Spectracomp vs Multicomp

[Graham]

I'm planning on getting a compressor pedal, and the two in the running are a (new) TC Spectracomp or a (used) EBS Multicomp.

I used to have a Multicomp, so familiar with that pedal, which is a great piece of kit, but I'm leaning towards the Spectracomp as it's nice to try new things and the TC has three bands of compression to the EBS's two.

Anyone have experience of both of these before I pull the trigger?

[itu]

No, I just mess things up and introduce you to the Hypergravity. If you want to tweak a week first and maybe then get a decent sound... but live sound adjusting possibilities are far better than with Spectre. Sorry, Spectra.

[Graham]

I've not seen the Hypergravity before - is it essentially a Spectracomp with more knobs?

[Dood]

1 minute ago, Graham said:

I've not seen the Hypergravity before - is it essentially a Spectracomp with more knobs?

Yes when you get in to the TC editor, though I'd need to see if the presets the are available "do bass" specifically. It's been a while since I've looked. Chiming in on the OP, well I've owned all three and although the EBS is very, very good, the TC's tweaks (three band operation, bledjble clean single, adjustable crossover etc etc etc) just makes it practically unbeatable. Out of which TC you like best? Well the HyperG does have more knobs and thus more control - but, what is seriously cool is that you can assign whatever parameter you want to those knobs. You can even set up the Spectracomp's single knob to do multiple tasks as the knob is advanced. I even  set up HyperG as an EQ pedal! The EBS sadly can't do that! 

[EBS_freak]

But but but... white multi comp.

[Helbass]

To mess things up a little more, go directly for a TC Spectradrive, you'll have a Spectracomp and more.

If you want more compression and/or if you want to add colour to your sound then go for TC without hesitation.

TC have very good and nice gears but I can't explain why, I prefer EBS. I've tried the Spectracomp but I'm sticking with EBS, the compression sounds more natural to my ears, less... compressed, as if there is no compression.

(I like the limited white MC but Japan is a bit far away for me)

[Graham]

Looking at the Spectradrive, it looks good, but not really what I'm after as I'm already running a EBS Microbass II straight to the PA for my core tone.

 

4 hours ago, Dood said:

Yes when you get in to the TC editor, though I'd need to see if the presets the are available "do bass" specifically. It's been a while since I've looked. Chiming in on the OP, well I've owned all three and although the EBS is very, very good, the TC's tweaks (three band operation, bledjble clean single, adjustable crossover etc etc etc) just makes it practically unbeatable. Out of which TC you like best? Well the HyperG does have more knobs and thus more control - but, what is seriously cool is that you can assign whatever parameter you want to those knobs. You can even set up the Spectracomp's single knob to do multiple tasks as the knob is advanced. I even  set up HyperG as an EQ pedal! The EBS sadly can't do that! 

I really enjoyed your review of the Spectracomp, which is one of the things nudging me down that route, I like the idea of more control than a single knob but I'd definetly want a bass friendly setting, it was interesting that most of the artists on the TC page and reviewers on the Andertons page were guitarists

[burno70]

I've had both although sold off the Multi-comp long before getting the Spectracomp so couldn't do a side by side comparison.

I would say though that the Spectracomp is the better pedal - I don't bother with the editor as there are plenty of cracking toneprints on there that cover just about anything you would normally want a comp to do  -  and it does it really well. I sold my Empess compressor and got the Spectracomp and didn't miss the Empress one bit.

Both great pedals but Spectracomp would be my choice - more versatile - and so easy to use.

[Helbass]

The only thing with the Spectracomp is that the level goes high when you switch it on.

Of course, that's not a problem if you leave it always on and you can set it with the Toneprint thing.

I'm pretty sure you won't regret the Spectracomp : small, simple (or complex if you want it to) and efficient.

EBS has this je-ne-sais-quoi that I love but TC is more versatile and you can't go wrong with it.

[dannybuoy]

The stock Spectracomp preset does indeed boost the volume slightly, but you can adjust the level via the app, or find another preset that's closer to unity gain. Me, I just leave it stock and don't worry about the boost as it's always on.

Hyper Gravity if you don't mind tweaking tons of parameters to find your setting, and want the hands on control of multiple knobs. Spectracomp if you want an easy life and tons of dedicated bass presets, and don't mind having just the one knob!

Edited March 15, 2019 by dannybuoy

[Quatschmacher]

On 14/03/2019 at 20:56, dannybuoy said:

The stock Spectracomp preset does indeed boost the volume slightly, but you can adjust the level via the app, or find another preset that's closer to unity gain. Me, I just leave it stock and don't worry about the boost as it's always on.

