Barber Tone Press

[Fab Claxton]

Hello everyone,
I've had the Barber Tone Press for about a year now, and while I'm very happy with it's overall performance, I just can't find the right setting to make my Tele sound fantastic. The sound of my Tele without any compression at all is just amazing, but my playing is a bit sloppy, and I don't feel that my Tele is a very balanced sounding guitar - and that's why I bought the Tone Press in the first place. I know that the blend control is a great feature, but when I roll back the blend (so that more of the original signal comes through) I lose the great compression I was getting.

I was just wondering if any other Tone Press owners have run into similar problems finding the "perfect" settings. Also - if you think you've got the perfect setting all figured out - please share it.
Fab

p.s. Before the Tone Press I had the Marshall Edward the Compressor (I felt it coloured the tone of the Tele far too much), and I've also currently got a Demeter Compulator which I use for my bass guitar. I've used the Demeter on my Tele and thought it sounded great, but I'd rather stick to the Tone Press. No sense letting it go to waste.

[Jim.Collins]

Have you diddled with the trimpot that is inside the box? You can get more information from Barber's forum, but you might want to mess with it. That's what it's there for. Note where it is, now, and play with it. If you turn it all the way to the right (I think it's the right), the Tone Press becomes more of a typical compressor. To use it that way, you then set the blend control all the way to the right, as well.

[Fab Claxton]

Yeah, I've played with the trimpot (colour). Setting it all the way to the right makes it more snappy and bright, while setting it all the way to the left makes it more of a traditional, darker compressor (a la the DynaComp). I've got mine set fully to the right. It doesn't alter the tone very much at all when it's set that way.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I guess I sorta think it's not a pedal's job to make you sound good. That's what practicing is for. What a pedal should do is whatever the manufacturer claims it'll do, and Barber Electronics is very reputable.

I'd turn the dials and trim pot to middle/noon/parity, set your guitar's and amp's volumes and tones to where you typically use them, and patiently adjust the compressor from there.

If that doesn't work, this probably just isn't the right compressor for you. You might just sell this one and get a second Demeter - also a very reputable company.

[Charlie Bernstein]

PS - see: http://www.angelfire.com/yt3/redtele/

=O]

[woodman]

are you using it as an effect, or leaving it on? i set mine to the "magic dust" setting (vol 2 o'clock or so, blend 11 o'clock, sustain 11 o'clock) and leave it on all night -- it's first in my signal chain so it acts like kind of a line driver, and it smooths out the peaks and valleys with just a touch of transparent sustain.

[david henman]

Originally Posted by woodman

are you using it as an effect, or leaving it on? i set mine to the "magic dust" setting (vol 2 o'clock or so, blend 11 o'clock, sustain 11 o'clock) and leave it on all night -- it's first in my signal chain so it acts like kind of a line driver, and it smooths out the peaks and valleys with just a touch of transparent sustain.

...i use very similar settings, but max the sustain. this pedal is an addiction.

-dh

[Fab Claxton]

Oh, I know it's not a pedal's job to make me sound good (it'd be great if there was a pedal like that out there, though). I'm not saying that I'm blaming the pedal for my poor technique - I'm saying that I feel I haven't found the "sweet spot" on this pedal that compresses my Tele like I expect it to.

I don't use this pedal as an effect - I just turn it on and leave it on all the time. I just want it to smooth out the peaks and valleys, and to not have a noticeable effect on my tone. For the most part, it does this quite well. The only time I notice that it's not working as well as I'd like it is when I play the D string. That string is quieter than every other string on my guitar, no matter where I set the Tone Press' dials. It's not a LOT quiter, but I can still notice it.

I've tried every possible setting since I bought it, but I've settled on volume at 12:00, blend at about 2:00, and Sustain at 3:00. Still - the D string is still quiter than the rest. Who knows? Maybe I'm the only person who would notice that. I'm sure all of my non-guitar playing friends wouldn't hear it.