Compressors ?

[Boxla]

ps

Guthrie Trapp or Tom Bukovac don't need to use a compressor on their board because the next step in the signal before it hits the console is the compression provided by the sound engineer. That's like saying I don't need a motor because my car has one. Guthrie Trapp and Tom Bukovac have never played a gig or recorded a session without compression. Just happens they told Beato they don't put the box on their local board.

good points! Although, I certainly got the impression that GT does not use one live. In the video he gives the impression that that is his board for studio and his weekly live gigs. Because, he shows a couple of satellite pedals and says he only uses them for live shows and then demonstrates them. So, I think that's his live board and I do think GT plays every gig without one. And in the video, there's no console. He's going straight from his board into the DR.

BUT, who knows what Rick is running all of that through for his audio. Tom, of course is a studio cat so not sure what his live scene is like. Unfortunately, they didn't tell Beato anything about compression and their boards and he didn't ask. That's why I wish it would have come up. To me it be a naturally occurring question when I'm sitting down with two country pickers and we're going over their pedal boards. OH well. Some great info in this thread!

Another interesting thing Tom says in that interview is about the chord progressions of every single song he records for. He says 100% of time it will be a 1-6-4-5 progression or a 6-1-4-5. Rick inquires more and asks when it ventures off from that and Tom said never. Been many moons he says. He said he's recorded on every Morgan Wallen cut and every single one has the same progression. Unless, he says, it's only a 2 chord progression. I love nearly every single thing Rick puts out on his channel, but this one is one of the best to me and my curiosity as a guitarist.

 

[Killing Floor]

I recently came out as Cali 76 stacked curious.
Does it alter the EQ AT ALL???

The only comps I ever loved are Black Finger dual 12ax7.
Not practical plus I tend to run both clean and dirty sounds with the amp set lower than the desired volume and something like a MKIII bender and a clean OD both pushing the amp to the same volume so the tube preamp stages compress a little without the cleans getting gritty.

A funny thing is how "we" so often demand a transparent OD with no compression when in the end we need and employ some form of compression.
I dislike many ways tube amps compress though, power amp and OT saturation sucks!

Maybe we fear ending up with a Boss DS-1 or MT-2 sound?

1176 compression is not supposed to affect the tone but I believe it all affects a little. I would not tell you it doesn't affect "at all" but it is as neutral as any device can be.

It's not like a Diamond (example) where there's a baked in tone that you either like or don't. I'm in the "everything affects everything else" camp.

The Cali76 Compact and Stacked do not have any intentional tone shaping circuitry. But I think it's disingenuous to say a comp can't impact tone at all.

 

[mexicanyella]

No.
Amps are my always on compressor. When I turn on a compressor it's to sound wacky, like 70s country-funk. Kind of the opposite of the slick smoothness that the always-on-compressor crowd tends towards.

Admittedly, I haven't spent a lot of time with compressors. But when I have tried, I have the same experience a lot of people do: if I turn it up enough to actually hear it working, I don't like it. So I turn it down until I can't hear it anymore, which of course begs the question of what (if anything) it's doing, and why (if at all) I would bother with it. I have never had one on my board for that reason. I'm a big fan of downsizing and using less gear, so something like this with no clear upside is the first to go.

I would agree with the idea that if you don’t like the feel or sound of it working, then you don’t need one…but I am an always-on compressor guy, and it’s because I think I’m really sensitive to touch response as I play. I don’t use much dirt most of the time, but I like the effect of the compression affecting my note attack, on a pretty clean solid state signal path.

Most pedal demos I watch are demonstrating their clean sound and to me it sounds pretty dirty already.

I don’t like using a LOT of compression; in fact a friend lent me an EHX Soul Preacher to try out and I found it unusable. On its mildest settings it was really squashed. I thought it should have been named the Soul Mangler. Maybe cool for goofy effects like @bottlenecker referred to, but way too aggressive for my purposes.

 

[msalama]

Yes, compressors.

 

[Rokdogguy49]

I use mine as a volume boost and to add “thickness”.
It’s pretty subtle, but I hear it and that’s all that matters.

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

At home…recording is where it really shines.

I almost bought a compressor about four hours ago. It’s still waiting in my wish-list. And the reason I’m curious to try one is for recording at home.

It’s the relatively newish Donner LAX Comp. Which may or may not be based on the UA 1176 circuit. Probably not, going by the really short thread linked to below, but definitely trying somehow to do something similar. .

Anyway, it seems it would be a cheap way to dip my toes into compression. I might still get it. I need to work up to these things - took weeks of pondering and two visits to the Fender Flagship Store before I bought the Mustang Micro Plus.

Donner LAX COMP transconductance based Universal Audio 1176 Limiter run for the money. Great on a Tele!

The Donner Lax Comp has had such little publicity. It doesn't help that Donner barely mentions it's designed around the Universal Audio 1176, even though there is a slightly encrypted "1176" on the pedals logo. So here are some internal pics Donner LAX COMP and read all about how Transconductor...

www.tdpri.com

Pax/
Dean

 

[trandy9850]

Mine is always on…way back in the day one of the Boss pedals demo guys (Steve Trovato) gave me some simple tips on how to set up a compressor.

