Compression

[martinbass7750]

Greetings,

I'm interested in your opinions on compression.

Do you use it with your bass?

If you do, what compressors work for you?

I have a Boss LMB3 bass limiter, but I've never really been happy with the results.
Maybe I just haven't set it up right?

[shaundixon666]

On the subject of compressors, im wondering if someone can help me. I have heard good things about the Aphex Punch factory and have seen one i may invest in, anyone used one of these and care to share your knowledge?

[JPJ]

Yes, I have a punch factory that I use all the time live.

Can be subtle, but I wasnt looking for that heavily compressed (Bon Jovi) bass style, I just wanted to protect the front end of my amp from my own ham fistedness.

Used to have an Alesis 3630 which is the dogs dooh dahs if you have the rack space as all parameters are adjustable and its possible to get a very effective but transparent compression effect along with a good noise gate for between song moments.

[Basszilla]

The aphex is an awesome unit. I've stopped using compression recently though, or not using as much anyway. I find I'm getting better results. It's not absolutely essential, it's one of those things you might like to apply here and there.

One thing with the aphex though, is that over time with constant pluggng the of inputs can get a little faulty as they're mounted to the circuit board and not the chassis. But if you're careful with your gear then you shouldn't get any issues.

My main compressor at the moment is a Barge RC-2. I use it mainly to protect the preamp, and/or to level out intricate playing passages (if I can be bothered ^_^ . )

[ped]

I used to use a Boss LMB-3 quite a lot, well actually all the time. I set everything at 12 o'clock except the last one was at 9o'clock. Sometimes I would turn down the enhancer a tad too. That said, however, it will react very differently to different basses and speaker/amp setups - these settings worked very well with most of my active basses into a mesa 400+ rig...

I preferred the sound of a limiter to a compressor, whic to mee always souned a bit 'seasick' but my experiences were limited to one or two rack models which I forget and a couple of pedal ones, one by Carl Martin or something, and the Boss CS3. However, I have relatively recently got a pod xt pro and have to say the compressor (the main one on the front panel) is fantastic, and perfect for my sound. It is really quiet and just sounds 'sweet' - not overly squashy but lovely and transparent - you wouldn't notice it was on, it just sounds like I play very well ;0) The three built in compressors are more flexible and can do that extremely squashed sound which sounds great as an effect for the odd thing.

Th ebest thing is that at home through my rig I can go through the pod, essentially bypassed but with reverb and eq settings stored ready for each bass as a seperate patch, and use the compressor which is highly adjusted to each individual instrument. On my Jazz for example I find compressing the top end alone produces a really nice subtle smoothing out of the sound, wheras on the fretless I have a touch all over the signal with a high threshold.

Cheers!
ped

[Kiwi]

I am a fan of it but have yet to find a compressor I like. Most compressors I've tried have either been too coloured (removing some of the sparkle and low end) or too severe in their impact (sucking volume and adding an unnatural thup at the start of a note because the attack setting is too coarse). The kind of compression I've liked the most has been just from valves. They tame the high end (which is really all I'm after for when I'm slapping) without removing low end punch and (particularly) the mids. The Trace Elliot dual band compressor is the best I've tried so far but I still don't want to use it in my rig because the tone still isn't right.

Dave Hall is going to send me his valve compressor prototype to try out soon and I'll pop a review in the reviews section.

[JPJ]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='2436' date='May 19 2007, 08:52 PM']I am a fan of it but have yet to find a compressor I like. Most compressors I've tried have either been too coloured (removing some of the sparkle and low end) or too severe in their impact (sucking volume and adding an unnatural thup at the start of a note because the attack setting is too coarse). The kind of compression I've liked the most has been just from valves. They tame the high end (which is really all I'm after for when I'm slapping) without removing low end punch and (particularly) the mids. The Trace Elliot dual band compressor is the best I've tried so far but I still don't want to use it in my rig because the tone still isn't right.

Dave Hall is going to send me his valve compressor prototype to try out soon and I'll pop a review in the reviews section.[/quote]

Hey CK,

Did you try the Alesis 3630? I found this to be the most uncoloured of all compressors I tried, and I'd still have one if I still had a rack to keep it in.

