Need Boss CS-3 Compressor tips

[AxemBlack]

Just got a CS-3, and I need some tips on using it! If anyone has any good settings for it I'd be grateful. Maybe a nice clean funk setting. Also, where should I put it in my signal?

 

Here is my current chain (minus CS-3)

 

Guitar -> Guvnor II -> Boss CE-5 Chorus -> PB100 boost --> amp

 

whereabouts would be CS-3 be best?

 

thanks in advance.

[melx]

It doesn't have any good settings. I had one for a week and ebay'd it.

 

sorry for being so negative, maybe it just wasn't right for me.

[Lanefair]

Put it first in chain. Volume and Tone settings depend on you really. Attack is actually release time and sustain must be the threshold (correct me if I'm wrong) It should get really squishy if you set the sustain to full. And the squishness should change over time depending on the attack dial. Play some muted notes with one hand while tweaking it with the other, try to get it so muted notes sound nice and plucky to your ears. Also strum a hard chord and listen to how it sounds over time.

[p90teleman]

sustain 10-11 o'clock,everything else 1 o'clock. start there and tweak to your taste.

[89strat]

There are better ones out there, but when I'm at a show seeing some pro's use a compressor, it's usually that one, and they rarely sound bad. My preference is for a tone press or a CS-2. But I tend to use compressors more as an effect than as a tool, and the CS-2, Dyna comps, and Tone press' seem to sit better in the mix at higher compression settings, for me at least. However, it's an effect I rarely use in my cover band, just mainly for clean parts and U2 songs.

 

That being said, I've had a CS-3 also, and had no problem making it sound good. I use a few effects on my board and usually get compliments, and the reason is my less is more approach. Using effects in moderation tends to bring them out more. Using effects at extreme settings make everything sound like a modelling amp. So, by using that approach, start with the volume, attack, and tone at noon. Bring up the volume so it's the same as your amp when the pedal is off. Then pick a string on your guitar, I usually pick the g string, both hard and lightly and slowly raise the sustain until the lightly picked notes are as loud as the stronger picked notes. Then tweak the tone and attack to taste. You'll probably find the sustain knob is lower than you anticipated (I guess about 10:00 as P90Teleman suggested) and can get more squash the harder you hit the strings, and noticeably increases in sustain without destroying your tone.

 

I run a tone press afer my distortion as a volume/lead boost. However, it's a more transparent compressor. With the boss compressors, I had better luck running them first in the chain. It's a matter of preference. Try it in both spots, and pick what you like.

[AxemBlack]

awesome. thanks for your tips, will definitely try out those settings when I get home.

 

Keep em coming!

[mark7171]

i enjoy the monte opto mod CS-3.

 

does a nice job. its strong.

[cupax]

I agree. Monte's mod is a must and it transforms it in a really useful stomp.

Level - Play some power chords and switch the unit on/off. Make it sound the same level.

Tone - The same as above, make it sound the same when engaged and bypassed.

Attack - experiment here, I like fast attacks.

Sustain - CS3 is a really strrong compressor. Pushing the sustain all the way up it will really squeeze your sound and bring up the noise. I have it set to 9-10 o clock, which is strong enough.

 

I have the CS3 the second efect in my chain, right after the Noise reduction Boss NS2 (actually in it's loop).

 

Buy the Monte's mod!

[elxchino]

+1 for the monte allums

 

attack at 2 o clock

everything else at 12 o clock

[Ronzo II]

+2 for the Monte Allums Opto Mod.