NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

[Diego]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

Yikes, I've got a CE-2 as well. What are the odds? Great pedal!

EDIT: I'm using the DC just with my Strat, but I'm not really sure what for. I just like that it balances the strings, and with sensitivity around 10 o' clock the squish is still there but it doesn't go back and forth as noticeably.

Great stuff before my OD. With humbuckers it just gives me mad sustain for leads and that's good enough for me.

[Rich_S]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

After years of trying many compressors and simply not getting along with them, I recently purchased a plain-Jane Dyna Comp, got a 10% off deal on a new, open-box unit from Sweetwater. My plan was to build a special little board with the sole purpose of imitating Jamie West-Oram's sounds with The FIXX. After a day of playing around with it, I loved it so much I pulled the seldom-used fuzz off my main board and put the Dyna Comp #1 in line, before my BB Preamp. I think the DC will become a permanent part of the board.

It's not clean or transparent or pure, but DAMN... it does the Dyna Comp sound better than anything. In my case, that means Jamie West-Oram, Andy Summers, James Honeyman-Scott, and Robbie McIntosh's tones from the '80s.

[Diego]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

Compressors LOVE single coils, especially the older circuits (Ross, Dynacomp). Humbuckers tend to compress the signal a bit anyway so at best you won't notice much of a difference and at worst it'll just make your signal dark and kind of crappy.

My favourite way to use a compressor is a bit unconventional, but worth trying. I place my compressor after my gain pedals, meaning that I still get the dynamics and control of the distortion pedal, while still having the signal benefits of a compressor.

I find most overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedals sound best going into a loud amp BECAUSE of the compression that the speaker/circuit/tubes provide, and a compressor pedal places after a gain pedal helps to simulate that and make it 'feel' like it's playing into a much louder amp. Compressors are one of my favourite recording and practice tools for that reason, used lightly they can simulate the sound and feel of a much louder setup at a fairly low volume.

I'll test that tomorrow and will let you know.

[TimmyPage]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

Compressors LOVE single coils, especially the older circuits (Ross, Dynacomp). Humbuckers tend to compress the signal a bit anyway so at best you won't notice much of a difference and at worst it'll just make your signal dark and kind of crappy.

My favourite way to use a compressor is a bit unconventional, but worth trying. I place my compressor after my gain pedals, meaning that I still get the dynamics and control of the distortion pedal, while still having the signal benefits of a compressor.

I find most overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedals sound best going into a loud amp BECAUSE of the compression that the speaker/circuit/tubes provide, and a compressor pedal places after a gain pedal helps to simulate that and make it 'feel' like it's playing into a much louder amp. Compressors are one of my favourite recording and practice tools for that reason, used lightly they can simulate the sound and feel of a much louder setup at a fairly low volume.

[dystrust]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

so is it all the black label cs-3's or just some?

The circuit change happened in the early 90s, so all of the black label CS-3s should have the dbx VCA.

[Aceman]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

80's = Single coil through cranked Dyna.

Honestly, the BOSS CS-3 is much more flexible.

The Ed is pretty cool.

[Diego]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

Well, these things have a learning curve.

Tried it with my Strat yesterday before my OD and daaaamn. It adds balls. Didn't turn it off for an hour or so, haha! It's just so hard to get the right setting. And maybe due to the lower output of these pickups, the squish and release was a lot more subtle.
Roll the volume back on the guitar a bit to take some edge off, but it retains the output and just goes BIG for playing some mean Deep Purple. Goddamn I liked it that way.

Also, in my short experience, the Dyna Comp does NOT like humbuckers. Clean it just crapifies them. Split it works a lot better. Only useful for everlasting overdriven leads with HBs.

I also like how it looks and the Marshall ED1 is quite ugly. So it's staying for a few more days.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

Hmm well....it is just a Dynacomp...they sound like that, but if it is made will old style parts(not SMD) then you can turn it into a Ross(which is yet another variant of the MXR) or most other that uses the same configuration, even locate the resistor that has the fixed attack set, can be replaced by a trimmer....and a blender.....and and and...he he paint it fancy and give it a funny name...whoopsie ena boushriek pedali is invented!

[Chickenwings]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

so is it all the black label cs-3's or just some?

