Lockdown has largely proved to be a time of learning for me.
The latest subject has been the often maligned bass compressor. I have acquired a Markbass (valve) Compressore, a Behringer limiter, and a Behringer Compressor, to add to my Joyo and the various digital offerings on my multi pedals.
The Behringers are interesting. I can dial in so much compression that the effect is clearly audible (not always the case with compressors). This in turn has allowed me to play with the controls and put in to practice all I've been learning.
Observations: It's very easy to overload the Behringer pedals and they then clip with a percussive 'blat' noise at the start of the note. Tame this, and it actually becomes useful, if not always desirable. It lends the bass a blunt punch, not unlike a sixties soul bass. Solid and rhythmic.
The Markbass allows me to dig deeper as it has more controls. All the reading I've done pays off here. An understanding of the interactions between settings is slowly dawning.
The biggest revelation has been discovering a compression which is fairly strong and yet doesn't kill the openness within the sound.
I have also found, contrary to my opening post, that the compression is actually much more useful placed before the envelope filter rather than after it.
It enables a better defined, almost restrained funky sound which again is more rhythmic and percussive. No a compressor does not make me a better player, but it helps me get closer to the sound I'm after.
Think I might buy another one!