I use an mxr bass envelope filter for well funky stuff aha but there's one thing that bugs me about it and most filters I've tried and it's that if I play hard or pop harder than I slap then I get a big spike in my sound and it's louder than the rest of the notes and it really can be annoying anyway would using a compressor to control these volume spikes before the envelope filter help me? Also if I get a compressor is it ok to have it at the very start before a wah fuzzes distortion filters etc and then eq? Thanks
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Would a compressor solve this?
- Thread starter Mattbass97
- Start date
Usually people put a compressor after the filter to control the spikes, the output of the filter spikes and compressor sort of 'catches' it and softens its impact.
Compressor is a pretty tricky piece of kit since most seem to like it at the beginning of the chain, but after their filters, which often will go after distortions or fuzzes. So the question is do you want a bass leveling compressor (something to run at the beginning of your chain), or a peak limiting compressor (for after your filter), or both :devil:.
Oh, and Ovnilabs.com
Compressor is a pretty tricky piece of kit since most seem to like it at the beginning of the chain, but after their filters, which often will go after distortions or fuzzes. So the question is do you want a bass leveling compressor (something to run at the beginning of your chain), or a peak limiting compressor (for after your filter), or both :devil:.
Oh, and Ovnilabs.com
To solve this problem, most players set up a compressor/limiter after the filter. Putting one before the filter changes the filter response, which is not desirable IMO. If you put a compressor after the filter effect, you should set it up as a limiter. For your pedal, set the attack all the way left, the release in the middle, and the ratio to 20:1. Set the input so that the meter lights up only on the hardest notes with the filter on. Now set up gain to taste.
An envelope filter follows the input level. If you compress before it, essentially you're flattening out its input which will kill its response. DEFINITELY put the compressor AFTER the envelope filter.
I suggest you experiment with your pedal order. There are no rules and conventional wisdom may not take your particular variables into account.
scottfeldstein
Roots and fifths and a little extra.
To solve the problem you're having, compress after the MXR and the baseballs and the wah. Or at least after the one that's giving you the spike problem. My experience, though, is that you'll end up using the compressor solely for the purpose of taming your filters and nothing else. I wanted a more full-time compressor function, so I place it before everything and just make sure it isn't squeezing things hard enough to interfere with the triggering of the envelope filter. If that makes sense.
You might want to look at the Decay knob on that MXR. The more counter clockwise you turn it, the lower the frequency the filter stops at. This can result in a big, boomy bass response at the end of the sweep. If this is happening to you, try turning it clockwise until the problem disappears. Also you can obviously turn both the Dry and FX knobs down so that your volume is the same with the pedal on as it is with it off.
You might want to look at the Decay knob on that MXR. The more counter clockwise you turn it, the lower the frequency the filter stops at. This can result in a big, boomy bass response at the end of the sweep. If this is happening to you, try turning it clockwise until the problem disappears. Also you can obviously turn both the Dry and FX knobs down so that your volume is the same with the pedal on as it is with it off.
