Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

[Jackson Distortion]

I'm debating on if I should buy a compressor to fatten up my treble strings for solos, or not. I don't need a boost per se, just more awesome-sounding treble strings. :^D

Also, what would you recommend? I'd like a pedal that's buffered like Boss pedals, so I can keep using long cables since I don't think I'll be using active pickups mainly anytime soon.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I used an Electro Harmonix Freeze for a few years for extra sustain. After I bought a tube amp and a good distortion I was sutaining so much that I sold the EH for a 535Q wah. Now that I have a POD I use the comps in my clean tones to make them spank a little more. I think that that's where the comp best shines.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

Love that EHX FREEZE . . . gonna get one asap.

But normal comp . . . no thanks.

 

[AudioWonderland]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I'm debating on if I should buy a compressor to fatten up my treble strings for solos, or not. I don't need a boost per se, just more awesome-sounding treble strings. :^D

Also, what would you recommend? I'd like a pedal that's buffered like Boss pedals, so I can keep using long cables since I don't think I'll be using active pickups mainly anytime soon.

I have 2-3 comps on my board sometimes. They do a great job at keeping levels consistent but I would not expect it to fatten up treble strings.

 

[Rodney Gene]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I'm debating on if I should buy a compressor to fatten up my treble strings for solos, or not. I don't need a boost per se, just more awesome-sounding treble strings. :^D

Also, what would you recommend? I'd like a pedal that's buffered like Boss pedals, so I can keep using long cables since I don't think I'll be using active pickups mainly anytime soon.

Yes, I really appreciate my comp on my board. That said, a comp won't provide a 'fatter' sound. It may offer some reduction in top end transients and a 'glue' effect across the top end, but that is about it. It can do 'awesome' though in some cases. For 'fatter' or bigger sound you'll need EQ or fatter strings.

BTW you only need a single buffered pedal (if that) on your board to keep your signal integral. If you are indeed looking for a compressor its useful not to limit yourself to a buffered circuit.
The best ones I have ever used are all true bypass. Cheers,

Respect,

RG

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I like a compressor in two areas . . .

1. Clean rhythm playing, especially funk type stuff . . . compressing the guitar can make it sit better in a song so that you don't have the occasional errant note jumping out unexpectedly. It evens out the sharp initial attack for a more consistent sound.
2. Clean solos (especially when playing fast) where they can even out soft/loud notes for a more even tone and slightly better feeling sustain.


There's not much use for a compressor when a guitar is distorted, as distortion acts as a compressor already. I'm not sure you would find the compressor would 'fatten' up your treble strings the way that you describe.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

maybe an Exciter instead of a Comp.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

by Exciter I mean like a Sonic Stomp from BBE. I'm not sure how tunable they are for just highs, but there's a flock of youtube videos that in essence have a thick crunch sound with a mild widdlywoo, then the click the stomp on and the guitar tone cuts way harder and the highs and lows scream. The widdlywoo turns into a WIDDLYWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

It's not something that's life or death, but once you use one, you really notice a difference in your cleans, especially with a chorus.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I have a lot of mixed feeling about pedal comps...

I'm not into "transparent" comp pedals or the "always on" comp pedal...to me that's what you look for in recorded guitar tracks, not live guitar.

So, if I use a comp I want it to be an effect...something you notice.

That said the issue with compression effects for me is that force me to take about 10 steps back with my overall rig and tone...

I worked for a LONG time to learn how to use dynamics in my playing, to develop a right (and left for that matter!) hand technique that would allow me to be expressive when I play then I spend a lot more time and worked very hard to find guitars and amps and effects that would let me translate that expressive quality without masking over it...as soon as you click on a compressor that is all gone...by definition a compressor will limit the loud stuff and push up the soft stuff and that equals a lack of dynamics...that's a compressors job!

So, I rarely use compressor pedals but do have 2...

An MXR Dyna Comp and a Hartman Compressor.

