Compressor Pedals / Dynamics

[Tele-Meister]

First off, I don't know if I should post this on the Technique section because of the tricky subject matter...

I still don't really get this.

Compressors... Compressors Compressors Compressors.

People always talk about Compressors and Dynamics in the same breath.

"They" also talk about how a Comp. will "Liven up" their sound / playing.

What Exactly do they mean by this?

What I don't get is, in theory, would not a comp. Kill your dynamics?
i.e. It makes Loud input signals and compresses them (makes the quieter) And takes Low Signals and Boosts them or makes them louder.

Can someone please enlighten me on this foolishness?

[fendrguitplayr]

This article might help clear the mystery :

http://www.guitartoneoverload.com/20...or-for-guitar/

Hope that helps a little.

[RubyRae]

For me (and I just stated using comp last year) it helps me to dig in more. Makes my playing be a bit more fluid. I don't use it all the time, but when I do I notice a difference in my approach. It takes some getting used to, and finding a good comp pedal is half the battle. I never liked the dyna comp, but I do like my hartman.

I also notice that it really only matters to me when playing at louder volume levels.
Bedroom levels is still noticable, but nothing like when I am jammin.

[HenryAdams]

I sold my compressor because of this, and because it evened out my sound. I love the sounds of my tele; it's kinda wild and unruly, it's unique and alive, and when I ran a compressor (a Keeley 5 knob clone), even on very, very minimal settings, it sounded like I was playing a generic guitar.

This is all IMHO, of course. Many much better players than me run compressors all the time. Basically I just want to chime and and say they're not for everybody.

[greggorypeccary]

I've tried a couple. The Cmatmods ross clone was less squishy than the dyna comp so I liked it better. But it still didn't last long.

I think after over 25 years of playing my hands just can't deal with anything that affects my dynamics at all.

And like HenryAdams - I like my sound kinda wild and unruly.

[Tele-Meister]

Originally Posted by fendrguitplayr

This article might help clear the mystery :

http://www.guitartoneoverload.com/20...or-for-guitar/

Hope that helps a little.

Thanks for the link bro. But that article just cemented what I was talking about, but the question still remains;

If in theory, compressors LIMIT your dynamic range, why do so many people use them?

More importantly, why do so many guitarists think it GIVES them Dynamics, Liveliness, & Tone?

[hybridrocknroll]

Honestly, I just love that "squish" that you can only get from a cranked tube amp. I use it as an effect, not on all the time.

[Cameage]

Well, think about it, cranked tubes compress your signal, and that makes it sounds good, so compressing it a bit more makes it sound better...in theory. You're not just cutting off peaks, your're rolling them off in a pleasing way...or you should be, with a good compressor.

[tjalla]

What eluded me for ages as far as compression concepts go - MAKE UP GAIN, or simply output volume.

You turn up the compressor output, so now your quiet passages are up at a volume level that make them stick out. Imagine being able to play through a Twin Reverb on say, 5 or 6 when picking every so lightly, but when you dig in, your playing through the same amp which has instantly turned down to 2.

So you dynamic range is reduced, but your quiet notes appear to be "more dynamic" or rather more responsive, and lively, than they'd usually be. But your big notes are controlled, because the compression clamps down on your signal when you dig in. Kinda like having your cake and eating it too.

The "liveliness" thing, I believe comes also from the sensation of being able to comfortably dig in - and reaping the variancies in frequency characteristics of a string being played hard - but without having to deal with uneven volume spiking.

That's the way I hear it.

[tjalla]

Slight aside from the OP question.

Now, I don't like compression on my guitar with the exception of parallel compression. This in is itself interesting since the concept evolved from a studio technique, but employed differently with guitarists who tend to compress the signal where they'd typically like it, but then add back some dry signal just to boost the attack - ala what a Sparkle Drive does with dirt. In fact I think that pedal singlehandedly introduced guitarists to the 'clean blend' concept, to the point when using a Barber Tone Press or other clean blend compressor, the same approach is used. But I think it misses the real benefit of parallel compression.

