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Opinions are like a*sholes, everybody's got one... What's yours on compression?


Ted Theodore Logan, III

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5 hours ago, Ted Theodore Logan, III said:

C'mon guys, where's the unanimous vote for the Behringer CS400 RRP £17.99?...

No love?... :sad:

I had their DC9 I think it was, and it was a very good pedal. To the point where the first time I used it our lead guitarist was late, and walked in when we were playing. His first words were to ask if I’d got myself a compressor as the bass was sounding much better, more balanced and focused (he’s one of those techie people that understand sound and how it works).

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1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

I had their DC9 I think it was, and it was a very good pedal. To the point where the first time I used it our lead guitarist was late, and walked in when we were playing. His first words were to ask if I’d got myself a compressor as the bass was sounding much better, more balanced and focused (he’s one of those techie people that understand sound and how it works).

The DC9, is that one supposed to be based on the Ibanez CP9?...

Good to hear an opinion from somebody who's used a cheapy Behringer... Don't suppose you've used the ibanez compressor as well?... See how it compares...:scratch_one-s_head:

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5 hours ago, pete.young said:

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.

Yeah, racks are the shiz!! Used to run a dbx but then wanted a bit more portability... So went to pedals

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50 minutes ago, Ted Theodore Logan, III said:

The DC9, is that one supposed to be based on the Ibanez CP9?...

Good to hear an opinion from somebody who's used a cheapy Behringer... Don't suppose you've used the ibanez compressor as well?... See how it compares...:scratch_one-s_head:

No, I’ve used the Behringrer, EBS Multicomp and Aguilar TLC - I probably found the Behringer the easiest to use as I’m not the most competent/knowledgeable on this compression lark. I’ve also found that using a compressor with my Para Driver, even on minimum settings is futile, saps all volume & dynamics.

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I used to use the uber-rare Arion Stereo Compressor back in the days before grunge...

Then I got a Laney head with a ridiculously simple chip in it (meant for telecoms!) that rather than a true compressor simply reduced the dynamic range. This was actually quite good as it let playing dynamics come through, so I just used that.

These days... I came across the TC Electronics Forcefield at random. They make various compressors, including multi-band and the well respected spectracomp. But the Forcefield is aimed at guitarists.

Thing is I tried out out on a cheap bass through a nasty combo and it transformed the sound. Not only did it level out the dynamics, it added a whole truckload of presence to the sound without muting the deeper sounds.

I now use it with pretty much all dials pointing straight up, and my test is simple... does it sound better with it switched on? And yes, it always does.

But be prepared to dig deep into your puny pockets - it costs twice as much as the Behringer...

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2 hours ago, dannybuoy said:

That line of TC pedals are rehoused Behringer circuits, the Forcefield is apparently the CL9!

🤣

Which means it's a component for component clone of an Ibanez CP9, which isn't a bad thing and fits with my experience of it:

Quote

This [Ibanez CP9] pedal was made for a 6 string but really does a fantastic job for a bass, which I use it for. It is more of a sound enhancer than an effect, to balance out the whole range of notes to the same volume , be it open low E or fingered high G note. Will add tons of sustain if wanted also. Great an all counts. These are getting harder to find..

Quote

The Ibanez CP9 Compressor Limiter serves up a different take on the classic comps of yesteryear with features like a classic Ibanez 9 series diehard chassis, three-knob layout consisting of controls for attack time, level, and threshold, and an all-analog design. Distinct from its contemporaries like the Dyna Comp through its glassier character and crisper attack in higher gain registers, the CP9 is a prime candidate for unique '80s MIJ tone.

 

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9 hours ago, dannybuoy said:

That line of TC pedals are rehoused Behringer circuits, the Forcefield is apparently the CL9!

I'd heard the same rumour...

Apparently Keeley use the same circuit as well...  :laugh1:

Edited by Ted Theodore Logan, III
because he wanted to add a little laughing face
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On 29/11/2019 at 20:08, 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:

Compression_-_Attack_dc0ccc17-9e15-44a3-

That graph isn't quite right actually...

 

[Engage pedant mode]

 

The compression doesn't begin to stop until after the threshold is crossed in the downward direction.

In fact the crossing of that threshold is the point from which the release time is measured.

Achieving 0dB compression only after that. 

The attack and release are also non-linear.

Compression is seriously complex to draw. I have never seen a really accurate compression graph drawn...

 

[Pedant mode off]

Edited by 51m0n
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was about to start another thread then remembered we're only allowed 2 compression threads a year so I'll stay here. 

If the experience of using a compressor is hard to define then I've discovered that going without one once you've become accostomed to it is a very unpleasant experience. 

Rehearsal last night was very odd. Bass sounded kind of crazy. Like it was four individual instruments all set up and amplified differently 

Weird. 

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I've become a big fan of multiband compression and I use a Boss BC1X as an always on pedal. It's not cheap, but it is super clean. The caveat here is that I often use it specifically to control the rather lairy filter release on the Source Audio Manta - to prevent the release for longer than natural sustain would allow - and to help with the tracking of a Boss OC2, which can thunk really nastily if it gets too hot an input. The only other comp that I've used regularly is the old Boss CS2 and I experienced noticeable loss of low end / thinning even when bypassed. I think this was an impedance issue though and it just didn't like what it was seeing from the Stingray's active circuit. I had the same issue with a CE3 and a BF2B and the modern Boss pedals don't seem to exhibit this problem at all. 

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I might (or might not be) one of a few who place their compressor at the End of their effects chain?

The long discontinued TC Nova Dynamics  (dual band) has been a favourite for a few year's, which I use as a kind of leveller - that's an obscure technical term btw. It has the metering and presets and sounds as smooth or as squashed as you like...

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I’ve used a compressor in my guitar rig for a few years now and wouldn’t be without one.

Bass is a different matter though. I’ve avoided using any effects at all on bass for the last 10 years or so, but that is changing. I have recently joined a Bowie tribute in which we play Ashes to Ashes. Parts of this are slapped and popped - pretty much the only time that I play in this style. I can turn down slightly in those sections but it’s tricky to get right.

Last gig I took out my guitar mini board which includes a tuner and a Biyang Dyna Comp clone. The latter actually worked quite well to limit the transients, but next gig I intend to take the big box Cali76 from my home studio and have it permanently engaged on top of my amp. I have it set so that most of the time it is doing very little, but clamping down quite hard (16dB or more of gain reduction) on loud peaks.

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