MXR Dyna Comp

Rocker007

I got one yesterday and it sounds epic with clean, modulated delay... c'mon! ?

nick

Ive been reading up and I want to add a comp to my setup too. Might wait for Matta to finalise his pedal ideas and build an orange squeaser though.

what did you pay if you dont mind me asking?

Rocker007

I paid R1000 second hand. With discount I would have got it for about R1500 at Marshall.

kayDUB

I had my eye on a dyna comp, was gonna try build a clone, but picked up a boss cs2 instead the other day.
Wonder how they compare?

@Rocker: u use it to smooth out/add more clarity to your delay playing? what setting were u using? (if u don't mind...)

Can you explain the difference you hear in your sound with and without the comp?
So you would have a different setting when using with delay to when using more like a sustainer for leads?

Soz for the q's, but i'm curious! :-[ hope i made sense, i'm new to compression.

Rocker007

kayDUB wrote: I had my eye on a dyna comp, was gonna try build a clone, but picked up a boss cs2 instead the other day.
Wonder how they compare?

@Rocker: u use it to smooth out/add more clarity to your delay playing? what setting were u using? (if u don't mind...)

Can you explain the difference you hear in your sound with and without the comp?
So you would have a different setting when using with delay to when using more like a sustainer for leads?

Soz for the q's, but i'm curious! :-[ hope i made sense, i'm new to compression.

Hi kayDUB

Excuse my bluntness, but I want to be honest - I used to have to Boss CS-3 Compressor Sustainer and it squashed the crap out of my tone, so I managed to swap it for a DD-3 hehe ?

Basically the Boss compressor is like a Tata car and the Dyna Comp is BMW.

The Dyna Comp has given more clarity and changes your tone a bit, kind of gives it a pleasant brightness and warmth. I prefer not using it with my overdrive / distortion, doesn't mean it can't be used for that, just my personal preference - I would also need to set it up differently for using it with overdrive. I prefer big, medium gain overdrive and compressors don't always work very well with that type of tone.

kayDUB

Rocker007 wrote: Excuse my bluntness, but I want to be honest - I used to have to Boss CS-3 Compressor Sustainer and it squashed the crap out of my tone, so I managed to swap it for a DD-3 hehe ?

Basically the Boss compressor is like a Tata car and the Dyna Comp is BMW.

The Dyna Comp has given more clarity and changes your tone a bit, kind of gives it a pleasant brightness and warmth. I prefer not using it with my overdrive / distortion, doesn't mean it can't be used for that, just my personal preference - I would also need to set it up differently for using it with overdrive. I prefer big, medium gain overdrive and compressors don't always work very well with that type of tone.

Thanks for your answer!
You are excused! ? Just as well I have a CS2 then... apparently they are quite different to the CS3's.

I wanted to get a compressor to hear what it sounds like with delay, since I heard (read: interpreted) it makes a huge dif. What I heard with my rig was the sound kinda stood out more with the compressor, if that makes sense. does it tend to clarify/even out your delay repeats resulting in a smoother sound too? I still need to play around with the settings some more to get the hang of it.

AlanRatcliffe

http://ratcliffe.co.za/articles/compression.shtml - more studio oriented and probably more detail than you need/want, but info nontheless.

The CS3 can be a very nice pedal is it's modded properly - a lot of guys rave about the Keeley and Monte Allums ones, but those in the know seem to be leaning more to the Humphrey Audio Atom Smasher. I'm sure Matt could help you out with more info. I think Jo Ellis has a Allums modded one.

mattyd

hahaha that took you no time at all!
Did you even GO back to work or did you head straight home with your new purchase?? hahaha

Stoked for ya man. Very keen to hear it. I still wanna come check out the Hillsong services one day when I'm not on at my church. Keen to give me a guided tour when I come?

Rocker007

mattyd wrote: hahaha that took you no time at all!
Did you even GO back to work or did you head straight home with your new purchase?? hahaha

Stoked for ya man. Very keen to hear it. I still wanna come check out the Hillsong services one day when I'm not on at my church. Keen to give me a guided tour when I come?

Haha. I got it at lunch time yesterday and tested it at rehearsal. I could bring my pedalboard tomorrow if u would like?

Yeah u must visit soon dude, I'll happily give u a guided tour ?

kayDUB

Thanks for the article link Alan. Good stuff. I think I understand the general points of compression, just trying to relate to its use in stompbox format. i.e. the optimum way to use it (personal of course), plus the CS2 ? has level, attack and sustain dials.

hmmm so many questions regarding compression, but maybe rocker's DynaComp thread is not the place for it...

matta

kayDUB wrote: Thanks for the article link Alan. Good stuff. I think I understand the general points of compression, just trying to relate to its use in stompbox format. i.e. the optimum way to use it (personal of course), plus the CS2 ? has level, attack and sustain dials.

hmmm so many questions regarding compression, but maybe rocker's DynaComp thread is not the place for it...

Hey Kaydub,

I'll try break it down for you...

Ok, in simple laymans terms compression makes your soft notes LOUDER and your LOUD notes softer, it does this by 'limiting' what is known as dynamic range. It does this using several controls, studio compressors have alot more and sometimes less flexibility in this regards, but based on your knobs above in relation to the guitar pedal.

LEVEL is pretty straight forward, it is the LEVEL of the effect.

ATTACK is hot quickly the compressor responds to incoming signal. Generally quick attack times will have a more 'biting' or 'aggressive' tone as it is compressing 'hard' and 'fast', the slower the attack the smoother the sound because it is isn't compressing the initial attack of the notes, but rather the tail of the notes.

SUSTAIN (also known as RELEASE) happens once the compressor has ATTACKED the signal (as above). How long does the signal stay compressed until it 'lets go'... obviously with a quick sustain setting the notes will not sustain very long before the next ATTACK cycle begins. If you wanted to have your notes ring out or sustain you would use a LONGER sustain setting along the notes to sustain until the next ATTACK cycle.

Does that makes sense?

Cheers

Matt

kayDUB

Thanks Matt, makes a load of sense!

So in terms of practical application if I wanted a percussive type sound for picking I would set the attack up and sustain down.
And if i wanted a sustained sound (like for a solo) i would set the attack down and sustain up.

Yes? Yes? Yes! :? Can you believe they let me write software?? ?

matta

kayDUB wrote: Thanks Matt, makes a load of sense!

So in terms of practical application if I wanted a percussive type sound for picking I would set the attack up and sustain down.
And if i wanted a sustained sound (like for a solo) i would set the attack down and sustain up.

Yes? Yes? Yes! :? Can you believe they let me write software?? ?

Well up and down is all relative to the compressor ?

The most accurate way of describing it would be:

For a percussive type sound you would set a faster attack, where you set the sustain is relative to the time between the notes.

For a sustained note you would have a slower/medium attack and slower sustain, giving a 'blooming' note.

Hope that helps! Again practice will make perfect ?

Cheers

Matt

kayDUB

Think I got it! 8)

Thanks again!