Recording with compression - pedal or plugin?

[Ryno1330]

When you guys bass where are you adding compression? If you have a usual pedal do you use it as you normally would or are there advantages to recording dry and applying it later?

 

[thumbknuckle]

Everyone here is going to tell you to record totally dry and do all your processing later. I believe in the opposite approach: get things sounding as close as you can to the way you are going to want them first, then record that.

 

[Aloe]

I use both ways. sometimes I even record with a compressor and add one more.

both ways have advantages:
1. recording without a compression pedal gives you maximum flexibility. you have tons in compressors available in your DAW and they sound different (in fact, I've sold my tube compressor after I found that sound in my computer). and of course it's much harder to undo a wrong compressor than to apply the proper one.

2. recording with a compressor may help you to get less input overloading peaks.

 

[And I]

I record with compression but I don't use a pedal, I have a few nice analog compressors that are way quieter than my MXR bass comp.

I would NOT recommend tracking with compression unless you are very comfortable with compressors, how they work, what all the knobs do, how much is too much, etc.

 

[Krisfield]

Tracking I use hardware compression, and a multi band compressor plugin on the Master Bus

 

[herndonbassist]

FWIW... I've got an ART rack compressor for sale here

For Sale/Trade - Cheap rack gear (EQ, Compressor, Mixer/Splitter)