Amps with built in compression?

[fretmeister 2,211]

1 hour ago, 40hz said:

I like this about the Spectracomp. It's like having 3 distinct compressor characters with one turn of the control. 

I really must try one at some point.

[40hz 244]

16 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I really must try one at some point.

If you're anywhere near the Stratford-Upon-Avon area, you're more than welcome to pop by and give the BH550  (and Spectracomp by extension) a whirl. 

[Chienmortbb 473]

The Bugera Veyrons have one and it is footswitchable (made up word)

[la bam 802]

I had a specracomp. It was very good. However, although its nothing really to set up, I got rid of it because of the extra faff.

The markbass evo I has a built in tuner, 2 channels, 12 amp sims, and fx including compression, chorus, drive, envelope etc etc. All fine turntable on your laptop, which then saves to the amp.

Really is an all in one solution if that's what you're after.

Edited August 27 by la bam

[MrCrane 407]

AER Amp One, Two or Three

Not necessarily the lightest, but this is offset by the effect on your wallet's contents.

Edited August 27 by MrCrane

[gjones 734]

I have a compressor on my Ashdown and it sounds great. But I rarely use it, as many of the gigs I play, I'm using the venues amp. I'm afraid I'll get into bad habits by using the compressor to smooth out my sound and when I play without one, I'll sound crap.

[grandad 524]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

It's still a faff.

IIRC it's power supply only. So that's the pedal, power supply, couple of patch cables.

One of the reasons I'm doing the list is because I volunteer at a music trust and when (if) we get back to it then I have to move rooms every 40 minutes. So I have to break it all down and set it up again. Every 40 minutes.

 

I have a new cab on wheels and a head stock tuner. If I can get an amp with compression in it then there's only a power cable and guitar cable to worry about. The head can stay on the cab while I wheel it about.

It's all about speed of moving rooms.

That that purpose I would certainly recommend:

[Matt P 194]

I know it's not in production anymore but the SWR headlite has a Built in compressor, however i never really got on with the one i had, the input clipping light used to come on far earlier than i liked, ended up selling it and going over to Markbass.

Some of the issues might have been down to my stupid colour-blindness though as it used bi-colour LED's as indicators and i was never sure what colour they were lighting up, it also had the stupidest ultra bright LED's and chrome control knobs so it was impossible to see the settings unless you were in  a very bright room.

 

Matt

[Defo 84]

On 27/08/2020 at 10:30, fretmeister said:

It's still a faff.

IIRC it's power supply only. So that's the pedal, power supply, couple of patch cables.

One of the reasons I'm doing the list is because I volunteer at a music trust and when (if) we get back to it then I have to move rooms every 40 minutes. So I have to break it all down and set it up again. Every 40 minutes.

 

I have a new cab on wheels and a head stock tuner. If I can get an amp with compression in it then there's only a power cable and guitar cable to worry about. The head can stay on the cab while I wheel it about.

It's all about speed of moving rooms.

Try a Volto, no plugged power supply needed, fits  underneath pedaltrains

[DiMarco 171]

If you take compression seriously, go for a higher end compressor pedal like the Cali76CB, Diamond, MXR, etc.
I have never heard any onboard compressor improve tone. With the Cali I can make my sound more punchy or blend better in the mix at will and have absolute control over how much of it I want.

 

[fretmeister 2,211]

2 hours ago, DiMarco said:

If you take compression seriously, go for a higher end compressor pedal like the Cali76CB, Diamond, MXR, etc.
I have never heard any onboard compressor improve tone. With the Cali I can make my sound more punchy or blend better in the mix at will and have absolute control over how much of it I want.

 

I have owned most of those.

Also, that’s not the point of my post as I’ve explained.

[Beedster 2,851]

On 26/08/2020 at 15:13, Happy Jack said:

I'd have thought anything with valves in would add some compression ...

 

This, and it's organic compression that responds to the signal as opposed to synthetic compression that needs setting. I've never found a compression circuit built into an amp that I liked. Get a lightweight all-tube head and let it deal with it for you

[fretmeister 2,211]

Still too much faff with tube warm up times and moving them every 40 mins.

[afterimage 97]

Bergantino  Bamp

[stewblack 4,818]

On 26/08/2020 at 17:40, grandad said:

TC BH250 here with Spectracomp loaded as my only effect, no pedals. About 9 o'clock does me which just thickens up the sound. Suits me as I just want light-weight & simple allowing the tone of whichever instrument I plug in to shine.

Same here. 

[stewblack 4,818]

On 26/08/2020 at 19:22, Paul S said:

Some of the old Trace Elliot heads had compressors.  Hi and Low, as I recall.

Paul speaks truth.

Trace Elliot SMX. Dual compression. Really cool. 

 

[Woodinblack 3,996]

On 27/08/2020 at 10:30, fretmeister said:

One of the reasons I'm doing the list is because I volunteer at a music trust and when (if) we get back to it then I have to move rooms every 40 minutes. So I have to break it all down and set it up again. Every 40 minutes.

I have a new cab on wheels and a head stock tuner. If I can get an amp with compression in it then there's only a power cable and guitar cable to worry about. The head can stay on the cab while I wheel it about.

If I was in that situation I would go back to a TC combo. One box, spectacomp, amp, cab, tuner, audio lead, power lead, jobs done.

I quite often wonder why I don't go back to that.

[JapanAxe 432]

The one-knob Spectracomp in TC amps is very usable.

[grandad 524]

24 minutes ago, JapanAxe said:

The one-knob Spectracomp in TC amps is very usable.

It's multi-band.

[stewblack 4,818]

Speaking of stuff amps should have built in every time as well as a compressor. I was looking at those new HBs and they have a big easy to read tuner on the front panel. A 9v out for a pedal board alongside the effects loop please. Bluetooth receiver as an auxiliary input. 

Oh and a drone system to fly them in and out of the car please. 

[itu 856]

Old Peaveys have something that resembles a comp, and GK micro series combos have comps. Sessionette bass amps had a switchable one pot comp.

Some kind soul had opened up the Spectra's settings. I moved them to my HyperGravity and now I have four knobs to tweak the settings. Very powerful.

Edited September 8 by itu
Session added.

[Chienmortbb 473]

On 29/08/2020 at 19:44, Beedster said:

This, and it's organic compression that responds to the signal as opposed to synthetic compression that needs setting. I've never found a compression circuit built into an amp that I liked. Get a lightweight all-tube head and let it deal with it for you

The desiger of the amp will determine the compression, it is not a single preset compression across all valve amps.

Edited September 8 by Chienmortbb

[MrTea 48]

Without wishing to derail the thread isn't there an argument that your fingers should do the job instead of the compressor 🙄

Having planted that mine ... Tecamp Black Jag has one built in. 

[fretmeister 2,211]

2 hours ago, MrTea said:

Without wishing to derail the thread isn't there an argument that your fingers should do the job instead of the compressor 🙄

Having planted that mine ... Tecamp Black Jag has one built in. 

Yes, but no. Not if you are swapping between fingers / pick / slap.

They have massively different volume peaks that can't really be made the same in the mix just using the hands. Sure - could change the amp volume when slapping etc but it's much easier to have a bit of compression.

 

Every "I'm just a bass, cable, amp person" bassist is still getting compressed by the FOH guy for the mix.

[Cuzzie 2,898]

Agreed compression is not to hide poor technique - it’s a tool to make the mix of musical instruments sound musical and balanced