So Dave Hall is building a prototype valve compressor! Now thats something I'd definitely be interest in, looking forward to the review!

[Kiwi]

[quote name='JPJ' post='2654' date='May 20 2007, 02:34 AM']Did you try the Alesis 3630? I found this to be the most uncoloured of all compressors I tried, and I'd still have one if I still had a rack to keep it in.[/quote]

Hi Kev, no I haven't unfortunately. I do have red/blue compressor settings built into my MPXG2 which sound OK but still don't quite hit the spot. A little too clumsy sounding. Hopefully Dave's going to finish the compressor off soon, I'm really looking forward to trying it.

[MoJ]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='2436' date='May 19 2007, 08:52 PM']The Trace Elliot dual band compressor is the best I've tried so far but I still don't want to use it in my rig because the tone still isn't right.[/quote]

Have to say Ive just nabbed me a TE dual band compressor(well,its actually Trace Acoustic but for all intence and purposes its the same thing)and Im loving it.I havent noticed any coluration of the tone or lack of it.Having modded my Ric to BEAD tunning Ive not noticed any low end roll off either.
Just my 2p on that...
I assume(and hope) Crazykiwi that you'll be posting a review of the DHA compressor?Just nabbed me a VT2 and I want more now Compressor would be perfect

Martin,if you can find a TE dual band compressor (Ebay's a good shot) Id say try it as Ive found it to be really sublte,yet I can just tell its there on really high settings.I tend not to do that personally though.
Like JPJ,I wanted something to keep the levels in order so as not to clip my amp yet still get the best signal to noise ratio possible.


Andy

[Toasted]

Yes, I always use compression. Much like a crutch!

[Rich]

I recently got hold of an old TE dual comp pedal too, and it's just as good as I remember it being on my old SMX head. Marvellous thing.
Incidentally, for anyone who hasn't read it, I can recommend [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=337"]BOD2's excellent sticky on the whole subject of compression and limiting and so on[/url].

[OldGit]

[quote name='JPJ' post='2654' date='May 20 2007, 02:34 AM']Did you try the Alesis 3630? I found this to be the most uncoloured of all compressors I tried, and I'd still have one if I still had a rack to keep it in.[/quote]

60 squid new from [url="http://www.millennium-music.co.uk/home/products.pl?ProductCode=AL0008&mode=detail"]Here[/url]

[MoJ]

[quote name='MoJ' post='2667' date='May 20 2007, 03:06 AM']I havent noticed any coluration of the tone or lack of it.Having modded my Ric to BEAD tunning Ive not noticed any low end roll off either.[/quote]

Scartch that.I decided to take it out of my signal chain today(the TE compressor)at band practice and I noticed this flood of bottom end come back.
Hmmm...
Shame,as it really is great at doing its primary job.You cant hear it doing it(except when I play higher up the neck where strangely things get ultra loud and it seems to keep that in check),which is perfect,but I can tell on my heads input display that its compressing every thing.However,it does seem to lose the main part of any bass tone,the [i]bass[/i] feqeuncies.

Looks like Ill be looking into something else.
Andy

[JPJ]

[quote name='OldGit' post='3751' date='May 21 2007, 04:04 PM']60 squid new from [url="http://www.millennium-music.co.uk/home/products.pl?ProductCode=AL0008&mode=detail"]Here[/url][/quote]

Wow, now that is a bargain that may be just too hard to resist!

[Toasted]

Cheap indeed.

[King of Loss]

Why do people use compression? Is it really necessary? I would look into buying one if I could see the point in getting it for live use.....I can see why studios use them, obviously, but live?

[Toasted]

[quote name='King of Loss' post='9139' date='May 30 2007, 01:04 PM']Why do people use compression? Is it really necessary? I would look into buying one if I could see the point in getting it for live use.....I can see why studios use them, obviously, but live?[/quote]

It evens things out, ergo you sound like you're playing better

[Hamster]

[quote name='King of Loss' post='9139' date='May 30 2007, 12:04 PM']Why do people use compression? Is it really necessary? I would look into buying one if I could see the point in getting it for live use.....I can see why studios use them, obviously, but live?[/quote]

It all depends on what sound you want for each song. IIRC Billy Sheehan uses a lot compression and raves about his twin Ashly Audio SC 50 Compressors (which I think are out of production?)