In a studio, you'd typically go the other way around. A heavily compressed duplicate track is subtly added back to the existing track, so that it boosts "from the bottom up". To me this is most natural since you original track (or signal) is uncompromised, but all the subtle, quieter information that gets lost in the mix gets boosted. But because the compression is heavy, as soon anything gets 'louder' the compression prevents the volume increasing and overtaking the original dry track. So you still primarily hear your dry track, but benefit from all the subtle goodness of the the compressed track

In a nutshell, you're addressing and enhancing the "quiet" information in your signal, rather than addressing and controlling the loud - the latter being where you start to hear compression artifacts (to me = yuck)

I use this on acoustic guitar - especially at live gigs. I split my signal at my TU-2, run one signal to the desk as usual, and the other via a cheap Tonerider compressor (tone knob is handy). Basically the comp pedal is everything on 10, and when I bring up that channel fader, I get sparkle and fullness behind the note, but my main signal and importantly dry attack is still uncompromised. Its really cool, when I'm not running late for a gig and can be bothered setting it up

And on that note, I gotta fly.

[greggorypeccary]

Originally Posted by tjalla

What eluded me for ages as far as compression concepts go - MAKE UP GAIN, or simply output volume.

You turn up the compressor output, so now your quiet passages are up at a volume level that make them stick out. Imagine being able to play through a Twin Reverb on say, 5 or 6 when picking every so lightly, but when you dig in, your playing through the same amp which has instantly turned down to 2.

So you dynamic range is reduced, but your quiet notes appear to be "more dynamic" or rather more responsive, and lively, than they'd usually be. But your big notes are controlled, because the compression clamps down on your signal when you dig in. Kinda like having your cake and eating it too.

The "liveliness" thing, I believe comes also from the sensation of being able to comfortably dig in - and reaping the variancies in frequency characteristics of a string being played hard - but without having to deal with uneven volume spiking.

That's the way I hear it.

That's exactly why I can't get into compressors - I want my quiet notes to be quiet and my big notes to be big...and louder.

[garytelecastor]

Using A Guitar Compressor

A compressor basically works like an automatic level control, restricting the overall dynamic range of an input signal. In other words, it limits the amount of variation between the loudest and the softest sounds.

Proper use of a compressor can prevent distortion from overload during loud sections of a song, smooth out unintentional peaks and drops in a performance, and provide additional sustain for electric guitars. Improper use can add unwanted noise or accentuate noise already present in a signal. Excessive use can destroy the dynamics of a piece.

The most important control is the threshold control. It tells the compressor the level that the signal must be at in order to start working, and it's expressed in decibels, abbreviated dBs. So, for example, if you are processing your guitar signal, and you set your compressor's threshold to -30dB, the guitar must be louder than -30dB in order for the compressor to care. If your guitar signal comes in at -31dB, nothing happens. If the signal is -29dB or higher the compressor starts to work by reducing the gain of the signal. But how does the compressor know how much to reduce the gain.

One of the key elements of using a compressor is the amount of "squish" you desire.
I do have my compressor on at all times I am playing. I have mine set to burnish off the extreme highs and lows. My comp doesn't kick in until I have hit those levels that either affect the overall presentation of material or will be abrasive.

Compression is like boot leg whiskey. A little bit goes a long way. Yes, it does affect dynamics but you have to remember that this is totally controlled by the player. I found out early that, like every other piece of equipment I own, there is a sweet spot and it was up to me to find it.
I never use a comp when recording.
One of the other benefits of a comp is that many times I play in venues that require my amp to be below 11 on the volume. By using a comp I can get the tone and subtleties of louder volumes at a lower rate.
In the early 90's I started working with my comp and it took me a while to be happy with my understanding of the pedal itself. I now can obtain all of the dynamics that I need due to knowing how to use the pedal itself.
Brent Mason, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, et. al.,. use comps and these players have access to the best amplification and guitars there are.
I like 'em, but buy a good one and do your homework.

