Compressor Pedal - Help or Hurt?

[destinytot]

Curious to know, so I'm planning to get one (an Xotic SP) and experiment to find out once and for all - but I'd be grateful for any tips on how to make the most of one. Thanks in advance.

[Frank67]

I like a compressor pedal on a subtle setting. My favorites are Okko coca comp and mad professor green forest in sustainer mode. I like those better than the Xotic SP compressor and much better than the Boss CS-3 which sounds way too sqashy. The Mooer yellow comp is pretty good too at an attractive pricepoint and unbeatable footprint.

[Sean65]

Used judiciously compressors are great. No one way to use it though. Some use it as a boost for solos and turn it off for chord work or vice a versa. Others leave it on all the time and others use it just to even out their legato playing.

Couple of things to keep in mind is that if you're using humbuckers, you'll need less of the effect than if you're using single coils.

If you're after a nice even tone then they're great but if you play a tune/solo with a lot of dynamics then you might want to leave it off as it will just mask your dynamics.

Xotic pedals are great. I have the EP Boost. Philosopher's Tone is worth a look.

I use a Boss CS3 which I think is great.

[blille]

Used judiciously compressors are great. No one way to use it though. Some use it as a boost for solos and turn it off for chord work or vice a versa. Others leave it on all the time and others use it just to even out their legato playing.

Couple of things to keep in mind is that if you're using humbuckers, you'll need less of the effect than if you're using single coils.

If you're after a nice even tone then they're great but if you play a tune/solo with a lot of dynamics then you might want to leave it off as it will just mask your dynamics.

Xotic pedals are great. I have the EP Boost. Philosopher's Tone is worth a look.

I use a Boss CS3 which I think is great.

Good tips here.

Re. Leaving it off - instead of that, put the compressor after dirt. The dirt picks up your dynamics but you still get the benefit from the compressor.

[medblues]

I have the Xotic SP and haven't used it much (got it to help the EHX organ emulating pedals). I am going to get a Mad Professor Forest Green. This thread would be useful if we could figure out comparisons and settings.

FrankLearns, how do the MP Forest Green differ from the Okka Coca which is quite pricey here ($235) ?

[Frank67]

Dear all,

here is a little sound experiment for us gear nerds. I recorded a loop with the ditto looper and then send it through various compressors always using the very same signal as input.

It is going (Bad player)-> ES-157->Dito looper->compressor->Boss FRV-1 reverb->Twin reverb with treble,mid,bass=171->SM57->Focusrite->Garageband.

The twin was on volume 4 with the volume and tone knobs on the guitar turned down a fair bit (roughly on 5 both). The compressors were run at roughly 10 o'clock.

Here as some short sound samples. Interested in your take or whether one hears anything really ...

No compressor:


BOSS CS-3


Mad Professor Forest-Green in sustainer mode


Okko Coca comp


Vahlbruch Fusionizer


Mooer Yellow comp


Enjoy!

[destinytot]

Thanks very much for recording and posting those clips, FrankLearns.

Not sure whether I really do hear any difference in the overall dynamic range. It would be interesting to hear the effect of compression on just the chordal accompaniment.

I'm definitely curious about its application to music, but I have in mind styles other than standards.

I'm thinking in terms of playing/experimenting (=learning/practising) alone - as a positive choice, along with some other pedals, and (above all) for fun.

@medblues: Please could you comment on the difference you find between using EHX organ emulating pedals with and without a compressor ?

[Frank67]

To be honest, i also hear almost no difference - amazing these pedals are so transparent you can hardly tell whether they are on or off. Now THAT is boutique quality

... propably my recording setup wasn't good. If I find time later I redo only the comping and go for a bit less subtle compression.

[jorgemg1984]

For years I've wanted to like compressors and hated all I tried. I'm using modelling these days and looking for a studio off axis sound much more than an "amp in the room" on axis sound - and a compressor is a part of that. The Amplifire studio compressor was the first one I tried that gave me the compressor advantages (in my case eliminating the sharpness of some transients but no increase in sustain) without messing the original timbre of the instrument. Having a threshold control is instrumental for that!

[medblues]

Right now I only have the Xotic SP. I will report back when I get the Mad Professor Forest Green and the Okka Coca.

In the meantime I found this very helpful online resource of everything about compressors including detailed reviews of the ones we are discussing:Compressor Reviews

I had time to use the compressor before and after the B9 once each and did not hear much difference. I think I had the wrong settings however.

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[citizenk74]

Frank - on your recorded samples I think the Boss supplied a little more "squeeze" or transient smoothing than the others, followed closely by the Mooer, though as stated they are all very close and any perceived differences may be due to nearly imperceptible difference in the settings; i.e. "10 o'clock" +/- 3 or 4 "seconds". In any case, a highly interesting comparison. Thanks!

