Compression poll do you use it?

[Marvin]

I use compression sometimes, and sometimes I don't. I use it for the a little subtle addition to tone not to take anything away.


[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1447424858' post='2907582']
Lots of pro players seems to use a degree of compression all the time (Marcus Miller, Tony Levin to name a couple of examples). Perhaps they need to sort out their technique... what do you think?
[/quote]

It is a quandary as to why so many big name bass players use compression. You would have thought, given they've got all their time to devote to just playing, they'd have practised enough to have exemplary technique

[BottomE]

This is a post for someone who doesn't use it live but does when recording

[ras52]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1447583362' post='2908606']
I use compression sometimes, and sometimes I don't. I use it for the a little subtle addition to tone not to take anything away.




It is a quandary as to why so many big name bass players use compression. You would have thought, given they've got all their time to devote to just playing, they'd have practised enough to have exemplary technique
[/quote]

Maybe their technique doesn't extend to shaping the dynamic envelope of a note after the initial attack

Edited November 15, 2015 by ras52

[Leonard Smalls]

It seems that there is a popular mis-conception that compression removes the ability to play more quieterer or more loudererer.
It can do that. But it depends entirely on the settings you use!
It can be very subtle - perhaps just increasing the attack of a note a tiny bit and smoothing out the sustain, or maybe compressing a small number of frequencies to make it sit better in a mix, or as I sometimes use it, to make just about every note have effectively the same level in order to trigger an envelope follower to give the appropriate Bootsy sound.
What a compressor doesn't do is make a bad player good, or take away the ability of a player to play subtly. Some cheap compressors, often those built into amps, are very poor though and give little control and as a result are probably best not used!
But using a compressor is no worse than using eq, or is it somehow cheating not to have all eqs flat?,
Like just about everything bass-related, it's optional; it doesn't make you a better or worse person if you don't use it, and if you don't feel the need to that's fine!

[cheddatom]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1447421860' post='2907549']
Personally, I think you should be able to not use it and sound good..
[/quote]

Yes, I agree. I like to think that I can. I also like to use compression most of the time

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1447421860' post='2907549']
A common situation for it would be to even out those higher notes that might disappear but I'd be
inclined to EQ that in and compensate in my general playing sound.
[/quote]

A compressor really shouldn't be used to even out the volume differences between different notes. Unless you're talking about a multiband compressor, it wouldn't be influenced by which notes you're playing.

[51m0n]

JTUK, a question for you...

Say you want your notes to have more attack on a song, but you dont want the output to be louder.

Now on the next track in the set list you want the attack to be less overt, but you want to be just as loud as before.

Using just your hands, how do you do that??? If you play with more attakck you will get more volume, more input means more output. You could try turning the volume on the bass down a bit and playing harder but thats not a very precise solution.

For me and all other compressor users who know how to set up a fully featured compressor, thats as simple as using a compressor to change the ratio of transient to sustain in the envelope of every note played at the required volume. Done using a compressor, because thats what the tool is for. Slow attack, medium release, 3:1 ratio, threshold set so you get the right tonality, make up gain to bring the level back. Easy. It wont effect my dynamics at all, since its not going to be squashing anything very hard, and the natural attack of the note isnt being compressed.

Some sounds you can't actually recreate without very liberal use of compression (Sledgehammer for instance) other times you can get a sound that better suits your requirements by using a compressor. Its not relying on the device to 'fix' some deficiancy, its all about getting the sound you want with tools that are available. Thats all - for me any way

[clauster]

I have a compressor. I like it and use it, but I could live without it and sometimes do.

[Low End Bee]

Yes. There's one on my TC amp. I Just fiddled around with all the knobs to get the sound I liked. I have it on about 3. Not a thought out decision. It just suits the band sound and the way I play. If the knob said flux capacitor and sounded good at a certain setting I'd have it on too.
If I go DI with the sansamp I don't feel I need one as it does seem to add compression with the drive anyway.

[EliasMooseblaster]

Simple answer is "no," but to clarify that: I don't use any dedicated compression circuits. As BigRedX has rightly pointed out, playing through a valve amp will provide a certain amount of compression that I don't normally think about. And whilst my Tubescreamer and Big Muff are only kicked in for specific parts of the set, they will obviously squish the sound further.

