Why use a compressor on lead channels?

[Delirium trigger]

Can someone explain to me why people do this? I've never known. I understand the tube screamer. But isn't the lead channel in an amp compressed enough? I see guys using compressors with high gain amps. What does it do for that situation? I use them on clean tones for the obvious reasons.

[StratStevo]

Cuz it makes yo chit sound fat. Averaging picking dynamics is one reason, increased sustain is the next. Whenever I turn off my compressor, I quickly turn it back on again remembering why it's always on in the first place.

[evets618]

For some, there is no such thing as "too much" compression.

[melx]

I'm with you, clean or jangly mild/mid overdrive ..... I wouldn't use one for anything else.

[WRGKMC]

Different compressors color the sound differently. Also you need to understand how and what's being compressed. Using mild compression just after the guitar flattens the dynamics of the clean tones and increases the string sustain. Drive alone may not do that. The length of decay remains the same.

 

With a compressor before drive the length of time before the drive decays is much longer. If you crank it up its much easier to get continuous sustain using sympathetic vibrations off the body, to get those Santana type sustain where the note plays until you release it.

 

You also wind up using less drive when using compression before drive because it tends to boost the levels up so you can dial back allot of the nasty stuff.

 

You do have to learn how to use that combination though. Notes can become quite unruly if you don't have good control over your strings. The jump from a clean acoustic guitar to an electric with drive is just about as big a jump from an electric with drive to one that uses a compressor before drive. The dynamics are nearly flat and there's very little difference between digging in real hard and barely touching the strings. Those who use allot of hammer on's, Bends, and pulloffs playing leads can find that compression eliminates most dead spots in their riffs.

 

Like I said, a little goes a long way and taming the wild beast does take someone with good playing disciplines, especially when you stop playing because the noise floor can rise up and sound like high tide at the beach with all that background noise. Having it gated can help allot too.

[riff ie]

So that peoples' who rather squash instead of crystal lattice approve?

[1001gear]

You can squash Crystal Letts if you like.

[Delirium trigger]

Different compressors color the sound differently. Also you need to understand how and what's being compressed. Using mild compression just after the guitar flattens the dynamics of the clean tones and increases the string sustain. Drive alone may not do that. The length of decay remains the same.

 

With a compressor before drive the length of time before the drive decays is much longer. If you crank it up its much easier to get continuous sustain using sympathetic vibrations off the body, to get those Santana type sustain where the note plays until you release it.

 

You also wind up using less drive when using compression before drive because it tends to boost the levels up so you can dial back allot of the nasty stuff.

 

You do have to learn how to use that combination though. Notes can become quite unruly if you don't have good control over your strings. The jump from a clean acoustic guitar to an electric with drive is just about as big a jump from an electric with drive to one that uses a compressor before drive. The dynamics are nearly flat and there's very little difference between digging in real hard and barely touching the strings. Those who use allot of hammer on's, Bends, and pulloffs playing leads can find that compression eliminates most dead spots in their riffs.

 

Like I said, a little goes a long way and taming the wild beast does take someone with good playing disciplines, especially when you stop playing because the noise floor can rise up and sound like high tide at the beach with all that background noise. Having it gated can help allot too.

 

So, when I'm using an OD pedal on a high gain amp, I know it makes it sound more compressed and better attack, due to it hitting the input harder. What would happen if I used a compressor and an OD pedal together and the lead channel?

[mbengs1]

some lead channels don't have that much gain like my amp, a bugera 6262. so I use a boss equalizer to boost the sound a little more. but compressor will work too.