Who uses a compressor? - Kevin Dean's definitive poll

[Cuzzie]

@Al Krow so if you try to use a compressor and fail to find it useful, does that put you in an elite group or an outcast group?

 

BTW nearly every respondent had some form of compression applied to their signal happily live or in studio, and that includes other pedals or amps that compress, so actually nearly all people are using a compressor are they not?

[Al Krow]

16 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

@Al Krow so if you try to use a compressor and fail to find it useful, does that put you in an elite group or an outcast group?

BTW nearly every respondent had some form of compression applied to their signal happily live or in studio, and that includes other pedals or amps that compress, so actually nearly all people are using a compressor are they not?

Haha good question.

I think the number of respondents who think that the benefit of compression is simply to even out tone / correct for bad technique is pretty low.

There are plenty of bass players who have played for 30 years and not used one or feel the need for one.

It's obviously possible to be an excellent bass player and not find compression particularly useful - there are several on this forum who fall into that category.

But if there are 55 out of 60 bassists in the UK and a further 293 out of 420 bassists in the US who are regularly gigging in a band and find compression useful, it seems to me churlish to not give the thing a go.

[Cuzzie]

And if you in those that use a dirt pedal, a tube amp, and let FOH guy compress their signal, and use compression on recording, i think you are in high 90’s with percentage, upright bassists chimed in giving the thumbs up to compression.

The poll asked who used a compressor, not a dedicated compression pedal alone and nothing else that compresses your signal.......

 

Those 30 year players have been compressing all along

[BigRedX]

On 5/25/2018 at 19:48, Cuzzie said:

Don’t like the category questions!

Not sure the significance of gigging or bedroom

should we also break it down into 3 piece band vs 52 piece orchestra.

What about studio bassist?

Everyones opinion is valid evidently

Should it not just be compressor yes or no

Every studio recording with the possible exception of the most basic of home demos will be compressing the bass at some point, whether or not the bassist in question has compressor in their personal signal chain.

Also every bass player's sound will be subject to some form of compression if:

1. They have one or more valves in their signal chain.

2. They use an effect or amplifier with a "drive" control.

3. Their bass sound also goes through the PA.

[Cuzzie]

@BigRedX exactly my point across a number of these compression Merry-go-rounds which makes the poll and the topic null and void really on Compression vs no compression

[Al Krow]

28 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Every studio recording with the possible exception of the most basic of home demos will be compressing the bass at some point, whether or not the bassist in question has compressor in their personal signal chain.

Also every bass player's sound will be subject to some form of compression if:

1. They have one or more valves in their signal chain.

2. They use an effect or amplifier with a "drive" control.

3. Their bass sound also goes through the PA.

 

22 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

@BigRedX exactly my point across a number of these compression Merry-go-rounds which makes the poll and the topic null and void really on Compression vs no compression

Well come on boys, don't over egg it.

Unless you're being overly legalistic, most folk will (rightly) understand the poll to be do you use a dedicated compressor pedal or not? 

And the majority of bass players are not using valves in their chain and still go through backline rather than FRFR for most "average" gigs. This Q is entirely relevant for them.

[Kevin Dean]

I wonder how many named players use it & don't know it because their bass bass tech deals with it , I know of one .

[Cuzzie]

@Al Krow Not over egged

These guys 30 years ago would have been using tube amps and prob still are, or up until recently maybe.

Anything going FOH - compressed.

 

Re - comment on Backlines - why not start a poll about what is the most common backline rig guys play, but  opinion only those with no FOH support and don’t use any form of pedals at all, just bass to amp. Once you have the info you can look at what amps are used and how they work, what their circuit does to the signal, is there any in built compression, then you can give us the percentage of people with absolutely no compression at all whatsoever and you will have your answer.

But that is probably an exercise in futility as you will know the answer, it will be a minuscule proportion. If the prime goal of the thread is to create a poll to decide whether or not to use a compressor you have bought based on what the majority of people say, you have to ask yourself, if the result was reversed and more people did not use a ‘dedicated compressor pedal’ what would you have done with yours?

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, Cuzzie said:

If the prime goal of the thread is to create a poll to decide whether or not to use a compressor you have bought based on what the majority of people say, you have to ask yourself, if the result was reversed and more people did not use a ‘dedicated compressor pedal’ what would you have done with yours?

