Ted Theodore Logan, III Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 (edited) I'm hereby calling forth the vast army of opinionated BC know-it-alls from beneath the rocks of which they reside, in the hope that they might be so kind as to share their valued thoughts, impressions and experiences in relation to any and all compression effects units or pedals that they may have used, owned or trialed whilst active in the line of duty and holding the flag for the Low End ... Coming from a long line of Royal ancestry, I have grown accustomed to a certain degree of exclusivity when it comes to Bass Guitar paraphernalia and as a result I have mainly dabbled with higher end compression units and effects pedals. However, in a moment of sporadic whimsy I pondered the notion of acquiring a “affordable" compression unit so that I might experience that which the lower classes do and in a figure of speech, “rub-shoulders" with the common man... Basically, I'm in the market for a cheap-o compression pedal... Preferably low noise, battery/mains (whatever)... I'd possibly.... even .... consider ... Behringer!... Mainly looking for a pedal that'll even out tone during regular finger style playing however a bit of versatility such as attack and compression ratio in the pedal wouldn't go amiss (ya' know, for when when I wanna p*ss off the singer with some heavy popping and slapping!!) Any and all views welcomed, appreciated and certainly considered... Thank you for your time Edited November 29, 2019 by Ted Theodore Logan, III because he could... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 I never got on with compressors until I tried multi-band ones. Now I treat it as an essential! The trouble is you need fast attack time to catch the high-mid peaks of an agressive pluck/pop/slap. But that neuters the thump of the lows. Release/ratio/knee/etc settings would probably have different ideal parameters for highs and lows also for someone who knows what they're doing. The Cali Compact Bass has a HPF side chain so that you can filter out the lows from the signal detection, but that doesn't go far enough IMHO. The compressor built into the Tech21 DP3X only affects the low end when running in mix mode. Rather than squash the life out of the signal, it enhances the pop you hear/feel by shaping the volume of each note to let the initial peak through before it clamps down. It's quite an audible effect, but those settings only work well on the low end! The TC Spectracomp has a similar thing going on, but with additional bands to handle separate compression settings for the mids and highs. It only has one knob but an insane number of parameters to tweak under the hood via the app. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 ...one more a** here... www.ovnilab.com My personal experience is that a comp is a lot like a distortion. The instrument and the placement in the signal chain have an effect on the performance. I do have three compressors: Hypergravity multi-band for lo-Z basses, Phat Beam for my hi-Z fretless and Constrictor for effects behaviour. The last one is definitely not transparent. Quite a lot of the performance is also user dependent. Learn, how the unit works and it is your friend. Sound on sound has good tutorials. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_c2 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 I don't use a compressor in the signal chain - mine is very simple, bass --> amp. (BUT read on....) EVERYTHING is, or can be, a compressor. The pre-amp, the power amp, the speaker cone, the PA system, etc etc. You'd need to be fully aware of how loud/quiet you're playing (as in, how light or hard you're hitting the strings etc) and to control it, to avoid the unwanted compression that any piece of equipment might impose, if you wanted to avoid it. You probably want to avoid the PA's active speakers imposing it, for example....but that's someone else's job. Also, an important element of gain/overdrive/distortion IS the compression which is imposed onto the signal too - in a deliberate helpful way. Personally for me, the music I play has massively wide dynamics involved, so I need to be able to have that all come through so compression is not desired. But on a tiny fraction of occasions where I've wanted it, I use a BOSS CS3. Since I don't really use it, I can't really recommend it over others, especially since I haven't tried others (except some distortion/overdrive stuff). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 There's a built-in compressor on my Eden WTDI pedal, which I use sparingly at open mic night. For 'proper' gigs, I use one of these: Ingersoll-Rand IR175. Sorry! I meant one of these: Palmer Bass Deepressor. Really good & solid as a rock! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milford59 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 My opinion on compressors is the same as my opinion on a*sholes .... They are both useful for getting rid of excess volume. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Theodore Logan, III Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 3 hours ago, itu said: www.ovnilab.com Ah, good ol' ovnilab... The website that has never allowed it's dated appearance to overshadow it's enormous wealth of technical specifications and in-depth review... