Looking For Compression Advice

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MrStitch

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I got a live show coming up, and just picked up a used compressor for $50 that I'd like to try out. It says it's a DOD Compressor/Limiter R-825. Has De-Ess Level and De-Ess Output and De-Ess Button (on/off i assume), Side chain button (don't have a clue what thats about), Ratio, Attack, Release, Output and Input Level knobs, and an IN/OUT button (don't know what that is either)

I can either run the compressor as part of my rack for my guitar amp, OR I suppose I could hook it up to the PA. I'm thinking about hooking it up to the PA, because I've also got an effects processor, which could add some nice reverb/chorus to an otherwise dry and tasteless vocal sound, and adjust the mix of the effects to the appropriate vocal and guitar channels.

However, my guitar sound is priority here, so if I'm better off hooking it up in my rack, then I'll just do that instead.

Thoughts? (will be many more questions about this unit later)

Thanks ahead of time for your input! ;)
 
Update:

I was doing some reading on compression, and I'm pretty sure I understand it all... loosely. However, every article I read talks about the 'Threshold' setting.

Well, this particular compressor actually doesn't have a knob for that. It just has a 'Thresh' meter with a little red light. Then to the right of that there are some other ones labeled appropriately for 'Gain reduction'.

I'd really like to hook this up to the PA, along side my effects processor. But if this is going to throw far too many wrenches into the mix (i'm a noob, come on...), then maybe I should just use this on my amp, including the effects processor.

ARG... I wish my rack was right here with me so I could just sit here playing around with crap until I find something that works... you know... BEFORE the darn show.
 
MrStitch said:
ARG... I wish my rack was right here with me so I could just sit here playing around with crap until I find something that works... you know... BEFORE the darn show.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I never try out a new piece of gear in a show without having fully tested it and learned it beforehand. I don't know about you, but I really don't like getting egg on my face in front of an audience (not to mention the other musicians).

If you really must try it out during the show, use it in the place where it is least possible to cause problems, and where you can most easily disconnect it if need be. So give it a try if you must, but make sure you can patch around it easily with one or two cable changes.
 
Ok, let's see.... You don't have a working knowledge of compression techniques AND you don't have any experience with this compressor, and you want to put it on the PA for a live show? My advice to you is not only no, but HELL NO. If you don't know what an In/Out switch does (hint...it doesn't refer to belly buttons :D) then you're asking for trouble for no reason. Save it for after you've had time to learn it. If you really have to have it there for the cool factor, put the In/Out switch in the Out position. ;)
 
MrStitch said:
Thoughts? (will be many more questions about this unit later) ;)
Click to expand...
It would seem you have a 'new thing' (possibly of dubious quality) looking for a problem to solve, or need to fill (sort of backwards reasoning), that you're not up to speed on.
Hmm. I'm thinking;

Keep it the hell away from the PA.
:rolleyes: :D
 
Thanks for the replies.... even if I do look like an idiot.

Actually, I've used this unit before, quite a while ago on my guitar rig. It helped a TON against the clean channel, so that the notes wouldn't be all twang twang BWOANANGNGGNANANANANN twang twang.... know what I mean?

The In/Out. On this particular unit, I believe it's used to hear/see (on the meter) whats coming in, if it were on the 'in' position. Am I wrong? Trouble is, it doesn't tell you which is which. So I assume that if I leave the button sticking out, then it's set on 'out'. Of course, if I hear thing, it shouldn't take no more than 10 seconds to figure that out.

If I hook it up to the PA, I already know where I want to set everything... believe it or not. I just wanted to add maybe a 2 to 6 compression ratio, attack set roughly around 15-25ms, and a release time of roughly 400ms. Do those sound like really dumb settings?

My biggest trouble is - how to add the effects unit so that people (of my choosing) can have reverb/chorus. I've read some stuff on setting a unit up as a 'pre' on a mixer, but the articles were 'muddy' at best.

I 'think' (and don't quote me on this) that I have two auxiliaries on the mixer, and one might actually have this little button by an auxiliary level knob, labeled 'pre'. But I won't know this until this weekend when I see it again.

All together, I'm definitely NOT trying to make the best sounding rack on the block, at the very last second.... I just want that little extra 'something'. Anything is better than a dry ass mic, and dry solid state amp.
 
MrStitch said:
My biggest trouble is - how to add the effects unit so that people (of my choosing) can have reverb/chorus.
Click to expand...
Use an aux send and return on the desk... then adjust the amount of effect on the individual channel strips...
 
I have alway found that by adjusting the size and placement of a paperclip on the guitar cord works well.:D Just move it up the cord towards the guitar for a faster attack.;) You can alway slide the clip farther onto the cord for more compression too. :confused:
 
Well, I had an opportunity to give it a shot on Saturday night, but it was a total failure. Now I remember why I didn't use this for vocals a long time ago, and I think it has something to do with proper set up.

When I use it on my guitar amp, I see the lights flashing up the scale to tell me how much volume reduction is occurring. But when I hook it up to the mixer (as auxillary), I can't get the mics to register any signal at all on there.

Sound comes out just like it's suppose to, but it's almost like the compressor isn't getting enough signal to do anything about it. I adjusted the inputs all over the place, and still nothing.

Looking back, I can't remember if I turned the gain knob on the channel.... hmm...

So... Is there a difference in signal type or strength between a mic and line-out from an amp? Somewhere I've heard people talking about getting things to 'line level'... is that my problem?

Any resources you guys willing to pass along?
 
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