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Should I Add a Compressor?

NOLA Bass

NOLA Bass

Mr. Worst Case Scenario Man
Supporting Member
Feb 3, 2005
7,331
10,197
New Orleans LA
www.spacemetalnola.com
Disclosures
Endorsing artist: Bergantino Audio Systems and GHS Strings
#1
So here is my current setup (for my metal tribute band):

X2 Wireless > Boss TU-2 > Looper > EBS Wah One > EBS MultiDrive > EBS Unichorus (this goes off and on - not really using it on anything these days).

My ? is for you compressor users. Do you think it would help to add this into the signal chain? I'm really on the fence about it so wanted some first hand experience from you guys using them.
 
#2
i have gone back and forth on the compressor thing. i had a rackmount for a while, loved the punchy effect i got from it, then i ended up phasing out my rack gear for ease of transport and got rid of the compressor. fast forward a few years, i'm using a different rig, sounds great, but i miss that certain compressor punch. i'm thinking about going pedal as well so it's not tied to a rack (my amp head is heavy enough as it is).

i can definitely make do without it, but i like having it as part of my sound. i would say get one from a store with a good return policy, some people like them (adds punch, balances sound, etc), some people don't care for them (sucks the tone, artificial sounding, etc). there's no way to know until you try one.
 
#4
I too am fence sitting on a compressor. I want one to add sustain and cut back on volume spikes; why do you want one? Do you think you can obtain what you want by knob playing as opposed to adding a new pedal?
 
#5
NOLA Bass said:
So here is my current setup (for my metal tribute band):

X2 Wireless > Boss TU-2 > Looper > EBS Wah One > EBS MultiDrive > EBS Unichorus (this goes off and on - not really using it on anything these days).

My ? is for you compressor users. Do you think it would help to add this into the signal chain? I'm really on the fence about it so wanted some first hand experience from you guys using them.
Click to expand...

Personally, I think the big question is why do you think you want one?

In a literal sense, of course another pedal will add to your signal chain. But that doesn't mean anything has improved.

I'm of the opinion that unless you have a specific need or desire for a certain tone, you probably really don't need another pedal. Especially with compressors. They're great in the studio for either controlling dynamics or adding punch to a track. I use my comp pedal as more of a special effect for the occasional slap passage or for a Tony Levin type of attack. I don't think that they are a good purchase if you want to clean up sloppy technique or try to account for a deficiency in your rig.

Just my 2 cents...
 
#6
I had a compressor in the past, good one too in fact, the Demeter Compulator. The truth is, I just didn't use it enough to justify keeping it on the board. I used to use it to tame the volume spikes on the Q-Tron I used to have, but moved away from that effect. I tried using it as an always-on effect, and while it did sound nice, I really missed being able to control my dynamics with how hard I was plucking and where. After that, it sat on the board taking up space for a good three months and then I finally got rid of it.

If you actually need a compressor, feel free to get one. Don't expect it to make a real night-and-day difference in your tone however.

Just my 2 cents.
 
#7
I have one, but it's a rackmount...I just don't know if it's really doing anything. The lights go on, and I have that assurance that my loud notes are being kept in check. I guess that's what you call transparency.

I'm debating losing it, but then I'll have an empty rack space that's just mocking me.

I play fingerstyle, slap, and with a pick. Anywhere from rock, punk, funk, to reggae. I've always been told that I NEED a compressor, but I wish I could quit them.
 
#8
Mo'Phat said:
I play fingerstyle, slap, and with a pick. Anywhere from rock, punk, funk, to reggae.
Click to expand...
I play the same styles and the same techniques, and I really love my dbx 166 compressor. I have it set so that channel one adds a touch of sustain and "compresses" my dynamics just a touch, then channel two is for big spikes. I really like it alot, and can really hear the difference when I bypass it (as in a good difference)
 
#9
I have a rackmount compressor that I love for tightening up my sound in a studio setting (I like to compress my track upon recording), but I took it out of my stage rack. The PA already uses a compressor and with all the moving I do on stage, there's no point in trying to "clean up" my poor dynamic control for when I jump around. The audience wont notice anyway.