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 If I were playing without gain/drive I’d use a compressor, but the gain/drive from my Para Driver has enough compression of its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Theodore Logan, III Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 4 hours ago, paul_c2 said: But on a tiny fraction of occasions where I've wanted it, I use a BOSS CS3. Since I don't really use it, I can't really recommend it over others Well... If you're not using it... I know a certain bass player that would... Seriously, though, top tips there. Thanks I'm currently relying on finger technique to control dynamics and doing a mighty fine job of it (if I don't say so myself) just feeling like I would like an all around “rounder" sound without the hassle of eq'ing a great deal to fit each venue... Also, should I ever have to go through the pa it's nice to have a bit of compression there if the mixer don't got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Theodore Logan, III Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 4 hours ago, Teebs said: There's a built-in compressor on my Eden WTDI pedal, which I use sparingly at open mic night. For 'proper' gigs, I use one of these: Ingersoll-Rand IR175. Sorry! I meant one of these: Palmer Bass Deepressor. Really good & solid as a rock! Ah... Mr Teebs... ...an opinion that I'm sure holds a wealth of value... Thank you, young sir. I shall endeavour to learn more of this “Palmer Deepressor" in good time... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 5 minutes ago, Ted Theodore Logan, III said: ...an opinion that I'm sure holds a wealth of value... I'm not sure sure about that... The Palmer is excellent though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelDeVille Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 I have one and sometimes it's on and sometimes it's off, I have a pedal too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 (edited) I don’t use it. If FOH want to do it, they’re welcome to. Edited November 29, 2019 by wateroftyne 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 3 hours ago, Lozz196 said: If I were playing without gain/drive I’d use a compressor, but the gain/drive from my Para Driver has enough compression of its own. I used to think I didn't need a compressor either due to always using a Sansamp or similar. But overdrive simply squashes/limits the overall volume, it doesn't have a delayed reaction like a compressor. Like I was describing with my experience of multi-band compression and the DP3X, a compressor can reshape the volume 'envelope' of each incoming note so that rather than squash the attack, it can accentuate it. This graph shows what I mean: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Theodore Logan, III Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 13 hours ago, dannybuoy said: I used to think I didn't need a compressor either due to always using a Sansamp or similar. But overdrive simply squashes/limits the overall volume, it doesn't have a delayed reaction like a compressor. Like I was describing with my experience of multi-band compression and the DP3X, a compressor can reshape the volume 'envelope' of each incoming note so that rather than squash the attack, it can accentuate it. This graph shows what I mean: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 As usual with my opinion, which as Bryan said... Shame I have no empty pool for this pol. So here is my opinion : USELESS, BLOODY, USELESS ! Reminds of something I've heard with lots of compression. 🤔 Waiting for @51m0n to sharp his knife... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 Oh of course, time for the regular biannual basschat compression bunfight, should really put it in my calendar.... Here we go:- Compression used properly doesn't smash your dynamics Compression is a much more subtle effect than preamp side effect compression due to time control of the effect. It's actually more of a transient control. You can't hear transparent compression on its own, hence the transparent... But it is still powerful in the mix. Effects obvious compression will change your dynamic range, cos you're smashing the stinky poo out of the signal... Cheap compressor pedals generally are only useful for heavy effect compression cos you can't tell what they're doing cos they have inadequate metering... There you go 🤩🤘 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Theodore Logan, III Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 C'mon guys, where's the unanimous vote for the Behringer CS400 RRP £17.99?... No love?... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 Joyo dyna comp is OK and reasonably priced. I learned to use compression by playing with the various options on my Zoom B1on. Found it helpful to record myself playing and watch the metering on screen to 'see' what I might not hear. Also there are simple compression models on there and others with multiple options which helped me understand what all the different thingummy bobs do. I didn't honestly 'get' compression until I first learned how to use it and secondly used it in a band setting. That's where it wins. Suddenly I'm more audible and not being moaned at for being too loud. Suddenly I hear myself better on stage. Suddenly my bass is attracting fewer adverse adjectives like boomy, muddy and painful. One day scientists may prove that compression actually doesn't exist and we've all been kidding ourselves, but so what? If it is a mass hallucination it makes me and my band mates happy and that's what matters to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 