Someone explain Compressors to me - I just don't get it

[JezMusic]

Whenever I've tried compressors in my board (and I confess I've only had cheap ones like Boss), it just seems to narrow the sound and take the dynamic out.

 

And when i've heard people I know and love using them live at gigs (even really expensive compressors), it's again sucked the sound, taken away the punch and clarity.

 

So what's the big deal with compressors?? What am I missing?

 

Jez

[bieke]

compressors are not for everyone
I like 'em because they can make my Tele twang or make my Rickenbacker jangle
I like to use a compressor to stay in control of lead tones, to add sustain, to squish volume jumps

[KarateSchnitzel]

it DOES take the dynamic out...that's the point....

 

However in a band context this can sometimes be good as it means you have a more consistant level.... and thus things don't get lost...

 

but i agree with you...they don't do it for me...

[TeleMan1985]

I love the the sustain and control it can give me for lead tones. I must admit though, that it does seem to suck some life away if I'm doing something like heavy riffing...

[english_bob]

They do exactly what you hear them doing. Because they reduce the difference in volume between the attack and decay of notes, you interpret what you hear as a lack of punch because the attack, when you first hit the string SHOULD be naturally louder.

Compressors are cool for certain sounds- they're popular for country, and they sound great for those jangly rhythm sounds like you hear in lots of sixties pop records, but they aren't really any good for some other styles. They only really give their best when you manage to get the balance right between having too much "squish" and not enough.

As a studio effect, they're invaluable, because they make for a more even, professional sound, as opposed to the kind of volume changes you'd get otherwise, for instance from a singer who didn't know to back off from the microphone when singing louder notes.

If you look at the sort of guitar players who are famous for using compressors, you'll probably get an idea of whether or not you'd actually want to put the effort into learning to use one. Off the top of my head, I can only think of Mark Knopfler and Andy Summers- players who play clean, generally. Distortion compresses your sound as a by-product of the extra gain, so high gain AND compression can be overkill.

[TIKILOCKEDOUT]

I think comps play a better role in certain styles of music rather than ALL styles ... fer instance - Funk ... a funk riff with compression can really put some extra stank on the riff by squashing everything within a narrow ceiling/floor ... this adds some quack and almost gives a cocked wah type sound in some cases. In country music a compressor is also excellent to enhance that chicken pickin style of playing - adds some pop and spank to notes that would otherwise have too much high end without the compressor. And finally in either some clean guitar parts to give consistent volume and last but not least .... lead guitar - compression AND sustain!

 

It's down to personal usage and what you personally like to hear ... me, I like to let my Dirt pedals and amp do the compressing rather than a Comp pedal but again the type of music I play and write doesn't really call for a comp.

[alteredsounds]

I'd agree with all the above, i've never really understood guitarists with loads of dirt using a compressor, to me all i see got from that is extra noise.

[JezMusic]

Thanks guys, I guess that explains it then - I always like a guitar to sound percussive, almost like an acoustic guitar with heavy strings - I know you lose some of that as soon as you put wobbly electric guitar strings on and put it through a mid-based guitar amplifier and add some dirt - but where possible I want to hear "BRRRRAAAAANNNNGGGG" with lots of definition.

Jez

[TIKILOCKEDOUT]

Thanks guys, I guess that explains it then - I always like a guitar to sound percussive, almost like an acoustic guitar with heavy strings - I know you lose some of that as soon as you put wobbly electric guitar strings on and put it through a mid-based guitar amplifier and add some dirt - but where possible I want to hear "BRRRRAAAAANNNNGGGG" with lots of definition. Jez

If you want Brangggg ... use heavier gauge strings for a kick off and perhaps go for a semi hollow body guitar and play with less gain.

[angus_old]

it is pushing your sound together so it all comes out at once. like a laser

[Idlewilde]

I got to the point where I would rather use my neck pick up then a compressor.

[Idlewilde]

I got to the point where I would rather use my neck pick up then a compressor.

[CapnMarvel]

I got to the point where I would rather use my neck pick up then a compressor.

What the hell does this have to do with anything?

Compression is most useful for adding 'pop' to clean tones and making sure lead lines are reasonably well-trimmed when playing intricate, fast stuff or arpeggios. It also increases sustain. It kills dynamics, but that's the point.

[booher]

I mainly use mine with dirt to add sustain. They work great with my RAT. I'm using a CS-2 right now, and I just had Chad Matthews fix my CS-3 so that should be on its way now, too, ready for the opto mod install.

[2manband]

I use a little compression most of the time when I'm playing bass, but not very often for guitar.

Keep in mind that overdrive/distortion adds compression of its own.

[PFDarkside]

Another thing it works great for is any strumming type rhythm work in a band context, acoustic or electric. You don't have to worry about precise individual attack volumes, the whole track just lays in the mix nicer. Also, you should be able to adjust the attack time on a comp to let that percussive hit come through before the compressor latches down.

If you are looking for dynamics and subtle control of a barely distorted amp, a compressor is the opposite of what you are looking for.

[theweight]

I mainly use mine with dirt to add sustain.

 

 

Same here. I have mine in a loop with my ODs. It's only used with dirt, and sometimes I like it with cleans when the trem is on.

[booher]

I use a little compression most of the time when I'm playing bass, but not very often for guitar. Keep in mind that overdrive/distortion adds compression of its own.

 

 

sure, it adds some compression, but often not the right amount.

[lyyky]

Traditional compressors are definitely limited, stylewise.

However! I play through a Barber Tone Press, a "parallel" compressor, which allows you to blend the compressed and uncompressed signals together in any ratio. I keep the compressor halfway up and the blend at 50%. So, imagine my tone as being like 1/4 compressed.

What this creates is a sound with your attack AND dynamics preserved, but sustain increased. It's an incredible product and always on, first in my chain. I'm a good player, but everything I play just sounds BETTER with this on.

[TIKILOCKEDOUT]

Traditional compressors are definitely limited, stylewise. However! I play through a Barber Tone Press , a "parallel" compressor, which allows you to blend the compressed and uncompressed signals together in any ratio. I keep the compressor halfway up and the blend at 50%. So, imagine my tone as being like 1/4 compressed. What this creates is a sound with your attack AND dynamics preserved, but sustain increased. It's an incredible product and always on, first in my chain. I'm a good player, but everything I play just sounds BETTER with this on.

 

 

 

I had a Tone Press for two years ... my fave comp of all time ... but I sold it.

[spentron]

Compressors can make a better clean sound. Through distortion, it seems better to use them to try to get a cleaner sound with the same amount of sustain, e.g. more AC/DC-like. They can boost into high gain also, but with elevated noise and feedback when not playing; this really only works well when using a fuzz with exagerated dynamic characteristics.

 

Boss compressors have caused much confusion. They have an extreme tonal by-product that tends to be more audible than the actual dynamic compression. In some cases they can be made to work but often the subjective result is a *reduction* of sustain. The attack transient is followed by a compression which kills all highs, emphasizing the attack. Only if you hold the note long enough for the gain to come back up is there an increase in sustain.