With the compression know turn all the way down make your volume match whether the pedal is on or off…then dial in how much compression you want…simple…and it applies to most compression pedals. That I’m familiar with.

I have several compressor pedals….these are a couple of my favorites.

A-Y-A/R-Comp….a very hard to find booteeky Compressor that’s made in Japan…it’s basically a beefed-up version of the original Ross compressor except with the highest possible grade of components..it’s an amazing pedal and proves the point that sometimes “Less is more”…this is currently in the rotation.

As far as an easily available pedal I still like the Wampler Ego Compressor…it provides quiet, smooth compression with no excessive “pumping” or “breathing” and great sensitivity.

 

[Grandfunkfan]

I use mine with the blend at 1 o'clock like you do. I use it to tame transients when I'm using my telecaster. It also improves sustain and evens out highs and lows. My treble strings are heard more and my bass strings are brought down a little and it balances string to string volume. It's subtle but you notice the difference when it's off. I don't use it on my.strsts, they have a smoother tone with less transients and the compressor gives my strats a nasal tone. I almost forgot, if you're playing with a lot of overdrive you might not hear a difference because the over driven signal from your pedal is naturally compressed possibly even more than what's coming out of your compressor. If I'm using a heavy overdrive I switch of my compressor to maintain some definition.

 

[4pickupguy]

Hi.



I almost bought a compressor about four hours ago. It’s still waiting in my wish-list. And the reason I’m curious to try one is for recording at home.

It’s the relatively newish Donner LAX Comp. Which may or may not be based on the UA 1176 circuit. Probably not, going by the really short thread linked to below, but definitely trying somehow to do something similar. .

Anyway, it seems it would be a cheap way to dip my toes into compression. I might still get it. I need to work up to these things - took weeks of pondering and two visits to the Fender Flagship Store before I bought the Mustang Micro Plus.

Donner LAX COMP transconductance based Universal Audio 1176 Limiter run for the money. Great on a Tele!

The Donner Lax Comp has had such little publicity. It doesn't help that Donner barely mentions it's designed around the Universal Audio 1176, even though there is a slightly encrypted "1176" on the pedals logo. So here are some internal pics Donner LAX COMP and read all about how Transconductor...

www.tdpri.com

Pax/
Dean

First, if you are looking for one to record with, get the highest quality one you can afford. The noise floor can be an issue. I use the pedal compressor for a guitar ‘toan’ thing, and the DAW plug-in comps for the ‘mix’ thing. Experiment where in the chain you like to have it because it makes a huge difference.
Most of my guitars are weak, anemic single-coil-laden horror shows at low amp volumes. All attack and no cahones. I call this the pinky zone. I currently place my comp after my pre-amp (this is post drives) to take my clean sounds out of the pinky zone. It’s emulating the power amp section compressing. To my delight it has the effect of allowing me to run FAR less gain and still have the sustain. Also, it allows you to control the gain from the volume knob. This is the single best thing I have done to improve my drive tones in a long time. Its set to a light parallel compression with the blend at about 40wet/60dry. I like this so much I have started using a higher head room rig with the band.
It might be good to get the Donner to ‘Dip your toes’ for sure. You can play with it on your rig and experiment. Then decide if spending the money makes sense.

 

[Ljislink24]

I recently got a compressor for slide, being new to playing slide I was getting a lot of uneven notes & sometimes just hot mess. The compressor really shines on the fast ala David Lindley Mercury Blues type stuff.
But I still can't decide if it's good or bad for non-slide playing which is 90% of what I play. Playing at home & with a band & compression are 2 different animals for me.
So far I've owned 2, a Boss CP-X1 & JHS TW. Sold the JHS as the Boss can deliver more sustain with less coloring of the tone. But still don't love the Boss so I'm going try a Barber tone press. So maybe I don't like or need compression for non-slide guitar ?? Since I'm stubborn it may take me several pedals to figure it out. Playing a Tele through a Carr Telstar & my current pedal board is a lone compressor. The rest of my board, OD,boost,delay,tremolo are all off or left at home, I like simple probably why I'm having a hard time figuring out compression

 

[sadfield]

I always liked the TPS description, "overdrive for your clean tone".

I used to use one in the loop of an amp to emulate the sag at lower volume. Or, more often a tube compressor after a Line6 Pod or Blackstar HT Dual going into my audio interface then cabinet emulation in my DAW, to do the same thing.

 

[Hoodster]

Hi.



I almost bought a compressor about four hours ago. It’s still waiting in my wish-list. And the reason I’m curious to try one is for recording at home.

It’s the relatively newish Donner LAX Comp. Which may or may not be based on the UA 1176 circuit. Probably not, going by the really short thread linked to below, but definitely trying somehow to do something similar. .

Anyway, it seems it would be a cheap way to dip my toes into compression. I might still get it. I need to work up to these things - took weeks of pondering and two visits to the Fender Flagship Store before I bought the Mustang Micro Plus.

