compressor

Ray

Someone plse tell me what is good comp pedal to get, where to buy and how much? BOSS CS-3 any good?Cheers - Ray Phillips

Keira-WitherKay

hey Ray... yeah that boss is great ... but i also saw in gfsa classifieds that someone just a few days ago was selling a MXR compressor and if it's the real deal and not a knock off they great especially for electric........

guidothepimmp

hey man, yeah i have the boss compressor and its great.

Also when we recorded our EP, we used a reputable producer from a well known studio and he too had us jamming through the boss cs3. I bought mine after that. Figured if it was good enough for him, its good enough for me

Bob-Dubery

Ray wrote Someone plse tell me what is good comp pedal to get, where to buy and how much? BOSS CS-3 any good?Cheers - Ray Phillips

The usual rules apply: Go to shops and try the pedals out.

But since you ask, I've been generally impressed by the Carl Martin "vintage" range.

Jacquesg4j

Compressors are great tone pushers and can really make a huge difference when used with good overdrive! BUT, the wrong compressor can suck out your tone! I had the CS-3 and it ended up stolen (not sad about it tho)... I would rather not use a compressor than using the sc-3... just my taste! But something like MXR Dyna Comp or 4/2 knob Keeley's are great! But yeah go give it a listen and decide for yourself! Also depending if you play single coil or HB. Comp on humbucker not so great! Rather go for something like the Seymour Duncan pickup booster on HB... sounds rad!!

AlanRatcliffe

Generally I don't like using compressors and I especially don't like the CS-3 in it's stock form, but I need one for 12-string and have a CS-3 with the Monte Allums mods, which is quite nice. Smoother, more "studio comp" than the stock unit.

Squonk

Sorry to ask the dumbass question, but what exactly does a compressor do?

My brother in the UK had struggled with his live sound for years and after he bought the Keeley Compressor it was almost as though he had found the Holy Grail!

Jacquesg4j

Generally it gives a bigass load of sustain! Esp used with something like a ts808 or ts9... amazing! Like the route66 has overdrive on 1 side and comp on the other just because they sound so awesome together! Compressor can give you some soft drive aswell!

Gearhead

Sustain from a compressor is like eating chocolates from the box: too much and you'll get sick of it. There is a thin line between adding enough sustain and taking away dynamics.

[shameless plug]BTW I have a CS-2 which is better sounding than its successor is, stock. It could be for sale, PM if interested. [/shameless plug]

AlanRatcliffe

Basically compression reduces dynamic range: it makes quieter sounds louder and louder sounds quieter. This makes the level of the sound more consistent so that it sits better in a mix and can be mixed louder without clipping. Quieter sounds like harmonics will stand out better and louder passages and chords will not jump out as much. As sustained notes fade, the compressor will boost the gain to compensate, effectively making the guitar sustain more audible (noise too if you are not careful) for longer.

One of the nice things about valve amps is the way they compress naturally when driven and a compressor can give you something of the same feel with a clean sound.

There are two approaches to using compression, the first is pretty much as described above - used as a problem solver to even out levels, which is usually done as transparently as possible so the listener does not hear it as an obvious effect. The second approach makes the effect more obvious, where you can hear the effect as the levels change and the compressor "pumps" and "breathes".

Some compressors (like the much maligned CS-3) give you control over how fast the compressor responds to volume changes (attack), which lets you set the effect so the attack portion of the notes can sound out naturally before the compressor kicks in and either cuts the volume or boosts it (depending on the other settings).

slimboybinz

Keeley 4x2 does it for me.

Takes the least away from your guitar.

Rob-dos

Hey hey, i have a Rocktek one, i dont like compressors, the music i jam i is about the louds and the softs and the mistakes, but i was given this pedal among other things..
if u looking for one to jam around with to see how it goes, you can take this off my hands, swop me something i could randomly use or make a modest offer and il pass it along

WantzChas

Squonk wrote Sorry to ask the dumbass question, but what exactly does a compressor do?

My brother in the UK had struggled with his live sound for years and after he bought the Keeley Compressor it was almost as though he had found the Holy Grail!

I was thinking the same thing, thanks for the answers Alan and Jacques.

Rob-dos

WantzChas wrote
Squonk wrote Sorry to ask the dumbass question, but what exactly does a compressor do?

My brother in the UK had struggled with his live sound for years and after he bought the Keeley Compressor it was almost as though he had found the Holy Grail!
I was thinking the same thing, thanks for the answers Alan and Jacques.

i read this the other day, apparently what it does is it levels out your sound, makes the soft picks louder and the loud picks softer and evens stuff out
zeppelin, hendrix etc, not a compressor sound.. usher, u2, a compressed sound
makes it sound more tight and solid apparently which is good or bad depending on how u play

and thats why i dont like it and want to get rid of mine ?

SvR65

I play with a Kevin Coughlin built compressor (not too sure what he based it upon) but it does wonders for me and my Tele. It really helps me get the clean tone just that little bit spunkier when needed! Keep in mind I mostly play Blues, so other styles might not appreciate/ gain anything from it...

I don't have experience with other brand's compressors, but when I played that one for the 1st time I just had to have it... ?

Vick

I'm also looking into getting a comp...take a look at the toadworks compressor...think that's what I'm gonna go for...

inflames

Dumb question on compressors, so if I understand this correctly it would be great for a industrial type sound (Rammstein)?

AlanRatcliffe

inflames wrote Dumb question on compressors, so if I understand this correctly it would be great for a industrial type sound (Rammstein)?

That's more a job for one of these, I think:

Compressors (the audio kind) get used in all styles of music... Probably wouldn't be your first choice for industrial though (fuzz would probably be my first choice, followed by a ring modulator).