I'd need a bigger rack to put it back in now anyways.
 
#10
Often I tend to use my compressor if I'm tired, or just lazy at the time and don't want to bother with being careful with my finger attacks. I'll use the compressor to level things out between the highs and lows, but about 75% of the time anymore I usually end up keeping mine off.
 
#16
I've used the compressor knob on my fender bassman since day 1 playing bass. I thought of it as just a tone shaping tool like a treble knob.

A few months ago I got a BBE opto stomp. Good pedal. I like it. I like compressors. Also random side note the BBE shipped from the ebay seller broken... BBE fixed it even though the seller was some jerk and probably not authorized retailer! and they fixed it fast!
 
#18
As far as I can tell, the main difference between overdrive and mild compression is clipping. OD boosts your signal so that it clips, I think compression squeezes your signal first and then boosts it (it may be the other way around). One is designed to clip, the other is designed not to. I could be totally wrong, but this is my understanding. To me, they feel very similar aside from the clipping thing. Of course compressors often have much more control over the squeezing with threshold, attack, ratio, etc. I have heard tell of dirty compressors as well.
Maybe Bongo will chime in and sort me out....
 
#19
I find mine just helps to level the sound a little - even with eq, through some rigs the low B can come across much more boomy than the other strings. Also, because I want to be able to play smaller gigs sometimes (just PA) it's grand to know I'll never peak at the desk no matter how hard I hit it.
Sometimes it's also nice for being able to play a note a little softer without it being much quieter, and hit it harder without it being louder - it's nice to be able to explore and use the sound differences between the emphasis without the volume jump.
All that aside - almost any gig I've been to / played at, if the bass has no compression the sound tech will compress it at the desk (even if he doesn't tell you ;))!
 
#20
Sartori said:
I never really saw a use for a compressor, for me. I want it to be louder when I dig in or hit the strings hard. That's kinda the point.
Click to expand...

Sartori said:
Clean overdrive? Explain. I like not having any compression because it means when I dig in, it distorts the amp a bit more.
Click to expand...

I think you're not really familiar with compression.

You may be right about distorting when digging in. I also dig in from time to time, but I don't like distorting.
Different strokes for different folks. :)

Maybe that's why I'm so fond of compression, because I love a clean sound.

But don't think that a compressor will kill your dynamics per sé.
You can set a compressor to do that, but mine is set so it doesn't kill my dynamics.

I have total tonal control, from sharp attack to thumpy.

I would say I use "light compression",... but that term doesn't mean anything if you don't know what exactly is going on.
My compression ratio is about 1:5, which isn't exactly considered "light" or "a gentle touch".
If I turn ratio up more, then the sound gets squeezed.
This is off course with my bass and my playing technique. YMMV

I use a rackmount compressor with more tweaking options. I have the threshold fairly low.
It's needed for my purpose IME for my passive precision bass.
Especially for the G-string with it's dead spot.
Plus I have bright piano sounding strings, somehow my tube compressor reduces the harshness of the D and G string. (I don't know exactly why it works like this, but hurray for my purposes.)

With an equalizer after it I can tailor my sound even more.
And it still all sounds natural.


I fooled around with my compressor toward settings that get my sound all squeezed and killing the dynamics.
Got some cool sounds out of it.
Set it to hard knee compression and fastest attack (something you should do with a bass guitar signal) and I got a strange envellope to my sound.
Almost like an artificial clean synthesizer bass sound, with a little bit of volume swell, fatness swell after the attack.


You have to decide for yourself if you need the features of a rack compressor... or a simple controlled pedal compressor.
But study up on how it's supposed to work, and if you test one out try to pay as much attention to the sound. How the attack alters and how you get sustain.
 

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