Got a compressor pedal for christmas!

[roccobladr]

Now what??? This is my first time playing with a compressor pedal and I don't really know what I am doing lol. Its a digitech bass squeeze. Anyone have any useful settings or experience with this? Just looking to have a more "even" sound when playing live with the 'ray.

 

[Colin]

AH the compressor, the most miss understood of all the pedals (myself included). You need to experiment and learn from that. I record a lot and now appreciate compression much more.

 

[Powman]

Some folks use a compressor as an effects pedal to significantly change their tone. I use it like insurance. I want to get rid of excessive peaks and to lightly increase the sustain. I secretly hope the compression never kicks in which means I am playing nicely.

We can't give you a setting because it depends on how hard you play and where you set your volume on the bass. Just experiment with your new Christmas toy and have fun.

 

[Holdsg]

+1 Powman. CYoung uses one, that's good enough for me.

 

[roccobladr]

I guess I will just need to sit down and play. I really dont want to change my tone too much. I have an HH 5 string ray and it sounds perfect at almost flat EQ. I just can play too aggressive sometimes during the night, so I'd like to have it be able to keep me smooth sailing all night long. (in a cover band so I play tons of different styles of music)

 

[projectapollo]

If you should get the opportunity to play through a VU meter, you can get a good visual of how evenly you play in terms of volume. I've seen bass players really surprised when they try to play evenly with a VU meter at how hard it actually is to do. A compressor makes this challenge a little easier. You really just want a few dB of compression if you are playing moderately even to begin with. If you really make the compressor smash your signal it starts to sound like an effect. The above is based on my experience as a recording engineer many years ago. So, who knows if I remember all this correctly. Its just another "internet expert", I guess.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

Here's an article I wrote for my "Studio Time" series in Bass Player magazine. It was in the August 1997 issue. It should give you a quick intro to how compression works, so you can set up yours. Reprinted here without permission.

 

[projectapollo]

Here's an article I wrote for my "Studio Time" series in Bass Player magazine. It was in the August 1997 issue. It should give you a quick intro to how compression works, so you can set up yours.

Great article. Gives the compression discussion from a studio perspective where have control of all those parameters - threshold, ratio, even attack and release. These effects pedals, seem to have much less control. Ive never used one so don't know much about them.

p.s. For those who tinker in sound -- In addition to bass , compression really improves the sound of a snare drum and kick drum and toms.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

These effects pedals, seem to have much less control.

True, but once you know what all of the standard compression controls do, it's easy to work with a unit that doesn't have 'em all.

Thanks for the kind words about the article!

 

[cyoungnashville]

markbass makes the best compressor on the planet. the day i bought mine, was the day i stopped draggin my vintage $4000 blackface rackmounted jobby to every session, and gig. its tube (the tube actually does the compression, not just there for looks), its not noisy, its fully tweakable and will do anything you want it to do (from really pumpy hear it work to transparent and tame), and it is easy to lug around. i cant say more than one of those things about any other compressor i have ever used. my best advice is to trade that badboy in for the mb, then turn the knobs till you hear something you like.

 

[Psycho Ward]

I got a sweater for Christmas... I was hoping for a screamer or a moaner.

 

[adouglas]

OHHHH!!!!!

Dangit, now I need to clean my keyboard again!

 

[0DDJ0B]

i got the boss LMB-3. started with one of their recommended settings and took if from there. it was easier to dial it in during rehearsal. practicing at the house you just can't get the levels right. the guys gave me a thumbs up after rehearsal. i play in a cover band also and this really helped out with having to play different styles.

 

[roccobladr]

my only problem is that i have a markbass cmd 121p...the small 12 incher. i use it live at most bars, but sometimes we have a sound guy or use house sound and my bass just sounds AMAZING. so my problem is that I am stuck right now just finding a setting that sounds good through the 12 inch speaker...not if it was from the amp to other speakers. do sound guys usually have beef with bass players and compressors?

 

[0DDJ0B]

look at my sig, i'm running the same amp. your sound guy will probably like it b/c your signal will be more constant.

 

[cyoungnashville]

do sound guys usually have beef with bass players and compressors?

no. they hate every bass player.

 

[shakinbacon]

does the markbass compressor have a DI out?

The pictures I've seen don't show one, but I've seen pics of the Distorsorre with and without a DI output so I wanted to check.

thanks

 

[five7]

my only problem is that i have a markbass cmd 121p...the small 12 incher. i use it live at most bars, but sometimes we have a sound guy or use house sound and my bass just sounds AMAZING. so my problem is that I am stuck right now just finding a setting that sounds good through the 12 inch speaker...not if it was from the amp to other speakers. do sound guys usually have beef with bass players and compressors?

I ran sound for 25 years and no beef with bass players using compression. If they have a good compressor, then I wouldn't have to insert a comp on their channel, I could use it for something else. The only beef I can remember having with a bass player is Fish of fishbone. He thinks it is okay to urinate into the 1 inch horn on wedges and smash 58s into the stage. Ask him how the new bends in the trombone worked out.