fretmeister Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 After some youtube recommendations I've gone down a rabbit hole of dirty / driven compressors. Like the JHS Pulp & Peel or Fairfield Accountant and that sort of thing. They get really quite dirty and are the total opposite of transparent compression. Other than those 2, what else is there? I think I'd like to try something like that. The mini size of the Accountant would be perfect for me, but I'd like to know about alternatives. Cheap or expensive recommendations welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 I think some of the spectracomp toneprints are fairly dirty, and you can make your own through the editor which has more tweakability than basically anything else out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 17 Author Share Posted June 17 I had assumed the Spectracomp was all super clean! With the amount of compressors I have owned I'm amazed I still haven't tried it. I'll put it on the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 11 minutes ago, fretmeister said: I had assumed the Spectracomp was all super clean! With the amount of compressors I have owned I'm amazed I still haven't tried it. I'll put it on the list. Yeah same, I tried it on a whim and it's my fave. Worth a go for 50 sovs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 Check out the Aguilar DB599 on Youtube, it`s not super driven but adds a nice amount of "extra" if that makes sense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 (edited) EHX Black Finger, the big tube version, is an amazing tube driven optical compressor, that can get quite dirty, not least because you can actually overdrive the input tube by turning up the input gain, everything from clean, to mild saturation, to on the verge of breakup, to full blown low gain tube overdrive (I actually use it with quite minimal compression dialed in, it basically never kicks in, practically as a tube preamp stage). And its 2 preamp tubes runs at proper high 300V plate voltage. Even if I, as said, really use it more so as a tube preamp stage than an actual compressor, it adds a lovely subtle color of tube warmth and harmonic richness to my tone. And even if, the way I have it set, that the optical compression circuit never actually really kicks in, it still does add a subtle natural tube compression, sort of rounding off the tone of the attack ever so slightly, but without actually making the attack any less prominent, or any less punchy or snappy, sounding like it is just sort of rounding off, rather than cutting off, the outmost very tip of the highest frequency content of the spikes, in a very dynamic and musical way (I realize this technically speaking is probably nonsense, but that is what it sounds like to me). My "magic tone sauce" pedal #1. However it has been discontinued for a while, but is not too uncommon to find used at reasonable prices. Edited June 18 by Baloney Balderdash 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 Digitech Bass Squeeze is everything but transparent. There are a few more in www.ovnilab.com If Spectra feels too "simple", HyperGravity offers four adjustments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 (edited) 17 hours ago, itu said: If Spectra feels too "simple", HyperGravity offers four adjustments. I wouldn't exactly call the Spectracomp simple. Quite on the contrary, using the Toneprint editor, which is the whole point with this pedal, it got to be one of, if not the most, advanced pedal based compressor on the market. You basically get a full set of compression parameters (and by full I mean basically every single possible parameter associated with compression, including knee degree) for each of the 3 bands, which crossover points can also be set, including a clean blend for each of those 3 bands respectively. But yes, due to it's single physical knob (which though can be assigned to any paremeter, up to 3 at the same time, however, in whatever range and direction, you want) it would definitely be a set and forget type of pedal, more so than the HyperGravity (basically the exact same guts and algorithms, just with additional physical controls). Edited June 18 by Baloney Balderdash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said: I wouldn't exactly call the Spectracomp simple. Neither do I. I do own two HGs, and one mini (3 knobs), and have programmed them a lot. Now I am happy with the sounds and all the options the knobs deliver. HG's knobs have up to three adjustments each, too. By the way, clean blend is worthless with these units. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 Empress Bass Compressor - the newer, smaller ones - have a great dirt/mid-rangey grind switch. Truly a glorious tone. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 27 Author Share Posted June 27 I bought The Accountant. I am liking it very much. It's a bit too dirty when played alone at home but when playing along with CDs it's lovely. I just need a band to try it out properly! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldwinbass Posted June 28 Share Posted June 28 15 hours ago, fretmeister said: I bought The Accountant Excellent choice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 28 Author Share Posted June 28 I might have to have 2 compressors on my board now. My regular BC-1X and the Accountant as an actual effect rather than a utility tool. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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