Compressor

[sshorepunk]

Well, after playing bass for over forty years, I’ve had a compressor on my board for the last few weeks and it’s been something of a revelation for me as I’ve never owned one before

I’ve used compression during recording, but never had a pedal

I might get shot down for this, but I’ve always had what some would call an “old school” belief that it should all come from the fingers and compressors are just there to tidy up, untidy playing!

I've borrowed a TC hypergravity off a guitarist mate and it will have to go back soon, so now thinking about investing!

i was just playing along to Chaka Khan, hello happiness and switched it in, works really well on a line like that! 
 

Tony

[Lozz196]

I think it’s down to what’s needed at the time. I’m currently using a Keeley Bassist, pretty much minimum settings but it works for me, just evening everything out nicely without changing much at all. Whereas in my last band when I tried a compressor it all but destroyed what I was aiming for, so never tried again in that setting.

[Jakester]

*cough cough* decent one in classifieds *cough cough*

[lee650]

1 hour ago, Jakester said:

*cough cough* decent one in classifieds *cough cough*

Actually!! He's right 😁

[Cuzzie]

Welcome to the compression world!

Its never a substitute for poor/good playing, done/set right allows you to keep your dynamics

Allows you to voice and place your instrument at a better level consistently with whatever or whomever else you are playing with, or with not!

[Lozz196]

Agree, if anything it’s helped my playing a great deal. Coming from the punk world I can be a bit (massive understatement) heavy handed, but having the compression seems to reign me in.

[sshorepunk]

11 hours ago, Cuzzie said:

Welcome to the compression world!

Its never a substitute for poor/good playing, done/set right allows you to keep your dynamics

Allows you to voice and place your instrument at a better level consistently with whatever or whomever else you are playing with, or with not!

I like that! That’s very well put! 

[sshorepunk]

12 hours ago, Jakester said:

*cough cough* decent one in classifieds *cough cough*

Oh go on then, that’s a very good price, if you can wait until Friday as I’m just about to buy some monitors for my little studio! 

[sshorepunk]

Still using the borrowed TC compressor

But have a nice big Amazon voucher heading my way from work and most of it is spent already (behringer X-touch control surface) but still some left for a compressor 

MXR, dark glass, boss, pigtronix and Aguilar compressor pedals all available on Amazon, plus a while load of budget boxes

or do I use Amazon pay at GAK for an Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass FET Compressor Pedal?

 

[Quatschmacher]

1 hour ago, sshorepunk said:

Still using the borrowed TC compressor

But have a nice big Amazon voucher heading my way from work and most of it is spent already (behringer X-touch control surface) but still some left for a compressor 

MXR, dark glass, boss, pigtronix and Aguilar compressor pedals all available on Amazon, plus a while load of budget boxes

or do I use Amazon pay at GAK for an Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass FET Compressor Pedal?

 

There’s an excellent compressor in the upcoming Source Audio Ultrawave. It’s a mind-blowing distortion pedal but the compressor can be used alone if desired or as part of a distortion preset. Also, it’s dual channel with a loop so you can have two settings at different points in your chain. I just sold my Spectracomp due to this pedal. 

[Cuzzie]

1 hour ago, sshorepunk said:

Still using the borrowed TC compressor

But have a nice big Amazon voucher heading my way from work and most of it is spent already (behringer X-touch control surface) but still some left for a compressor 

MXR, dark glass, boss, pigtronix and Aguilar compressor pedals all available on Amazon, plus a while load of budget boxes

or do I use Amazon pay at GAK for an Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass FET Compressor Pedal?

 

This all goes on how tweaky you want to become, how do you like your metering if any at all and is really personal.

Decide whether you want on pedal vs computer suite tweaks and how much of each.

What kind of metering if any.

Do some listening on FET vs BUS compressors and what they bring - and of course the Super Symmetry.

Coloration vs transparency 

This will narrow down your selection then shoot!

[fretmeister]

I sold the last of my boutique compressors when I got the Boss BC-1X.

I’m amazed by it. It just works at every setting.  I’ve had Empress, Cali76, Darkglass etc etc and I like the Boss the most.

It eats batteries like a bastard so a power supply is really compulsory but it’s ace.

 

Well worth an audition.

[TimR]

On 23/11/2020 at 18:01, Lozz196 said:

I think it’s down to what’s needed at the time. I’m currently using a Keeley Bassist, pretty much minimum settings but it works for me, just evening everything out nicely without changing much at all. Whereas in my last band when I tried a compressor it all but destroyed what I was aiming for, so never tried again in that setting.

Is it as good as the reviews? Looks like it’s awesome. Came across it yesterday watching YouTube and can’t see anything that remotely touches it. 
 

I’m just looking at the price tag though £200. Although maybe if I wait long enough I’ll grab a 2nd hand bargain. 

[Lozz196]

5 minutes ago, TimR said:

Is it as good as the reviews? Looks like it’s awesome. Came across it yesterday watching YouTube and can’t see anything that remotely touches it. 
 

I’m just looking at the price tag though £200. Although maybe if I wait long enough I’ll grab a 2nd hand bargain. 

