post your Empress Compressor settings!

[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

So I got my HPF in the mail today. Man, quick processing and fast shipping! Awesome service. The HPF-Pre Series 3 is an amazing device. Zooberwerx, I went with your HPF suggestions: In the signal path, not sidechained, and HPF at 3 o'clock. It's great. It's not hitting the Empress near as hard. It's really gonna help. Thanks.

 

[Zooberwerx]

So I got my HPF in the mail today. Man, quick processing and fast shipping! Awesome service. The HPF-Pre Series 3 is an amazing device. Zooberwerx, I went with your HPF suggestions: In the signal path, not sidechained, and HPF at 3 o'clock. It's great. It's not hitting the Empress near as hard. It's really gonna help. Thanks.

Excellent! Did you at least experiment with the sidechain? Here's the neat part: Now you have a better handle on the low-end response, go goose the bass on the Ampeg SCR-DI and see what happens.

Money well-spent.

Riis

 

[DDXdesign]

I'm in a trial period with the empress and I'm just not sure if I'm using it right - because I realize I don't exactly know what I'm doing with the controls.

My experience with compressors thus far is all simpler stuff:
- Keeley 2-knob: Used it back when I didn't know anything at all about comps and it was okay i guess?
- Dynacomp: Nnnnnope.
- Philosopher's Tone: I remember I liked it, might have been too transparent? Been a couple years.
- Accountant: This was my absolute jam for awhile, set to 6:1 and let it crunch away! Only thing missing was a fatness element, which I didn't even realize until I tried another one recently.
- MS-60 and B3: I used the 160 comp. thresh -20db/ratio 6:1/gain 10 (noon)/hard knee because I think soft came in too early or something. Orange Squeezer model worked great but WAY dark by comparison.
- Milkbox: I really liked the tone and action; dare I say loved it! No idea what the ratio was. Only moved it along because I wanted a little more squish before the noise came in (about 11:00 on the 2nd knob)

So enter the Empress, and I have it set mostly like J Wolf does, but with more compressor in the Mix knob (I'm trying 4:1@100% wet, and 10:1 about 70% wet). As I've been messing with it, I've found it to be either too transparent, or in the next moment it'll be almost, I don't know, too much of everything? not too much squish, but more like the EQ's gone to mush? That gets worse when I kick on the phaser, but I doubt that's the comp's fault =0)

Now that I've written that, here are some newbie-sounding questions! Really, the decision to look for a 'fancy' compressor puts me in a whole new world.
- I agree with the poster in the other recent compressor thread: I'm looking for both a fattened sound and a decent ratio to help rein in the signal. Would LOVE to not have to get two comps though. Seems the empress doesn't really do fat?
- any tricks specifically for feeding it into a SABDDI? I dig the old school bddi tone and just got a v2 for extra mids control.
- next in my try list is the keeley pro (i like the idea of having one with metering) and I think I have seen in videos that one has a little fatter, greezier tone. Y/N? Anybody try both that one and the empress? Bongo hasn't done the Keeley Pro as yet; Robert never sent him one.

Signal chain is bass-tuner-octave-comp-phaser-BDDI-flat amp. Basses are passive P and J types.

=0)

 

[Zooberwerx]

I'm in a trial period with the empress and I'm just not sure if I'm using it right - because I realize I don't exactly know what I'm doing with the controls.

My experience with compressors thus far is all simpler stuff:
- Keeley 2-knob: Used it back when I didn't know anything at all about comps and it was okay i guess?
- Dynacomp: Nnnnnope.
- Philosopher's Tone: I remember I liked it, might have been too transparent? Been a couple years.
- Accountant: This was my absolute jam for awhile, set to 6:1 and let it crunch away! Only thing missing was a fatness element, which I didn't even realize until I tried another one recently.
- MS-60 and B3: I used the 160 comp. thresh -20db/ratio 6:1/gain 10 (noon)/hard knee because I think soft came in too early or something. Orange Squeezer model worked great but WAY dark by comparison.
- Milkbox: I really liked the tone and action; dare I say loved it! No idea what the ratio was. Only moved it along because I wanted a little more squish before the noise came in (about 11:00 on the 2nd knob)