As for the studio, it's a similar story - seeing as I don't put a (dedicated) compressor into my chain normally, I figure my best bet is to give the engineer the sound I'd normally go for and let him/her do as they will with it. Most of the studios Cherry White have used blended a DI signal with a mic on the cab anyway, so I saw no need to complicate things further at my end!

[BrunoBass]

I've flirted on and off with compression for years. I think I've finally realised that I can live without it. When I joined my current band I gave it another go, thinking it might even out the sound but I find that using my overdrive pedal on a very low drive setting gives me the even sound I wanted. Maybe I wasn't using / understanding it properly but I have neither the time nor inclination for endless tweaking and fiddling. So my compressor is off the pedalboard and on eBay.

[jazzyvee]

No, I tried it a couple of times and didn't like what it did for my sound. Now I control it all with my fingers, volume up and play with a light touch.

[Twincam]

I understand compression in its simplest terms and what it does.

Personally I think a bass sound should have a little bit of natural valve compression. I don't use much if any compression if using a valve amp if solid state I might add some, many ss amps these days have some compression automatically built in.

[brensabre79]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1447421860' post='2907549']
Hmm..so you couldn't play without it...herein lies the argument that some might say it is a crutch..??

[/quote]

Nope, I never said I couldn't play without it, not that it's relevant whether I can play or not. I do prefer to use it though, for a variety of reasons I've already described badly.
A compressor can't do anything at all without some input, so without any attack from your fingers a compressor isn't going to magic some pick attack out of thin air etc. I'll squeeze out the rest of the slightly flippant responses and get to the point.

My (admittedly long) post was aimed at those who believe that compression just sucks the life out of their sound. Compression can do an incredible amount of stuff, including squeezing the life out of your sound, but like anything in this world it needs to be used in the right way. Otherwise it's like turning all the amp knobs to eleven and saying that amps are rubbish because they just distort everything and feed back all the time.

Hey, if you don't like it, don't use it. But every sound engineer (live or studio) you ever meet will probably disagree with you, or just not tell you you're being compressed (probably with a Behringher) out front.

[51m0n]

Anytime you play through a decent pa live if the engineer has time to soundcheck you will be compressed if you are playing anything but the most acoustic jazz

If there is bass in the monitors then that will probably be compressed and definitely limited too.

Every time you record the bass will be compressed, usually several times in fact, for different reasons and to achieve different results.

[GarethFlatlands]

Used to have a BYOC Optical compressor on my board all the time until I had to take whatever I could carry in a gig bag to practice (car issues) and left it at home. Honestly preferred the sound without it, although I am a very meat and potatoes bassist, no slap, no journeys to the dusty on of the board, no 'out there' effects etc so it's not something I find essential compared to other more adventurous players.

I'll probably put it back on now the car is back up and running (don't leave your headlights on overnight kids!) but run the compression at a much lower level just to keep me under control when I start really whacking the strings.

[Chienmortbb]

[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1448230362' post='2913879']
I've flirted on and off with compression for years. I think I've finally realised that I can live without it. When I joined my current band I gave it another go, thinking it might even out the sound but I find that using my overdrive pedal on a very low drive setting gives me the even sound I wanted. Maybe I wasn't using / understanding it properly but I have neither the time nor inclination for endless tweaking and fiddling. So my compressor is off the pedalboard and on eBay.
[/quote]Overdrive, fuzz etc all act as crude compressors when used sparingly. It seems that you are using your Overdrive that way

[Skol303]

[size=4]Bass is an instrument that [i]really[/i] benefits from compression… so in my opinion you should all be using it! [/size]

[size=4]The confusion around compression typically stems from it being perceived as something that “squashes all of the subtlety and dynamics” out of a sound - or that it’s some kind of “cheat” that compensates for poor technique (“for me it’s all in the fingers”, etc). Both of which are missing the point.[/size]

[size=4]Fact is, an electric bass is capable of throwing out a very wide range of frequencies with widely differing ‘energies’, or volumes. A compressor - if correctly used - helps to even out the signal level so that each note played by the bassist has a similar ‘volume’. This helps each note to be heard and enables the bass to sit better in the mix.[/size]

