Where to put Mary Cries Compressor?

[DougGuitar]

I'm using a SE Hollowbody Standard into a UA Dream 65 and Ox Stomp. (This is my apartment low noise peddle board)
I just bought a Mary Cries Compressor. Question: Where is the best place to put the compressor-before or after the Dream 65?

Thanks.

 

[Brmr]

I put mine at the beginning of my signal chain. Makes all my Overdrives/distortion sound better. So I would say before the amp pedal.

 

[archtop]

It'll work anywhere in your chain but before the Dream '65 is the best place to start for typical guitar pedal compression. OX Stomp has an 1176 style compressor which I'd use for studio style compression after the amp/cab.

And yes, you can use Mary in front and the OX 1176 comp at the same time.

 

[DougGuitar]

I put mine at the beginning of my signal chain. Makes all my Overdrives/distortion sound better. So I would say before the amp pedal.

Makes sense. Thanks Nrmr.

Doug

 

[DougGuitar]

It'll work anywhere in your chain but before the Dream '65 is the best place to start for typical guitar pedal compression. OX Stomp has an 1176 style compressor which I'd use for studio style compression after the amp/cab.

And yes, you can use Mary in front and the OX 1176 comp at the same time.

I know Stomp has that compressor, but like I said before, I like having external pedals for effects-easier to access and in a lot of cases better sounding. Besides, I don't need studio style anything as I'm just playing and practicing at home. The only "recording I do" is looping on my Boss RC-10R.

 

[WingerRules]

I put mine first because A) that’s where my comp normally is and B) that’s where PRS said to put it.

 

[JasonE]

Where you place the compressor in your signal chain really depends on what you want it to do. A compressor controls dynamics, which is the difference between the softest sound you play and the loudest. You can use it at the beginning to balance out your guitar sound before you go into anything else. You can also use it after your drives to even out volume differences when switching between pedals or stacking them. There are a number of good uses for a compressor and the different uses will typically dictate how you dial the compressor in.

Don't get too worked up over the word "studio" when attached to a compressor. It means different things to different people. To me, it means how many and what controls are on the compressor. I will only buy compressors with specific controls on them. That way I know I an dial them in how I want them for where I put them in my signal chain.

 

[WingerRules]

Yes, to what J said. Just remember that putting them after any overdrives or boosts will usually raise the noise floor.

 

[archtop]

Putting them after drive stages, in the effects loop, may raise the noise floor but it will also make you sound like the mega-racks of the glorious 1980's.

 

[Joe sherman]

Put it in the mailbox, and send it to me

 

[László]

Putting them after drive stages, in the effects loop, may raise the noise floor but it will also make you sound like the mega-racks of the glorious 1980's.

Yes.^^

It's all about where it works for the player, what you're trying to accomplish, and how you set them. I like mine to control the peaks after the overdrives. I use light compression just to tame the peaks above a certain amplitude, the way I would use a bus compressor on a console to control the amplitude peaks of the guitars post-recording.

We're all different. That's a great thing.

 

[WingerRules]

Putting them after drive stages, in the effects loop, may raise the noise floor but it will also make you sound like the mega-racks of the glorious 1980's.

When I get home, I’ll try it after an OD and maybe even in the loop. The HDRX doesn’t have a loop though, so I can only try it “ post OD” with that one. I can throw it on the loop of the Bogner and Archon

 

[archtop]

I used to use a rack compressor in the loop of a Boogie Mark IIB with light compression and it smoothed and fattened things up and helped the MKIIB play nicely with delays in the loop, I also used a pedal compressor in front of the amp as a solo boost. Not all compression has to be squishy.

 

[dkilpatrick]

A/B both before and after and see which one you like better.
I have a comp before the drives in my chain because that's how I like it.

 

[aamefford]

NECRO ALERT!
Mine just arrived after the Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale. I lol start with it in front of the chain. I’ll also try in the loop. I bought it so I could try a compressor, have a PRS pedal, and stacking 20% discounts.

One effect I hope for, is less or no volume loss when rolling down the guitar volume to clean up. If this is reasonable to expect, it seems like in the loop would be the right spot? I play at 75-80 db or less, so maybe I’m hoping for something that won’t happen. Any thoughts on this?

Before or after wah and fuzz?

 

[JasonE]

NECRO ALERT!
Mine just arrived after the Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale. I lol start with it in front of the chain. I’ll also try in the loop. I bought it so I could try a compressor, have a PRS pedal, and stacking 20% discounts.

One effect I hope for, is less or no volume loss when rolling down the guitar volume to clean up. If this is reasonable to expect, it seems like in the loop would be the right spot? I play at 75-80 db or less, so maybe I’m hoping for something that won’t happen. Any thoughts on this?

Before or after wah and fuzz?

Definitely experiment with placement. After any drive pedals is a good place to put them as well. That can help even out volume changes when switching drives or stacking drives.

You are probably going to have a hard time achieving no volume loss when turning down. If you have the compressor set that strong it is going to affect how much your tone cleans up because it is keeping your volume higher as you roll the volume down. Those tow things will be fighting with each other. Think of it more as a sustain device that softens volume changes. Try really turning it up so you can hear what it does at extreme levels then turn it down and start to work your way up. Now that you know what an extreme setting sounds like you should be able to gradually raise the level and find a setting where you like what it does.

 

[RickP]

I'm a "first in the chain" type guy too. But don't hesitate to try all the various possibilities! It's very possible one may sound noticeably better to you and, if you find that to be the case, that's the right place!

 

[aphantomvaper]

Since I figured out what compressor does I put it after the distortion pedals to keep the volume more even. That's me though. I've been eyeing this compressor lately, please let us know how you place it.

Congrats on the Black Friday score...I picked up a Wind Through the Trees on that sale.

 

[JasonE]

Another thing to mention is that there are different types of compressors and they act and sound different. The PRS compressor is an optical compressor, I am not sure which type of optical it is. There are two different types. The optical compressors are slower and smoother compressors that many guitar players like better than the other types that grab the signal faster and squish it harder.