Donner LAX COMP transconductance based Universal Audio 1176 Limiter run for the money. Great on a Tele!

The Donner Lax Comp has had such little publicity. It doesn't help that Donner barely mentions it's designed around the Universal Audio 1176, even though there is a slightly encrypted "1176" on the pedals logo. So here are some internal pics Donner LAX COMP and read all about how Transconductor...

www.tdpri.com

Pax/
Dean

If you want a good cheap comp, you can’t miss with the Behringer CS400 for $25 new. It’s a dead clone of the Boss CS3 and I like it better than a bunch of much more expensive comps I have owned. Just keep the tone at or below noon, the sustain around noon, and the attack at or a little above noon.

 

[schenkadere]

I only use a compressor with a solid state amp. Takes the stiffness out a bit. I currently use a Maxon CP101 and have a Carl Martin too. The Maxon does just enough. The CM is a bit to much squish too soon for my needs but it’s a great comp.

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

Maybe record a track/riff with the compressor and record the same riff without the compressor. Wait a week to compare the 2 and choose the one you like better. It sounds like there's barely enough going on with the pedal for it to matter whether it's there or not.

 

[Telecaster88]

I use the Dyna Comp Deluxe... Classic Dyna circuit with added tone, blend and attack controls. And it's always on. BUT... I play clean single coils through a low volume Fender or Vox amp. The compressor gives me some of the chew I'd get from a cooking amp. Added sustain, some nice thickness, and richer harmonics. It makes the amp come alive when clean at lower volume. It's indispensable to my sound.

First time I plugged it in I immediately started hearing all the clean guitar tones from my favorite records.

If you're using hot pickups or running through a cooking amp or using a lot of added gain from overdrives/distortion, you may not need a compressor in your chain. You're getting your compression elsewhere. But for clean sounds, oh la la.

 

[Gladhander]

I had the Keeley for a while. Blah. I had the DynaComp. Yuk. I have the Fender Compugilist. **** pedal all around. I have the BBE OptoStomp and it’s great! Try an optical compressor. I run the Optostomp in front and the BBE Sonic Maximizer at the end. Good stuff.

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

It might be good to get the Donner to ‘Dip your toes’ for sure. You can play with it on your rig and experiment. Then decide if spending the money makes sense.

Well, the Donner LAX compressor arrived this afternoon. No idea how it performs yet, as I promptly wrapped it.

My wife’s giving it to me as a present. Although, she won’t know that until I ‘discover’ it under the tree on Xmas morning.

Pax/
Dean

 

[Texicaster]

Hi.



I almost bought a compressor about four hours ago. It’s still waiting in my wish-list. And the reason I’m curious to try one is for recording at home.

It’s the relatively newish Donner LAX Comp. Which may or may not be based on the UA 1176 circuit. Probably not, going by the really short thread linked to below, but definitely trying somehow to do something similar. .

Anyway, it seems it would be a cheap way to dip my toes into compression. I might still get it. I need to work up to these things - took weeks of pondering and two visits to the Fender Flagship Store before I bought the Mustang Micro Plus.

Donner LAX COMP transconductance based Universal Audio 1176 Limiter run for the money. Great on a Tele!

The Donner Lax Comp has had such little publicity. It doesn't help that Donner barely mentions it's designed around the Universal Audio 1176, even though there is a slightly encrypted "1176" on the pedals logo. So here are some internal pics Donner LAX COMP and read all about how Transconductor...

www.tdpri.com

Pax/
Dean

Add the Diamond Comp EQ compressor to your list! I LOVE mine! Best pedal I've ever owned! Broad spectrum of tones which are all good!

 

[4pickupguy]

Hi.



Well, the Donner LAX compressor arrived this afternoon. No idea how it performs yet, as I promptly wrapped it.

My wife’s giving it to me as a present. Although, she won’t know that until I ‘discover’ it under the tree on Xmas morning.

Pax/
Dean

Congrats! Try to act surprised and give her big hug. If you really sell it, “Honey, how did you know? You’re amazing! This pairs perfectly with the *enter gear here* I was going to get after Christmas! Thank you honey…” good luck!!

 

[Greenstreet]

I got this from Anatomy of Guitar Tone:

Compression is one of the most confusing effects to incorporate into your guitar chain. It’s a misunderstood effect.​

What a compressor actually does isn’t all that confusing. The difficulty is in its application.​

Let’s start at the beginning. A compressor’s purpose is to even out your guitar’s signal. With a clean guitar, you will see peaks in the recorded sound. Lots of peaks and valleys. The transients pop out. The difference between those peaks and valleys could sound jarring or cause overload, depending on what you’re running your signal into.​

Compressors were invented to reduce the distance between peaks and valleys. This allows for a more consistent sound and has benefits like preventing tape output from overloading and digital output from clipping.​

Why compress?​

Because the guitar has such a wide variance of dynamics—transients pop out, while softer parts are left in the wind in live mixes and recording.

Compression lets you glue the sound together. You can sometimes even out your tone through your playing, but because of the guitar’s tonal nature, you’ll never even out the sound the way you can with a compressor.
I own an optical compressor and use it often.

Well said