Compressors. Who uses them and how?

[Lewguitar]

Good guitar, good amp, purity of tone - less need for pedals.

PRS, wireless- tuner - way - amp - delay in the loop.

Do you gig? I can usually turn my amp up louder at home than I can on most gigs.

Nothing wrong with going straight in, but most clubs these days don't want loud bands and it's hard to plug a Strat into a Deluxe Reverb only turned up to 2 or 3 and get natural overdrive and sustain.

So I bring a Klon and a compressor.

It helps.

 

[Gtrbldr]

Do you gig? I can usually turn my amp up louder at home than I can on most gigs.

Nothing wrong with going straight in, but most clubs these days don't want loud bands and it's hard to plug a Strat into a Deluxe Reverb only turned up to 2 or 3 and get natural overdrive and sustain.

So I bring a Klon and a compressor.

It helps.

I gig, silent stage with a kemper. No need for compression on my end?

 

[Simon Says]

The Cali 76 is a very, very good sounding compressor pedal. I'd have bought one, but I already had the Suhr on my board, and it's a very good sounding compressor, just not as awesome as the Cali76.

At some point I'm going to try PRS' new compressor pedal.

I never tried the Suhr compressor, but I use their buffer/splitter. I tried many, and Suhr and CAE are the best; again, they leave the lows alone.

I haven't tried any new PRS pedals, but I keep my eyes open.

If you consider the Cali76, try the Bass version. Seriously, it's a step-up version IMO

 

[László]

I never tried the Suhr compressor, but I use their buffer/splitter. I tried many, and Suhr and CAE are the best; again, they leave the lows alone.

I haven't tried any new PRS pedals, but I keep my eyes open.

If you consider the Cali76, try the Bass version. Seriously, it's a step-up version IMO

I have a Suhr buffer/splitter, too! It's not on my pedalboard currently, because the Pettyjohn lift has a great buffer and some nice preamp features. So I use the Suhr buffer for longer cable runs, etc. It doesn't color the signal, just clarifies it. Excellent device.

Suhr makes some very nice pedals. I have their Kokoboost, their tremolo, the compressor, and the Alexa chorus on my board. They all sound great. But I'm open-minded. If something's out there that's a significant upgrade, I'm eventually on it.

Thanks for the tip about the bass version!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I use a pretty light 2:1 or 3:1 ratio with a quick release and a threshold set just to squish peaks on all the time as my fist pedal after a tuner. It’s almost like a soft limiter.

I’d maybe be heavier handed with compression if I had one with a mix control, but I don’t.

 

[László]

I tried it and it’s very good as a compressor or a boost. It wasn’t that much better than my Keeley though so I passed on it.

I'm so used to using an optical compressor - my personal fave for guitar compression in a mix - that I need to try it. If it has a feel and tone I'm familiar with, I'd give it a go.

 

[alantig]

I use a pretty light 2:1 or 3:1 ratio with a quick release and a threshold set just to squish peaks on all the time as my fist pedal after a tuner.

I don't have a fist pedal. I have a couple metal pedals, but they’d be more horns than fists. Maybe if I get into a Joe Frazier tribute band.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I don't have a fist pedal. I have a couple metal pedals, but they’d be more horns than fists. Maybe if I get into a Joe Frazier tribute band.

It’s just a regular compressor pedal with one of these for the switch

Edit: yeah, on second thought I won’t post a link to it…

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I'm so used to using an optical compressor - my personal fave for guitar compression in a mix - that I need to try it. If it has a feel and tone I'm familiar with, I'd give it a go.

It was my favorite of the three.

 

[László]

Everyone's got their preferences.

Studio compressors of similar design can be great, or suck. The VCA compressors of the early '90s, like the Focusrite Red I had, were the finest mix bus compressors I have ever used, but on vocals and lead guitar, I preferred the old Universal Audio LA-2A.

The Universal Audio 1176 has never been my choice of compressor for lead guitar or vocal - my son loves them and uses them for that, and he's got a few gold records so WTF do I know - but I like an 1176 on rhythm guitars and drums, especially snare.

Go figure.

We're all different, and that is a very good thing or life would be boring.

 

[Lewguitar]

Everyone's got their preferences.

Studio compressors of similar design can be great, or suck. The VCA compressors of the early '90s, like the Focusrite Red I had, were the finest mix bus compressors I have ever used, but on vocals and lead guitar, I preferred the old Universal Audio LA-2A.

The Universal Audio 1176 has never been my choice of compressor for lead guitar or vocal - my son loves them and uses them for that, and he's got a few gold records so WTF do I know - but I like an 1176 on rhythm guitars and drums, especially snare.

Go figure.

We're all different, and that is a very good thing or life would be boring.

The Cali 76 is a take on the Urei 1176. Right?

The 1176 might be the most popular studio compressor of all time.

Not expressing a preference myself. Not enough experience.

