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Rack compressor


nottswarwick
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Rack compressors are the canine undercarriage, there are very very very few pedal compressor that come close to the ease of use, metering and flexibility of a full featured rack compressor.

I run a Focusrite Compounder, and I love it, its set up to be generally very transparent, but the limiter is set such that if I get too agressive with something it just holds the transient at bay a tad, so I can get that lovely compressed leading edge to a heavily accented pop, but all the time I'm playing it is adding a little beef, and smoothing everything out, glueing me into a mix nicely.

At the same time it certainly has no detrimental affects on dymanics, I can play as quite as a mouse when I want to. This whole thing about compressors removing your ability to be dynamic is utter tosh, you never hear anyone saying a big tube amp prevents them playing with dynamics and its doing the same thing when you run it into driving. What is true is that people are used to using compressor pedals with no or utterly inadequate metering, and so over compress the nuts out of their signal - ie they can hear it clearly at work, and then wonder why its harder to play any louder than they are.

[url="http://blog.basschat.co.uk/setting-up-a-compressor/"]You could do worse than reading my blog on setting up a compressor[/url] but the blog seems to be down right now :rolleyes: ...

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='Jus Lukin' timestamp='1377182162' post='2184450']
I was keeping an eye out for the same thing a while back, to fill the gap where my wireless used to sit! I can't be much help, but for the fact that it was hard to find anything with the right output to run straight into an amp- at least not for reasonable money, anyway.

Things may well have changed since I last looked, so I'll be watching this thread too.
[/quote]

By the right output to run into an amp do you mean simply the output level being too high as it is at nominal line level ? If so can you not just turn down the output /make up gain ?

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I scored a dbx 166A for sixty quid from the Bay - VERY pleased with it - I think the general method is to have it plumbed into your FX loop. Most rack comps won't accept a direct line from a bass. There is useful info on rack (and other) compressors here:

[url="http://www.ovnilab.com/reviews/toppicks.shtml"]http://www.ovnilab.c.../toppicks.shtml[/url]

if you want to buy new, the latest Alesis 3632 is well-regarded and can be got for around a ton:

[url="http://www.ovnilab.com/reviews/3632.shtml"]http://www.ovnilab.c...iews/3632.shtml[/url]

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I had the DBX 160 for a while but couldn't get on with it ... way too many knobs, buttons, options and functions for me.

If I could have 51m0n as my personal roadie then I think I'd like what a rack compressor could do for me, but life's too short for me to start learning what he already knows. :rolleyes:

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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1378196328' post='2196769']
...way too many knobs, buttons, options and functions for me.
[/quote]

Some rack comps are very easy to use... for example the Behringer Autocom Series have the option of signal-dependent automatic attack and release, leaving you just the threshold and ratio to deal with... which are set and forget, basically. It's not like you're constantly changing comp settings once you find what works best for you. :)

[url="http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/MDX1600.aspx"]http://www.behringer...ts/MDX1600.aspx[/url]

And the Behringer comps are VERY affordable. I had the 1600MDX for a while and it worked really well.

[url="http://www.ovnilab.com/reviews/behrmdx1600.shtml"]http://www.ovnilab.c...hrmdx1600.shtml[/url]

I picked mine up from the Bay for under thirty quid posted! :)

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