shoulderpet Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) I haven't owned a compressor in eons but the place my band rehearses in has an Ashdown rm-500-evo ii and whilst the general tone of that amp is a little wooly for my tastes the compressor on that amp is a game changer for me, last rehearsal I had the compressor maxed and whilst it might have sounded a bit squashed on its own as soon as the rest of the band started playing my bass tone was really punchy and the more staccato bass parts sounded fantastic, there is literally only the one knob for the compression but whatever preset settings they used sound great Probably worth noting though is that I didnt have the input section of the amp turned up that high and it was not going into the red but still high enough that the compressor was triggered with whatever I played I know a lot of people say that you should not be able to hear compression, is there anyone else here who finds they like a lot of compression? Edited March 22, 2022 by shoulderpet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I've joined a rock band and it means I have to play some songs with a pick. I've just bought a multi effects pedal, as my pick playing is a bit uneven and I'm hoping the compressor on that will smooth it out. Of course I could just get better at playing with a pick? Nah.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I love using a ton of it. Really squashed, massive sustain similar to using overdrive on a guitar amp. It's not a sound suitable for everything, but I do like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldwinbass Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 10 hours ago, fretmeister said: I love using a ton of it. Really squashed, massive sustain similar to using overdrive on a guitar amp. Seconded - I'm currently using two compressors, one straight into the other! Lush 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I used to really like using lots of compression as an effect. I didn't know what I was doing but I just turned the knobs until I got the biggest, punchiest sound I could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 On 22/03/2022 at 10:27, gjones said: I've joined a rock band and it means I have to play some songs with a pick. I've just bought a multi effects pedal, as my pick playing is a bit uneven and I'm hoping the compressor on that will smooth it out. Of course I could just get better at playing with a pick? Nah.... In that type of situation it's not just a case of smoothing it out. By setting the attack/release parameters appropriately you can make a compressor 'pump' deliberately to eg increase the transient clarity of your eighth note lines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 On 22/03/2022 at 10:05, shoulderpet said: I haven't owned a compressor in eons but the place my band rehearses in has an Ashdown rm-500-evo ii and whilst the general tone of that amp is a little wooly for my tastes the compressor on that amp is a game changer for me, last rehearsal I had the compressor maxed and whilst it might have sounded a bit squashed on its own as soon as the rest of the band started playing my bass tone was really punchy and the more staccato bass parts sounded fantastic, there is literally only the one knob for the compression but whatever preset settings they used sound great Probably worth noting though is that I didnt have the input section of the amp turned up that high and it was not going into the red but still high enough that the compressor was triggered with whatever I played I know a lot of people say that you should not be able to hear compression, is there anyone else here who finds they like a lot of compression? That’s interesting and I can’t recall if I liked the onboard compressor on my Rm800 The Compressor on the ABM600 which I guess is the same works but it sounds like it 1: drops the amp volume slightly and 2: removes some of the top end. I would love to us it but I found it more restrictive than a benefit Ive now got the Ampeg Opto Compressor but I’m not sure if using it is helping anything ( I play rock in a band ) I understand what Compressors do but I also find that I’m using it more as an amp limiter so my VU input isn’t pounding into the red when loudest notes are struck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 Sounds like it was acting more like a limiter than a compressor. I always use a limiter but with quite a high threshold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoulderpet Posted March 24, 2022 Author Share Posted March 24, 2022 Anyone have any experience of this pedal? For just under £25.00 it has to be worth a try SubZero Swollen Thumb Bass Compressor Pedal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osiris Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 I've been all around the houses several times with compressors and have in the passed used them set over the top, more as an effect, but back in a dad rock/sensible end of the metal spectrum band many years ago it was just the thing required when underpinning a pair of Marshaled up guitarists. These days I use much less compression but I always have some going on, more as a feel thing than an obvious effect, as my bass sound just doesn't feel right or sit where I want it in the mix without any compression whatsoever. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 6 hours ago, Osiris said: I've been all around the houses several times with compressors and have in the passed used them set over the top, more as an effect, but back in a dad rock/sensible end of the metal spectrum band many years ago it was just the thing required when underpinning a pair of Marshaled up guitarists. These days I use much less compression but I always have some going on, more as a feel thing than an obvious effect, as my bass sound just doesn't feel right or sit where I want it in the mix without any compression whatsoever. It's really a question of context - useful to bear in mind that any bass guitar you hear on a recording has almost certainly been compressed in some way. Similar with any signal going to PA via FOH desk. It's sometimes better to leave this stuff to the 'SoundGuy/Gal' who is listening to it in context. Also to reflect on studio experience and what was done there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osiris Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 As you say, it's about context. My band are weekend warriors, we carry our own PA and do our own sound. And while we all have