Derrick1642607670 Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 I don't really get into effects that often but im curious what a compression effect does. I read about them here but it's still not clear can any of you have a go at it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarPlayerFL Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 It keeps your signal at a constant level by reducing the input volume and slowly raising it. It gives the guitar more sustain. It also makes your sound punchy (with the correct setting). Some Country and Funk players use a compressor. I'm sure others here will give you a more detailed explanation. Carl A Jazz/Chord Melody Master-my former instructor www.robertconti.com (FKA GuitarPlayerSoCal) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrick1642607670 Posted March 22, 2008 Author Share Posted March 22, 2008 Well by watching some videos of them and your description that sounds about right I've noticed ridiculous clean sustain haha, but thanks man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 What a compressor does, is make the "Dynamic Range" (the 'distance' between the loudest and softest sounds) less. It is usually expressed as a ratio... 4:1 for example. Let us make up a mythilogical audio volume term called UNITS: What a 4:1 setting means is that for every 4 units you push into a compressor, those four units are squished down so that only 1 comes out. There is a lot more to it than that, but that should give you an idea. If the 'distance' between your loudest note and your softest note is lessened, then your softer notes are a lot easier to hear. Bill "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 It seems everybody has different experiences with them. For me it was just a tone killer and took away any picking dynamics I had, I would dig into a lead and everything sounded the same, it's off my board for ever. http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Compressors are mostly missunderstood and definitely way over used by both home recordists and guitar players. I spent several years trying to record sans compression, because of how much it hurts the sound. But you just can't really do it for modern pop music. Properly set up, a compressor can help you a lot. Here's the deal.... there is a threshold knob. Anything below the threshold is not touched. So if you set the threshold really high, then only the very loudest notes get compressed. If you set the threshold real low, most everything gets compressed. That makes it a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced user. You can have infinite sustain, you can have great sustain over the louder passages, yet still have some touch and control over the softer parts, or you can just mud everything up. But mixing the threshold knob with the ratio knob, and you get the basic idea of how to control a compressor. Then learn the affect of the differences in attack and release time settings, and makeup gain (to maintain unity gain and protect the S/N ratio) and you've got it. The problem is, it is not a whizzbang amazing effect like reverb distortion, chorus, wha, or whatever....it is more like eq or pickup differences; but it takes some study and that makes it a loser in the guitar and home recording world, where people want to just push a button and have magic happen. Bill "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 It seems everybody has different experiences with them. For me it was just a tone killer and took away any picking dynamics I had, I would dig into a lead and everything sounded the same, it's off my board for ever. That's why I don't use one because it messes with my picking dynamics. I've heard them put to good use but I was never able to do anything good with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg B. Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 It seems everybody has different experiences with them. For me it was just a tone killer and took away any picking dynamics I had, I would dig into a lead and everything sounded the same, it's off my board for ever. That's why I don't use one because it messes with my picking dynamics. I've heard them put to good use but I was never able to do anything good with them. I agree on both counts. My brother used to have one and I never could get it to work for me, so I don't see one going on my pedal board. After reading Bill's post, I now understand what they do and a little bit of how to use one, but it still wouldn't fit my needs. Avoid playing the amplifier at a volume setting high enough to produce a distorted sound through the speaker-Fender Guitar Course-1966 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Pomerleau Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 So it makes everything sound the same pretty much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fumblyfingers Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Guitar pedal compressors are best used with clean sounds. They were almost a staple in any funk guitarists quiver, usually the MXR Dyna Comp. Andy Summers used a compressor a lot as well...I mention him because he is easy to access for research.In fact I think the Boss Chorus and Boss Compression Sustain pedal was almost the basis of his Police sound until he got into the bigger Bob Bradshaw rigs or whatever he used ...Cornish maybe. Here are some audio samples check them out at this site. http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=8 This is the MXR now marketed by Dunlop...click on Rock This Sound...two clips.That is the Andy Summers sound there. http://www.jimdunlop.com/index.php?page=products/pip&id=244&pmh=products/p_and_e_detail I would love a Keeley compressor specifically. I use a compressor a lot. A lot of guys put them on and toss them later, they do a very specific thing to a guitars tone.....you either love it or hate it I guess.....personally I like to have access to as many different tones as I can get. You can get such long sustained chords and they squish when you hit the guitar hard and then come back up to volume and in some cases the pumping even sounds cool to me. Then if you are plucking a lot you get that pick attack which is also very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBob69 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I'm kind of a minimalist when it comes to effects as well. I prefer to use a tube amp cranked and it produces a natural compression when the gain is cranked enough. It makes you become a bit more aggressive with your guitar and press harder on the strings in order to get more sustain. But that minimalist approach helps you to play the guitar as it sounds naturally through the amp, without the "help" of a compression pedal, which normally kills your dynamics, i.e. softer to louder notes. But that's just my opinion, and we all here know what those are worth.. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 used properly it is useful for funk and country style playing. which is usually clean. i could see it being really helpful for tappers or two handed players.used in excess it just kills dynamics like excessive distortion. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWelcome Home Studios Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Well, it is a tool. You can't do all your work with a hammer. But when you need a hammer, it is darned nice to have one. Bill "I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot." Steve Martin Show business: we're all here because we're not all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fumblyfingers Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I use a Titanium Death Stick....super hammer, it has the little magnet you can pop a nail in and just slam it.....light too.....LOL!! LOL...$35....I paid over a $100 for mine when it came out....damn!!! http://www.medfordtools.com/hammers/ds21c.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Compressors are mostly missunderstood and definitely way over used by both home recordists and guitar players. I spent several years trying to record sans compression, because of how much it hurts the sound. But you just can't really do it for modern pop music. Properly set up, a compressor can help you a lot. Here's the deal.... there is a threshold knob. Anything below the threshold is not touched. So if you set the threshold really high, then only the very loudest notes get compressed. If you set the threshold real low, most everything gets compressed. That makes it a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced user. You can have infinite sustain, you can have great sustain over the louder passages, yet still have some touch and control over the softer parts, or you can just mud everything up. But mixing the threshold knob with the ratio knob, and you get the basic idea of how to control a compressor. Then learn the affect of the differences in attack and release time settings, and makeup gain (to maintain unity gain and protect the S/N ratio) and you've got it. The problem is, it is not a whizzbang amazing effect like reverb distortion, chorus, wha, or whatever....it is more like eq or pickup differences; but it takes some study and that makes it a loser in the guitar and home recording world, where people want to just push a button and have magic happen. Bill Thank you for providing a clear, concise lay explanation. Every time I try to provide such an explanation I inevitably confuse people. Compression is a useful tonal tool as well as a means for ensuring soft notes are heard while loud notes do not blow people off their feet. As Bill mentioned, it takes time and experience to know how to use them effectively. And yes, one of the most important lessons is to know when not to use the compressor. Also, cheap compressors will be all but useless for anything other than infinite sustain. Boutique compressors really do work and sound far superior to the cheapies. I'd suggest checking out the Carl Martin pedal. It's absolutely amazing how much compression you can add without the "pumping" sound so often associated with misused compression. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Largely forgotten today (as though he were ever actually well known), Lowell George was one of the first to use compressors outside the recording studio.His slide guitar sound, with it's infinite sustain but almost no vibrato, would've been impossible otherwise. d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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