Hyper Gravity if you don't mind tweaking tons of parameters to find your setting, and want the hands on control of multiple knobs. Spectracomp if you want an easy life and tons of dedicated bass presets, and don't mind having just the one knob!

I’ve gone through my whole life having just one knob and it’s served me well…maybe could’ve been a bit bigger though.

I might end up giving the Spectracomp another go as it’d be useful to run compression into the Future Impact for more even response. 

Edited March 21, 2019 by Quatschmacher

[JohnDaBass]

On 14/03/2019 at 20:56, dannybuoy said:

The stock Spectracomp preset does indeed boost the volume slightly, but you can adjust the level via the app, or find another preset that's closer to unity gain. Me, I just leave it stock and don't worry about the boost as it's always on.

+1 

Likewise my Spectracomp is an "always on" effect so the small boost in volume is balanced out with gain adjustments in the Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe DI.

Great bit of kit, stock profile and one knob! "Simples!"

[Graham]

Cheers guys, it'll be an always on effect for me, so a volume jump won't be an issue.

I've just pulled the trigger on a Spectracomp, I should have it Monday 😀

[Graham]

In the hour and twenty minutes since buying it, I've had five emails and a text message from GAK......I think this might be communication overkill

[lee650]

Thread resurrection!!!

I'm thinking of getting a spectracomp! What toneprints are you gentleman using?

Cheers

[dannybuoy]

The stock one. Tried them all and came full circle!

[Al Krow]

12 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

The stock one. Tried them all and came full circle!

Works really well for me too.

Except, following, dB's recommendation I didn't try them all, I just went straight to the 'right' answer 😁

[JohnDaBass]

36 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

The stock one. Tried them all and came full circle!

+1 For the stock Tone print. I have not tried all the Tone prints on offer but the ones I did try, IMO there was nothing really better than the stock.

[Al Krow]

On 21/03/2019 at 23:56, Quatschmacher said:

I might end up giving the Spectracomp another go as it’d be useful to run compression into the Future Impact for more even response. 

That's exactly how I've got mine set up on my board. 

And it makes a really +ve difference (perhaps more so) to the 'quackiness' / responsiveness of my filters. 

Put a Thumpinator before the Spectracomp to remove the low end 'crud' that the comp is having to deal with, so that it can just focus on the part of the f-spectrum you want to use and you have IMO a hard to beat 'always-on' hpf / comp set up at the start of your signal chain. And at a combined cost of less than many of the posher compressors by themselves. 

@lee650 as a fellow BB1025 lover, definitely happy to recommend the above set up to you, buddy; your ears will love you for it!

[Quatschmacher]

 I used the Nik West one. 

[Owen]

I think I use CompressLess TonePrints by Melvin Lee Davis

[cblues]

Once again this needs to be shared....I have painstakingly done this for quite a few of the tone prints, but this is supremo..As I discovered, if you peruse this most excellent chart, you will see a lot of the 'artist' toneprints are identical, or near identical to other toneprints.
A wealth of information is gleaned off these charts to understand why they sound different.
I find most of these unusable..for instance the Captain East..extremely high ratio, very fast attack and quite fast release.
Thanks again whoever painstakingly made this chart! A huge effort!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hXzZJpWvOxw16SE5acvy5FKGmN83VQFdqRyJwLLHJ4c/edit#gid=0

[RedVee]

I have both but I prefer the Spectracomp for its features, but the Multi-Comp Studio Edition gives better old school compressed tone from the off.

[Dood]

1 hour ago, cblues said:

Once again this needs to be shared....I have painstakingly done this for quite a few of the tone prints, but this is supremo..As I discovered, if you peruse this most excellent chart, you will see a lot of the 'artist' toneprints are identical, or near identical to other toneprints.
A wealth of information is gleaned off these charts to understand why they sound different.
I find most of these unusable..for instance the Captain East..extremely high ratio, very fast attack and quite fast release.
Thanks again whoever painstakingly made this chart! A huge effort!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hXzZJpWvOxw16SE5acvy5FKGmN83VQFdqRyJwLLHJ4c/edit#gid=0

All I can say is:

 

Woohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! 🤩 Whoever created this went to a lot of effort!

[Defo]

Multicomp colours the sound - in a good way IMO - but some will prefer something more transparent, I have a Multicomp and  a SuperSymmetry to give me both options.