What does compression do?

[synaesthesia]

Compression is simply an audio process where an electronic signal's dynamic envelope is altered. The consequence of doing this is that your signal is altered, and the audible consequences are appropriate or inappropriate depending on your situation. It has no bearing on technique, or lack thereof. The world's best players have been compressed, and several players have also performed or recorded without compression or limiting. Compression cannot improve your playing or tone, and using compression does not mean you have no finger technique.

Compression can be used to tame audio spikes, passages or instruments that would otherwise jump out or overwhelm other sounds going on. If you want to hear compression on electric bass, check out Dee Murray on Elton John's "Teacher I need You" (don't shoot me album), or Macca on "You never give me your Money" (Abbey Road). There are passages where you have clear distinct compressed bass notes.

The tonal and dynamic balance is perhaps more critical in a recording. Having said that most pop records are limited or normalised (i.e. compressed enough to make the audio as close to 0dB as possible without distortion). This has an effect on the overall audio's perceived loudness and has little to do with compressing an isolated tone, e.g. the bass notes in the examples mentioned.

In a live situation, if you are after a specific tonal effect of compression, or if you vary your playing a lot with slapping/popping and fingerstyle diferent passages of tunes such that your overall level is wildly fluctuating, you might consider a compressor in your chain. Otherwise, in live playing, if all you do is play fingerstyle fast or slow, and you do not need to alter your signal envelope, there is not much point in having a compressor in your chain. It can make your notes, tone, sound very indistinct on stage. 99% of the electric basses in the world will hold a wholenote and a tie at 50bpm,- compression will not improve your ability to play a whole note tied over two bars, or for that matter a half note or your ability to choke a 16th note. Sustain is a notion too often misapplied to the electric bass guitar, and sustenance via compression for bass is like squeezing a beef sandwich into a meat pattie. Live, the FOH could limit your DI signal and a good PA will have some limiting to protect the amps, speakers etc. If you need limiting on your backline and it is not an audio envelope effect you consciously want, you are either playing too loud, don't have adequate PA support or have a gear mismatch in your setup.

Edited June 29, 2008 by synaesthesia

[charic]

Very well worded, hats off to you sir.

I'd also like to point out here that a lot of people on this thread are considering compression as something for taming louder parts to make it the same level as the quieter. This isnt always the case.

Compression brings out the fullness of a sound (if done tactfully). So if a player has good dynamic style (able to play consistantly anyway) then a compressor may be used to only compress the louder parts of the sound. When the signal is then restored to its original level the quieter and more subtle parts of the bass sound are now more noticeable and usually full.

It may interest some of you to know that valve amps naturally compress signals due to the nature of their construction. The best compressors are usually considered to be valve powered too.

If you want to hear what difference a compressor can make, record a bass drum and leave it uncompressed. Then see what a varying levels of compression can then do to that signal. Programs like audacity are great for this.

Personally I love what compressors can do to a sound in the hands of someone who listens. However give it to an idiot guitarist who'll just turn things up on full and you'll hate compressors forever

[charic]

P.S. Jeremy Kyle is an awesome show and i love laughing at the chavs. FACT

Edited June 30, 2008 by charic

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='229018' date='Jun 29 2008, 02:12 PM']I use a pick and that is it, so not for me then?[/quote]

I use a pick and find my BBE Opto-stomp to works well.
I find my G string can pop out of the mix sometimes, especially up the neck so i now use the above pedal and my tone and volume is a bit more even.
And it helps give me a more finger style sound when i need it. And tames the badly played slap lines.
It also seems to bring out the P tone form my P. giving it a bit more old school sound (IME of course)

I could (and do) play without it but i do notice i get a better sound with it.

Edited June 30, 2008 by dave_bass5