post your Empress Compressor settings!

[Zooberwerx]

Follow-up: I re-configured my board (post #14) removing the Fdeck HPF from the signal path and reassigned to the Empress's sidechain insert using a dedicated insert cable = 1/4" TRS > gray (send / tip) 1/4" > red (ring / return) 1/4". In essence, the Empress sends a "duplicate" signal through the insert loop to the device of choice...in this case, the HPF...which alters the compression trigger. It is independent of the of the signal path. To emphasize the affect, I goosed the Empress to 10:1 and played my fairly hot Sadowsky-harnessed PJ5 while rotating the HPF threshold from 35 to 140 hz. The results were subtle thru the cans but I did see a drop of -8 to -4 dB on the Empress which may be beneficial given your issues. The bad news is the application requires a dedicated outboard signal processor.

Personally, I would find another route to tame the low end. I can't speak with any authority as I'm not familiar with your rig / set-up. For all I know, you can be boosting something upstream (...like the Warwick) which is causing concerns further down the chain. If overdriving the compressor...and the Empress is fairly forgiving...I would add some EQ before the compressor (HPF - my preference, EQ pedal, whatever) to attenuate the lows and scrap the Empress sidechain altogether. If you were to add the HPF as I just described, it would actually be in the true signal path and that's a good thing.

Riis

 

[Hawk99TA]

So I'm very new to effects in general..I havent really used anything but the Ampeg SCR-DI. It is NOT a true HPF or even a true EQ. This may be my issue. I think I need a true HPF. On the Ampeg setup: I have the TRS plugges into the Sidechain of the comp. The Tip is in the Input jack of the Ampeg, and the Ring is in the Line Out jack. Educate me. Ha ha.

 

[Zooberwerx]

So I'm very new to effects in general..I havent really used anything but the Ampeg SCR-DI. It is NOT a true HPF or even a true EQ. This may be my issue. I think I need a true HPF. On the Ampeg setup: I have the TRS plugges into the Sidechain of the comp. The Tip is in the Input jack of the Ampeg, and the Ring is in the Line Out jack. Educate me. Ha ha.

Not even close. Put the stuff back like it was and buy this:

For Sale - fDeck HPF-Pre Series 3

Riis

 

[Hawk99TA]

Not even close. Put the stuff back like it was and buy this:

For Sale - fDeck HPF-Pre Series 3

Riis

Awesome. I think You're right. I think I'll be getting an HPF soon. Lol. For now I think I may run this: bass, comp, Ampeg(XLR out), to system.

 

[Hawk99TA]

Zooberwerx, what are your thoughts on a bass EQ? Are there any that you can run instead of the HPF. Or could/should I put one before the comp WITH an HPF?

 

[Zooberwerx]

Zooberwerx, what are your thoughts on a bass EQ? Are there any that you can run instead of the HPF. Or could/should I put one before the comp WITH an HPF?

IMO, you really don't need any addt'l EQ over & above what's offered on the Ampeg SCR-DI but that's a matter of personal choice. We really need to know more about your rig & settings. For example, if you're boosting a bunch of stuff on the Warwick's onboard pre, we may need to change our approach.

Riis

 

[Hawk99TA]

Ok. Btw, I really appreciate your help. I've been playing bass for a long time but I'm a newbie when it comes to electronics. So, I play at church through a decent system...I don't know the details...but I've been using the Ampeg as a DI. I'm trying, with my sound guy, to fix the issue of my low end being VERY present, and my mids and highs being almost inaudible unless I just really pop a string(I play fingerstyle with only occasional picking). As far as the Warwick, I do play it active and adjust the sound to taste. I'm not sure that I would even know that I was boosting anything on my onboard pre. Is there a "For Dummies" book I can read. Lol. Please forgive my ignorance. I'm really motivated to learn.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Ok. Btw, I really appreciate your help. I've been playing bass for a long time but I'm a newbie when it comes to electronics. So, I play at church through a decent system...I don't know the details...but I've been using the Ampeg as a DI. I'm trying, with my sound guy, to fix the issue of my low end being VERY present, and my mids and highs being almost inaudible unless I just really pop a string(I play fingerstyle with only occasional picking). As far as the Warwick, I do play it active and adjust the sound to taste. I'm not sure that I would even know that I was boosting anything on my onboard pre. Is there a "For Dummies" book I can read. Lol. Please forgive my ignorance. I'm really motivated to learn.

Okay, first things first. Are you active bass controls (treble / bass) set dead-center (detent)? How do you have your Ampeg DI set? Post descriptions, pics would be better.