Destinytot - I think many would agree that with compression, the sweet spot settings may prove elusive, but are well worth the chase. When I use a compressor, it is usually set to act as a peak limiter, to correct my technical deficiencies; or to introduce a tube-like "give" in a solid-state amp or a powerful, clean tube amp at a low volume. The end dictates the means. Good luck!

[AlainJazz]

I've played around with a few compressors. The Boss is very much an effect that you hear right away. It can be pretty cool for funky stuff but horrible for jazz. I've now settled on the newer TC electronics Hypergravity compressor. It's the first compressor that I really love. It does not colour the sound but just balances it out noticeably. Really nice.


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[Frank67]

Frank - on your recorded samples I think the Boss supplied a little more "squeeze" or transient smoothing than the others, followed closely by the Mooer, though as stated they are all very close and any perceived differences may be due to nearly imperceptible difference in the settings; i.e. "10 o'clock" +/- 3 or 4 "seconds". In any case, a highly interesting comparison. Thanks!

you have good ears! That is how I perceive it too in the room but it is far less noticeable on the recordings.

[Frank67]

I've played around with a few compressors. The Boss is very much an effect that you hear right away. It can be pretty cool for funky stuff but horrible for jazz. I've now settled on the newer TC electronics Hypergravity compressor. It's the first compressor that I really love. It does not colour the sound but just balances it out noticeably. Really nice.


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+1 on the BOSS. Interesting obervation on the TC. I had noticed it with interest too as practically all TC stuff is great.

[destinytot]

I've now settled on the newer TC electronics Hypergravity compressor. It's the first compressor that I really love. It does not colour the sound but just balances it out noticeably. Really nice.

Thanks!
HyperGravity Compressor - TonePrint Enabled Multiband Compressor | TC Electronic

PS A 52-minute review:

[Sean65]

Interesting sound clips Frank.

I know some people who have sold off what they considered a cheap compressor like the Boss and bought a Keeley boutique compressor only to find they preferred the less transparent tone of the Boss. I guess they're are so many variables. Pickups, amps, taste etc..

Here's The Pedal Show Compressors 101.

[Frank67]

Ha, love these guys! That is what I usually put on when I am working out on my rowing machine. They are having so much fun! The information density isn't always very high but the joy comes across.

In my endless pedal board tweakings (my wife always smiles and says "oh, he's playing pedalboard again" and laughs about her nearly 50 year old boy) I've come to understand that I like the less squashy compressors. Yes, take away the spikes, clean up the sound a bit but nothing as drastic as the Boss tends to do. Ironically, I am really hooked on the Kemper by now which does everything I want in spades ... but toying around with pedals is just so much fun

[Sean65]

I should also recommend the compressor I made the mistake of selling. Demeter Compulator. Really nice compressor (to my ears).

I only picked up the Boss as I needed a compressor and didn't want to shell out again. But it does the job I need it for.

[destinytot]

Seems like sci-fi:

[Frank67]

The Toneprint stuff is way cool. One has to experience it to believe it.

[morroben]

I have a DynaComp that I set with the Sensitivity all the way down and the Output even with the bypassed signal. It would seem like it wouldn't make any difference with the Sensitivity all the way down, but it does. There is a noticeable improvement when I turn it on...it cleans up some of the extraneous noise, especially when playing slide. Then, there is also a noticeable improvement when I turn it off...more dynamic and open. So I guess it's the best pedal I have since every time I hit the button my tone gets better.

[John A.]

I thought it sounded best without compression. I thought all the compressors bumped the mids up a little too much at the expense of cutting a little high end detail. Not dramatically, and I didn't hear any pumping and breathing. But if I were in your shoes, unless the non-compressed tone is actually causing problems sitting in a live mix, I'd skip it.

John

[Frank67]

Here we go Mike,

Try 2,

this time I recorded my telecaster into the ditto into the compressor into my Kemper profile of my twin reverb and from there into Focusrite into Garageband.

It is only comping this time. The playing is a truly embarrassing version of My funny valentine (apologies!) I was purposely overdoing the dynamic range in order for you to judge the compressors. I also ran the compressors at noon this time (which is much more than I would normally do). The effect is much more audible and one already sees fairly dramatic differences in the waveforms.The by far most pronounced is the Xotic SP (I normally always run it on the low compression setting since anything else I perceive as way too much).

No compressor


Coca comp


Forest Green


Boss CS-3


Yellow Comp


Xotic SP Compressor (mid compression setting)


Fusionizer


Cheers,
Frank

[medblues]

Telecaster sustains well so it is the dynamic range compression I hear with SP and Mad Prof FG. Coca was difficult to hear a difference but wave shapes are different. I did not listen to the other pedals yet.

Thanks for spending time to share all this information !

[Peter C]

to be honest, i also hear almost no difference - amazing these pedals are so transparent you can hardly tell whether they are on or off. Now that is boutique quality

lol