[dystrust]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

So the thing with the dynacomp is exactly what you have described. It imparts a lot of its own (darker) tonality and the attack is not adjustable. A lot of comps darken the tone because trimming off treble reduces audible noise effectively. It is also very squishy and not very subtle. However, the good news is you have got yourself across the nice things a compressor can do, and you also now know what you would like to improve. I guess you can see why people who like compressors rave about the keeley etc. The keeley, the analogman comprossor, the fabled grey ross, the dynacomp and god knows how many others are all the same circuit, but a circuit alone is not the end sound. There are many variations of great ross/mxr style compressors out there. If you are keen on exploring the good side of compressors without the drawbacks of the dyna, then you could just buy a keeley and never need another compressor ever. Or (and im going to kick myself for letting the cat out of the bag re: resale prices rising) check out an old boss cs-2...its the same circuit as all the booteek ross clones, but roland spend a boatload of money on creating a super efficient, super low noise chip (actually it was one built for their synths). The end result is a super transparent, super sweet, very natural and musical compressor that beats the boteek ones for low noise operation. Actually, the cs-2 is no secret because you see it all over the place on nashville pedalboards, and prices have gone up quite a lot, but it still flies under the radar a little these days. If you can snag one for a reasonable price its a killer unit.

The first revision MIJ (black label) CS-3 uses the same chip, but adds a tone control. The two pedals don't sound exactly the same, but they are VERY close. Later CS-3s use a different chip and don't sound nearly as good. The best part is that these vintage CS-3s are still a bargain on the used market.

[Chickenwings]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

I'm not sure I'm liking it that much now. I like having a compressor pedal, but the Dyna Comp is not perfect and it's "character" is bugging me a bit.

I don't like that it warms up the tone a bit too much, and I don't like the attack response, I find it too slow at times. It's also way too squishy and obtrusive.

I also find myself adjusting the sensitivity too often, where I just think I need control of extra compression parameters. I more or less know my way around a studio compressor and I'm missing the extra tweakability.

I might return it to the store and leave with a Marshall ED-1 which was in stock too...

So the thing with the dynacomp is exactly what you have described. It imparts a lot of its own (darker) tonality and the attack is not adjustable. A lot of comps darken the tone because trimming off treble reduces audible noise effectively. It is also very squishy and not very subtle. However, the good news is you have got yourself across the nice things a compressor can do, and you also now know what you would like to improve. I guess you can see why people who like compressors rave about the keeley etc. The keeley, the analogman comprossor, the fabled grey ross, the dynacomp and god knows how many others are all the same circuit, but a circuit alone is not the end sound. There are many variations of great ross/mxr style compressors out there. If you are keen on exploring the good side of compressors without the drawbacks of the dyna, then you could just buy a keeley and never need another compressor ever. Or (and im going to kick myself for letting the cat out of the bag re: resale prices rising) check out an old boss cs-2...its the same circuit as all the booteek ross clones, but roland spend a boatload of money on creating a super efficient, super low noise chip (actually it was one built for their synths). The end result is a super transparent, super sweet, very natural and musical compressor that beats the boteek ones for low noise operation. Actually, the cs-2 is no secret because you see it all over the place on nashville pedalboards, and prices have gone up quite a lot, but it still flies under the radar a little these days. If you can snag one for a reasonable price its a killer unit.

[Aceman]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

Back in the day used a Dynacomp all the time playing 80's pop stuff. Ultra-QUASH!!!!!

These days I have a Monte Allims Opto-mod for my acoustic stylings. Very subtle setting.

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

That's the thing about the Dyna Comp (and the Custom Comp that I had). It sounds absolutely killer doing its thing... but its thing is definitely not subtle or transparent. I liked the simplicity of them, but yeah, if you wanna really go deep into it, you can't. The Custom Comp had internal trim pots to control the attack (its fastest setting is the same as the Dyna Comp, anyway), and a control to add some sparkle back, but then again, that compressor ate up a bit of low-end as well, not just highs. I still dig the MXR comps for clean arpeggiated stuff, though. They have a nice character to my ears.

I have an EHX Black Finger right now. To be completely honest, I rarely ever use it because it's inconveniently huge, and it needs to be powered by a non-standard 12V adaptor. I ended up selling my Custom Comp because I rarely ever play cleans and that's what I dug it for, and I preferred what the EHX did for bass.

[Diego]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

I'm not sure I'm liking it that much now. I like having a compressor pedal, but the Dyna Comp is not perfect and it's "character" is bugging me a bit.

I don't like that it warms up the tone a bit too much, and I don't like the attack response, I find it too slow at times. It's also way too squishy and obtrusive.

I also find myself adjusting the sensitivity too often, where I just think I need control of extra compression parameters. I more or less know my way around a studio compressor and I'm missing the extra tweakability.

I might return it to the store and leave with a Marshall ED-1 which was in stock too...

[Perry go round]

Re: NPD! MXR Dyna Comp.

When I first got my Dynacomp, I tried it in the FX Loop, but didnīt work for me. I though I had waste my money. Then, I tried just after the tuner, in front of anything else, and I had an epiphany. I just love it now. I use it not only to level things up, but also for adding a lovely extra crunch to my amp and for getting lots of extra-sustain.
I leave it on at least 90% of the time.