Mark_Bass Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 I’ve got a darkglass super symmetry compressor into my Mesa d800+ amp, and ive noticed that when the pedal is on there is a noticeable amount of hiss coming from the output, switch it off and it’s gone. Is this normal for compressor pedals to be a bit hissy? You don’t notice it when I’m playing ( at least with the band) my settings are ( the pedal doesn’t have any ratios or numbers on it) blend @ 100 input @ 9pm compression @ 11pm release @ 0 attack @ 10pm output@ 2pm ( volume matched to when the pedal is switched off) Thanks for any advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moley6knipe Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 (edited) I would say: try increasing the input and reducing the output, still aiming to get the same volume between engaged and not engaged. Attack at 0 - so I guess that means “off”, right? That’s fast 😁 Try easing it off a little. Finally; yeah some compressors hiss. Some don’t. Google “ovnilab” - the best bass compressor resource on the web! Edited March 15, 2020 by moley6knipe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickD Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 Both of mine hiss a bit. I'd always just assumed it was just the price you paid for the squishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 It could be that the compressor is amplifying noise that’s already there in your signal chain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_Bass Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 Thanks, I’ll have a tweak! See if there’s any improvement :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 Have you tried it with a different amp to see if it does the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 All compressors raise the noise floor. That is what they are for! They increase the lower volume elements and limit the louder elements. If your usual rig has a tiny bit of hiss you cannot usually hear then a compressor will make it louder. If your rig has noticeable hiss then it's going to get more noticeable. The very best compressors don't have any hiss of their own, but the normal action of a compressor will ALWAYS increase any hiss that exists elsewhere in the signal chain. So the secret is trying to remove hiss from all the other gear in the chain. And turn down / off any tweeters you have if your cab allows it. Placement can help - if you put a compressor after a load of vintage FX then it's going to be noisy even with a studio grade compressor. Putting it right after the bass in the chain can be quieter but if you have envelope filters etc then it can limit them. Compression junkies like Billy Sheehan run several compressors in different places in the chain to get the compression they need with minimal noise increase. I've tried that and it works well. My ThorpyFX Fat General is the quietest pedal compressor I've found so far (even more than the Cali76) but I've also got a very quiet chain before it - EMG loaded bass and a remarkably quiet Source Audio Spectrum Filter. Then it goes into the noisy over drive stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defo Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Just had a play with mine to see, no hiss....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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