It is good, I’d say the easiest to use pedal compressor I’ve had, and probably the best sounding. And you might not have to wait that long for that bargain as I’m going to be offloading mine. 

Why, if it’s so good, I hear you ask. Well both my amps have on-board compression and as I both only use a slight touch of compression this will do, plus i’ve just bought a high-pass filter pedal so need the room on my pedalboard.  And I really don’t want to become a pedal-monster so it’s 3 max in Lozz-Land.

[TimR]

@Lozz196 I have onboard compression on my Warwick amp but I think the knob only  adjusts the ratio and the gain sets the threshold. Would be nice to have more control. Please let me know if you’re  planning on selling. 

[dannybuoy]

On 24/12/2020 at 08:25, sshorepunk said:

Still using the borrowed TC compressor

But have a nice big Amazon voucher heading my way from work and most of it is spent already (behringer X-touch control surface) but still some left for a compressor 

MXR, dark glass, boss, pigtronix and Aguilar compressor pedals all available on Amazon, plus a while load of budget boxes

or do I use Amazon pay at GAK for an Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass FET Compressor Pedal?

 

I had the Cali, then I upgraded to the TC Spectracomp and pocketed the difference! Multi-band compression is where it’s at if you have any kind of high mids / treble in your tone IMHO.

Hyper Gravity is the same comp with more knobs, but the Spectracomp is dialled in for bass and comes with a bunch of bass presets... although it is possible to map these to the Hyper Gravity using the settings that someone dumped into a spreadsheet!

[Lozz196]

3 hours ago, TimR said:

@Lozz196 I have onboard compression on my Warwick amp but I think the knob only  adjusts the ratio and the gain sets the threshold. Would be nice to have more control. Please let me know if you’re  planning on selling. 

Def going to sell, Tim, I’ll take a couple of pics tomorrow in better light and send them over.

[Quatschmacher]

42 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

I had the Cali, then I upgraded to the TC Spectracomp and pocketed the difference! Multi-band compression is where it’s at if you have any kind of high mids / treble in your tone IMHO.

Hyper Gravity is the same comp with more knobs, but the Spectracomp is dialled in for bass and comes with a bunch of bass presets... although it is possible to map these to the Hyper Gravity using the settings that someone dumped into a spreadsheet!

Where is this spreadsheet? I'd certainly love to copy the settings from my favourite Spectracomp preset.

[sshorepunk]

Thanks for the input! 

[sshorepunk]

I've got a Spectracomp on the way, should be here tomorrow

Not easy to find, most places out of stock

 

Tony

[Downunderwonder]

I am partial to Trace Eliot's dual scheme that can hold down the low wobbles as much as you like while leaving the mids and highs alone, or bring in the high band as you please.

It's so good they carried it through to the new Transit-B at the cost of a much bigger pedal than it would have been without.

[sshorepunk]

Tried some time prints last night, most were very loud 

 

[dannybuoy]

I liked the stock one the best after going through them. I don’t find the volume boost a problem as I leave it always on and I prefer the sound of my drive pedals with a bit of boost into them anyway. You can always adjust the master volume via the app.

[Baloney Balderdash]

The TC Electronic SpectraComp is an amazing compressor, but when that is said I liked non of the pre-made templates and artist toneprints, so at first I kind of just had it lying on a shelf, that is until I decided to give it a second chance and delved deep down into the Toneprint editor and discovered how detailed you can customize you compression with this, now I absolutely love it and couldn't imagine my pedal setup without it.

So with a little basic knowledge about how compression work, a good amount of patience, trial and error, listening carefully to the result of your tweaking and readjusting accordingly, and not least the Toneprint editor that makes it all possible, you can get the compressor to act almost however you want it to.

Do yourself a favor and do it, you won't regret spending the time needed.

The 3 band crossover, parallel clean blend and the detailed customizeable compression parameter for each of those 3 bands really allow for some thorough detailed customization. 

The compression I have dialed in enhance the punch and snap of my tone beautifully but while largely leaving my playing dynamics intact, just smoothing out the upper most edgy spikes off it slightly, overall really enhancing my tone.

Edited January 15, 2021 by Baloney Balderdash

[sshorepunk]

4 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

The TC Electronic SpectraComp is an amazing compressor, but when that is said I liked non of the pre-made templates and artist toneprints, so at first I kind of just had it lying on a shelf, that is until I decided to give it a second chance and delved deep down into the Toneprint editor and discovered how detailed you can customize you compression with this, now I absolutely love it and couldn't imagine my pedal setup without it.

So with a little basic knowledge about how compression work, a good amount of patience, trial and error, listening carefully to the result of your tweaking and readjusting accordingly, and not least the Toneprint editor that makes it all possible, you can get the compressor to act almost however you want it to.

Do yourself a favor and do it, you won't regret spending the time needed.

The 3 band crossover, parallel clean blend and the detailed customizeable compression parameter for each of those 3 bands really allow for some thorough detailed customization. 

The compression I have dialed in enhance the punch and snap of my tone beautifully but while largely leaving my playing dynamics intact, just smoothing out the upper most edgy spikes off it slightly, overall really enhancing my tone.

That’s the plan for the weekend

didn’t have much time when I first plugged it in!