Saturation vs Compressor

[alexa3020]

I’ve ordered a JPTR jive pedal as seen here:  

 

 

It replicates tape saturation & distortion/fuzz. I’m going to run the jive similar to the chap in the video I.e where the signal gets ‘fat’ just before the point of breakup and intend it as an always on pedal.

It seems to me this will be doing a similar job to a compressor. Do you think I’ll be able to lose the compressor or should I use it with a compressor?

I suppose the answer is to try it and see, but I thought I’d ask basschatters for advice anyway

thanks

[Doddy]

Drive pedals are basically compressing the signal so you may be able to get away without using one, but the best thing to do is play around and try it. The pedal will probably react differently with a compressor either in front or behind it, so play around and see what sounds best to you.

[fretmeister]

That looks quite interesting.

I suspect it will be one of those fx that sound a bit farty when played alone, but then sounds perfect in a mix.

[Lozz196]

Agree, a bit like those isolated bass tracks we hear where the bass sounds fairly “meh” on its own but really warm/big/fat in the mix.

[alexa3020]

I thought the Direct recording of the p bass with the jive circuit built in sounded great. I doubt I’ll use it for distortion, just want  it to fatten the sound and get slightly gritty.

funnily enough, it’s just arrived, so I’ll report back if you’re interested.

Check out their business card - looks like it’s  an actual functioning PCB board - pretty cool

 

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by alexa3020

[rmorris]

A 'Drive' pedal is indeed reducing the dynamic range of the signal (Compression). But it doesn't have time based envelope controls ie attack / release times.

So it's arguably more like a Limiter.

The results really depend on how you use your compressor. If it's to maintain a 'solid' level in the mix then it's probably good for that task.

But if you use it to get eighth notes 'pumping' then it probably won't replace the compressor.

[Boodang]

On 08/01/2022 at 16:41, alexa3020 said:

It replicates tape saturation & distortion/fuzz. I’m going to run the jive similar to the chap in the video I.e where the signal gets ‘fat’ just before the point of breakup and intend it as an always on pedal.

It seems to me this will be doing a similar job to a compressor. 

Does this pedal simulate tape saturation or just the saturation of the Akai reel to reel pre amp? An interesting pedal all the same.

I like the idea of simulating tape saturation tho, the nearest I've seen in analogue form is the Neve Design unit but it's a bit expensive to get on a whim.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[alexa3020]

24 minutes ago, Boodang said:

Does this pedal simulate tape saturation or just the saturation of the Akai reel to reel pre amp? An interesting pedal all the same.

I like the idea of simulating tape saturation tho, the nearest I've seen in analogue form is the Neve Design unit but it's a bit expensive to get on a whim.

 

Copied from their website:

Inspired by an old Akai GX 210D reel to reel tape machine from the 1970s, the JIVE - Reel Saturator was made to give you the gooey and warm saturation obtained when pushing the Akai’s pre-amps to the max.

 

https://www.jptrfx.com/dirt-machines/

[alexa3020]

1 hour ago, rmorris said:

A 'Drive' pedal is indeed reducing the dynamic range of the signal (Compression). But it doesn't have time based envelope controls ie attack / release times.

So it's arguably more like a Limiter.

The results really depend on how you use your compressor. If it's to maintain a 'solid' level in the mix then it's probably good for that task.

But if you use it to get eighth notes 'pumping' then it probably won't replace the compressor.

At the moment I just use a compressor to reduce the dynamic range and even out & fatten the sound. So it sounds like this pedal may do that job.

I'm fairly new to compression & have always used the onboard one on my amp - which is a single pot control. That said I do have a compressor & am interested to see if  I can make good use of attack/release controls etc.

[Boodang]

3 hours ago, alexa3020 said:

 

Copied from their website:

Inspired by an old Akai GX 210D reel to reel tape machine from the 1970s, the JIVE - Reel Saturator was made to give you the gooey and warm saturation obtained when pushing the Akai’s pre-amps to the max.

 

https://www.jptrfx.com/dirt-machines/

Yeah, their blurb is still a bit ambiguous. Does that mean it's simulating just the Akai pre-amp or the whole reel unit including the affect of the tape heads as well? I'm guessing by the diode selection switches it's just the pre-amp. 

A bit academic as the proof is in the pudding. But if it's the pre-amp the effect will be more distortion related, whereas with tape heads, up to a point, it will be more compression. 

[alexa3020]

1 hour ago, Boodang said:

Yeah, their blurb is still a bit ambiguous. Does that mean it's simulating just the Akai pre-amp or the whole reel unit including the affect of the tape heads as well? I'm guessing by the diode selection switches it's just the pre-amp. 

A bit academic as the proof is in the pudding. But if it's the pre-amp the effect will be more distortion related, whereas with tape heads, up to a point, it will be more compression. 

Yes, I agree it’s ambiguous. Pedal sounded sweet in that video though. I’ll put it through its paces at practice tomorrow 

[alexa3020]

Had a play with the pedal tonight. I’m cautiously very pleased as It was a really good mix tonight anyway.
It seems to warm and fatten the sound exactly as I expected. What surprised me was how good it made the valve drive sound on the Abm (is that due to gain staging?).

I still preferred to use the compressor to even out the tone

[Downunderwonder]

On 13/01/2022 at 04:14, Jus Lukin said:

Compression is like being able to shrink the bus before it goes in: it's now small enough to fit, but retains all its other properties and proportions.

I don't know that I get along with that analogy too well at all. Your shrinking would be like turning down the volume knob. Automotive analogies, always running out of steam

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Downunderwonder]

Saturation is adding distortion overtones at a higher rate than the undertones.

 

Compression is progressively failing to amplify over the threshold.

 

Turning down the volume is turning down the volume.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Downunderwonder]

Turning down as in physically adjusting the amp knob is what I was meaning.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited April 28, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Downunderwonder]

20 minutes ago, Jus Lukin said:

A compressor is quite literally an automatic volume control.

Everything ok?

[disssa]

The JPTR Jive has nothing in common with the Akai. It is only for marketing. Half of the pedals sold are junk, the other half sound awful.

Edited March 28, 2022 by disssa

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited April 28, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 22/03/2022 at 10:42, Jus Lukin said:

A compressor is quite literally an automatic volume control.

 

Not really.

 

Compressing a signal will effect the transient, sustain and frequency content of it as well.

 

Turning down the volume will just, well, make it quieter.

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash

[Downunderwonder]

46 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

 

Not really.

 

Compressing a signal will effect the transient, sustain and frequency content of it as well.

 

Turning down the volume will just, well, make it quieter.

 

We've been round the bases on that alread. Rehashing it won't do any good.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited April 28, 2022 by Jus Lukin