Riis

 

[Hawk99TA]

Ok, so on the Warwick...all dead center with the exception of turning down the low to about a quarter turn. I sometimes turn down the treble depending on the set or sound on the given day. Here is a pic of how I've been running the Ampeg, without the compressor(because I JUST got it). I do not use the Ultra Lo or Ultra High functions at this time. FYI, I never use the Scrambler at church.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Ok, so on the Warwick...all dead center with the exception of turning down the low to about a quarter turn. I sometimes turn down the treble depending on the set or sound on the given day. Here is a pic of how I've been running the Ampeg, without the compressor(because I JUST got it). I do not use the Ultra Lo or Ultra High functions at this time. FYI, I never use the Scrambler at church.

Okay, after looking at the set-up, I'm wondering if you're truly culpable. Here's how I'd approach things:

*I trust you own an amp. If so, I'd hook up in this fashion: bass > SCR > amp. Use the footswitch to bypass the DI EQ function (blue LED off)...same goes for the scrambler (green LED).

*Now, kick the EQ in & out while adjusting the volume and EQ (bass / mid / treble) so the bypassed and affected tones & volume are similar. Kinda defeats the purpose of the Ampeg pedal but we're on a mission, okay?

*I trust you're using an XLR / mic cable to connect to the mixer board at church, correct? If not, get one.

*Next time you're setting your mix at church, run the Ampeg in bypass mode sorta like a passive DI box. Still too bassy? If so, it's not the Ampeg. If your soundguy is halfway-competent (...a near-fatal assumption in some cases), he should be able to compensate at the mixer mic channel including input gain and 3-4 EQ bands.

*If by some strange coincidence the tone is now passable, kick in the Ampeg EQ and re-assess.

BTW, your Ampeg volume knob is at 3:00 which is a bit high IMO. Thru experimentation, I found that all knobs set at ~ 12:00 is a great starting point when comparing the affected & bypassed signal.

Edit: supposed to be an Empress compressor thread but this is a great representation of when a compressor may be less-than-useful. Once the OP gets the more pressing dilemma solved, we'll add the comp...icing the cupcake, so to speak.

Riis

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

View attachment 2843233 This is what mine looks like, roughly

I set mine quite the same, but went with more of the original bass signal, 10:30- 11:00. The mix feature is what really separates this pedal from so many others. So tweakable to give you exactly what you are looking for. I sold mine when I purchased a Berg Bamp. The Berg has a very nice parallel compressor built in, but the Empress IMO is really something special.

 

[Hawk99TA]

I set mine quite the same, but went with more of the original bass signal, 10:30- 11:00. The mix feature is what really separates this pedal from so many others. So tweakable to give you exactly what you are looking for. I sold mine when I purchased a Berg Bamp. The Berg has a very nice parallel compressor built in, but the Empress IMO is really something special.

Without previously studying this picture...these are the settings that I came up with and thought sounded great. It is an amazing pedal. I agree that the mix is great.

 

[Hawk99TA]

Okay, after looking at the set-up, I'm wondering if you're truly culpable. Here's how I'd approach things:

*I trust you own an amp. If so, I'd hook up in this fashion: bass > SCR > amp. Use the footswitch to bypass the DI EQ function (blue LED off)...same goes for the scrambler (green LED).

*Now, kick the EQ in & out while adjusting the volume and EQ (bass / mid / treble) so the bypassed and affected tones & volume are similar. Kinda defeats the purpose of the Ampeg pedal but we're on a mission, okay?

*I trust you're using an XLR / mic cable to connect to the mixer board at church, correct? If not, get one.

*Next time you're setting your mix at church, run the Ampeg in bypass mode sorta like a passive DI box. Still too bassy? If so, it's not the Ampeg. If your soundguy is halfway-competent (...a near-fatal assumption in some cases), he should be able to compensate at the mixer mic channel including input gain and 3-4 EQ bands.

*If by some strange coincidence the tone is now passable, kick in the Ampeg EQ and re-assess.

BTW, your Ampeg volume knob is at 3:00 which is a bit high IMO. Thru experimentation, I found that all knobs set at ~ 12:00 is a great starting point when comparing the affected & bypassed signal.

Edit: supposed to be an Empress compressor thread but this is a great representation of when a compressor may be less-than-useful. Once the OP gets the more pressing dilemma solved, we'll add the comp...icing the cupcake, so to speak.

Riis

Awesome. So I always start with finding unity between my clean signal and the system. I AM using the XLR. I will work with my sound guy to do this first. My sound guy is actually very competent. And good...honestly we just never have time to really work on finding the sweet spot. But we've been talking and he's very willing to work it out. Like me, he likes to tinker and get it right. Lol. I really think that compressor and an HPF will really help in my setting. Btw, that HPF sold. : ( There was no interest in it until I posted, then some one stole the sale from me. Ugh.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Awesome. So I always start with finding unity between my clean signal and the system. I AM using the XLR. I will work with my sound guy to do this first. My sound guy is actually very competent. And good...honestly we just never have time to really work on finding the sweet spot. But we've been talking and he's very willing to work it out. Like me, he likes to tinker and get it right. Lol. I really think that compressor and an HPF will really help in my setting. Btw, that HPF sold. : ( There was no interest in it until I posted, then some one stole the sale from me. Ugh.

