Transparent Compressor

Re: Transparent Compressor

FretFire said:
I owned a Keeley for several weeks, and while it's a GREAT compressor I wouldn't necessarily call it transparent.
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What do I know? I'm a fan of the Boss CS-2/3 as an all around decent compressor....
 
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Re: Transparent Compressor

I have an Ibanez CP-835, Maxon CP-101, Boss CS-3(used to have CS-1 and 2 as well)
Standart CM Comp/Lim, and the Classic Opto one, also have an old Pearl CO-04, getting the Maxon RCP 660 as well....
I like comps :)
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

I don't know what the Monte Allums mod does to the CS-3. I found that changing the electrolytic input capacitor for a metal film at twice it's uf value did the trick nicely. I'd put this unit up against any other in terms of being transparent. You can't tell it's engaged even when dimed except you get a noise floor swell as the notes die when it's dimed. The noise floor swell is not noise generated by the pedal, but rather noise generated before the pedal that is amplified as the signal fades from your guitar. It's truly a wicked compressor that doesn't SOUND like a compressor.
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

I hve a clean Allums Opto Mod CS-3 for sale. $75 shipped in the lower 48!
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Re: Transparent Compressor

Pigtronix philosopher's tone, I'm considering selling my keeley compressor to get the Pigtronix
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

The Barber, most likely the BYOC and the Keeley are all the same with variations included the T-Rex....that means MXR Dynacomp or the Ross one....most uses the old 3080 chip or a variation of that one.....
Anyways loads out there....all claiming to be the only one....well....no such thing, but then again what guitarplayer bothers about that??
:D
Most are good to work with, optical ones are also recommended, Maxon or the Demeter comes to mind!
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

That's funny cause I just took the Super Comp over the Orange Squash for the same reason. Seems pretty transparent to me....... but I guess there a are a lot of factors involved.


lousy_player said:
Hey guys,

I've decided that my SuperComp stinks; it colors my sound too much.

What's a great, transparent compressor that will give me plenty of sustain, without coloring my tone?

Your thoughts?
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Re: Transparent Compressor

most transparent comps ive heard are always the optical based ones. Id score a second hand CS-3 and do the monte mod on it.
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

scottish said:
most transparent comps ive heard are always the optical based ones. Id score a second hand CS-3 and do the monte mod on it.
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I did this, and while the mod transforms it to one of the best compressors out there, it isn't really transparent at all...you certainly hear the squashiness at every setting, which is what I got it for.
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

Mincer said:
I did this, and while the mod transforms it to one of the best compressors out there, it isn't really transparent at all...you certainly hear the squashiness at every setting, which is what I got it for.
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Wait a minute... How are we defining transparency here? Changing tone is one thing.... but If you define transparency as in you can't hear the effect, then that pedal is as useful as pouring hot water through a funnel into a cup with a why bother in the first place?
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

The 2 compressor pedals I have can get pretty wacky, but I mostly just twisty the knobbies until they are barely noticeable.

Has anyone tried the Aphex Xciter pedals? I've never seen one in action.
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

guitarded said:
Wait a minute... How are we defining transparency here? Changing tone is one thing.... but If you define transparency as in you can't hear the effect, then that pedal is as useful as pouring hot water through a funnel into a cup with a why bother in the first place?
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I define it as 'if it sounds like it is squishing the daylights out of the signal' or not. Compressors used in country pickin I can hear- they clamp down hard and the notes pop out. Compressors in a good studio do their job so well you don't notice them until you turn them off. Those are transparent. My BYOC 5-knob compressor is like that...it can squish if you want it, but it excels at a very subtle even-ing at the 'bloom' of the note.
 
Re: Transparent Compressor

baritone said:
The 2 compressor pedals I have can get pretty wacky, but I mostly just twisty the knobbies until they are barely noticeable.

Has anyone tried the Aphex Xciter pedals? I've never seen one in action.
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I use the Acoustic Xciter..not really a compressor, it adds low end and high-end harmonics to the signal. It makes the low notes really jump out- a very cool pedal, especially for thin bodied acoustics that suffer from that bass 'thwunk'. I use my acoustic into a Allums-modded CS3, into the Xciter. Great sound.
 
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