 

[Simon Says]

I have a Suhr buffer/splitter, too! It's not on my pedalboard currently, because the Pettyjohn lift has a great buffer and some nice preamp features. So I use the Suhr buffer for longer cable runs, etc. It doesn't color the signal, just clarifies it. Excellent device.

Suhr makes some very nice pedals. I have their Kokoboost, their tremolo, the compressor, and the Alexa chorus on my board. They all sound great. But I'm open-minded. If something's out there that's a significant upgrade, I'm eventually on it.

Thanks for the tip about the bass version!

I will look into Suhr pedals if I ever get into modulations or boosts. With my new pedalboard, I may go with no drives at all; I stopped using any "wet" pedals other than delay some time ago too. The buffer/splitter just returned to my board; I added Synergy preamp with the Herbert module to my rig and needed to split the input signal for the Fortin Zuul gate. I knew I would need it eventually. I should start building my new pedalboard in a month or two, depending on when my new Schmidt Array be shipped.

The Cali 76 is a take on the Urei 1176. Right?

The 1176 might be the most popular studio compressors of all time.

Not expressing a preference myself. Not enough experience.

Yeah, I swear by it, but I never tried LA-2A-based compressors. Effectrode does one in a pedal form, but this is in aircraft carrier format; I can't justify the space it would take.

 

[gush]

This one sounds awesome

Thanks. I enjoyed this video.

I only used compression after I was getting complaints about my guitar tracks being too peak.

I have a Barber Tone Press and I don't love it but it gets the job done.

Really want to try this unit 67 for myself.

 

[Brmr]

I use the Mary Cries at the beginning of my signal chain and find it makes all of my distortion pedal sound better. It’s become an “always on pedal”.

 

[aphantomvaper]

Compression was always a mystery. After seeing a Trey Anastasio rig rundown I built his basic rig in my Headrush. Pretty amazing how that works, having the compressor at the end of the chain.

Previous I only used it at the beginning and didn't like it so left them alone for 30 years.

This is the Two Knob compressor block from HR, based on the Ross Compressor that happened to be the same as Trey used.

Loved the Joe Frazier band, that was crazy!

 

[88prs]

In a word..... Telecaster

never with the PRSs though.. just don't need it

 

[Lewguitar]

I use the Mary Cries at the beginning of my signal chain and find it makes all of my distortion pedal sound better. It’s become an “always on pedal”.

That's how I use it too. Don't have a Mary. Have a Wampler Ego. But I use it at the beginning and use it there for the same reasons.

Trey Anastasio is someone who has had zero influenece on my guitar sound.

 

[JasonE]

I use compressors. I am not a huge fan of the guitar pedal compressor. I use them but only on clean tones. Most of the guitar pedal compressors are very strong and I can hear the squish too much for my liking, unless that is what I am going for. The video of Brent Mason is an example of a time when I would want to hear the squish. Keeley has a bigger compressor pedal that is more like a studio compressor. I with that was on the market when I bought the two Keeley compressors I have now.

I always use them with an acoustic guitar. The Fishman Aura has a great compressor in it. I use that for acoustic guitars as well as piezo pickups in my PRS guitars. It works really well. It has the attack and release that is more like a studio compressor. It works well and you can't really hear that initial squish that I am not so fond of.

When running sound or mixing in my DAW. I always have a little compressor on vocals. It helps fatten them up a bit and keep them under control volume wise. I have had people tell me that their vocals sound really nice and full through the monitors after I put one on them.

A compressor is probably one of the most difficult things to really understand and apply correctly. I have seen all sorts of mistakes made with them. I have also heard mixes live that would greatly improve if the person running sound knew how to use them. I really dug into them and played with them a lot to learn how they really work and understand when and when not to use them or crank them up too far. I much prefer a compressor that is built like a studio compressor. I can dial them in better and make them work without necessarily hearing that they are on, unless you turn it off and back on after it is dialed in. Then you can definitely tell it is doing good things.

As for the guitar pedals. I have used them in a few different places in the signal chain with good results. I played a guy's rig that put his first to even out the difference in his guitars when switching guitars at gigs. I have also put them after my drive pedals with good results. It keeps the signal in a good range when stacking OD pedals. I prefer it up front because I only use it for clean tones. That evens out my signal before going into the chorus and delay pedals.

 

[Rod/]

So do those Suhr Thornbucker pickups if that's what they are in that guitar. They're a "PAF" design but designed to not get muddy when playing rhythm.

That pedal sounds really good! Pete Thorn uses it more or less like I use my Wampler EGO.

Interesting. And Pete generally can never get on with compressers

 

[Lewguitar]

Interesting. And Pete generally can never get on with compressers

Well he's a humbucker guy. I know he also plays single coils but humbuckers are more his thing.

I use my compressor with my Strat or Silver Sky to fatten it up and get a bit more sustain...like a humbucker.

I don't need it with my guitars with a real humbucker.