Considering Bass Compressor

[Snake Aces]

For most of my bassplaying life (since 98), I have not used a bass compressor. I'm a finger player, not a picker.

I effed around with a budget Ashdown bass compressor with the bands I played in from 2007 to 2010. Other than that, never.

That Ashdown didn't move the needle for me but it had its moments.

Now I am debating between the Origin Effects Cali76 or the Empress Effects Bass Compressor.

I'm leaning towards the Empress, not because of the lower cost, but because some people I've read reviews from say they prefer the Empress over the Cali76.

Anyone have experience with these two bass compressors?

 

[Chistopher]

I have no experience with those, but let me tell you man, you're gonna wonder why you didn’t get a compressor 28 years ago...

 

[Snake Aces]

I have no experience with those, but let me tell you man, you're gonna wonder why you didn’t get a compressor 28 years ago...

I think you're right about that, especially since I love fat bass tone.

 

[Snake Aces]

Maybe I should get both of them since I am building my dual amp rig this year... see which one I like more for deeper octave rig and which one will pair with the more traditionally-toned rig.

 

[uOpt]

I always used a dbx 160x (19" rack). Among other things it has better visual feedback.

 

[Snake Aces]

I always used a dbx 160x (19" rack). Among other things it has better visual feedback.

My current rack is full. I could consider looking for a bigger rack but then it gets even heavier.

 

[beaubrummels]

I've wanted the Cali76 but couldn't afford at the time. I got a Keeley Limiter instead, which has ratio, threshold and makeup gain; the three most needed knobs to make any compressor sound natural. Keeley has a Bassist and a GC guitar one; he told me the Bassist just has some circuitry to make it more sensitive to the peak lower frequencies of a bass, but both will work just fine. The guitar one is just a studio compressor like the Cali76.

 

[GuitarStv]

I'm a fan of compressors with a clean mix knob. This lets you effectively do parallel compression . . . it becomes very easy to get thick notes with control and sustain but still have some transient and the start of a note.

 

[Chistopher]

For a bass, a compressor is useless without a clean mix knob

 

[Snake Aces]

I'm a fan of compressors with a clean mix knob. This lets you effectively do parallel compression . . . it becomes very easy to get thick notes with control and sustain but still have some transient and the start of a note.

I believe both the Empress and the Cali76 have a mix knob.

 

[Mincer]

For a bass, a compressor is useless without a clean mix knob

I like compressors with a mix knob. Lots of people don't, but I find them great on bass.

 

[jeremy]

i like the option of the clean blend, you can use it or not

 

[Snake Aces]

I eventually decided on the Cali76 along with the Boss OC-5 octave pedal (I'm told I can hit 808 frequencies with it from a Sweetwater dude). They are on the way:

 

[GuitarStv]

I eventually decided on the Cali76 along with the Boss OC-5 octave pedal (I'm told I can hit 808 frequencies with it from a Sweetwater dude). They are on the way:

1176 style FET compressors seems to work great on most things for me when recording. I bet it will make an awesome guitar pedal.