Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

Haha it is not that I am anti compressor or something like that...
Sometimes I just think that guitar players go overboard with the fancy stuff.

Nothing serious in it really, I just wonder from time to time, mostly these days I just shut up about the whole deal.
I am still in the business of making pedals...haha
Though it is a new chapter by now....but our take is more like keep it simple and stuff like that.

Niels

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

I like simple. I don't even want an S-1 switch on a Strat.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

Haha have neither split switches nor anything, the only "special" switch I have, is on my Ibanez S430 for adding the neck pickup to the bridge for a Tele like sound, mostly because the prior owner had drilled a hole for a switch....I thought what the frak...might just as well use it for something!
The rest is simple stuff.....and a great deal more expensive than in my younger days!

[hermetico]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

Yeah it is amazing....
How could we ever live without???


In a moment....we travel back in time...the 80's.....compressor galore

I have lived through all of that once, it did what it did.
Pedal boards is the new rack.

Midi, endless patches, making coffee, cooling the milk, call the maid, texting the wife, hangout message the kids, facetime the family abroad.....
And so on...

Sorry I am just thinking this as mostly toys with a wealth of another set of endless options.....
'Causeweneedtofocusonthesoundherewhilewecommandeer thespaceshipthroughthehardtonavigatemusicweplay... .

Cranky old man hath written, so no taking it personally, and it is probably a great piece of gear and all that!
Sometimes I just wonder about why!

Well, could it be that you are playing on a hi gain amp with hi output humbuckers?
If so, you don't need a comp. Well, in that case, I'm quite sure you don't need even a single pedal, apart of a Wah (if you like it) or / and some delay.
I'm not a fan of compressors myself and, THEY AREN'T PART OF MY FOUNDATIONAL TONE. I use them as one more effect, absolutely when I need that.

In any case, if you don't use compressors, with all respect, why do you recommend one or the other?. Based on what?.

I personally prefer the sound of a single channel all tube classic amp, with a nice clean over which to build the rest (1959 Bassman LTD, slightly modded).
And, I personally love Stratos with vintage output pickups.
Some songs need a compressor with that rig, that's all and, I take seriously every single piece of my gear.

Appart of mixing / mastering compressors (UA 1179, LA-2A, Fairchild 670, Drawner's, focusrite's, several brickwall limiters, de-essers, downgrade compressors, enhancers, etc.), on guitar´s compressors I've tested/owned: Boss CS2 and CS3, MXR Dyna Comp, MXR Custom Comp, MXR Dyna Comp Script, T-Rex Comp-Nova, Mad Professor Forest Green Compressor, some multi-effect compressors (as Line6 Pod Live XT) and, some others I barely can remember. The EGO satisfied me enough to end my search.

Once again, for anyone that doesn't fully understand what a compressor is, when to use it, where to use it and how to achieve what in concrete, the simpler, the best (and the simplest is NO compressor).
It took me several years to understand why some people loaded a compressor in their pedalboard and, I even had a CS2 in my pedalboard before to understand what could that effect make for me, just because I saw it to some others that played way better than me.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

Yeah...what do I know?

[Demanic]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

Just thought that I would throw this into the mix

[superpete]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

The wampler is a much better sounding compressor than the boss.

[hermetico]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

Just thought that I would throw this into the mix

Great one!

[neilslade]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

EGO verus CS3 and CS2:

I have both the EGO compressor, and a Monte Allums CS3 with Optomod plus mod. Both are good pedals, but they are different in fairly significant ways.

1) The Boss is far cheaper, you can get a used Monte Allums modded CS3 very inexpensive on Ebay- $50 or $60. Unmodded, even less. It has a distinctive squashed sound, although you can dial this back a good amount for much more subtle compression. With the mod it's reasonably quiet, until you push the compression. I have a friend with an unmodded CS2- and it sounds very similar, although it doesn't have quite the versatility of the CS3, and can't give you quite that pronounced attack/pop/squash that the CS3 can do if you're after that. I've also tried different chips in my CS3, and at present use the Ultramod chips instead, a pair of 5532's which I think gives me a little more neutral and natural sound- although, this is a very subtle difference over the standard Optomod Plus chips ( RC4558P and Burr Brown OPA2134PA )

