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TC Electronic Hyper Gravity Compressor


sk8
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Having been a massive fan of my Nova Dynamics pedal - triple band compression w/ blend (Parallel compression) I have to say I'm pretty excited by the spec of this pedal. Especially as the limitation of the Nova Dynamics being that you could adjust the specific multi-band parameters. It looks like you can with this one using TonePrint editor.

I just 'statused' Morten from TC on FB to say I want one :)

Maybe we can review one in Guitar Interactive Magazine too. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/248043-doods-100-online-video-reviews/"]http://basschat.co.u...-video-reviews/[/url]

Edited by dood
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[quote name='sk8' timestamp='1442936488' post='2870757']
Yep. Be interesting to see if any bass tone prints appear
[/quote]

It will work with the TonePrint editor, so I'm not too fussed if presets didn't appear as I'd set up what I need myself!

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  • 4 weeks later...

It's here!!!! I have one!!!

Within two hours of early 'trying out' I have to say that it is absolutely astounding. I've got lots to tell even though I have only just scratched the surface of what it can do. In all honesty, yes, out of the box it appears to have a guitar-like focus, but still works fine on bass. BUT!!!! You MUST get the TonePrint editor, as the pedal can be turned in to an absolute monster!

There's no point trying to explain what it sounds like unless we're all talking about the exact same settings and parameters, but it is very clean with tons of headroom. The manual says that the pedal will accept up to line level signals as well as instrument, so it will go in an effects loop happily too.

Things I have found already:

Every parameter of the triple band compressor is editable.

All of the knobs on the outside of the pedal can be reconfigured to do what YOU want them to be. For example, the Sustain nob could be the threshold control for both the Treble and Mid compressors and the level knob the level for just the low end!

It's possible to split up the attack and release for each band.

If you are the kind of person who sets the compressor then tapes up all the knobs so the settings don't change, well, you won't need gaffer tape. It appears I can unassign the controls to lock them to a setting!

You can set how much parameter a knob controls. You can even make it go the wrong way if you're a bit of an 1176 fan!

The compressor can be set to 'very subtle' OR absolutely ridiculous amounts of boost!

Saving patches in to your own library is a doddle.

HyperGravity's manual explains the simple stuff, but you'll need to understand how compressors work to get the full thrill from this thing! Right now, I've got a patch that is making the pedal behave like a cranked SVT power amp! Very exciting!

The pedal can do true or buffered by pass and you can decide which you prefer.

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[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1446311240' post='2898536']
I think I want one - just to play with the editor!

And I recently got a Super Symmetry as well! Oh well, my compression collection will grow again!
[/quote]

I spent over two hours last night just messing with the editor! It's brilliant. I have come up with a whole bunch of TonePrints that I've saved to A/B with my gear. Dare I say it, I've found a clever way to add heft back in to your bass sound without use turning up the bass control.

I think it is safe to say that TC Nova Dynamics has been shunted off my board and Hyper Gravity is taking over parallel compression duties!

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[quote name='Matfromsound' timestamp='1446509636' post='2899995']
Just ordered mine, can't wait to tinker with parameters, as a sound engineer I'm used to having fine tuning available for everything so this is a dream
[/quote]

I'm yet to find another compressor pedal on the market that gives you this much access to parameters. Not even multi-effects pedals double the cost. It's a small detail, but I really like that TC have made it possible for the pedal to happily run all the way up to line level too.

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[quote name='dood' timestamp='1446563961' post='2900335']
I'm yet to find another compressor pedal on the market that gives you this much access to parameters. Not even multi-effects pedals double the cost. It's a small detail, but I really like that TC have made it possible for the pedal to happily run all the way up to line level too.
[/quote]

how is it for noise? i've heard reports of delay changing setting when turning the knobs which shouldn't be a major issue when I've found the right settings just as long as the latency when processing is not noticeable

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[quote name='Matfromsound' timestamp='1446583193' post='2900636']
how is it for noise? i've heard reports of delay changing setting when turning the knobs which shouldn't be a major issue when I've found the right settings just as long as the latency when processing is not noticeable
[/quote]

There is a small delay in changing the knobs on certain settings, but this is to be expected as the controls don't pass any signal, only control the DSP side of things. (Thus it's possible to assign the knobs to do any job other than that of their label! - or indeed multiple parameters stacked on one knob!)

