Re: Power chaining a comp pedal???
Hi!
Just picked up a line 6 constrictor comp pedal for 20 bucks. Im cool with everything the pedal does and I think it sounds great, but I don't have a lot of experience with compressors.
The only problem I have, which is apparently pretty common with this pedal, is that I have to use it with its own power supply. When I put it in the daisy chain with the others it makes a ton of noise.
My question(s):
Do all compressors have this problem? I may be able to get a dyna comp instead for only $40. Does the dyna comp need isolated power?
If its a consistent problem with comps I can just suck it up and use a battery every time I take it to play out.
You should understand first WHAT a compressor does and which are the benefits and drawbacks of using it.
A compressor modifies the dynamic range of your signal, in the following way:
1) it raises ALL your signal level in some decibels (usually with some gain, level or make up knob, the name depends on each maker). That means that the noise that was present on your signal is being made LOUDER than it was.
2) When your signal have transients (peaks) that raise some loudness level, those peaks are leveled down (compressed) in some ratio 3:1, 4:1, 8:1, etc (usually a compression or ratio button does this).
Depending on the maker, compressor can be more or less sofisticated but, as result of its work you have:
a) your quietest signals sounding louder, closer to the average loudness level.
b) your highest signals sounding quieter, closer to the average loudness level.
c) your attack is being softened
d) your sustain is being prolonged, notes last more time
As a result, you have an homogeneus signal level (less difference between quiet and loud notes = minor dynamic range), a louder average level, a softer attack and more sustain. The impact on each of those effects will depend on your controls (please, carefully read which knob does what and try extremes to understand how it changes your sound).
Typical drawbacks:
1) loss of expression, if compression is overdone, since there is less difference between quiet and loud parts.
2) muffled attack, if attack time is wrong, you can loose all your punch.
3) squeezing tails, if attack / sustain are overdone
4) increase of noise level propagated to rest of the chain
So, a compressor (and, I would say, any gain pedal) will raise the level of the noise that is taking on its entry, everytime that you are going for an output level different of unitary level.
This noise is being propagated to the rest of chain and, eventually, increased by other gain pedals (EQs, ODs, boosters, distortions, ...).
So, you have two options:
a) to place the compressor at the end of your gain pedals (this usually sounds worst but, maybe that makes the trick for you).
b) to use a good noise gate to remove the noise before it goes to the compressor (as the ISP Decimator G-String)
