Compression with Synths?

[Mr.T]

Over the past few years, I have owned and sold several 'multis' (Line6, GT6b) and have always found that the synths and octavers dropped in and out.
I am now in the process of setting up my new Korg AX300b, and although I don't use synths I noticed when messing about at home that I am having the same issue with the Korg.

Then I noticed that if I hit the strings really hard (for me) the synths and the envelope filters worked.
Ok, I thought... I must have a very light touch (not something I have ever realised before).

Then I thought...

Would running a compressor (to boost the signal) before synth/octave/envelope effects be a good idea?

[thisnameistaken]

It might help a bit yeah, just to condition the signal a bit, make it more predictable, but those sorts of effects tend to perform badly when given a rapidly decaying source to work with (a guitar, for example. ) and any gains you make will likely be marginal.

Get an eBow!

Edited November 15, 2008 by thisnameistaken

[Kev]

running a comp before a filter is never a good idea as the filter wont respond to your dynamics. Why not just a clean boost pedal

Edited November 15, 2008 by BassManKev

[Kiwi]

If you're going to use a compressor, its probably a good idea to make sure you don't use extreme compression settings. The raised gain will result in a raised noise floor and may create false triggers when you're not actually playing notes.

[Mr.T]

The Line6 and the GT6b get very mixed reviews on their synth sections.
Some people seem to rave about them and others state that they simply don't work
... I fell into the latter category.

Hence, I have been thinking "Is this an input signal level issue?"

(E-Bow... could be interesting?)

[mr.sibs]

the ebow takes a long time to get used to and is not designed for the string spacing on the bass, so you have to hover it, it does sound wicked though

[dr.funk]

[quote name='BassManKev' post='329594' date='Nov 15 2008, 11:12 AM']running a synth before a filter is never a good idea as the filter wont respond to your dynamics. Why not just a clean boost pedal[/quote]

The filter won't really do anything in front of the oscillator though? I have good results running various filters after a synth, providing your synth can reproduce dynamics or you can control it with an LFO.

[Kev]

lol typo, i meant running a compressor!

[Kiwi]

I tend to use compression after the synth pedal to even out any cone-blowing peaks

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='329738' date='Nov 15 2008, 05:31 PM']I tend to use compression after the synth pedal to even out any cone-blowing peaks[/quote]

Yeah I stick a limiter after my filters, but I've been thinking of putting a compressor in my Meatwad's FX loop, right before my OC-2 and Pulse Synth, see if it slows the decay a bit. I'll do a very scientific comparison if someone wants to give me a Compulator.