Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Anyone tried the new Ashdown Compressors?


BillyBass
 Share

Recommended Posts

I mean the three they released last year; that is the 'Velvet Compressor' the 'Studio Compressor' and the 'Macchiato'. or the Guy Pratt signature compressor.

They are large, 18v, 3 band compressors, built in England and, up until recently, were very expensive, £270 or £280 each.  They are being sold now though by a few outlets with a considerable discount.

Has anyone tried them?  I can see very little by way of opinion on them on the internet.  I'd like to know if anyone feels they have anything to offer over other compressors at their price point, which now is about £180 to £200.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, javi_bassist said:

I'm curious too. Besides the All about the bass video on YouTube, I have seen nothing. I'm really curious about the Studio and the Velvet

I'm guessing the price, size and thirsty voltage needs my have put a lot of people off, but I would have expected at least one Ashdown fan to have bought one and reviewed it for us...anyone?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m not an experienced compressor user but I’ve got the Ashdown  macchiato , it works very well for me, and having the dark, medium and light controls allows the bass ,middle and treble to be compressed individually.     when activated it also gives a bit of a boost to the volume 🙂

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Reggaebass said:

I’m not an experienced compressor user but I’ve got the Ashdown  macchiato , it works very well for me, and having the dark, medium and light controls allows the bass ,middle and treble to be compressed individually.     when activated it also gives a bit of a boost to the volume 🙂

Does it add any of its own colour to the sound?  if so, is it warm or bright or what?

Edited by BillyBass
Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, BillyBass said:

Does it add any of its own colour to the sound?  if so, is it warm or bright or what?

Hi billy, it does add warmth , and aswell as compressing it boosts whichever you select of the dark medium or light, the subsonic filter didn’t make any difference but maybe it would if you were recording.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

 it boosts whichever you select of the dark medium or light

Do you mean that the three controls are a bit like eq knobs in that they compress and also add a few db to that frequency range?  So if you turn up the 'light' knob but don't want a few db boost to the treble, do you have to turn down the treble eq on your amp?  Or have I misunderstood this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, BillyBass said:

Do you mean that the three controls are a bit like eq knobs in that they compress and also add a few db to that frequency range

Yeah, but you wouldn’t have to turn down the treble on the amp because the compressor is pretty subtle, these are the settings I use for reggae and dub , the dark does boost the bass and it’s a clear sound, if I turn the light up full it’s only just noticeable 

B137C562-F9CF-4AB4-BFFA-F6346B76FEBF.jpeg

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I tried the Macchiato and sadly it went straight back.

although I like what it did to my tone the boost when kicked in made it unusable unless used as an always on pedal. For the price it just wasn't flexible enough compared to other pedals with more control in the same bracket. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I called Ashdown and asked them about the pedals, this is what I was told:

The compression in Macchiato is non adjustable, whether you are playing slap, fingers or with a pick, the compression is what it is.  The three EQ controls do not adjust the compression.  The sub sonic filter on it is a high pass filter, which is very useful and should be always on.  High pass filters remove low frequencies that we can't hear but will cause speakers to flap about and possibly be damaged.  It also stops the amp wasting good headroom on ultra low frequencies and gives you a bit more headroom to play with.  The only reason the Macchiato has a high pass filter is because there was room in the unit for the circuitry.

The Velvet compressor's control adjusts the threshold and ratio etc all in one control.  The idea is you set the input according to the lights, then dial in the amount of compression you need and then adjust the output so it is the same as it would be without the pedal.

The studio compressor allows you to tweak a lot more, like when you are in a studio!  

I'll wait until after lockdown before buying a compressor but I will say I was impressed by @Ashdown Engineering and their customer support

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Yesterday I was about to buy the Studio Compressor. I'm still thinking about it.

I'm a huge Ashdown fan. I love their amps and I like some of their new basses. I've had all Dr Green pedals and most of their Ashdown pedals. However, I only use the OriginAL preamp now (and the NM2 sometimes). And I like their compressors (the Studio and the Velvet). But for the price, I'm not sure about them. I currently use a JHS Pulp'N'Peel v4 and it has some key features (like the Blend) that none of the Ashdown compressors have. I think they should be a little more configurable (like a volume knob in the studio compressor). The idea is really good, but they are a little bit pricey for what they offer and what the market is offering.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, javi_bassist said:

Yesterday I was about to buy the Studio Compressor. I'm still thinking about it.

I'm a huge Ashdown fan. I love their amps and I like some of their new basses. I've had all Dr Green pedals and most of their Ashdown pedals. However, I only use the OriginAL preamp now (and the NM2 sometimes). And I like their compressors (the Studio and the Velvet). But for the price, I'm not sure about them. I currently use a JHS Pulp'N'Peel v4 and it has some key features (like the Blend) that none of the Ashdown compressors have. I think they should be a little more configurable (like a volume knob in the studio compressor). The idea is really good, but they are a little bit pricey for what they offer and what the market is offering.

I have to agree with you.  You pay a premium for a made in England pedal, it certainly isn't good value for money compared to some Chinese made pedals, or even the Cali76bass.  I don't mind paying a bit more for something made in England but I am also put off by the large form factor and the awkward power supply requirements.

I ended up buying an Ampeg Optocomp, because it was very cheap and is as configurable as I need a compressor to be (and I like the Ampeg tone).

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, StickyDBRmf said:

One of these days I'm gonna get a "Orange Squeezer"  kit and build the Tony Levin Sound. Sorry, I like Super-Squash

I'd love to sound like Tony Levin, though I would need a bit more than a new pedal for this to happen!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...