You're on track. Soundguy should have things straightened out in 5" in a one-on-one scenario...I'll give him the benefit of the doubt although I can make these adjustments on the fly. The Empress and HPF are both desirable but not mission-critical...there's no reason you can't achieve a nice thick bass tone with the basic tools on hand (bass > DI > mixer).

I set mine quite the same, but went with more of the original bass signal, 10:30- 11:00. The mix feature is what really separates this pedal from so many others. So tweakable to give you exactly what you are looking for. I sold mine when I purchased a Berg Bamp. The Berg has a very nice parallel compressor built in, but the Empress IMO is really something special.

With the 4:1 ratio, the sweet spot rolled-in at 1:00. For those seeking a budget-minded alternative, the discontinued Seymour Duncan DoubleBack uses a similar blend and can be had for <$100 if you peruse the classifieds.

Riis

 

[Hawk99TA]

You're on track. Soundguy should have things straightened out in 5" in a one-on-one scenario...I'll give him the benefit of the doubt although I can make these adjustments on the fly. The Empress and HPF are both desirable but not mission-critical...there's no reason you can't achieve a nice thick bass tone with the basic tools on hand (bass > DI > mixer).

So I did as you suggested. Clean sound was good. Our soundboard has a built in HPF. The sound guy had it dialed in really good. He also dialed back the low end, brought up the low and high mids, then pulled back the treble a bit. The roof doesn't sound like it's coming down anymore. Lol. Oh, my setup was: Empress Compressor(with the settings as shown in the recent picture/post), Ampeg SCR-DI(XLR OUT) to house. I'm still interested to see what a sidechained HPF would do. Thanks for the much needed advice!

 

[Zooberwerx]

So I did as you suggested. Clean sound was good. Our soundboard has a built in HPF. The sound guy had it dialed in really good. He also dialed back the low end, brought up the low and high mids, then pulled back the treble a bit. The roof doesn't sound like it's coming down anymore. Lol. Oh, my setup was: Empress Compressor(with the settings as shown in the recent picture/post), Ampeg SCR-DI(XLR OUT) to house. I'm still interested to see what a sidechained HPF would do. Thanks for the much needed advice!

Success! Did you engage the Ampeg's EQ at any time and, if so, was it problematic?

I appreciate your interest in the sidechain but I think you'd be better served by investing in the Fdeck HPF and sticking it in the signal path prior to the compressor. Dial it in to ~3:00 (maybe 50-60 hz) and check the response on the Empress. Betcha a dollar-to-donuts that you won't be "slamming" the comp threshold resulting in a more even response. Keeping it in the signal path also gives a more latitude with the bass setting without the dreaded mud or boom-boom-boom.

Riis

 

[Hawk99TA]

Success! Did you engage the Ampeg's EQ at any time and, if so, was it problematic?

I appreciate your interest in the sidechain but I think you'd be better served by investing in the Fdeck HPF and sticking it in the signal path prior to the compressor. Dial it in to ~3:00 (maybe 50-60 hz) and check the response on the Empress. Betcha a dollar-to-donuts that you won't be "slamming" the comp threshold resulting in a more even response. Keeping it in the signal path also gives a more latitude with the bass setting without the dreaded mud or boom-boom-boom.

Riis

Yes, success. I ran the Ampeg EQ the whole time...no problems. Those fdeck HPF's are hard to find!

 

[Zooberwerx]

Yes, success. I ran the Ampeg EQ the whole time...no problems. Those fdeck HPF's are hard to find!

One will turn up. For kicks & giggles, I re-routed my board (again!) and placed the HPF in front of the Empress and did a frequency sweep while playing. Didn't see a huge difference between the off (?) and 3:00 positions but then that little two light bulb over my head jumped to life: the Fdeck has an undefeatable "baked-in" 35 hz filter which will probably take care off 99% of your woes.

Riis

 

[Hawk99TA]

One will turn up. For kicks & giggles, I re-routed my board (again!) and placed the HPF in front of the Empress and did a frequency sweep while playing. Didn't see a huge difference between the off (?) and 3:00 positions but then that little two light bulb over my head jumped to life: the Fdeck has an undefeatable "baked-in" 35 hz filter which will probably take care off 99% of your woes.

Riis

I ordered one this afternoon. : )

 

[esoxhntr]

View attachment 2843233 This is what mine looks like, roughly

Huh... just ran across this thread this morning (you'll have to take my word for that), have a look at my settings in the bottom right corner. Coincidence?