Aha, getting into Krow psychoanalysis! 

But trying to give an honest answer to your Q: if the poll results (particularly from the circa 550 so far on TB)  had been the other way around and let's say 80% of gigging bass players said that they didn't use comps (particularly if they had tried them out) then I would have likely have been much less willing to persevere with a comp / give up on it much sooner, if I found it wasn't adding much. There can be a wisdom in crowds. I guess it's why we have democracy. 

But equally when I feel something works well I'm pretty loyal - maybe why despite multiple onslaughts, my MarkBass combo has survived 4 years in the Krow household (although whether it sees out the next few months will be interesting!) and my Sandberg TM4 didn't depart for pastures new until last week...

[dave_bass5]

21 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

So that's another very convincing vote in favour methinks. And I'd better start making use of the thing that @dave_bass5 flogged me!

 

Well if you haven't used it yet, you dont need it ;-)

[Al Krow]

20 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Well if you haven't used it yet, you don't need it ;-)

Mate, the only thing I need bass wise is a half decent bass and amp, a decent cab and a lead. Total cost (second hand) £600 to £750? Less than the cost (new) of my Ibby SR1800, in fact.

Oh yes an excellent band with top notch vocalists.

And 3 to 4 hours of covers songs in my head, which I need to be able to play well.

Job done  

How's life in the fast lane treating you?

 

[Skol303]

[Al Krow]

13 minutes ago, Skol303 said:

You do do the best gifs! Although tbf, half the time I have no idea of their significance! 

[Skol303]

Just now, Al Krow said:

You do do the best gifs! Although tbf, half the time I have no idea of their significance! 

Haha! ...it's me saying "I'm not commenting on this one; just sitting back and enjoying the show"

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, Skol303 said:

Haha! ...it's me saying "I'm not commenting on this one; just sitting back and enjoying the show"

Ok that makes complete sense, now. I shall sleep easy.

[Jack]

On 27/05/2018 at 16:19, Al Krow said:

Wow - this is really interesting and not at all what I was expecting.

After 55 votes just 5 are not fans of compressors! That's a pretty overwhelming vote in favour of comps.

Obviously it's a relatively tiny sample of BCers so far and it could well be that folk who don't use compressors are more likely not to frequent the 'effects' thread and may not have seen / or be interested in this particular poll...

Basschat is tiny percentage of bass players. By default there's a self-selection bias as only a certain type of bass player will bother to seek out an online community and then actively participate.

And you're right, only some of the members will frequent 'effects' and only some of those will click on a comp thread.

 

 

Related story. The PhDs and postdocs in my uni would regularly send out emails and such to get other students to be participants in their research. I used to respond to these ads frequently because it was better than doing my own work so I once found myself in a very small, very warm office having my penis measured as part of a penis size study. After the measurement phase we all received further emails saying that we had been duped and the study wasn't about penis size at all, would we consent to our measurements being used for another purpose? That purpose? The study was actually on self-selection bias. The theory was, if people volunteered for the study then only proud men would volunteer and, as a result, the study's 'average' would be significantly higher than the actual average.

 

Somewhere out there there's an unemployed psychology graduate who never got their next grant and it's all my fault for blowing their theory out of the water.

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, Jack said:

Basschat is tiny percentage of bass players. By default there's a self-selection bias as only a certain type of bass player will bother to seek out an online community and then actively participate.

And you're right, only some of the members will frequent 'effects' and only some of those will click on a comp thread.

Much larger sample from our sister forum in the US - 625 responses so far.

And to be fair we could say that bass players on the two forums are generally more into their "sound" than your typical bass player (with plenty of exceptions both ways, I know).

Do you use a compressor?

1.      I'm in a band and typically use a compressor for at least part of our sets 

357 vote(s) 57.1%

2.      I'm in a band but compression is not my thing

141 vote(s) 22.6%

3.      I (or my sound guy) only use compressors in the recording studio

37 vote(s) 5.9%

4.      As a "bedroom" only bassist, I still find compressors useful

79 vote(s) 12.6%

5.      As a "bedroom" only bassist I don't see any point in compression

11 vote(s) 1.8%