So enter the Empress, and I have it set mostly like J Wolf does, but with more compressor in the Mix knob (I'm trying 4:1@100% wet, and 10:1 about 70% wet). As I've been messing with it, I've found it to be either too transparent, or in the next moment it'll be almost, I don't know, too much of everything? not too much squish, but more like the EQ's gone to mush? That gets worse when I kick on the phaser, but I doubt that's the comp's fault =0)

Now that I've written that, here are some newbie-sounding questions! Really, the decision to look for a 'fancy' compressor puts me in a whole new world.
- I agree with the poster in the other recent compressor thread: I'm looking for both a fattened sound and a decent ratio to help rein in the signal. Would LOVE to not have to get two comps though. Seems the empress doesn't really do fat?
- any tricks specifically for feeding it into a SABDDI? I dig the old school bddi tone and just got a v2 for extra mids control.
- next in my try list is the keeley pro (i like the idea of having one with metering) and I think I have seen in videos that one has a little fatter, greezier tone. Y/N? Anybody try both that one and the empress? Bongo hasn't done the Keeley Pro as yet; Robert never sent him one.


Signal chain is bass-tuner-octave-comp-phaser-BDDI-flat amp. Basses are passive P and J types.

=0)

Where do you have your input set? I set the threshold so I'm seeing 2-4 dB of reduction on average with a 4:1 ratio. I'm not diggin' the mix the @ 100%, though. Turn the mix to -0- and slowly turn up until the sweet-spot becomes evident, usually around 1-2:00 in my experience. 10:1 will require you dial it back even more, maybe 11-12:00.

Edit: the general consensus (...thus far) is to run the attack @ 10:30-11:00, release @ 1:30-2:00 for a more natural response.

Keep in mind that the BDDI has baked-in compression so adjust accordingly.

Riis

 

[J.Wolf]

I have a feeling that if you're looking for fat/shiny, the Empress may be a little too transparent for you, and I'd recommend checking out the Diamond BCP-1.

I also never set the mix at 100%. Usually 60-70% max, or it seems to have too much effect for me.

But I agree with Riis that the key is getting the input levels just right for optimal results. Luckily metering is the Empress's strong suit, being able to monitor, gain reduction, input level or both.

 

[DDXdesign]

Where do you have your input set? I set the threshold so I'm seeing 2-4 dB of reduction on average with a 4:1 ratio. I'm not diggin' the mix the @ 100%, though. Turn the mix to -0- and slowly turn up until the sweet-spot becomes evident, usually around 1-2:00 in my experience. 10:1 will require you dial it back even more, maybe 11-12:00.

Input is set so that the gain reduction LEDs only run the whole track when I physically smack a low E hard.

Edit: the general consensus (...thus far) is to run the attack @ 10:30-11:00, release @ 1:30-2:00 for a more natural response.

Keep in mind that the BDDI has baked-in compression so adjust accordingly.

Riis

Yep my attack and release are basically at 10 and 2 o-clock. Also I didn't assume the BDDI would do much compressing unless I had the Drive up; I'm running the drive at about 10-11:00.

I have a feeling that if you're looking for fat/shiny, the Empress may be a little too transparent for you, and I'd recommend checking out the Diamond BCP-1.

Oh yeah, that one sounds good but the ratio seems too low for me. I feel like I got some of the tone goodness with the Milk, actually, but there was some noise (not even hiss; it was more like single-coil hum, only coming in above 11:00 on the compression knob)

 

[J.Wolf]

the Diamond may have a low ratio, but the effect is fantastic and doesnt feel like the 2:1 on the Empress. There's a lot of mojo going on under the hood.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Input is set so that the gain reduction LEDs only run the whole track when I physically smack a low E hard.



Yep my attack and release are basically at 10 and 2 o-clock. Also I didn't assume the BDDI would do much compressing unless I had the Drive up; I'm running the drive at about 10-11:00.


Oh yeah, that one sounds good but the ratio seems too low for me. I feel like I got some of the tone goodness with the Milk, actually, but there was some noise (not even hiss; it was more like single-coil hum, only coming in above 11:00 on the compression knob)

I've got to re-examine my input setting as it's almost too sensitive but that's a minor niggle.

Put my money where my mouth is and ran an abbreviated pedal board using the 3 new pedals discussed in the thread: Fdeck HPF > Empress > Ampeg SCR-DI with the Ultra-Lo engaged. It was a smaller room so I ended up kicking the HPF to 2:00 and the Empress' blend to 3:00 to further tame the low end response. Practice room settings don't always translate well in a live venue!

