Rack mount compressor - suggestions?

Started by musikill, February 02, 2004, 05:42:05 PM

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palembic

Brother Werner!!
 
Wie geht es Ihnen??
I am only using the Triple C less and lesser since I play more often now.
Can you explain that argument for me please??
 
Paul the bad one

thebass

Hi Paul,
 
I am ok. and try my best to master my fretless EPIC at the moment. I am becoming more familiar with it and see (and hear) 1st improvements at my intonation now.
 
Well regarding the compressor. I was using it to achieve a fatter tone which doesn't change much in volume over the time. For most rock tunes this is highly required. But since I am playing in tree bands now with a lot of rehearsals I noticed that I could also get this steady tone just with a better controlled playing technique. Even for slapping techniques I don't use the compressor any more. I still have the Triple C in my rack because it's just there but I almost never use it anymore. I can only imagine to use it as an effect when I am after a highly compressed tone as you would get it from an old analog compressor which is driven far beyond it's threshold. In this case the compressor doesn't serve a role to equalize volume, it's rather an effect with very noticeable volume pumping.

hollis

If I'm not mistaken, I think Greg Lake is using a compressor driven as Werner decribes on Knife Edge.  A very interesting and effective sound...

palembic

Possible, but what Brother Werner also makes clear is keep on practicing, you don't need a Compressor.
***sigh*** au boulot!!!!!
 
 
Paul the bad one

hollis


adriaan

Meanwhile I'd like to thank Rob for correcting my gross mistakes regarding compressors in general.
 
As with all tools, only use them if and when you need them. A compressor is meant to smooth out unwanted peaks and dips in an acoustic signal. But hey, if you want to make interesting music you'll want those peaks and dips coming out of your rig.
 
And by the way, an amplifier is essentially a compressor.

thebass

Hi Paul,
 
don't worry, an even volume within bass playing is not the peak of art. It was just a matter of time and it's nothing I would ever practice for. It's rather like adriaan suggests: after all the countless cover stuff I got to the point where I *want* to here the peaks and dips and dynamics. At this point an even volume is just mechanical playing and the dynamics in playing is the art. Everytime I listen to Stanley Clarkes tunes I just get new lessons in playing with dynamics. He's the master.

musikill

I went with the dbx 160A single channel comp/limiter.  I use it more as a subtle sustain enhancing tool more than a compressor in the classical sense of the word.  I can play evenly enough not to neeed to worry about spikes etc. but I think everything benefits from a little compression.  Thanks to all for the input.