Anyone compress their ray/bongo?

[PocketGroove82]

Greetings knuckleheads and bongoloids!
I'm just wondering if anyone here uses compression while playing their rays or bongos? I'm considering it, since a couple funky tunes in my jazz combo's sets sound nice with a little slap and pop, but at the same time my volume spikes really hard and it gets a little over the top when trying to switch back and forth between that and finger style in the middle of one tune.

what say you!?

 

[EBMM7181]

I've been thinking about getting some type of compressor for my rack / or a pedal..... Not sure what type/brand to get though...

 

[Jim_F]

I'm not a big fan of compressors - have used compression before in the studio occassionally, but never live.
I like the dynamic range which you start to lose when you begin compressing the sound.

 

[jamesattard]

i always use compression - live and recording. at the moment I use BOSS technology.

 

[roballanson]

Have tried....but gave up for live work. I have a little BOSS pedal which is monumentally pants in my opinion so just have an amp with loads of head room...

 

[lebowsky]

I have the Boss LBM-3 that I use to give me a little additional punch and even my spikes. I originally bought when I was playing a squier, so it was a big help back then, now that I have a Bongo I have quite reduced the settings

I tried the EBS multicomp but didn't like it at all.

Best way: go to the shop and try a few

My sound guy always uses a rackmounted compressor on my signal when live btw

Hope that helps!

 

[Aussie Mark]

Aphex Punch Factory on the board here at the moment. I like a little touch of comp most of the time.

 

[Micolao]

I sold my EBS Multicomp (that was great with my passive P) but I didn't like the response with my SR4
I bought a Boss LMB-3 to use it as a limiter because I play in DADG and I was needing some balance between the lowD and the other string.
Works great, a little bit more of punch but no dinamic reduction.

 

[1Echo]

Most of the time I go without compression but occassionally I'll use it to alter my attack. For pedals, a lot of people like the Keeley compressors and I use the Analogman BicompROSSer. FYI, one side of the Bicomp is the Juicer, a longtime favorite of Tony Levin on his SR5's.

For studio work though there are much better options but it's so subjective that I'm not going to go into it here. The most common ones used by the big names are dbx 160a and the LA2A.

 

[syciprider]

It looks like they won't flatten much.

 

[bolombo]

I've found the Carl Martin compressor to be the bee's knees!!! Super transparent and versitile sounding with 4 dials available for tweaking (Treshold, Compression, Responce and Gain). AC current. Basically rack sound in a stomp box built like a tank. It's pricey but second hands are out there.

 

[Psycho Ward]

I use a Sears Craftsman 6hp/33 gallon Compressor. It’s got a pretty good dynamic range, up to 150psi and it works great all EBMM basses. It’s hands down the best way to get rid of unwanted dust from under the saddles. I swear by it!

 

[PocketGroove82]

Thanks for the recommendations...and jokes (chuck).
I found this interesting compressor review site, so I've been sorta tossing around the idea of purchasing one. I really need to haul one of my rays out to a shop and give some of them a try.
Anyways, at the risk of this being Off Topic I thought I would post the link.

Compressor Reviews

Anyways, I wonder if after the EBMM wah pedal becomes a huge success, if there will be any more EBMM effects/pedals in the works?

Anyone heard anything through the grapevine? I'd love to see what Mr. Gimple could come up with if he put is mind on making effects!

Matt

 

[adouglas]

I use a Sears Craftsman 6hp/33 gallon Compressor. It’s got a pretty good dynamic range, up to 150psi and it works great all EBMM basses. It’s hands down the best way to get rid of unwanted dust from under the saddles. I swear by it!

Quiet, you!

 

[bassgod0dmw]

I use a Demeter Compulator on all of my basses...3 of which are Stingrays. It works fantastically.

 

[ooglay]

This is a really newb question, but I've never used a compressor.. what does a compressor do?

 

[mynan]

It's basically an automatic volume control. You give it a db level that you don't want your volume to exceed (threshold) and it kicks in when that level is exceeded. You also give it a compression ratio. For example, if you set the ratio at 2:1, it will decrease the volume 1 db for every 2 db that your volume exceeds the threshold. A 4:1 ratio means that your input volume would have to exceed the threshold by 4 db to have your output volume exceed the threshold by 1 db.

Correct me if I'm wrong...I know there's a lot more to it.

 

[newtley]

+1 for the Aphex if you go the stompbox route, but if you can find a Retrospec Squeezebox you'll be in total squish heaven. Creamy as it gets. I know Tony Levin used to use these; maybe still does. They were made in his hometown.
They've been out of production/business for some time but <insert long convoluted story here> rumored to be making a re-appearance as of last year.....um..or maybe not if it's been that long...

 

[Bass Control]

I've used the BBE MaxCom. I like the sound I get out of it, along with the Sonic Maximizer. Can't wait for a new EBMM bass to play with it!

 

[NoFrets80]

I use an Aphex Punch Factory, and have been using it with my SUB fretless (and my 2 prior owned SUBs) for well over a year. I was really heavy handed with it at first, prompting my drummer to ask me where my dynamics had gone... I backed it off a lot, and find that a setting of maybe 1 or 2 on the "drive" knob works well for live applications. Studio applications demand a bit more of a squeeze sometimes, but the adjustment really shone through in the last few live recordings. It gave the engineer/mixer much more control over my bass, and the dynamics were back. Too much compression kills your nuances. Just the right amount makes it nice and big in the track.