Using a compressor pedal with bass

Just wondering how many bass players use a compressor pedal for live playing. Just for something different I ran my Fender J bass thru my old Boss CS2 last night (mild attack and sustain settings) and it sounded great. First time I'd done that but liked the results.

I use a BBE Opto Stomp sometimes. Not so much for tone but it helps even out my finger picking when ole Arthur Itis comes calling. That's getting to more frequently now.

I don't normally like a compressor with bass. I do you it with my acoustic bass to gain sustain. It seems to kill the tone and dynamics most of the time.

I use a compressor when I play slap bass - just enough to take the edge off when I pop the notes. I like to think of a compressor ( and most other effects for that matter) as a spice - where it's best to use just enough - because too much can ruin the dish. :mrgreen:

I have yet to hear one that doesn't mess with my tone too much. The one I keep around just in case is a Demeter Compulator. As good as it is, it is definately the weak link in my signal chain, so it almost never leaves the house.

It is really a better bet to work on your picking technique / string selection / setup so that you don't need one. In the case of arthritis, yeah, not much you can do there.

I use the compressor that is built into my Carvin BX500. A little goes a long way. Mine is never above 2 or 3. Just enough to smooth things out a little.

I use an old Dyna-Comp, it evens out my crappy technique.
The tone changes when I whack it, but the volume stays even.
I have it duct taped to the head.

I like my old Dyna-Comp with a Hartke Kickback 12 for home recording, but I rarely use one live. I'm still toying with buying a two channel rack compressor and putting it between the crossover outs on my preamp and the power amp input on my gig rig. My thinking is that it will help tighten up the tone, especially through the 15" speaker. If I don't like it, I can always put it in the PA rack.

For that the dbx 166 xl works pretty well. Not much better until you get to mega buck studio specific gear IMO. Mine have all migrated back to the foh effects rack. I have a love hate relationship with compression on bass on stage obviously... In the foh, in the right hands, it can be a help...

So far I've tried three different comps and I haven't loved any of them. I love them for guitar but for bass I think they ruin the dynamics. I'm sure a really nice expensive Markbass tube Compressore would be great but I can't swing the cash.

I played bass in a rock band for a while, used a Dyna-comp...just to equal out the notes and keep from blowing the speakers out of the cab. It was set real low, so I still got the dynamics, but if I happened to pick really hard on a note, it kind of held it back so it wouldn't 'pop' in the speaker. (at that time the amp I had did not have built in compression). It's a great tool when used correctly.