Off Topic Compressor use

[patobrujo]

I don't know if this has been discussed earlier but i really want to know your experiences, opinions and thoughts abotu the use of a compressor with your bass. I've never used one, but there's people who think that is obligatory to use one. What do you guys think? what units do you use? How it affects your sound?

thanx

 

[Musicman Nut]

I don't know if this has been discussed earlier but i really want to know your experiences, opinions and thoughts abotu the use of a compressor with your bass. I've never used one, but there's people who think that is obligatory to use one. What do you guys think? what units do you use? How it affects your sound?

thanx

I spent 11 Years and designed my Own Compressor Using a DBX Chip and it's amazing, But I use a Compressor to fatten up my bass, I hate the "compression where you can feel the bass being squashed. I tried several and unless I spent 3K on something maybe a studio would use these others just didn't do it. So I made my own and I love it. So it all depends on what you want out of it and what sound your looking for.

 

[shakinbacon]

I don't know if this has been discussed earlier but i really want to know your experiences, opinions and thoughts abotu the use of a compressor with your bass. I've never used one, but there's people who think that is obligatory to use one. What do you guys think? what units do you use? How it affects your sound?

thanx

Compressors are tricky. The best compressors make you think "is this thing on?" In my opinion you want a really nice one or don't bother. I say this because cheap compressors (sub $100) tend to suck bass frequencies and have very annoying artifacts (pumping, squashing, distorting, clipping, crackling, you name it).

I suggest you checkout a guy named "bongomania" on Talkbass. He was quite helpful to me.

Personally, I don't like using compressors unless
1) I'm slapping live (which is rare)
2) I'm recording and find after the fact that I want to compress the signal
3) The sound engineer has good equipment and he knows what he's doing.

Thus in summary I almost never use them and try to control volume as best I can with my hands.

 

[bizmarckie]

I'm not fan of compressors live at all. I've heard that from a lot of bassists, from full-time players to the hobbyist. For recording, I've heard they can be necessary to engineers for evening the signal (For mixing?).

 

[BluesBassPlayer]

Billy Sheehan can't or won't play without one. Go to his web site and read about his gear and how he utilizes compression. My Mesa MPulse 600 and SWR Spellbinder both have built in compressors and I never use them or if they're switched on I don't know what they really do.

Jimi

 

[Basscake]

I hate the "compression where you can feel the bass being squashed.

Yeah. Same here.

In the past I used a DBX160A in the FX-loop of my amp. Just to keep the peaks in check, nothing more. Something the poweramp of a valve amp would do. You can kind of simulate that effect a bit with a comp.
Just very subtle to smoothen the whole sound a bit.

Thats one application.
You can also use it als a audible effect to pump things up and extend the sustain of the instrument. Listen to Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". Theres a compressor pumping on extreme settings.
Nice, but i wouldn't like that sound all night...

Compressors can be tricky.

The DBX is real simple, good sounding unit. And almost foolproof. Very important, because not knowing how to work a compressor is probably the easiest way to mess up your sound.

I have my DBX still in my rack, but its switched off at the moment. My Ampeg Cabinets do already to much compression for my taste.
But i had it switched on permanently when i was playing my former Eden 4x10

I found out that when the sound is to compressed I try to compensate by digging in harder. To hard actually. I start to get tension in my right hand and so on...
When you feel that you are fighting against the darn thing its time to adjust it or switch it off...

 

[BluesBassPlayer]

Billy Sheehan: Advanced Bass - Google Books

See if this linc works.

 

[Kirby]

I have the DBX 160A in my rack and love just a bit of it with live performance, like others have said too much kills your sound. I use just a bit of over easy to smooth everything out.

I just recently got the T.C. Electronic compression pedal and am experimenting with it now for shows that I do not want to lug the rack unit to. Too soon to give judgement on this unit yet.

 

[CElton]

Unless you slap and pop a lot or want one for the "squish" effect, IMO, you don't need a compressor with EBMM basses. Very punchy and even across the spectrum.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Compressors are tricky. The best compressors make you think "is this thing on?" In my opinion you want a really nice one or don't bother.

+1

That's why I use an Aphex Punch Factory - it's a optical compressor so it's totally transparent and when playing you would hardly know it's on.

 

[oli@bass]

I used to play with compressors (Ashly, DBX) for over 20 years but came to the conclusion that a tube amp or great tube simulaton gives me a similar yet more musical result. However I don't mind the sound engineer running comp on the bass for the FOH if needed.

 

[MrMusashi]

i love the ua 610 channel strip.. tube preamp and an optical compressor
it works on more things than just microphones

MrM

 

[HornetAMX]

I use a DBX 160X which I really like.

 

[EdFriedland]

For recording, a compressor is pretty much essential. But live... I don't use them. I went through the whole rack phase in the 80's and 90's. Ultimately, you need to learn how to control your dynamics and tone from your hands. You also need to learn how to set your amp to get the maximum headroom and an effective tone so you can slap without destroying it. It's not that hard, but using a compressor takes that out of your control.

Billy Sheehan's technique is very specialized, and yeah - a compressor is a big help for that. So, I'm not saying there are no uses for one, but... most of the time I see players with bad technique using them to compensate for their lack of control. Don't become one of them!

 

[Musicman Nut]

For recording, a compressor is pretty much essential. But live... I don't use them. I went through the whole rack phase in the 80's and 90's. Ultimately, you need to learn how to control your dynamics and tone from your hands. You also need to learn how to set your amp to get the maximum headroom and an effective tone so you can slap without destroying it. It's not that hard, but using a compressor takes that out of your control.

Billy Sheehan's technique is very specialized, and yeah - a compressor is a big help for that. So, I'm not saying there are no uses for one, but... most of the time I see players with bad technique using them to compensate for their lack of control. Don't become one of them!

I do agree with Most of what Ed here is saying, 99.9% of compressors I see in use are do to bad technique or as a Limiter.

 

[patobrujo]

well thank to all of you for your responses, i think i keep playing compressorless for the moment mostly because y really want to control my dinomics with my fingers and i don´t want to lose any of my bongo's tone...

I just want to know how many of you actually use this, and check if the compressor was a universal bassist tool or something you can disregard of.

So thanks again this has been very clarifiying for my