To compress or not to compress?

[boomertech]

That is only the opinion of one person that likes a certain tone. Me, I find compressing sounds like stuffing a pillow in your amp It is muffled and all the treble is sucked out.

Does not happen with multi-band comps.
Or full-band comps with light compression.
Or full-band comps/limiters with heavy settings and dry blend.

-Frank

 

[two fingers]

My EHX Black Finger is always there if/when I need it. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. It's only a stomp away.

I'm still learning what order pedals work best in, so that plays a lot into it as well. What's it before and/or after?

 

[2112]

For finger, pick & flamenco styles I do not use a compressor... I have taught myself to control my technique *and* I prefer what imperfections are left behind in my waveform to be part of my overall sound. When playing thru my Trace AH400SMX amps I keep the built-in compression controls rolled off.

For pop-slap, tap & Funk Fingers I can see where a compressor could be necessary. But since I don't play these styles (yet), I have no need for compression.

 

[tfer]

Compression, especially multi band, is incredibly useful for not only taming dynamic spikes, but for controlling the frequency response of the bass.

It tightens up the bottom end in ways that aren’t otherwise possible using EQs or HPFs. It also tamed the zing out of my 6er’s C string, making the whole instrument sound better.

You can’t accomplish that with your hands.

 

[monsterthompson]

For finger, pick & flamenco styles I do not use a compressor... I have taught myself to control my technique *and* I prefer what imperfections are left behind in my waveform to be part of my overall sound. When playing thru my Trace AH400SMX amps I keep the built-in compression controls rolled off.

For pop-slap, tap & Funk Fingers I can see where a compressor could be necessary. But since I don't play these styles (yet), I have no need for compression.

Ah, this old chestnut. Cleaning up attack technique with a comp is one way to utilize the tool of compression, but that's not really the only reason why a player should want or use compression. Compression is very much about tone shaping. Tube amps are treasured because of their compression characteristics and the resulting tone, as are certain overdrive boxes.

 

[Canadian APII]

Does not happen with multi-band comps.
Or full-band comps with light compression.
Or full-band comps/limiters with heavy settings and dry blend.

-Frank

Compression is a very bad thing in recording. Why would you inject it at a point you can't remove it?

 

[monsterthompson]

Compression is a very bad thing in recording. Why would you inject it at a point you can't remove it?

I can't even.

 

[mpdd]

seems unlikely that i'm going to find somewhere where they are going to let me record at show volume with the tube amp, therefore i've gotta use a little compression to even stuff out and get a little more punch

 

[pigpen1]

My compressor always on, but not overkill, so its even but keeps some dynamics.

 

[engedi1]

I can't even.

me either lol

 

[superdick2112]

View attachment 2784118

LOL!

For someone who claims to hate them, you build some of the nicest compressors on the planet.

 

[kat888]

That's strange...the Diamond would be the last compressor I'd suspect of squashing dynamic range.

Riis

Yes. It doesn't do this for me either. But if it was a problem, I would think simply adjusting the threshhold would answer this problem

Yeah, I should probably try dropping the threshold a little to get some of the Diamond magic fairy dust back ... it's just that 'everything at noon' is easy to remember/replicate. The ThunderBuckers have plenty of magic fairy dust of their own which has been keeping me amused.

 

[boomertech]

Compression is a very bad thing in recording. Why would you inject it at a point you can't remove it?

If you know what you are doing with compression, there is no need to "remove it".

Also:

• Your covering Peter Gabriel tunes live and the sound guy isn't really up to speed of what is needed to cover those tunes. You have already worked out all of the settings on your comp to pull an authentic Tony Levin sound.
• You want your Boss OC-2 Octaver to track much better and not to glitch-out on sustained notes.
• Your are an animated player that puts on a good show for your paying audience. With all of that jumping around and fancy rock god moves, a comp helps keep your signal more consistent.
• Your holding the low freq drone chords for the beginning of Bon Jovi's Dead or Alive on your bass in a live show. Even with a bass with excellent sustain a comp really helps here.
• Before using a comp/limiter I had to replace several drivers in my speaker cabs that were damaged from heat or over excursion of the voice coils. After a using a comp, I never had to replace a driver again.

There are numerous other reasons to use a comp.

-Frank

 

[engedi1]

Yeah, I should probably try dropping the threshold a little to get some of the Diamond magic fairy dust back ... it's just that 'everything at noon' is easy to remember/replicate. The ThunderBuckers have plenty of magic fairy dust of their own which has been keeping me amused.

That's just it. I am using a really great bluesman vintage with really hot aguilar pickups. It sounds really good straight into the amp, but it sounds epic with the Diamond on. Plus this bass is really midrangey and the tilt eq on the diamond backs the edge off just enough. It's all about what works with your gear and the diamond works with my setup.

 

[boomertech]

LOL!

For someone who claims to hate them, you build some of the nicest compressors on the planet.

That's not my baby pic!!

If my girlfriend was into tats, I would have "Threshold" and "Ratio" written over her nipples!

-Frank

 

[engedi1]

If my girlfriend was into tats, I would have "Threshold" and "Ratio" written over her nipples!

-Frank

Frank wins TB today!

 

[tfer]

That's not my baby pic!!

If my girlfriend was into tats, I would have "Threshold" and "Ratio" written over her nipples!

-Frank

Hmmm. My wife likes tats...

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Using a compressor or not has absolutely zero to do with “having a decent bass”.

Perhaps I should have said a bass with decent sustain... That is actually what I was referring to. Most "decent basses" have a "decent amount" of sustain without the use of a compressor. Poor choice of words on my part.

 

[kat888]

That's just it. I am using a really great bluesman vintage with really hot aguilar pickups. It sounds really good straight into the amp, but it sounds epic with the Diamond on. Plus this bass is really midrangey and the tilt eq on the diamond backs the edge off just enough. It's all about what works with your gear and the diamond works with my setup.

I didn't think the Diamond would be that great with my Traynor YBA200 (already plenty of squished glass bottles happening), but I was completely wrong there -- it does sound 'epic'.

 

[engedi1]

Perhaps I should have said a bass with decent sustain... That is actually what I was referring to. Most "decent basses" have a "decent amount" of sustain without the use of a compressor. Poor choice of words on my part.

This is true. But I like to get a live tone with EPIC sustain sometimes lol. To me, using a good optical comp I can play diamonds and get a tone like you hear on records where the La2a was set to super squish. It makes me happy...