mrjones200x Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Havent really heard any sounds where i know they use a compressor in the song. Can someone help me with what one does, how it affect the sound and is it often used with other pedal sounds? Any examples for me to listen to? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-theory Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Havent really heard any sounds where i know they use a compressor in the song. Yeah, you have. Ozzie Osbourne and Lita Ford's "Close my eyes forever" is a rather extreme example. Virtually everything that you hear a studio recording of these days has the crap compressed out of it...guitars, bass, drums, vocals, piano... A compressor smooths out edges. In a way, it "polishes" a raw sound, to make it sound sweeter. The best ones are quite transparent. You really shouldn't be able to hear one being used, unless you're goal is an extreme effect, such as the above-mentioned song (among many others...this is actually a rather common effect for acoustic guitar tracks). It will try to keep levels constant as you play, rather than allowing dramatic spikes and volume drops...dynamics. When you play hard, it squashes the signal down to a level that you preset. When you play softly, it brings the signal up to that preset level. This is why it's very prevalent on acoustic instruments, such as guitar. You can mash chords as hard as you want, or pick as delicately as you can imagine, and every note is heard. I really like a bit of compression on acoustic and vocals, but don't much care for it with distorted electric, in general. It does work for guys that play really clean...country chicken pickers, for instance...compression is an awesome tool for those guys. Into a distorted tube amp, it's not only not necessary, since the distorting tubes are giving you compression and sag, but can actually be detrimental, since it takes away dynamics control and can muddy the tone, imho. This is an entirely subjective POV, btw. Some guys like what a compressor does to a guitar, even when that guitar is played into a distorted tube amp. It will give even a live guitar a more "polished" or "rounded" sound, but to my ears, it does that at the cost of dynamics attack, or "openness." Here are some decent demos: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cGil Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 You've heard 'em, but if you can tell you're hearing one, it's not being used quite right IMHO. But some folks like it like that and choose the simplicity of MXR Dynacomps and Orange Squeezers and such to abuse. Compressors are an almost indispensable tool for pedal steel, and for bass, as well as being great seasoning (in moderation) for acoustic guitars. Gotta watch the feedback, though. Anyway, a compressor, simply put, will compress the signal by keeping low signal levels boosted, while keeping higher signal peaks limited to a set maximum level. A limiter-only does only the limiting, not the boosting of low levels. The unfortunate side effect of too much compression/limiting is that the more of it you use, the more it dulls and ultimately ruins pick attack. At the extremes you can hear the circuit pumping. Dynacomps are good for that. Used subtly, your signal doesn't sound messed up, but the sustain won't last forever. Combined with a boost, distortion, or fuzz pedal, however, it's a whole 'nother ball game. Gil... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cGil Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Beat to the punch again by a matter of minutes. I am soooo sloooooow. I think I like your "polished" description of it better, M-Theory. Gil... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjones200x Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 Thanks guys. I actually like the fact you can play different types of attact with the valve junior. When im strumming smmothly then i like to really slam into into to say yeah im hear if you get me! Does the track layla by Clapton use compression? Only ask becase when i play the intro with hamer ons its very hard to keep everything the same level? Thanks so far. I like to do tapping every now and then and exsperiment so would be good when using lots of hamers and pulls in regards to volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-theory Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Does the track layla by Clapton use compression? Virtually everything recorded in a studio uses compression at some point or other. when i play the intro with hamer ons its very hard to keep everything the same level? Clapton is, and has for many years, been a masterful player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Nothing much sweeter than an overdriven and compressed VJr. Not often that mine isn't in-the-chain -- settings are varied for effect. cgil and m-theory have given you the lowdown, now maybe you want to listen for yourself. You can buy/build cheaper (but not better): http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=8 [edited link] You can hear it on/off with a Keeley-Boss BD-2: www.robertkeeley.com/mp3/14_89472100.mp3 Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on (compressed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cGil Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Good links Steven. Although, I couldn't get to the clip without changing the .com.mp3/ to .com/mp3/ Anyway, the glowing reviews by that caliber of players almost make me wanna dump my Carl Martin compressor. Almost. Granted, it's too easy to go way too far, which makes it kinda hard to dial in. But when it's set just right, it's every bit as invisible as the Keely compressor. And as difficult as it can be, the Carl Martin compressor can also be used as just a transparent clean boost, which makes it just too darn versatile for me to trade in. Not sure if the Keely compressor with the extra knobs can do that, but I'm guessing it can. "Robert recommends compression 'after' an overdrive or distortion pedal"? That's different. I'll have to try that. Seems to help preserve some of the attack dynamics since the BD gets to respond to it first, before the compressor does it's squishy thang on it. Sure sounds good to me. Gil... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Sure sounds good to me. Gil... Yes. It's my fav. pedal combo. And that's not just over-hyped internet gimickry. With the Keeley compressor' date=' phat BD-2 and VJr. I have that tone+! "Robert recommends compression 'after' an overdrive or distortion pedal"? That's different. I'll have to try that. Seems to help preserve some of the attack dynamics since the BD gets to respond to it first' date=' before the compressor does it's squishy thang on it.[/quote']I do both. Seems that really dirty overdrive works better for me with compressor in front -- sometimes -- actually I think it just depends on the day and what I want to hear. Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cGil Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 I didn't want to sacrifice space on my meager pedalboard for the compressor after I bought a Fuzz Factory. It's totally persnickety about being first in line, so I kinda wrote off the using the compressor. But the Fuzz Factory has both compression and noise gate controls that satisfy my insane cravings immensely. Come to think of it, a friend just down the street happens to have a modded blues driver. I don't think it was modded by Keely, but it probably was his mod (hijacked). It's really pretty good, but later I heard it go head to head against an Exotic BB that blew it away in the detail and clarity of little nuances. Still worth checking out, though. Gil... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafaelh Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 I do both. Seems that really dirty overdrive works better for me with compressor in front -- sometimes -- actually I think it just depends on the day and what I want to hear. Same here...depends on my mood. Great pedal for Reggae though. Comp. and some delay...man o' man don't get no better than that I don't think. BTW and FWIW..here's a site I stumbled across another place thought yous might find helpful. http://www.oldtonezone.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-theory Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 later I heard it go head to head against an Exotic BB that blew it away in the detail and clarity of little nuances. TS808 w/active tone stack. Having not played one but knowing what it is, it's probably a bit compressed sounding, which would explain why those who like compressors would like them. The clarity differences would be the active tone stack, no doubt. The cheap Digitech Bad Monkey is an SMD version of a TS with an active tone control as well, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaaarky21 Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 Nothing much sweeter than an overdriven and compressed VJr. Not often that mine isn't in-the-chain -- settings are varied for effect. Lately I have been playing my Blues Custom on the overdrive channel with the drive 2/3 of the way up' date=' reverb at about 1/5 and some nice compression with the output boosted. The sound is incredible. I feel like I am completely rediscovering the amp. IMO, compression (with boost) is a big part of what most players are [i']really[/i] after when they reach for the "drive/distortion" knob on their amp. It can be quite subtle though. I didn't really start to appreciate compression until I had been playing with it for a month or two. -Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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