Compression Pedal

[Chondropython]

What are you guys using? Someone recommended the EHX Soul Preacher to me, but the reviews I've read seem to indicate that it works better w/ single coil pickups than humbuckers.

I'm just now looking into pedals, and my buddy told me that a compression pedal will really clean up your sound... any opinions on this?

 

[V!N]

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/pedals/81786-need-good-ears.html#post1591067

 

[b-squared]

Compression does some good things, but can also do some bad as well.

I like to add compression right after the guitar. I find that it makes it sing a bit more, and just sound better. It works especially nicely on leads...Michael Burks uses a compressor to add drive and sustain for solo work.

On the down side--it does amplify any noise in your setup. On my Pod X3Live I use both compression and a noise gate to control this.

It's a fine line, but adding a compressor can really enhance your sound. It's not for everyone, and certainly not for every song.

BB

 

[Rich]

For guitar, I have a couple of nice compressors (Keeley and Analogman) and, while I noodle around with them at home, neither lasts more than five minutes with my band rig. At home, I play fairly quietly and usually with a clean tone; with the band I'm cranking up my amp and almost always using some sort of dirty tone. So, at home a compressor is nice because it gives me a similar feel to a jacked up amp but, when I use it with a jacked up amp, it's just too much compression and I lose a lot of the dynamic play that I like.

Some players love compressors in their rigs and get some great tones with them but I'm not one of them. It kind of frustrates me too because the audio geek in me knows what compressors are capable of and the math adds up that a compressor should be awesome in my rig but it just doesn't work out that way for me.

I suppose it comes down to the type of tone you use and what you're looking to do with it. If you want compression as heavy effect like Mark Knopfler, then that's one thing but, if you simply have a vague notion that a compressor might somehow make your tone better without knowing how it might do it, I'd look into borrowing one or buying one from a place with a good return policy.

 

[jimmyq]

For guitar, I... <snip>

Great post.

After much messing about with compressors, I reached the same conclusion. I'd like them to work in my setup, I like the idea of them and they should sound good, but I just couldn't make it work either.

Even with a top of the line Analogman Bi-Comp (which I waited two years for!), I eventually relegated it off of my pedal board, and finally it found itself on ebay.

I miss the concept of having a compressor pedal, I don't miss the reality of running one in my rig.

YMMV.

 

[Rich]

The Bi-Comp is the Analogman pedal I have and I'm still holding out hope for finding a place to use the Juicer side. I did try it in one of our songs and it was pretty cool but not cool enough to continue using it there. Some day, I tell you! Some day I'll use a compressor!

Between the Bi-Comp's Ross side and the Keeley pedal, the Analogman pedal is definitely more transparent but, when I do use a compressor at home, I almost always end up using the Keeley as it just does "something" that I like. The Keeley just seems to get along really well with a Fender amp where the Analogman Ross side feels a little sterile.

Just for the halibut, I hooked up a dbx 166A I have but that lasted about five minutes and it now serves PA duty for vocals. Funny how what you believe SHOULD be better isn't always better.

 

[will c]

Tell us more about what kind of music you play, your guitar(s), and your amp(s). I would suggest something else, but it would be good to know your goals and what you have already first. A pedal tuner would be the first and then some type of overdrive or boost pedal second IMHO.

But to answer your question I'm using a Homebrew Electronics CompRessor Retro (CPR). Like B^2 said above, it evens out the gain but adds noise to your signal. I'm considering taking mine off my board because I'd rather use the real estate for something else.

Will

 

[Chondropython]

I mainly play what most would call "classic rock". My #1 guitar set up is a LP Trad with a Marshall DSL 401, but I also have an Am. Std. Tele and Fender Deluxe Reverb that I switch in every now & then.

Maybe I have the wrong idea in my head of what a compression pedal does, but I'm looking to try to get really clean "singing" tone (sort of like a Jerry Garcia / Allman Bros kind of vibe), and also really "spanky" funk rythm type of stuff like maybe you would hear on a James Brown song. Is a compression pedal what I am looking for?

 

[Rich]

Actually, from what you described, a compressor might work well for you. I still recommend trying one for a little while (borrow, good return policy, etc.) before committing to one though.