[LeveeBreaks]

Its a misnomer to say you can't have dynamics with compression. You can still dig in and accentuate louder notes or passages. The real value of compression though is in tidying up sloppy playing. Those little half misses where you don't quite hit the string as cleanly or truly as you would have liked, a compressor subtly boosts those notes and makes your playing sound a lot cleaner and more consistent. Invaluable for recording.

Of course of you are after a looser more raggedy feel, it may not be for you.

[Wrong-Note Rod]

A little goes a long long way. Theres two schools of thought, seems like,.... guys that leave it on all the time, and guys that use it just for a lead boost. Pros and cons for both I guess. I love it for country, for rock, not so much, except as a super-sustainer.. but thats difficult to control in a live setting.

[greggorypeccary]

Originally Posted by garytelecastor

Using A Guitar Compressor


(edit...)

Brent Mason, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, et. al.,. use comps and these players have access to the best amplification and guitars there are.
I like 'em, but buy a good one and do your homework.

Don't disagree with anything you said - that is actually a great explaination of compression.

But just because some great players use compressors as part of their sound doesn't mean the rest of should or that if we don't like them we don't know how to set it up right. (not saying you that's what you meant, but that idea is implied in all these compressor threads.)

Originally Posted by LeveeBreaks

Its a misnomer to say you can't have dynamics with compression. You can still dig in and accentuate louder notes or passages. The real value of compression though is in tidying up sloppy playing. Those little half misses where you don't quite hit the string as cleanly or truly as you would have liked, a compressor subtly boosts those notes and makes your playing sound a lot cleaner and more consistent. Invaluable for recording.

Of course of you are after a looser more raggedy feel, it may not be for you.

Exactly!

I actually found that when I set mine up to still have dynamics I liked it was so barely on that I thought "what's the point?" and unplugged it.


Though I never got the covering up sloppy playing part - IMO sloppy players sound like sloppy players whether they are using effects or not. If someone is relying on an effect to clean up their playing, they need to practice more. But I've also read on the internets that it's easier to play with overdrive than clean, which probably explains why we all hear too many bar room hacks ripping our heads off with too much distortion!

[Tele-Meister]

So does it take away or give you more...dynamics?

[Paul in Colorado]

I use mine primarily for 12 string and slide guitar. Sometimes I'll use it for some extra sustain when soloing. I think of it as an effect, something that you use to alter the sound of the guitar in a pleasing manner. If it doesn't tickle your ear, turn it off.

[Carvalho Diablo]

I use my compressor - a Moen Unicomp (a cheap and fantastic pedal) - only in my clean loop. I absolutely love the way it slightly thickens up those clean tones.

However, it is true that the dynamic range of these tones is slightly diminished because the overall volume range from quiet to loud is more compact; I suppose that's why these pedal have knobs on 'em!

FWIW I don't like my dirty tones compressing; I'm another who likes my dirt wild and unruly.

HTH

[JoshuaCLS]

Originally Posted by Tele-Meister

So does it take away or give you more...dynamics?

Technically speaking, it absolutely reduces overall dynamics.
Anyone anyone saying otherwise is misusing the word.

Will it bring out the quieter stuff and squash down the louder stuff? Yes.
Less dynamics.

Will it make your sound more punchy and full? Yes. I Guess some might call THAT more dynamic, since it alters your original tone to sound more punchy and full? But technically speaking, you're getting far less dynamics without a doubt.

With that being said, I like a subtle compressor on for higher arpeggio leady stuff to help give em a little extra juice.

[sax4blues]

I like the compressor pedal in band situations where IMHO all subtle dynamics are moot to a crowd of 75 drinking and dancing. I feel it just evens out my sound and I like the little bit of extra sustain on chords. I also use mine, Boss CS-2 to boost my signal a little.