Well, with any compressor, if you crank the levels high enough, of course it will pick up noise. What makes this pedal a bit different I feel is the fact that you can boost the signal way above that of so many pedals on the market. The TonePrint app suggests gains of 30dB and more! So, yes, be warned, you can induce noise, but it's not the fault of the pedal in my view. Normal settings, if the pedal is configured properly I found it to be very well behaved indeed.

Ahhh, no, no noticeable latency playing bass through it that I can tell so far, but I don't have testing gear to get those figures for you (yet).

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Assigning multiple parameters to 1 knob is a favourite trick of the Toneprint editor.

I discovered it could be done when Soren Andersen did a Flashback and Hall of Fame toneprint video. So he could have 3 tone prints in 1. All parameters (except volume) changed by just the 1 knob so ZERO has 1 tone, 12 o clock another, and full up had a third.

Very cool!

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I've literally just had a tinker with it for about 20min, the possibility of assigning multiple parameters to a single knob is very cool! Tried turning one knob to create a brighter or darker sounding compression setting depending one which way you turn with some success. Has anyone come up with a nice leave on all the time setting yet?

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[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1446658232' post='2901270']
Assigning multiple parameters to 1 knob is a favourite trick of the Toneprint editor.

I discovered it could be done when Soren Andersen did a Flashback and Hall of Fame toneprint video. So he could have 3 tone prints in 1. All parameters (except volume) changed by just the 1 knob so ZERO has 1 tone, 12 o clock another, and full up had a third.

Very cool!
[/quote]

Yes yes!! I tried it too on the HG. A true '1 knob compressor' that actually does what it should do!

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  • 6 years later...

I was going start a new chat but then found this one.  I thought it might help others if I posted how I’d got my Hypergravity working.

 

I’d bought the pedal after trying it out at Anderton’s with the “ Beauty and the Beast “ toneprint by Rudy Sarzo, which at the time I bought the pedal was the only bass specific one.

 

 Once I had the pedal I tried it with the Rudy one and also built one in the Toneprint editor that a bassist was using in their Spectracomp and had posted in Talk Bass.  (Incidentally I found the editor ok to use with my rudimentary knowledge of compression). I preferred the Rudy one, so decided to work with it.

 

 The 1st step was to set all the knobs centrally. I started with my main bass ( a G&L L2000 Tribute) and style of playing (finger). I found I needed a bit more of the compressed sound so turned the blend knob to about 2pm - that’s the gold sticker in the photo.

 

 Then I moved to my other bass: a Sire V7 fretless.  The pick ups aren’t as hot as the G&L, so I’m using the level to balance the volume between  instruments. The manual (once I found it) explains the interaction between level and blend, so I used that info with my ears to back off on the amount of compressed signal in the output. The white stickers are the result.

 

 Then back to the G&L for slap (the red stickers) and pick ( the blue ones).  The blue sticker for the blend knob is turned all the way clockwise, so no dry signal when I’m using the pick. These took more time to set up, perhaps because I’m not particularly good at either of them, don’t play them frequently and needed to move more of the knobs.  But it was worth it, particularly for pick playing, which now sounds like a bass played with a pick rather than a horrible muddy mush.

 

Unless there is a coloured sticker the knobs are at the 12 o’clock position.  So for the G&L finger style all knobs are at 12 o’clock other then the blend.

 

 I’m really impressed with the compressor.

 

 Hopefully this is helpful to someone.

 

EFF9ADE1-1964-44D0-9CA3-530AA03B90A6.jpeg

Edited by Simon C
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