Riis

 

[esoxhntr]

Note to self... when your Empress is lighting up like a fireworks display, and you're getting way too much of "teh squish", chances are you nudged the ratio switch up to 10:1 while you were setting up for the gig.

 

[J.Wolf]

At least you’re really getting your moneys worth ;-). I kid.

Had a gig a while back and couldn’t get my normal amount of volume out of my rig. Was pulling my hair out, thought maybe the power section was failing or had a bad patch cable. 2/3 of the way through I noticed the pad on my para eq had gotten bumped and was on. Gotta love a good “d’oh moment”

 

[esoxhntr]

No lives were lost nor animals harmed.

 

[J.Wolf]

Except when I realized and flipped the pad off without having adjusted down the volume first. A couple of songbirds fell out of the sky, but nothing too major.

 

[esoxhntr]

Except when I realized and flipped the pad off without having adjusted down the volume first. A couple of songbirds fell out of the sky, but nothing too major.

There are too many songbirds anyway. Good for you.

 

[Zooberwerx]

This observation would be better suited for another thread but you jolly-jokers are pretty knowledgeable, so here goes...

A few of us are using the Fdeck HPF series III which sports a +/- polarity switch. I'm not exactly sure what's happening when switched to "-" but I'm hearing what appears to be a reinforcement or thickening of the low mids that sounds pretty good. It sorta reminds me of an SWR Interstellar Overdrive preamp which also utilized a push/pull polarity switch. In both cases, the variation in voicing is not subtle. If somebody can fill in the details, I'd be most appreciative!

Edit: please omit "polarity" and replace with "phase". I would correct the initial text but sometimes I like to highlight the fact I'm an idiot.

Riis

 

[J.Wolf]

That polarity switch on the F deck is sort of elusive to me. I feel like depending on where it is in the chain and in different rooms, one setting usually sounds much better than the other so I typically check it at the beginning of each gig and see. I don’t find a rhyme or reason, but I do find one better result

 

[J.Wolf]

I am still struggling with compressor placement. Mainly my loop switcher is the culprit. With all my affects on a loop strip, I find either have to put the compressor before all the effects or after all the effects, including reverb and delay. It’s become pretty apparent that hitting the octaver pre-compressor is much better sounding, but putting the compressor after reverbs and delays is not so great.

So unless I want to dedicate one channel of my loop switcher to an always on compressor I’m stuck with either or. But that’s probably what I’ll do. Loop 1 will be octave filter overdrive, loop two will be compressor, loop three will be Corus delay Reverb. Then it will be looper > Omni cab sim > out

PS the F deck upfront seems better than at the end

 

[Bassist30]

Just ordered mine today. All I hear is good things about this pedal. Nice place to get good information from.

 

[Bassist30]

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

YOU WERE REALLY GOOD IN SCHOOL WEREN'T YOU.............I just ordered the empress and wanted to find out if I put it in front of my pedal board or after???????????? Wow all you guys are really really good at Hi Pass, Low Pass, Sidechain... Does BOCES teach this?

 

[Zooberwerx]

YOU WERE REALLY GOOD IN SCHOOL WEREN'T YOU.............I just ordered the empress and wanted to find out if I put it in front of my pedal board or after???????????? Wow all you guys are really really good at Hi Pass, Low Pass, Sidechain... Does BOCES teach this?

Actually, I'm quite the schlub, work in medicine, play music, and hang with guys (...including my brother, Kile) who have strong backgrounds in logistics...IOW, I've learned by assimilation and can approach most systems with a modicum of competence. This is true of most of the thread's contributors.

Comp placement in the signal chain is somewhat dependent on the balance of the components. My board is fairly sparse so it's an easy call. OTOH, add octavers, OD's, modulations, etc. and a different spin may be required.

Honestly, I don't know why we're spending so much time / energy on the matter when everybody knows the tone is in your fingers! Looking forward to a follow-up...include pics!

Riis

 

[J.Wolf]

I’m pretty surprised at how much it affects the behavior of the different panels and the overall output of the board, dependent on where the compressor is. I have kept it upfront as a default, but when I put it after the Octobers I was really surprised how much better they sounded.