2) The EGO compressor is noticeably quieter, and is a much more versatile pedal, mostly due to the Blend knob, which indeed allows a lot more choice of compressor tones- and it's not just like using less compression. It has to do with when the compression kicks in after the attack. The Ego does give you the choice of more intense attack/pop/squash like the CS3, although the CS3 has it's own very distinct super-squashy sound and I would say at the extreme end is even more pronounced than the Ego. Some people may not like this, as it is a pretty unnatural sound when dialed in to the extreme, it's a very processed kind of thing, but in some cases desirable. The biggest, and perhaps only drawback is that the ego will cost you $145 USED at cheapest. But this is a good price for this pedal, which would be $199 new. Worth $199, I'd say yes, if you want the best. Definitely worth it at $150 or so. I bought a used one, and it's great, and cost me $143 including shipping.

Is the CS3 modded worth $150? Not if you can get an Ego compressor for about the same price. A no brainer there.

Only one? The Ego is the clear choice if you have the extra bucks, or at the same price The modded CS3 is a good second choice, and much more affordable used. An unmodded CS3 or CS2 is good, but a third choice, albeit, a bargain. Unmodded will be sufficient for mild to moderate compression. Above that, it will introduce typical compressor noise.

One note- I've found that if I play a note with the Ego and then turn on the pedal at the same time I'll get an electronic pop. This doesn't occur if I DON'T play a note at the same time that I turn on the pedal. I don't know if this is a defect or not. It's a very minor point, and doesn't change how I feel about the pedal. I'm awaiting an answer from Wampler to see if this is not right. The Boss pedal on/off switching is silent, regardless of if you turn it on in the middle of playing a note/chord or not.

Neil Slade

http://www.BrainRadar.com

[neilslade]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

>>Yeah, the blend knob isn't totally necessary when you can just back off the compression to get a similar effect.

Not true- the blend knob on the Ego has a distinct function apart from an "amount" knob. It will change how and when the compressor kicks in. Read the pedal's short manual on the Wampler page for details.

[neilslade]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

>>Yeah, the blend knob isn't totally necessary when you can just back off the compression to get a similar effect.

Not true- the blend knob on the Ego has a distinct function apart from an "amount" knob. It will change how and when the compressor kicks in. Read the pedal's short manual on the Wampler page for details.

Also, Wampler is fixing the switch noise (not normal) for free.

[Mincer]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

I still say, go for the Vise Grip. Best compressor I've ever used (and hey, its the home team).

[Aceman]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

I am philosophically AGAINST the blend. I think it is for people that really just want a sustainer. Any compressor with an attack control can do that.

That said - of the comps listed, I only have CS3 experience. However - you are an idiot if you don't think the Wampler or the Duncan are better in every way than a CS3.

Now - full disclosure - I have a Monte Allums modded CS3 and I could care less about having another.

As always - if you want an effect - get an MXR Dynacomp. If you need basic compression, get a CS3. If you need more....don'ty ask until you have figured out what to do with BOTH of those.

[dystrust]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

I am philosophically AGAINST the blend. I think it is for people that really just want a sustainer. Any compressor with an attack control can do that.

Having a blend knob is the same idea as using parallel compression in the studio. A typical use would be the drum bus where you'd squash the signal with a fast, aggressive compressor and then mix it less than 100% to restore some of the attack. The squashed signal and makeup gain sounds big while the drum sound overall retains punch because of the clean signal. You could sort of fake it with attack and release controls, but it wouldn't sound the same.

For guitar I only like to use a compressor pedal when playing clean, and I use it as an effect (along with my CE-2) for that 80s Jazz Chorus sound. I have a MIJ CS-3 which is a totally different beast than the current version; it's essentially a CS-2 with a tone control.

[6stringerguy]

Re: Boss CS-3 Compressor vs. Wampler Ego Compressor

I still say, go for the Vise Grip. Best compressor I've ever used (and hey, its the home team).

I asked this in another thread but just wondering how you thought the Vise grip stacked up against the Ego?