[size=4]Used correctly, compression is a very creative and musical tool. It can be subtle and virtually unnoticeable - allowing plenty of room for dynamics and expression. Or it can be aggressive, pummelling the sound into all sorts of cool distortion.[/size]

[size=4]I’d wager that nearly every recorded bass that we love listening to has had compression applied to it (almost certainly if it’s been recorded in a studio). It’s really not some kind of artificial ‘performance enhancer’ - it’s a necessity for achieving a great bass tone, IMO.[/size]

[size=4]Me, I always record my bass dry (without any effects) and then apply compression afterwards. I don’t currently play live, but if I did I’d probably prefer to invest in my own compressor (not one of those 'one knob' pedals; a proper one with variable attack/release/ratio, etc) [/size]or have a friendly chat with the sound tech to get it set right during the warm up. Either way, I’d want compression on my bass. Period.

[Dad3353]

This. ^^^^ All of the above applies equally well to drums, which benefit from well-used compression whenever we're above the purely acoustic use. In the same way, when recording, I track 'dry', then compress using context as a guide. Live, the FOH engi will do the same, on each channel as required. It changes nothing in the way I play, all dynamics are retained (and drums can be [i]very [/i]dynamic..!); it simply enables the venue to get the best benefit from the instrument. It's a no-brainer, really; that's why it's so prevalent.

[JTUK]

All my advanced amp modules...which are pretty good in context, don't survive in a band situation.
And there is always a compressor in there.

Never have a problem with an engr using it... but I don't at source.

[SH73]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1448883005' post='2918766']
[size=4]Bass is an instrument that [i]really[/i] benefits from compression… so in my opinion you should all be using it! [/size]


[size=4]The confusion around compression typically stems from it being perceived as something that “squashes all of the subtlety and dynamics” out of a sound - or that it’s some kind of “cheat” that compensates for poor technique (“for me it’s all in the fingers”, etc). Both of which are missing the point.[/size]

[size=4]Fact is, an electric bass is capable of throwing out a very wide range of frequencies with widely differing ‘energies’, or volumes. A compressor - if correctly used - helps to even out the signal level so that each note played by the bassist has a similar ‘volume’. This helps each note to be heard and enables the bass to sit better in the mix.[/size]

[size=4]Used correctly, compression is a very creative and musical tool. It can be subtle and virtually unnoticeable - allowing plenty of room for dynamics and expression. Or it can be aggressive, pummelling the sound into all sorts of cool distortion.[/size]

[size=4]I’d wager that nearly every recorded bass that we love listening to has had compression applied to it (almost certainly if it’s been recorded in a studio). It’s really not some kind of artificial ‘performance enhancer’ - it’s a necessity for achieving a great bass tone, IMO.[/size]

[size=4]Me, I always record my bass dry (without any effects) and then apply compression afterwards. I don’t currently play live, but if I did I’d probably prefer to invest in my own compressor (not one of those 'one knob' pedals; a proper one with variable attack/release/ratio, etc) [/size]or have a friendly chat with the sound tech to get it set right during the warm up. Either way, I’d want compression on my bass. Period.
[/quote]
I agree. It's nearly impossible to play low and high end notes in fast lines with an even outputhough and post recording the sound can be even out with a little compression.
I am new to this so still experimenting before I buy one.At the moment using Red3 within DAW.

[51m0n]

Simply put, anyone in this thread who dabbles or more in sound engineering is a strong advocate of suitable use of compression.

A lot (though far from all) of the bassists dont like it.

I'd be willing to bet they are struggling to get a pedal comressor to sound like its doing something they like without being able to feel it doing something they don't like.

Which is natural, compressors arent really supposed to be easy to hear

[Lozz196]

Well I now have an Aguilar TLC on the way - my thoughts having changed a bit to, if I`m going to be using compression on our recording I may as well have my bass sounding like said recording, if possible. Probably won`t change it much, as 51m0n says above, just even things out a touch.

[Coilte]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1448883005' post='2918766']
Bass is an instrument that [i]really[/i] benefits from compression… so in my opinion you should all be using it! [/quote]

While I accept that it is up to each individual to decide if compression is for them or not, differing opinions from experts like yourself and the guy in the link below, only goes to show how wide and varied people's views are.

http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/necessary.shtml