Using an external compressor/noise gate

[DrBike]

I've got a question about where to put my compressor/noise gate in the "chain"

I've got an old Alesis 3630 which is basically 2 compressor/limiter/noise gates together in one rack mount unit and I decided to try using it to see if I could improve the sound.

My question is should I put it between my bass and amp (bass -> effect > amp) or link it via the effect send/return in the amp (bass -> amp -> effect -> amp)

At the moment I'm using the 2nd option and it's sounding pretty good but it occured to me that it may not be the "correct" way to do things.

[ikay]

General wisdom is to put a compressor as the first thing in the effects signal chain. If it accepts an instrument level input then this can be before the amp (and before any other effects). If it needs a line level input then run it from the effects loop as you're already doing. I run a DBX160A from the series effects loop of my amp. That's a general guideline anyway, as with most things there are no hard and fast rules. You can probably do the exact reverse and still get a decent result!

Edited April 19, 2012 by ikay

[51m0n]

First, last, in the middle, depends what you need to achieve.

Compression first to fatten things up before the effects, limiting last to catch any nasty peaks exacerbated by any fx running is another option.

I run mine in the fx loop of my rig (it only accepts line level signals), and all my fx are pedals go in fornt of the amp after the bass.

Works perfectly.

[paul_5]

My dBx 1066 runs after the FX but before the pre, seems to work for me.

[DrBike]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1334846381' post='1622282']
Compression first to fatten things up before the effects, limiting last to catch any nasty peaks exacerbated by any fx running is another option.
[/quote]
Aha - I think that I've got mine set up the other way around (limiter then compressor). I'll switch things around. In fact cos of the way the flexibility of the Alesis unit I could go

bass -> compressor -> amp input -> limiter (via effect send/return) -> amp

Thanks for the responses - they've been most helpful.

[51m0n]

If you limit first you are knocking the transient peaks off before you hit any other fx.

This may be exactly what you want, but it may not....

[DrBike]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1334857961' post='1622539']
If you limit first you are knocking the transient peaks off before you hit any other fx.

This may be exactly what you want, but it may not....
[/quote]

Some experimentation is in order I think