I would use the Lab exclusively if it took up less space, its great with vintage or modern. Another great is the Miura but the same side jack and size issue so the Empress wins for me.
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Suggestions for a Compressor?
- Thread starter Just Wrong
- Start date
What do you mean by modern? That's what worries me about the Lab -- will it sound good with my Fodera-like bass? How does it sound with a B string?
The Miura was also on my list, but I can't find it anywhere that ships to Canada.
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No love for the Smoothie?
Back in the rack mount days I learned on the tried and true DBX 160 and find the Omnifx Smoothie to be the closest in a pedal format. Very transparent and works great with both a passive PJ and the active MM Special 5H.
Back in the rack mount days I learned on the tried and true DBX 160 and find the Omnifx Smoothie to be the closest in a pedal format. Very transparent and works great with both a passive PJ and the active MM Special 5H.
I use the LAB with about 15 different basses, from vintage-voiced P/flats to fretless Jazz, MM, and G&L L2500, to hollowbodies, to neck-through actives; it just works for everything, depending on how you set the threshold. Obviously, the high-output L2500 needs a different threshold setting than a vintage P. One of my favorites is a 1991 Yamaha BB5000A - think quintessential "LA Studio" 5-string bass tones, a la Nathan East.
As for the B-string, the LAB handles it very well. I've never had any issues with the B-string getting choked by the compressor, or losing low end. The LAB adds some thickness without mud, and the dusty frets have more body. It's subtle enough that you don't actually hear it until you do an A/B comparison (like with a bypassable effects loop).
This is a very nice thread, I've enjoyed reading all the comments.
Well in my experience I've run my bass through so many compressors over the years, studio and pedal.
Unfortunately most of the pedals for me are just limiters with a few exceptions, for example the MXR bass compressor is quite good and works almost well in several scenarios.
A long time ago there was also the Aphex Punch Factory, a good automatic optical compressor that did the job quite well. Of course, when you use compressors in the studio, whether you are using them for tracking or to work on the track after recording, then you will understand that some of them are just amazing on bass and work on a completely different level.
In the end I ended up with an MXR for my pedal use and a Distressor that I think is a killer on bass no matter how you set the release and attack. A lot of studio compressors, especially for tracking bass, are better for faster attack and release or vice versa.
For example, the FMR RNC is an amazing mini rack that doesn't cost a fortune but is a great fast compressor and works great on bass.
Cheers!
Well in my experience I've run my bass through so many compressors over the years, studio and pedal.
Unfortunately most of the pedals for me are just limiters with a few exceptions, for example the MXR bass compressor is quite good and works almost well in several scenarios.
A long time ago there was also the Aphex Punch Factory, a good automatic optical compressor that did the job quite well. Of course, when you use compressors in the studio, whether you are using them for tracking or to work on the track after recording, then you will understand that some of them are just amazing on bass and work on a completely different level.
In the end I ended up with an MXR for my pedal use and a Distressor that I think is a killer on bass no matter how you set the release and attack. A lot of studio compressors, especially for tracking bass, are better for faster attack and release or vice versa.
For example, the FMR RNC is an amazing mini rack that doesn't cost a fortune but is a great fast compressor and works great on bass.
Cheers!
The BC-1X does not need an HPF, because it is a digital multiband compressor. Only wideband compressors need an HPF. No blend? I don't need it. Again, the use of blending in the dry signal was mainly developed to mitigate the deficiencies of using wideband compression.
That being said, I do use the Blend feature in my custom toneprint for my SpectaComp, but since the dry signal is effectively out of the picture at higher settings, the way I have it mapped to the knob, it doesn't matter much.
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Man after my own heart. I used the RNC for quite some time many years ago. Great little compressor in a small format. Later, when I created my gigging rack of stuff, I used the EL8 Distressor. LOVE IT ON BASS. IMHO No word of a lie that it's almost comically difficult to make the Distressor sound bad at almost any setting, including very aggressive ones. There aren't many pieces of gear that I miss once I've decided to move it along, but the Distressor is one of them for sure.
Hey man, I definitely agree with you, the Distressor is a killer compressor on Bass, a Swiss knife able to emulate iconic bass compressors and as you can said is impossible to make it sound bad.
Talking about other units that impressed me on bass, surely the Chandler Germanium Compressor and of course the TubeTech CL1B but is damn too expensive.
For that reason I think the Distressor is still, the best choice for quality price ratio in the range of studio compressors (even if i used live too and is simply amazing).
Talking about the CL1B i heard that Warm Audio came up with his version with 1/3 of price, have you tried it?
Let's groove.
PS it would be nice to dedicate a thread to studio equipment for bass, there is so much to talk about..
Talking about other units that impressed me on bass, surely the Chandler Germanium Compressor and of course the TubeTech CL1B but is damn too expensive.
For that reason I think the Distressor is still, the best choice for quality price ratio in the range of studio compressors (even if i used live too and is simply amazing).
Talking about the CL1B i heard that Warm Audio came up with his version with 1/3 of price, have you tried it?
Let's groove.
PS it would be nice to dedicate a thread to studio equipment for bass, there is so much to talk about..
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Yes, she was using a Keeley Bassist in 2018 (the video dates from 2018), but in a Bass Magazine article dated November 2020 says she uses a Compulator.
I did not know that, thx for the info.
I have to update my fanboy set up then
I cannot read your Bass Magazine link unfortunately.
Does Laura Lee mention other effects in the article?
I did not know that, thx for the info.
I have to update my fanboy set up then
View attachment 5407824
I cannot read your Bass Magazine link unfortunately.
Does Laura Lee mention other effects in the article?
That don't look like an SX
No other effects -- just a B-15, SVT with an 8x10 cabinet and the Acme Motown DI:
Most of the devices that have been referenced in this thread have been reviewed here: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/te...ley-fea-darkglass-doc-lloyd-jhs-more.1345638/
I used to do as much recording as live gigging (which was a LOT at the time), but a little over 15 years ago things just changed and so I wound up selling off most of my recording/tracking gear, two Distressors and a pair of Neve Broadcast modules among them. Was a tough pill to swallow, but they were just collecting dust. These days, I'm using the Fractal Audio FM9 for pretty much everything (live shows) and it does have some really good opto compression and preamp modeling. Not as good as the Distressor, but pretty good.
The Walrus Audio Deep Six has a very subtle warm tone and plays great with both active and passive basses. Snag a v2 if you can find one - they don’t have the treble boost switch, which is useless on bass, but aside from that they’re the exact same as the new versions and cost a fraction
The Mira is one of the most underrated compressors there is. They should have marketed this wonder towards basses from the beginning. It has an HPF, a blend, and no real tone coloring at all. I'll never play without one again, as long as I can find replacements if it breaks.
ShhhhThe Mira is one of the most underrated compressors there is. They should have marketed this wonder towards basses from the beginning. It has an HPF, a blend, and no real tone coloring at all. I'll never play without one again, as long as I can find replacements if it breaks.
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