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YET ANOTHER thread about compressors (please don't hurt me)

#21
I think subconsciously they can tell. I get a tighter impact and over all smoother sound. It makes me play differently as I can dig into the bass without overpowering my fellow band mates. Since it opens doors on what I can do I think it makes me more versitile. And, depending on the comp, you may get a little color from it. I know when I dig into the Cali that iron core transformer adds a nice little hair. I agree it is mostly for you and not the crowd, however if it makes you sound better you will play better. They will notice that.
 
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#22
I would like to respond to those posts that declare compression to just be a way to cover bad technique. First, no one has perfect technique. We all have at least a little variation in the way we pluck the string. I think compression can help with these minor variances. However, if your fretting technique is sloppy and your plucking, slapping, etc, is really inconsistent, then you will probably have a very difficult time using a compressor effectively. Using a compressor is very much like using any other dynamic effect. It is very responsive to how you play. If your playing is fairly consistent, you will get fairly consistent results. If your technique is sloppy, you are going to get very inconsistent results. The ham-fisted among us will try to cover this deficiency by over-using the effect. But compression requires a certain amount of finesse to be musical. It is more akin to using a light overdrive pedal that starts to growl as you dig in and cleans up as you back off. If you are the really heavy handed type, you will probably not find a compressor very effective because your tone is likely pretty compressed sounding anyway. But if you have a light touch, you will be able to get a very musical response from a good compressor.
 
#24
If your dad really wants to help, you guys should build a couple fEarfuls together. You'll end up with killer cabs that will make any amp investment do more. Amplification, especially raw power amps, seem to be getting more and more affordable. Top quality cabs still cost serious dough. If you can DIY, you can really make something amazing with the fEarful plans.

Used right, comps are super tools. The Smoothie is very nice, I really like mine, and I've been through a number of comps looking for the right tool. BUT, used wrong, you'll find yourself fighting with the comp for dynamics.

Meanwhile, if you are itching to mess with effects, I think the Zoom B3 hits a sweet spot. At about $150 used, you get tons of effects to explore, including several comp effects. You can learn a lot about comps messing with the B3. A lot of guys here are using the B3 as a preamp. The B3 can sit on your desk running off usb power from your computer, the head phone sound is great.

B3 ($150) to Carvin HD 1500 power amp ($300) to a fEarful (I built a 12/6 for around $300) or two, and you've got a killer rig.

Now, as to whether an audience notices anything about anything, that's another question.
 
#25
Not only will the audience not notice if you are using a compressor or not, you may not notice either. I have a DOD Milkbox compressor as an always on pedal. It really shapes the tone and adds some overall fatness to it. One gig, I accidentally turned off my pedal and didn't even notice until about 3-4 songs later. I still have the Milkbox on my board but it really made me rethink if I really need a compressor in a live setting, especially since I have a Sansamp BBDI as an always on pedal and a steady rotation of other overdrive/fuzz/distortion pedals that come and go.
 
#26
Let me apologize. My experience with compressors is very limited. I don't really understand fully what it does exactly, I really only knew that it will make your harder notes a bit quieter and your softer notes a bit louder, but I knew nothing really outside of that. (Although I think I knew in the back of my mind it had to be more than a mistake corrector, since everyone seems to use one and I know for sure 99% of the people on here are better musicians than I am.) I actually have never played with one live (although I'm sure there was compression in the house mix) so Im not entirely sure why exactly I decided to answer the question in thread. I apologize, and to the original poster, completely disregard my first post and base your decision off of all of the other posts.
 
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#27
I was told a while back that compression is most effective while playing loud. It is a polarizing view on TB and amongst bassists' in general.

I don't think the crowd could determine you were using a compressor however with a loud rock band they will hear the bass better with a compressor.

I think the"I don't use a compressor" attitude is inaccurate since most sound guys and recording engineers use compression on bass regardless of whether the bassist will realize it or not.
It is more about attack and punch, imo, than fixing poor technique.
 
#28
My recent experiment with compression:
I recently bought myself an MXR Bass Compressor. I started playing in a classic rock band, most of the rooms are small and the Bass is stage amp only with the PA only used for vocals and kick. I wanted a compressor to even things out a bit, tighten up boomy open notes, etc. It has taken a bit of getting used to, adjusting my ears and experimenting with the controls (the MXR is a bit sensitive), however I think the overall impact is positive.
I went back and forth on a tone coloring compressor like the diamond vs. transparent like the MXR. Wanting to keep things as simple as possible, i decided I want a compressor to compress and preamp's and tone controls to shape tone.
 
#29
I never leave home without one ...

It's a multi-purpose tool, always the first thing on my pedal boards it gives me a more consistent signal to drive other effects. Used alone it does add a thickness to the sound. I play with two bands neither hard loud rock, and one night guitarist from my main project stopped by to hear my side band. In this band I don't use a pedal board but still use a comp before the amp input, next day he calls me "what we're you doing last night to get that sound" if I remember he called it that "glassy full punch" ... That's what a compressor can do live, BTW it was one of those little green JOYOs.
 
#30
Compressors have other benefits no one mentions. Some of my pedals...( Micro Q-Tron) have a good pop when engaged. The compressor will guard against any ungodly noise....even if you drop your bass!
 
#31
NO ... the audience is clueless ...

and again ... NO ... if used correctly , it shouldn't be heard anyways ... !! unless it's used to create a specific effect ... besides doing it's normal job of compressing/leveling out dynamics a bit ..
 
#32
I think on some level they do. A compressor reduces the volume peaks based on the threshold you set for its activation and the ratio of signal reduction (ie for ever 10 dB above the threshold it will reduce 2 dB) this allows you to have free reign with dynamics but when you start to get crazy loud it brings down the peaks a little. This is part of what everyone now thinks of as "good" sound. mp3's, you tube, and almost any loud concert runs compression. It helps polish the sound. Even my fiancee (musically a layman, she listens to the lyrics and after that we're all just making noise and dancing) calls my compressor my "sound good button" and people when I play have commented more on my compressed sound then my fuzz, chorus, delay, or tremolo sound.
Just my 2 cents
 
#33
Let's not disparage the audience too much. They often know what they like. They even might be able to explain in general terms why they like it. Beyond that they just don't have the experience in critical listening, arrangement, and orchestration to understand how that sound was achieved.
 
#35
THIS ^^^

Tubes naturally compress when pushed it's one of the factors that make them sound "louder" ... Hard squashed compression is easy to hear on the guitar solo of Steely Dans "Reeling In The Years" on the the other side that glassy punch can be heard on Brian Mays solo on Queens, "Killer Queen" ... Compression can have many sounds, in the end it's just one more tool.
 

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