UberMetalDood
New member
Why do a lot of compressors have a gain or drive control? I thought their function was mainly to even out the highs and lows.
Compressor vs overdrive
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Powdered Toast Man
New member
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
Distortion is compression. That's why in the studio, you don't need to add compression to already distorted guitar tracks.
Distortion is compression. That's why in the studio, you don't need to add compression to already distorted guitar tracks.
FuseG4
Our Neighbor Totoro
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
say you like the sound of your pickups with the guitar volume on half, and you want the full sound of your pickups to be your solo tone, but you don't wanna have a big volume increase when you open your vol. control. You also want overdrive from your amp.
Set your guitar volume to half and set the compression to taste. Increase the level knob on the compressor til your amp's good and going, and then you're set.
or say you wanna have a real dynamic uncompressed rhythm tone but you wanna bust into a traditional country chicken pickin solo with that Dynacomp sound. Your solo can be compressed and louder! How cool is that?
say you like the sound of your pickups with the guitar volume on half, and you want the full sound of your pickups to be your solo tone, but you don't wanna have a big volume increase when you open your vol. control. You also want overdrive from your amp.
Set your guitar volume to half and set the compression to taste. Increase the level knob on the compressor til your amp's good and going, and then you're set.
or say you wanna have a real dynamic uncompressed rhythm tone but you wanna bust into a traditional country chicken pickin solo with that Dynacomp sound. Your solo can be compressed and louder! How cool is that?
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
http://www.ethanwiner.com/compressors.html
And
http://www.barryrudolph.com/mix/comp.html
http://www.ethanwiner.com/compressors.html
And
http://www.barryrudolph.com/mix/comp.html
UberMetalDood
New member
Petrovsk Mizinski
New member
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
Actually sometimes it is needed, and hence why it's actually not uncommon for mix engineers to compress high gain guitars.
Actually sometimes it is needed, and hence why it's actually not uncommon for mix engineers to compress high gain guitars.
Powdered Toast Man
New member
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
Also why modern music sounds bland and is completely devoid of dynamics.
Also why modern music sounds bland and is completely devoid of dynamics.
Petrovsk Mizinski
New member
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
I think the SD Double Back compressor is sadly overlooked. I'm betting that a lot of Dist/OD shoppers actually wanted what this compressor will do.
I'm also a guy who wouldn't seek out a compressor, but I got one for being a beta tester of SD products. It made me delve into the pedal, to see what benefits it offered. Most buyers of compressor pedals are funk and country players, wanting to make choppy heavy handed riffs sound nice in the mix.
A compressor can do a lot, not only for clean riffs, and clean soloing, but for gainy tones too. I've messed around with the Double Back on my Marshall Jubilee, and have seen it turn highgain into infinite sustain, like a Sustaniac pickup. The SD Double Back is definitely a pedal that most ignore, but would change your mind after a few hours with it.
I think the SD Double Back compressor is sadly overlooked. I'm betting that a lot of Dist/OD shoppers actually wanted what this compressor will do.
I'm also a guy who wouldn't seek out a compressor, but I got one for being a beta tester of SD products. It made me delve into the pedal, to see what benefits it offered. Most buyers of compressor pedals are funk and country players, wanting to make choppy heavy handed riffs sound nice in the mix.
A compressor can do a lot, not only for clean riffs, and clean soloing, but for gainy tones too. I've messed around with the Double Back on my Marshall Jubilee, and have seen it turn highgain into infinite sustain, like a Sustaniac pickup. The SD Double Back is definitely a pedal that most ignore, but would change your mind after a few hours with it.
AudioWonderland
New member
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
compression lowers output as it knocks down peaks. The gain knob brings the over all level back to unity so there is not a drastic drop when the compression is engaged. You can crank that for a boost if you want as well but distortion is not the purpose of it
compression lowers output as it knocks down peaks. The gain knob brings the over all level back to unity so there is not a drastic drop when the compression is engaged. You can crank that for a boost if you want as well but distortion is not the purpose of it
AudioWonderland
New member
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
Not entirely correct. When you hit the heardroom limit of an amp/device it ceases to get louder and begins to distort. A side effect of this is a limiting of dynamic range. It is not however compression in the same way that a compressor limits dynamic range/peaks
Not entirely correct. When you hit the heardroom limit of an amp/device it ceases to get louder and begins to distort. A side effect of this is a limiting of dynamic range. It is not however compression in the same way that a compressor limits dynamic range/peaks
Petrovsk Mizinski
New member
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
At least someone gets it.
To elaborate on what was said, using compression after recording when it's being mixed on high gain guitars can help balance out levels between palm mutes and unmuted notes, and also in the form of multiband compression, it can be used to control specific frequencies.
All this is about helping the guitars seat themselves in the mix as well as possible.
It has nothing to do with dynamics of the overall music contrary to what this incredibly stupid post might have you believe : "Also why modern music sounds bland and is completely devoid of dynamics.":banghead:
At least someone gets it.
To elaborate on what was said, using compression after recording when it's being mixed on high gain guitars can help balance out levels between palm mutes and unmuted notes, and also in the form of multiband compression, it can be used to control specific frequencies.
All this is about helping the guitars seat themselves in the mix as well as possible.
It has nothing to do with dynamics of the overall music contrary to what this incredibly stupid post might have you believe : "Also why modern music sounds bland and is completely devoid of dynamics.":banghead:
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
Man no one looses dynamics when using a compressor on a guitar.....
Unless it is set in some idiotic way where it is no use whatsoever....
I have always used a compressor, for over 20 years now, on clean, on dirty, on what ever I do...
Not for everyone, but to say it kills dynamics is just rubbish, not that middle only ranged instrument has much of it as it is
Then the setting is just far out, now they are all blending, bending, fending, blanding...errr..
It is just down to players being total noobs about the whole compressor thing, it is not a bloody studio thing they play, it is a crude guitar!
But I guess it can sell you a pedal or two...so blend away and all that
Man no one looses dynamics when using a compressor on a guitar.....
Unless it is set in some idiotic way where it is no use whatsoever....
I have always used a compressor, for over 20 years now, on clean, on dirty, on what ever I do...
Not for everyone, but to say it kills dynamics is just rubbish, not that middle only ranged instrument has much of it as it is
Then the setting is just far out, now they are all blending, bending, fending, blanding...errr..
It is just down to players being total noobs about the whole compressor thing, it is not a bloody studio thing they play, it is a crude guitar!
But I guess it can sell you a pedal or two...so blend away and all that
Metalblaze
New member
Re: Compressor vs overdrive
In simple words compression makes any waveform (be it a single note or an entire track) as rectangular as possible (making the attacks and releases fast and equalizing high and low volume peaks). So you end up with a wave form compressed (narrow dynamic range) but not that loud in most cases. That's why you need the gain knob to regain the volume.
Distortion compresses the (clean) signal but also introduces additional frequencies (distortion) which are not compressed at all. Compressors compress the whole spectrum of the distorted signal (every single frequency).
In simple words compression makes any waveform (be it a single note or an entire track) as rectangular as possible (making the attacks and releases fast and equalizing high and low volume peaks). So you end up with a wave form compressed (narrow dynamic range) but not that loud in most cases. That's why you need the gain knob to regain the volume.
Distortion compresses the (clean) signal but also introduces additional frequencies (distortion) which are not compressed at all. Compressors compress the whole spectrum of the distorted signal (every single frequency).
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