box Particle Accelerator.
Definitely keeping this one!
Wasn't sure I'd like the colored tone option but it is growing on me -- especially in combination of certain pedals (haven't had it out in a live setting yet).
Dead quiet. However, it can get a little noisy depending on which pedals I use and where in the chain I place it (if only all the pedals played nice with one another!).
FWIW, this little combo sounds sweet: Sushi Box Underground Accelerator > Free the Tone Bass Blaster > Empress Bass Compressor > Sushi Box Particle Accelerator.
Definitely keeping this one!
My Empress was supposed to arrive tomorrow. Must of caught a break, she showed up today. Gig tomorrow night. She's gonna give it her all.
I ordered the bass version today.I also own a DG Hyper Luminal and the Origin Effects Cali Compact Bass so it's in good company.
Forgive me, as this question has been explored to death on here, but I still don’t fully get it. Does the SC HP dial only function when it is being triggered by an external source like a kick drum, or is it still functional when you’re just inputting your bass signal to the input jack?