Hamster

[OldGit]

I've been using compression as a normal thing for 5 years or so.. Changing things around a bit and now my amp doesn't have it but I'm getting a BOSS GT6B floor thing with more brains than me ... and that has a cuouple of compressor things built in.

Does anyone know if it is a good compressor in the GT6B or should I continue to try t'bay for a TE twin floor doodah?
Cheers
OG

[The Funk]

[quote name='King of Loss' post='9139' date='May 30 2007, 01:04 PM']Why do people use compression? Is it really necessary? I would look into buying one if I could see the point in getting it for live use.....I can see why studios use them, obviously, but live?[/quote]

I've recently started using a compressor in my gig rig. With different settings, it's good for different things.

- I use the limiter on my DI out to help the engineer get a good signal at the desk.
- I use the compressor for my 2 x 10 cab to get some extra punch.
- On different settings, I use the compressor for my 2 x 10 cab to get a more even sound (for ballads and the like). Here your bass can sound as smooth as on a studio recording.
- I use the compressor in general to make sure that there isn't a big leap in volume when I switch from fingerstyle to slap.

So different people will use compressors for different things in different situations. You should definitely try a decent one out to see what they could do for your sound.

I use a Drawmer DL241 btw. Lovely piece of kit. Would have loved a valve compressor but this one works great. Drawmer also do a valve model which I haven't been lucky enough to try out (Tubestation).

[steve]

I used to use a Compactor, which never did it for me,

I have a Akai Hexacomp, which I don't use because I just want to set and forget, instead of having to work with all the sliders.

I do use an Art Levelar tube comp, which does it for me, at the end of my signal chain

[alexclaber]

Having tried both extensively, I'd recommend avoiding compression live except as a specific effect. It's all too easy to end up beating your bass to death because it isn't getting louder like it ought to. Conversely if you're in a very guitar-centric band then it may help the overall mix because guitar, especially when distorted, has much more limited dynamic range than other instruments so it keeps the two instruments more in step. My band is very dynamic and thus the guitarist is having to work on opening up his dynamic range by judicious effects choices and minimising the use of compressed multi-FX patches, in the hope of keeping up with the rest of us when we're playing loud without being too loud when we're playing quietly.

I wish I could go without compression for recordings but it's impossible to make a radio-friendly mix without a lot of compression on the band, and that's best achieved by multiple stages of slight compression rather than squishing the final mix heavily. I won't be tracking with compression though, it'll be applied in the mix and then I expect to use multiband compression on the master.

Alex

[The Funk]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='11923' date='Jun 4 2007, 04:48 PM']Having tried both extensively, I'd recommend avoiding compression live except as a specific effect. It's all too easy to end up beating your bass to death because it isn't getting louder like it ought to.[/quote]

That's where the 'Bypass' button comes in handy.

It [i]can[/i] eliminate all the hard work you've done over the years to get your phrasing right but I still think they have their uses, especially the Limiter function.

Edited June 4, 2007 by The Funk

[BigBassBob]

I use an EBS multicomp... it's the best pedal I've tried without going into rackmounted territory.

I only use mild compression mostly just because it evens out the dynamics of your playing which for VERY fast fills or runs is a life saver. It also evens out slap and general adds what is universaly known as "punch" to your sound. Notes seem to hit you harder and just... sound a bit phatter if you get me.

Hope this helps

[fleamail]

Compressor is one of the most musical effects out there. It is very usefull to even out your playing in the entire fingerboard. I always have it on in songs where I play in higher octaves.

But I never record with pedal compressors because there are those studio comps that are much better!

I play with the [url="http://www.jampedals.com/Dyna-ssoR1.htm"]dynassor[/url] made by jampedals. It is handmade, truebypass and doesn't colour your signal at all!