enough knowledge and experience between us (150+ years collectively) to get what we think is a great, well balanced, and not stupidly loud sound from the PA, none of us are qualified sound engineers. But between us we've picked up a few useful tips and tricks over the years from performing and recording, with 2 of the band members having worked at professional levels. So what works for me in the context of my band is having my bass signal hitting the desk as ready to go as I can make it e.g. EQ'd to fit in with the other instruments, a touch of compression and HPF and that's pretty much it. That allows me to control my sound, including the compression, so that it's giving me what I want with little, if any, additional processing added by anyone else. We use a digital desk so the levels are saved and the PA usually only then needs to be tweaked to the room. But I appreciate that this approach won't work for everyone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 I've been using a comp for ages to just even things out rather than address any technique issues, I'm not heavy handed and can be as dynamic as I need to be with my right hand where appropriate. I rarely use a pick but have been more so recently just to get a certain attack when using drive pedals for a more pronounced tone as opposed to what I can get finger style and the comp has helped with that in it's own way, a bit crisper on the top end and a nice punchy tone toon. I have been messing with adding more compression then I normally did and I think it's due to picking up a new to me pedal (DG Hyper Luminal) which has different controls to my last unit. It's been fun trying out some different sounds and on some tunes having the clean blend at set to 'all compressed tone' does add something different. I guess being used to a certain sound then hearing something new/different is pleasing. I'm enjoying listening to the differences in tones and figuring out what works best for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicoMcJ Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 Yep, I love a smooth sound when playing live so I have a posh multiband compressor at the start of my signal path and the built-in, way more basic, compressor in my amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moley6knipe Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 I’m an always on, fairly heavyish comp user. HPF into a Keeley Bassist for me: only 4:1 but triggering on most notes most of the time, really helps the bass sit just right in the mix. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 Some compressors can't be turned up too high or they suck up and spit out all the unwanted noise. Others don't. Which makes me wonder if they work at all 🤷♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 I'm a multi-band (Parallel) compressor kinda guy. I like to hear a bit of compression as an effect, but maintain the fullness and clarity of my original bass signal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 On 28/03/2022 at 18:42, Dood said: I'm a multi-band (Parallel) compressor kinda guy. I like to hear a bit of compression as an effect, but maintain the fullness and clarity of my original bass signal. I think this is the way to go - you can massively compress and then blend back in the uncompressed signal - gives you liveliness *and* punch. Some compressors have a blend knob. Blend - also good with overdrive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 (edited) 47 minutes ago, bloke_zero said: I think this is the way to go - you can massively compress and then blend back in the uncompressed signal - gives you liveliness *and* punch. Some compressors have a blend knob. Blend - also good with overdrive! Yes! Exactly! - I tend not to limit my bass signal at this point in my signal chain, so the clean blend allows the transients to come through, but rather I use my compression to lift the quieter content (from a multi-band point of view) up in level. It really does work well with overdrive too! I've always been a fan of riding that edge of drive to make an instrument sound a bit more gritty without going in to full distortion. Parallel compression helps me to do that, but I can still make it bite if I dig in. My other favourite setting is a band-pass style distortion which I would describe as a more "bow on double bass strings" type sound, a very smooth distortion that is also possible using really high compression settings but blending that direct signal in to both the compression and the drive. In this case, I may turn the treble down on the clean signal too, because some settings tend to sound like two separate instruments rather than one cohesive sound. Then there's the option of some cheeky bus compression at the end of the chain set to "glue" mode ha ha! Edited March 31, 2022 by Dood 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combed20 Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 On 24/03/2022 at 16:45, shoulderpet said: Anyone have any experience of this pedal? For just under £25.00 it has to be worth a try SubZero Swollen Thumb Bass Compressor Pedal Did you try this pedal? Any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoulderpet Posted August 27, 2022 Author Share Posted August 27, 2022 On 24/08/2022 at 18:02, Combed20 said: Did you try this pedal? Any good? No but thanks for reminding me, I must give it a try 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Muktiband parallel compression chap If you didn't know you wouldn't think it was even on, until you turn it off in the mix. Use it to control the transients and also add some thump. It's subtle, and not so subtle, depending on what I'm playing at the time. Best of all worlds really 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloke_zero Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 Not many pedals for multiband though? There is an old Akai hexacomp but not parallel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 4 hours ago, bloke_zero said: Not many pedals for multiband though? There is an old Akai hexacomp but not parallel. Becos Twain is the most full featured compressor I've found for complex routing options Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 4 hours ago, bloke_zero said: Not many pedals for multiband though? There is an old Akai hexacomp but not parallel. Becos Twain is the most full featured compressor I've found for complex routing options Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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