The Dyna Comp is one of the script logo reissues. It has rather limited controls and it's rather squishy sounding but very much to my ears has a signature sound to it. It's not for everybody I'm sure but I like it a lot.

The Hartman is clone of the old Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer compressor and is even less transparent than the Dyna Comp! It's got a thick sound as it rolls off a bit of top and to my ears adds a bit of midrange and it also has a little bit of op amp clipping if you run it hard, and I do...is it great for crystal clean tones...no, but I never use those kinds of tones so I don't care!

FWIW, the Hartman is actually on my board right now and I have the comp set at minimum and the gain set just above unity and I use it as a boost more often than not but never always on!

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

i like the good old dyna comp but yes it really just evens out volume differences or can take you to a really squashed country sound... but yeah fatter treble strings is not the domain of the compressor.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

Yes I do, and I am a big fan of a good comp pedal. The key, IMO, is to think of it as a problem-solving tool, not an effect.

That said, I don't think I'd use a comp for what the OP wants. That sounds like an EQ issue to me, or possibly pickups. Maybe even a change in string gauge. I'd try all of those before going with a comp.

 

[p4vl]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

Could someone point me towards an explanation of what compression does in terms of high gain tone? Why is it sometimes preferable that high output bridge humbuckers are compressed, but I can't think of a single metal guy that uses a compressor pedal.

Yes, I've tried google, I always end up reading posts on forums where no one even uses guitars with humbuckers, let alone high gain amps.

 

[CountFeedback]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I use an early 1980s DynaComp. Not sure about comps fattening up the treble strings? I've mostly used Comps to ad more zing less clank to clean rhythm parts.
Comp before -> Drive can add more sustain (even at lower volumes) to your sound.
Comp after -> Drive can give an impression of a pushed beyond the limit sort of sound.
Compressor isn't really the answer to any problem unless the problem is you like the sound of a comp and don't have one.
Boss CS-2 & Ibanez CP9 are great sounding comps with buffer bypass, Boss CS-3 is good more options less vintage vibe.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

Not really a fan here. I think it's more of a metal thing.

Maybe I've just never tried a good one. (Sudden onset GAS...)

 

[wolf5150]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I have used my Boss CS2 for years purely to give a fatter tone for my leads so I disagree with the other guys. Mine was recently modded to be sweeter and quieter. .. my fave pedal of all time.
For cleans I have the xotic SP.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I use a Boss, I think its the CS-3. I set it so I can hear it squash, and then I back it off just a hair.

Bill

 

[Aceman]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

I'm on board with the "you don't need a comp."

I too thought exciter right out of the gate, and also possibly EQ. Or maybe the new Micro Amp boost with EQ, perhaps.

I do use a comp and have for a long time. Currently I have a Monte Allums modded CS-3 AND an Exciter running on my acoustic and it has amazing highs (and lows and everything else).

A Dyna COmp set for 'effect' type, or large squash might do what you want, but I don't think so. Did that through the whole 80's and I can see it a little...
But a Transparent one is definitely not what you want. Boogie Bill said it perfect. That's what I do with the Acoustic.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

Oh yeah - metal guys never (rarely) use them because uber-distortion is compressed already to extreme levels.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Do you use a Compressor in your rig?

compression is a boost + limiter. It takes your signal, makes it louder in the box, then takes the signal and wedges all or as much of it into a predetermined volume shelving. This ends up taking your strums, smooshing the hard loud parts down to a specific maximum volume and amplifying the soft parts, again, to a specific minimum volume. The more compression, the more of a weird zombie twang the sound gets.
In hi-gain situations it's similar to the lead channel giving you sustain out the yinyang. The compressor sort of does what a fuzz or hi-gain sound does, only cleanly (which is a lot harder to do). A gain channel will hit the top wall and mush out, and will reel out a hot solo sustain forever because the note's decay still hasn't gotten quiet enough to git off dat gain ceiling and get softer/quieter.