 

[notoperational]

If your looking at compressors, YOU HAVE TO TRY the Barber Tone-Press.

That thing will rock your world.

 

[will c]

Actually, from what you described, a compressor might work well for you. I still recommend trying one for a little while (borrow, good return policy, etc.) before committing to one though.

+1

 

[Hamtone]

Wampler ego hands down. The keeley 4 knob has nothing on the wampler. My uncle had. Both on his board and sold the keeley. Wampler is dead silent and completely transparent. I have had the mxr, alesis, rocktron, and boss nothing is as smooth

 

[NYPV]

I use the keeley 2 knob comp. Its the the most transparent one I've tried. The trick is use it sparingly, a little goes a long way. It helps maintain a good volume at bar gigs.

 

[GibsonByBirth]

A pedal tuner would be the first and then some type of overdrive or boost pedal second IMHO.



Will

This might help with the pedal orders BOSS Users Group - Order in the Court: Which Pedal Goes Where?. I am just not sure where to put a noise reducier. I have tuner, compressor/sustainer, blues drive, overdrive/distortion, equalizer and chorus ensemble

 

[mudfinger]

I could be way off here, but I wondered as I was reading the thread...

If you're trying to use a compression pedal in a guitar rig in a subtle way, purely as a means of dynamic control, I don't think most of you will like it. It is GREAT for slide guitar, and that's about it, at least for me. If you use the compression pedal as an effect, to radically alter the tone by squashing out all dynamics, it's good times. Fun for all the funky chikachikachika stuff.

 

[V!N]

I could be way off here, but I wondered as I was reading the thread...

If you're trying to use a compression pedal in a guitar rig in a subtle way, purely as a means of dynamic control, I don't think most of you will like it. It is GREAT for slide guitar, and that's about it, at least for me. If you use the compression pedal as an effect, to radically alter the tone by squashing out all dynamics, it's good times. Fun for all the funky chikachikachika stuff.

It seems to me you either have experience with very bad compressors, or you didn't dial them in right.

Those of you who have ever recorded something in a decent studio might know how compression works there. A good engineer takes your sound to two parallel channels, one for your dry signal and the other with compression. By far the best way to achieve a natural tone that's just slightly more "polished." This is exactly what the Barber Tone Press does !
While other serially connected compressors take your signal and then squish the heck out of everything, the parallel Tone Press lets you create a blend like a studio engineer would. Preserving all the wonderful natural attack and bloom of your playing and giving you the added sustain of the compressor.

 

[Hamtone]

Wampler has a mix knob also. Its great when you here your dry signal then you can feel the sustain take over and your signal goes into some kind of harmonic feedback fit, without any signifigant volume...a comp with a wet/dry knob is a must, at least now that I have one.

 

[Chondropython]

I've checked out the youtube vids and have narrowed it down to the Keely and the Wampler... I'm going to go try them out somewhere this weekend.

Since I play a LP and a Tele, it seems like the 4 knob Keely would be money well spent so that I can easily adjust according to which guitar I'm using at the time. Anyone have the 4 knob version?

 

[Hamtone]

I've checked out the youtube vids and have narrowed it down to the Keely and the Wampler... I'm going to go try them out somewhere this weekend.

Since I play a LP and a Tele, it seems like the 4 knob Keely would be money well spent so that I can easily adjust according to which guitar I'm using at the time. Anyone have the 4 knob version?

My uncle had 2 of the 4 knob and they both failed in a short amount of time. I wasnt there when either one failed but from what he described he had a couple of attack pots crap out. Out of the blue his rig was shooting super high freq and cutting all the bottom end out. This may not be the case with all of them but it definitely turned me to buy the wampler over the keeley. He also has the 5 knob wampler and said he wouldnt trade it for 3 keeleys

 

[mudfinger]

It seems to me you either have experience with very bad compressors, or you didn't dial them in right...

Or a taste thing, I have to admit a preference for compression from the amp and speakers on a live rig, and from the board/racks in the studio. A nice tube amp, a 414, with some LA-2A...that's my idea of juicy.