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Searching for compressor for tone
- Thread starter Yorin
- Start date
Maybe you don't need a compressor...
As an alternative to compression, maybe try an Empress ParaEQ to fatten up your sound.
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But you want a compressor. I've got a few compressors, basic Cali76 and Diamond included. To fatten up my sound, I go for the Diamond.*
Good luck with your quest!
*I'm a bedroom effects player and never get to gig my pedal-toys
As an alternative to compression, maybe try an Empress ParaEQ to fatten up your sound.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
But you want a compressor. I've got a few compressors, basic Cali76 and Diamond included. To fatten up my sound, I go for the Diamond.*
Good luck with your quest!
*I'm a bedroom effects player and never get to gig my pedal-toys
Or you really want to fattin up your tone, nice fat, warm Tube sound, get a Sansamp Tech21 RPM Rack Mount Bass preamp.
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
I've tried a few comps but the Cali76tx is the one that absolutely delivers in the tone department.
My impression is that most compressors are designed to be fairly transparent. So you only get a "fatter" tone with relatively extreme settings, which isn't ideal because such settings tend to introduce artifacts (clicking, etc.) and noise.
It sounds like you are planning to use the compressor as more of an "effect" than as an actual compressor. In that case, you might want to consider a cheap mic preamp, like the ART Tube MP. My friends who run a professional music studio use them specifically to record bass when they're after a thunky/lo-fi/Motown kind of vibe.
I've got one of these...
I essentially use it as an overdrive type of effect. Like your Glockenklang, my PJB rig is pretty dry sounding. The mic preamp blunts the attack a bit and softens the lows and highs, which makes the mids pop out a bit more. You can also dial in a touch of overdrive. All in all, it makes a modern hi-fi rig sound a bit more old school.
That may be right for you. Best of all, they're cheap: I think the Tube MP sells new for under $50.
It sounds like you are planning to use the compressor as more of an "effect" than as an actual compressor. In that case, you might want to consider a cheap mic preamp, like the ART Tube MP. My friends who run a professional music studio use them specifically to record bass when they're after a thunky/lo-fi/Motown kind of vibe.
I've got one of these...
I essentially use it as an overdrive type of effect. Like your Glockenklang, my PJB rig is pretty dry sounding. The mic preamp blunts the attack a bit and softens the lows and highs, which makes the mids pop out a bit more. You can also dial in a touch of overdrive. All in all, it makes a modern hi-fi rig sound a bit more old school.
That may be right for you. Best of all, they're cheap: I think the Tube MP sells new for under $50.
Well to be honest i just want to experiment with pedals considering i normally use nothing
. My first thought of using a compressor was because when i played a gig outside few days ago i noticed i heard my higher notes a little bit less.Also don't get me wrong, i love the Glockenklang sound. It might not be the best fit for my current bandsetup so im looking for something to beef it up a little. I'll take a look into preamps and whatnot. I felt like they colour the sound a bit too much though.
Probably the diamond. The review you reference basically says it
Does exactly what you want it
To. I don't think it is much of a
Compressor (it only has like a 4:1 ratio) but it adds some. Nice color
Does exactly what you want it
To. I don't think it is much of a
Compressor (it only has like a 4:1 ratio) but it adds some. Nice color
That's one sexy looking pedal! Haven't seen one before with such adjustable bands. Empress is known for it's quality aswell! Thank you for your suggestion. So far i can make do with the EQ on my amp, the glockenklang EQ is pretty good aswell.
Ha! I did the exact same thing as WaldoNova, opened the thread just to recommend the Diamond. I have used the MXR (clean), Empress (diverse), Aguilar (not much to say either way - the only pedal they make that doesn't excite me), Pigtonix (fat is right), many cheapies, and others that don't come to mind. The two that I will always go to are the Diamond for tone and the Whirlwind OC-Bass for function and limiting (my personal favourite). I keep the Diamond on hand for the tone alone.
Definitely the Smoothie.
I had the MXR M-87 (nice, but more on the transparent end).
I had the Comprossore (fatter, but large footprint).
The Smoothie has:
- tone magic and tilting EQ of the Diamond Bass Comp
- MXR sized housing
- Blend control
The only comps I'd even consider at this point are:
- Origin Effects Cali-76 TX
- Origin Effects Compact Bass
- Darkglass Super Symmetry
- FEA Opti-FET
That's saying something as those are all upper end pedal comps.
I had the MXR M-87 (nice, but more on the transparent end).
I had the Comprossore (fatter, but large footprint).
The Smoothie has:
- tone magic and tilting EQ of the Diamond Bass Comp
- MXR sized housing
- Blend control
The only comps I'd even consider at this point are:
- Origin Effects Cali-76 TX
- Origin Effects Compact Bass
- Darkglass Super Symmetry
- FEA Opti-FET
That's saying something as those are all upper end pedal comps.
My experience with the Aguilar TLC was that it was very clean, almost TOO clean, and its odd shaped lipped box made it a PITA to fit on my pedalboard, so I sold it. YMMV.
For transparent compression I really like the older orange Aphex Punch Factory. I also really like my Analogman Juicer although it may be to effect-y for some.
On your list I've only owned the Aguilar TLC and the Cali76-CB. The Cali is definitely a great tonal enhancement, while also being highly tweakable. There are lots of nice fattening settings to be found! The Aguilar is quite flat/transparent sounding by comparison- great at what it does as well, but not the choice for tonal enhancement.
I can see that setting working with your set up. It all depends upon the bass and the context I think. When I used to have my EBMM Sterling and played more blues and rock stuff, I used to set the switch at 900 and roll off those high mids just a bit, maybe 1030-1100. Then, when I first bought my current bass, I flipped the switch down to 250 and added some low mids, again running at about 100 (I've always found the tone knob to have some pretty massive impact). Since then I've made a bunch of changes and tweaks to my set up and I just run it flat.
If you open the back plate, you can disable the eq via a tiny toggle switch. There are some rooms I play where the bass gets real muddy so I disable the eq.I can see that setting working with your set up. It all depends upon the bass and the context I think. When I used to have my EBMM Sterling and played more blues and rock stuff, I used to set the switch at 900 and roll off those high mids just a bit, maybe 1030-1100. Then, when I first bought my current bass, I flipped the switch down to 250 and added some low mids, again running at about 100 (I've always found the tone knob to have some pretty massive impact). Since then I've made a bunch of changes and tweaks to my set up and I just run it flat.
