Compressor Pedals for Jazz Guitar?

[jorgemg1984]

Hmm good point... I will report when I have the pedal! Maybe the advantages I am hoping the pedal will bring outbeat that obvious disadvantage compressors bring...

[jorgemg1984]

Update: Got the Fromel Velvet Vice - cheaper than most other compressors, small footprint, optical compressor and I loved my Shape EQ from Fromel.

At first it was tough to get used to it but I discovered I should put the compressor first and the EQ second. Now it's sounding good - the compressor takes a lot of low end which is good with my Fender M80. You can dial a very dark sound withou getting boomy or muddy. The mids became very clear and present (specially because I am using Tornado speakers, which are very flat on the mids). The highs were a little strong at first but when i reversed the pedals order everything was perfect on that department.

I still have to learn how to use it better and record / gig with the pedal. Right now I miss some parts of my uncompressed sound when it's on and some parts of my compressed sound when it's on. I also need to use it with my jazzmaster ultralight which is my main amp but is at my tech right now.Oh and the pedal is just beautiful. I am also using it as a clean boost and if I decide I don't want the compressor I will get a clean boost pedal because it really helps me with my low ouput PAFs.

[JensL]

Thanks for the update Jorge! Feel free to keep us posted with how it's evolving.

Jens

[bborzell]

I've used the MXR Dynacomp for over 30 years whenever I've needed to use compression. It does a lot of things very well and very simply. I've found lots of interesting uses for it through the years that were very handy. The single biggest case against compressors, is once the output of the compressor is set, it renders the volume control on your guitar useless, and pick attack has no effect on changing your volume, so you have very much limited the dynamics of your guitar, but sometimes that is just what you need....

I, too, have one of the old MXR Dynacomps. Still use it although, the last time I opened it up, the small foam sheet that is (was) revealed when removing the cover disintegrated before my eyes. Cleaning the box out took surgical techniques.

[nion]

I think there is no substitute for practice.

[jorgemg1984]

Don't want to be rude but that's a very obvious truth and an odd thing to write at a gear forum. That can be said to guitars, amps, picks, strings, pedals... Gear won't make you play good. Gear won't even make you sound good. It will make you sound better if you know how to use it, just that. But playing and sounding good is up to you in the first place not your compressor pedal.

[nion]

What I mean is that by practising your dynamics and right hand technique, you wouldn't need a compressor pedal in the first place.

[jorgemg1984]

Yeah I get your point and I will keep doing lots of right hand practice. But I can do that and use a little compression - it's helping me dialing a dark yet not boomy / muddy tone by taming the low end for example.

[pingu]

I read about missing a bit of the uncompressed sound
A sound engineering trick sometimes used is to
have both the strait and the compressed sound going to output .......

hmmm.......

Don't use comps myself tho

[nion]

mm interesting. I think a good EQ could hep you with that, rather than compressing the signal. Just my 2 cents

[jorgemg1984]

I have a very nice EQ pedal - Fromel Shape EQ and can't get the same effect... Because the bass is uncompressed it will be boomy after a point.

[fender]

I use DOD FX-84 Milk Box


It is very transparent and adjustable for what I need.
Maybe worth for checking out.

[jorgemg1984]

New update: did an A / B with several op amps under Fromell's advice and the OPA2134 just got the compressor quite better. The original sound of the guitar is still present even at high compressed settings and the high end is much more natural than it was before without a post-eq.

My tech said the pedal is quite similar to a Compulator and he will start using the OPA2134 in his Compulator copies. If you have any optical compressor try this op amp (I already knew this since I I used this op amps on some of my amp uogrades).

BTW John Fromell is always very helpful - post-sale customer service is where you get the real good service.

[aniss1001]

There you go again Jorge. I believe you "promissed" me not to buy more pedals

[jorgemg1984]

Read carefully Aniss: "New update" I already had this pedal but wasn't 100% happy with it... I went to my tech and tried several op amps with it and ended up putting a new one and I am much happier now!

I amm actually getting a new pedal (Para Driver DI) BUT selling two (GE-7 and Acoustimax) so... I will actually own less pedals!

[aniss1001]

OK OK! I forgive you then but this is the last one ok? hehe

Anyhoo don't know why you'd wanna use a compressor? I understand why metal dudes love them. But for jazz?! Don't you think it messes with the dynamics of your playing? I personally always hated compressors. But perhaps it depends on which and how you use it.

[jorgemg1984]

Mainly to make the sound a little fatter and to dial out some unbalancements of the low register and the high register - without washing out dynamics. It's not an uncommon tool on "modern" jazz: Rosenwinkel, Frisell, Kreisberg, Monder, etc.. use compressors.

[aniss1001]

OK!? Didn't know that you could use it without messing with your dynamics.

And funny you should mention Frisell there. I remembered seeing a clip where he says it took him 20 year to realize that the compressor actually added nothing to his sound and therefore stopped using it.

it is. It's around 4.10

BTW reagarding the problem with humbuckers being unbalanced as you mentioned perhaps you should try, as PTChristopher suggested in another thread, some mods to the tone circuit. Yes I know I created some grounding issues when I did my mod (I'm clumsy) but this greasebucket circuit is MUCH MUCH better I tell you. WAY more suitable for humbuckers I think.

[jorgemg1984]

I am not 100% sold on the compressor yet - but it's staying. I think I won't always use it but I like having it for some occasions... Let's see when I have all my stuff as I want.

My rig is still not finished but in the end I think I will be able to even things with my EQ pedals. I am using very good electronics right now and my tone and volume knobs are working good. But I will try lowering the pot value trough a resister added to the 550k pots I currently have to a value around 250k / 300k. I hope it dakrnes the tone a little and makes the usable range of the pots even better.

But thanks for the heads up (I have been reading all Chris posts on the subject and already did some PM with him, I learned a lot this last few days)

[lareplus]

I tried a few but had little luck. What I wanted was just more sustain. Have you found success with a compressor? Please state your pickups and amp that you use, that would be helpful! : )

For me it was the CS-1 and CS-3, then an MXR and a Vox Snake Charmer. The latter was interesting but not really suitable for jazz. These were used with a variety of Fender teles and a Strat, all with stock pickups.

Presently I have an Epi with P-90s.

Amps: Vox Pathfinder, Fender Frontman 212R, Lab Series L-2 with 2x12 Jackson speakers, Fender M-80 with a Delta Pro 12A speaker upgrade, Vox AD100VT and a Gibson Skylark GA-5. All of these amps had their virtues, I just wanted more sustain. Currently I am divested of nearly all my equipment but still wonder if I can get that sustain with a compressor and make it sound like jazz! lol. .

[s1track3d]

Have you tried a 15 watt tube amp? tubes provide natural compression and pushing a small amp like this can increase sustain. I like the sustain factor too but it's a fine line, I really dislike that obvious "compressor is on" sound. I've heard the Mooer yellow compressor (micro pedal) is very subtle, I may pick one up at some point to see.

[disco~juice]

My favorite compressor is the one that I don't use.

[lapideusvir]

Wampler Ego Compressor, imo. You can dial any compression in you like due to a mix knob.

[Frank67]

Mad professor forest green compressor/sustainer.

[mooncef]

Mad professor forest green compressor/sustainer.

love it , very good , it's kind of an always ON pedal ! (sustain mode)