Newbie question involving compressor and preamp

[redname]

So I just included a compressor and I'm placing in this order - bass > compressor > preamp/DI

As I'm not sure how much the compressor will affect the eq, my question is whether the adjusting of the eq can be from my bass or I shld just do it on the preamp/DI

 

[Pulverizor]

I'd EQ late in the signal chain so you can be sure of what's going out.
Which compressor (pedal?) is it? what EQ options does it have?

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

EQ before the compressor can affect how it triggers (this is especially true if you are boosting bass frequencies before the compressor sees the signal); you may or may not want that. With these sort of things, use your ears.

 

[redname]

I'd EQ late in the signal chain so you can be sure of what's going out.
Which compressor (pedal?) is it? what EQ options does it have?

spectracomp, so no EQ options there and i'm only using those toneprints straight from the app

my EQ options are on my bass and the preamp, only bass mids and treble

 

[redname]

EQ before the compressor can affect how it triggers (this is especially true if you are boosting bass frequencies before the compressor sees the signal); you may or may not want that. With these sort of things, use your ears.

problem is that i dnt trust my ears sometimes

anyway, can u explain on the part abt "EQ before the compressor can affect how it triggers", i dnt get this

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

problem is that i dnt trust my ears sometimes

anyway, can u explain on the part abt "EQ before the compressor can affect how it triggers", i dnt get this

Sure. Low frequencies have a lot of energy, much more so than higher frequencies, and will cause a full-range compressor to trigger accordingly (clamping down harder/faster as they cross the threshold with more force), so boosting those frequencies prior to the signal hitting the compressor will exacerbate this tendency. This can make it difficult to find settings that work for the full spectrum of the fretboard. There are compression methods that mitigate this tendency (having a high pass filter in the side chain, having multiple bands of compression to set different thresholds, ratios, et al for each band’s affected frequency range), but that’s a more advanced topic beyond the scope of your initial question.

 

[redname]

Sure. Low frequencies have a lot of energy, much more so than higher frequencies, and will cause a full-range compressor to trigger accordingly (clamping down harder/faster as they cross the threshold with more force), so boosting those frequencies prior to the signal hitting the compressor will exacerbate this tendency. This can make it difficult to find settings that work for the full spectrum of the fretboard. There are compression methods that mitigate this tendency (having a high pass filter in the side chain, having multiple bands of compression to set different thresholds, ratios, et al for each band’s affected frequency range), but that’s a more advanced topic beyond the scope of your initial question.

oh wow, thanks for the very detailed explanation

from what little tht i cld catch, seems that it's more advisable for newbies like me to EQ the post compressor signal

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

oh wow, thanks for the very detailed explanation

from what little tht i cld catch, seems that it's more advisable for newbies like me to EQ the post compressor signal

Now that I see you are using a SpectraComp, I’ll point out that compressor is multi-band (three bands, in this case), so, depending on which TonePrint you use, you might find it reacts to pre-EQ just fine, since the lows, mids, and highs each have their own compression going on. Try it and see if you like the results.

 

[superheavyfunk]

problem is that i dnt trust my ears sometimes

You’ve gotta train your ears, both for tones and for note recognition. It takes time but it’s absolutely necessary. You’ll make lots of mistakes but over time you’ll learn what you like to hear and become better able to discern these things.

from what little tht i cld catch, seems that it's more advisable for newbies like me to EQ the post compressor signal

For an absolute beginner, I’d say this is true. But then again, for an absolute beginner, I wouldn’t recommended using a compressor at all. If you dont trust your ears yet, you definitely dont want something like a compressor imo because it will alter the dynamics of your playing and you risk learning bad technique and flattening out your sound in a bad way.

 

[BEADist]

OP, you are member since 2010, so surely you already know your 'tone' and are only newbie on compressors? Could you explain what you expect from the compressor and what your music/playing style is?

 

[Numa]

...for an absolute beginner, I wouldn’t recommended using a compressor at all...

Absolutely agree, the compressor limits the dynamics and doesn't allow you to understand how you are using your fingers.
Especially for practice and exercises, no compressor.

I would also advise you to get a traditional compressor, with threshold, ratio, attack time, release time and gain, in order to understand well how a compressor works, understood this you can trust the automatic ones with a single knob, I don't like them but they sure are comfortable.

 

[31HZ]

The best advice I can give a compressor newbie, is to set it so that it's only coming on part of the time. You should be able to back off of your plucking force a bit and have it no longer compress, often as evidenced by one/some LEDs. (The "threshold" setting adjusts the amount of signal that it takes to activate the compressor.)

I also agree that the compressor should come soon in the signal chain (unless you are using it for a specific effect). What compressor are you using?

EDIT: while I think it would be helpful at some point to know how all of the controls on a full-feature compressor work, it's not necessary and may be unnecessary complication at this point. If it sounds good, it is good.

 

[pbass2]

But then again, for an absolute beginner, I wouldn’t recommended using a compressor at all. If you dont trust your ears yet, you definitely dont want something like a compressor imo because it will alter the dynamics of your playing and you risk learning bad technique and flattening out your sound in a bad way.

This right here. I have done live sound and tried to record too many noob bassists who slap a compressor in their chain w/o understanding how to really use it(or really even why they have it), and have often been met with a lifeless dud of a bass sound.

 

[panzerfaust]

personally. .....i put compressor after tuner pedal and on the last chain i put my di (ampeg scr di).,....but setting could be different for each person,....i put active di so i can control the final process of the signal

 

[dougfr67]

bass->preamp->compressor.
You're welcome.

 

[Killing Floor]

No wrong answer. I usually compress pretty early but try it both ways. They’re both correct. What you like the most is the best.

 

[redname]

Now that I see you are using a SpectraComp, I’ll point out that compressor is multi-band (three bands, in this case), so, depending on which TonePrint you use, you might find it reacts to pre-EQ just fine, since the lows, mids, and highs each have their own compression going on. Try it and see if you like the results.

I only used the captain east toneprint so far as the lows sound really good

 

[redname]

OP, you are member since 2010, so surely you already know your 'tone' and are only newbie on compressors? Could you explain what you expect from the compressor and what your music/playing style is?

Oh sorry if it was misunderstood, I'm not a newbie with bass but a newbie with using effects

I've always been playing bass to amp until recently my church tasked me to look into y the bass just ain't cutting thru the mix, so I tried some items to help with the sound, I know it isn't with my bass or playing cause I nvr had tht problem when I played gigs last time

 

[Thebiggestjerk]

So I just included a compressor and I'm placing in this order - bass > compressor > preamp/DI

As I'm not sure how much the compressor will affect the eq, my question is whether the adjusting of the eq can be from my bass or I shld just do it on the preamp/DI

And then where into the board or into a power amp and cab?

 

[redname]

No wrong answer. I usually compress pretty early but try it both ways. They’re both correct. What you like the most is the best.

personally. .....i put compressor after tuner pedal and on the last chain i put my di (ampeg scr di).,....but setting could be different for each person,....i put active di so i can control the final process of the signal

bass->preamp->compressor.
You're welcome.

Seems tht a different setup is possible

Thanks, will need to play ard more

This right here. I have done live sound and tried to record too many noob bassists who slap a compressor in their chain w/o understanding how to really use it(or really even why they have it), and have often been met with a lifeless dud of a bass sound.

I do notice how much more intense my tone sounds now, so I alter my playing style to make the best of it as I play a lot of church praise and worship and dynamics r really key