goochbillingham
New member
Re: Compression and sustain in a pickup?
gosh darn haha
gosh darn haha
Compression and sustain in a pickup?
- Thread starter Artie
- Start date
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: Compression and sustain in a pickup?
That makes sense. I'm a "technical" kinda guy, and I tend to think in technical terms. When someone says "compression", I think of a compressor.
Thanks RG.
And thanks to everyone else. This has been an informative thread.
That makes sense. I'm a "technical" kinda guy, and I tend to think in technical terms. When someone says "compression", I think of a compressor.
Thanks RG.
And thanks to everyone else. This has been an informative thread.
hermetico
New member
Re: Compression and sustain in a pickup?
I agree with all said and...
I think that pickups can have a physical compression effect.
If we strum the string in an unloaded guitar, I bet the string will vibrate with the higher amplitude that guitar's building characteristics allow.
But, once we put some pickups there, magnets pull strings and, this acts as a brake for string's natural vibration.
So, that maximum amplitude that the string achieved is being reduced in less or more quantity.
As we raise the height of the pickup, things can go really weird and, the "standard" vibrational pattern of the string can be seriously altered.
The attack phase is when we reach the maximum amplitude and, if we alter such a max, we are compressing (at least the attack phase), also reducing the dynamic range.
The sustain happens during the the tails and, if we are using a magnet and/or height that pulls a lot the string, we are killing the sustain and, therefore, compressing as well (the sustain/hold/decay phases).
And, independently of such a magnetic pull, each pickup has a dynamic range (difference between peak and low levels or peak rms and average rms, better). Those pickups that have less difference between both (peak, average) are clearly compressing the natural guitar' sound. And, this can be good and bad, depending on the style and player.
And this is independent of the rest of your rig.
Maybe I am wrong.
Just thinking loud.
I agree with all said and...
I think that pickups can have a physical compression effect.
If we strum the string in an unloaded guitar, I bet the string will vibrate with the higher amplitude that guitar's building characteristics allow.
But, once we put some pickups there, magnets pull strings and, this acts as a brake for string's natural vibration.
So, that maximum amplitude that the string achieved is being reduced in less or more quantity.
As we raise the height of the pickup, things can go really weird and, the "standard" vibrational pattern of the string can be seriously altered.
The attack phase is when we reach the maximum amplitude and, if we alter such a max, we are compressing (at least the attack phase), also reducing the dynamic range.
The sustain happens during the the tails and, if we are using a magnet and/or height that pulls a lot the string, we are killing the sustain and, therefore, compressing as well (the sustain/hold/decay phases).
And, independently of such a magnetic pull, each pickup has a dynamic range (difference between peak and low levels or peak rms and average rms, better). Those pickups that have less difference between both (peak, average) are clearly compressing the natural guitar' sound. And, this can be good and bad, depending on the style and player.
And this is independent of the rest of your rig.
Maybe I am wrong.
Just thinking loud.