16 minutes ago, Ted Theodore Logan, III said: C'mon guys, where's the unanimous vote for the Behringer CS400 RRP £17.99?... No love?... Oh and actually Behringer pedals are great. If they were in tin boxes and double the price people might rate them more highly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Theodore Logan, III Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 1 hour ago, stewblack said: Oh and actually Behringer pedals are great. Is this true though?!... I've heard a lot of negativity regarding noisy, hissy and distorted pedals from behringer.... Are behringer (like many other mass-market manufacturers) a bit lax on the QC?... Would, say, one CS400 offer you amazing bang for your buck whilst another of the same model perform as though it had flung out of a cheap cracker on Christmas Day?... (Ultimately landing in the bowl of sprouts that have remained untouched... as usual... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 If it's bang for buck you're after, a used 19" studio rack compressor will probably give better value than a pedal. I got mine for about £35 quid, it has decent metering and does attack, release, threshold, ratio and make-up gain, and as a bonus it's 2-channel so you can use the other channel as a limiter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 Compression is an absolute necessity - search all of @51m0n posts on it - you will get all you need and more. Simply put its used in spades on records to produce a balanced sound for a band/artist across all genres, instruments and voices why would you not want to own your own sound and produce a balanced sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_c2 Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 7 minutes ago, Cuzzie said: Compression is an absolute necessity - search all of @51m0n posts on it - you will get all you need and more. Simply put its used in spades on records to produce a balanced sound for a band/artist across all genres, instruments and voices why would you not want to own your own sound and produce a balanced sound? I'm not sure this is a tongue-in-cheek post or not! On records, yes; and in live band situations where you want a consistent sound/noise/volume level, it certainly helps achieve that. But ALL genres (I'm not sure how you are qualified on this either).....no. Classical music would be a disaster if all the instruments went through compressors. And jazz - some bits of it - would be similarly spoilt. You produce a balanced sound by 1) knowing how to play your instrument 2) listening to others as you're playing and adapting to achieve the balance required. Not by electronics. Live music and records/broadcasting/YouTube etc are vastly different, the range of dynamics simply doesn't come across properly in a recording/etc situation. It could be recorded, and sometimes is, but it plays havoc with listeners and needs high quality (low noise) equipment to listen to it. Live, with an attentive audience, is a different kettle of fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 32 minutes ago, paul_c2 said: I'm not sure this is a tongue-in-cheek post or not! On records, yes; and in live band situations where you want a consistent sound/noise/volume level, it certainly helps achieve that. But ALL genres (I'm not sure how you are qualified on this either).....no. Classical music would be a disaster if all the instruments went through compressors. And jazz - some bits of it - would be similarly spoilt. You produce a balanced sound by 1) knowing how to play your instrument 2) listening to others as you're playing and adapting to achieve the balance required. Not by electronics. Live music and records/broadcasting/YouTube etc are vastly different, the range of dynamics simply doesn't come across properly in a recording/etc situation. It could be recorded, and sometimes is, but it plays havoc with listeners and needs high quality (low noise) equipment to listen to it. Live, with an attentive audience, is a different kettle of fish. A little tongue in cheek, but we are pretty much talking about the same thing. Compression we can all agree is not for masking mastery of an instrument or mastery of playing with others, but even masters can have a helping hand. Recorded orchestral music will have an element of compression applied to the sound as well as levels before it is released. If we are talking orchestral music live, yes of course every instrument is not Mic’d up and compressed, but what you have is a piece of musical art where the parts are written for a number of instruments - if you want a heavy string section be it viola, violin, cello etc you have relatively more parts of the instrument you want to bring higher, same across percussion, woodwind, brass. There are of course acoustics of the room and how you play them alongside your music, having performed in the free trade hall in Manchester and then compare it to the new concert hall, with its specialised foundations to allow gentle dampening as teams go back to not affect the sound, all these play a part. The list is endless, and at its best compression is not noticeable, it’s just done enough to balance the force. Am I qualified? Nah, peeps like Si your person, am I an interested audiophile who wants the best balanced sound possible either playing or listening, damn straight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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