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Should Boss Make A Stompbox Bass Specific Compressor

Would You Like To See Boss Make A Stompbox Bass Compressor

  • Yes

    Votes: 26 61.9%

  • No

    Votes: 16 38.1%
  • Total voters
    42
Stampy

Stampy

Jun 30, 2008
970
3
40
Connecticut
#1
I was just thinking aboubt this earlier because I am in the market to purchase a bass compressor. All these companies make bass specific compressors except for boss which makes like everything else under the sun. I emailed them to see if this has ever been asked or in the works and they said no. I think they would sell quite nicely, it may knock LMB-3 sales a bit though. What do you all think?
 
#3
They're in the business of high-volume sales, and bass compressors are very low sellers. Too much of a specialty item, and a lot of the ones sold end up getting returned to the retailer, because most buyers don't know how to use a comp and consequently don't like how it sounds.

But I'd be glad to see one if Boss actually put some serious design effort in.
 
#8
It'd be good to see what Boss would put into a bass-specific compressor. All of their pedals are fantastic in the right situation so it'd be interesting to see what they came up with.

I don't think they're far off with the CS-3. They could just do a few mods and label as a CS-3 and paint it a different colour. I personally think it would sell, not so much because there's a gap in the market, but because Boss is Boss and with the pedals comes the reputation
 
#9
bongomania said:
They're in the business of high-volume sales, and bass compressors are very low sellers. Too much of a specialty item, and a lot of the ones sold end up getting returned to the retailer, because most buyers don't know how to use a comp and consequently don't like how it sounds.

But I'd be glad to see one if Boss actually put some serious design effort in.
Click to expand...

while it wont sell as much as a guitar overdrive, i think a bass-specific comp from them wouldent be too small sales for them to consider it- if it was good for the money, wich it might be.
 
#12
Just modifying the CS-3 to be more bass friendly would be a worth while endeavor, at least from my perspective. Just throw in a modified circut and a single toggle from guitar to bass mode. $3 a pedal mod. (hard limiter, plz?)
 
#13
I voted no.


Actually I like the current CS-3. (unmodded, though I have no experience with a modded one.)

I hope, and I assume they will, bring out a CS-4 that is hopefully an improvement.

I'm wondering... if anyone can answer:
are compressors popular with guitarists anyway? I never met a guitarist who thought a compressor was useful. Though they were all rock and metal guitarists mostly.
I don't think that the CS-3 is sold that much more to guitarists then to bassists. (I'm actually wondering if it's a high seller at all compared to the volumes of their popular pedals.)
It's also not marketed as "not usable for bass" by BOSS.


I like the CS-3.... maybe because when it's a stombox I look at it more as an effect for: -squeezed fat sound
- sparkly trebly high band compression
- unreal long sustainer

Contrary to a rack unit which is more for signal processing and perfecting the overall sound. (Also constantly on)

Comared to rack unit like DBX and TL Audio (only brands I have little experience with) the CS-3 is inferior as a compressor.
But as an "effect", I think it's a damn good unit.

Just how I look at it.


I wish more brands make pedals that perform as good on bass as on guitar, instead of guitar specific and bass specific effects. (okay, this is not possible with everything)

It's all marketing. I would not give it more credit if they put the word "bass" on compressor pedal then a new pedal just labelled as CS-4 Compression/Sustainer.




bongomania said:
They're in the business of high-volume sales, and bass compressors are very low sellers. Too much of a specialty item, and a lot of the ones sold end up getting returned to the retailer, because most buyers don't know how to use a comp and consequently don't like how it sounds.

But I'd be glad to see one if Boss actually put some serious design effort in.
Click to expand...


bongo,

Is there such a thing as a specific "bass compressor", in theory?
Would there be a significant difference with a regular good "overall" compressor?


Is it not that some compressors are designed without bass instruments in consideration, and other with bass instruments in consideration (like EBS) or just good luck that it works great with basses (DBX)?
 
#14
René_Julien;8031469 said:
Is there such a thing as a specific "bass compressor", in theory?
Would there be a significant difference with a regular good "overall" compressor?

Is it not that some compressors are designed without bass instruments in consideration, and other with bass instruments in consideration (like EBS) or just good luck that it works great with basses (DBX)?
Click to expand...

Well, there you have it. :) Designed with bass in consideration, versus not designed with bass in consideration.

Generally I'd say bass-specific comps also work well with "trebles", but actually the new Markbass might be too dark on the upper end to keep guitarists happy.
 
#15
bongomania said:
Well, there you have it. :) Designed with bass in consideration, versus not designed with bass in consideration.

Generally I'd say bass-specific comps also work well with "trebles", but actually the new Markbass might be too dark on the upper end to keep guitarists happy.
Click to expand...


Then that leads me back to one of my first pounderings:

Are compressors popular with guitarists anyway?
I mean in their personal setups, pedalboard or rack. (Not in a recording situation.)


It seems to me that the target group for compressor pedals should be more toward bassists, not specificly marketed as a bassist's product.
Cause that is actually BSing the consumers.

"This is a mediocre compressor so we just label it 'compressor'.... and this is a very good compressor so we label it as 'bass compressor'..."


(btw, I'm talking about pedal, not state of the art studio rack gear)
 
#16
René_Julien;8031651 said:
Then that leads me back to one of my first pounderings:

Are compressors popular with guitarists anyway?
I mean in their personal setups, pedalboard or rack. (Not in a recording situation.)


It seems to me that the target group for compressor pedals should be more toward bassists, not specificly marketed as a bassist's product.
Cause that is actually BSing the consumers.

"This is a mediocre compressor so we just label it 'compressor'.... and this is a very good compressor so we label it as 'bass compressor'..."


(btw, I'm talking about pedal, not state of the art studio rack gear)
Click to expand...

IME, guitarists using compressors (at least in pedal form), are generally looking for more sustain (and maybe an amount of clean boost for soloing) rather than dynamics control. From that perspective, it makes sense for Boss to put "sustainer" in the name of their "guitar-oriented" compressor pedal...
 
#17
They used to.
LMB2.gif
 

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