Advice On Compressors

  • Thread starter Thread starter Milnoque
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Milnoque

Milnoque

Resident Curmudgeon
My setup is either an ASAT Junior or a Heritage H-555 through an Ampeg M-15. I've always liked it better when it was just the guitar and amp with nothing in between, but lately I've been playing some things that might sound better with some added compression. I don't want to get all Santana or anything, just take some edge off the attack.

Who's compressor do you like? I don't care about alot of features. I'm thinking I only want to dial in a little bit. Got any suggestions?
 
The Keeley is about the best damn stomp-box unit out there, period. Got $200?

Poor mans Keeley = MXR Dynacomp.

Liquid Audio Route 66 is not bad, but a lot of guys run a mod on it, and if it has to be modded, it ain't right to begin with.
 
My dad has one of the original script-logo Dyna-Comps that he's sworn by for probably almost 30 years now, he also had this weird grey one, I think maybe by Conn, anyhow he said it never worked, I thought it worked fine when I'd play around with it back in highschool. I think he sold it to some guy who was pretty enthused about it for $150 or $200.

I like the DOD FX84 Milk Box, I've had it for probably 6 years now. It's not really the most transparent-sounding, at least not the way I use it. But it's pretty warm and really punchy, I like it for funk chord-stabs with a Small Stone, sounds thick.

I also recently got the Line 6 ToneCore compression module, the Constricter I think. I haven't played aound with it too much, but like most of Line 6's stuff, it can do a variety of sounds fairly acceptably.

I got a DBX 166XL rackmount compressor, which does what it's supposed to do. You're probably looking more at stomp boxes though.
 
I'll bet that "Conn" was a Ross compressor. Grey box, getting pretty scarce these days, and going for big $. There's a lotta people building Ross clones out there, and I think the Keeley began as a Ross clone.
 
Ross, bingo, that's it. Thanks, I was brainfarting. I knew it was consonant-"O"-double consonant.
 
I think the Indyguitarist modded Boss C3 is one of the best. It's not an arm and a leg either.
 
When I searched for one, (ordered, waiting) all reviews pointed me to EH Blackfinger. Basically it's a tube preamp with compressor circuit with a led and a lamp. Under 200...

But I read those reviews as a bassist. :D
I've got the prob that notes played on B string are overwhelmingly loud compared to other notes, and someone with excact same prob rated it high..

Haven't tried yet though... :o
 
I've lusted over the EH BlackFinger for so long now. it's certainly going to be my next stomp box. I just don't know if it can deliver the same huge sustain that my Boss CS3 does.

The CS3 certainly isn't the most transparent compressor around but I absolutely love mine. It's an integral part of my solo tone. I use it kind of like an overdrive...to keep my input signal in my tube amp's sweet spot. Works great for that, and with the sustain cranked it can do just that: sustain nearly indefinitely until you start to feed back.
 
Tadpui said:
I've lusted over the EH BlackFinger for so long now. it's certainly going to be my next stomp box. I just don't know if it can deliver the same huge sustain that my Boss CS3 does.

The CS3 certainly isn't the most transparent compressor around but I absolutely love mine. It's an integral part of my solo tone. I use it kind of like an overdrive...to keep my input signal in my tube amp's sweet spot. Works great for that, and with the sustain cranked it can do just that: sustain nearly indefinitely until you start to feed back.
Click to expand...

I've got a Blackfinger. At first I didn't think it was working because it doesn't make the sound all squashed sounding like the battery operated ones I have do. It's very quiet and smooth.
 
I really appreciate the input. The Keely unit seems to be exactly what I had in mind. I love the sound of my amp with either guitar. I just want that sound with a slightly softer attack and a little more sustain for something I'm working on.

Man $200 is a bunch of guitar money for a guy like me who's not really into stomp boxes. Is it really that much better for the effect I'm describing?
 
I really appreciate the input. The Keely unit seems to be exactly what I had in mind. I love the sound of my amp with either guitar. I just want that sound with a slightly softer attack and a little more sustain for something I'm working on.

Man $200 is a bunch of guitar money for a guy like me who's not really into stomp boxes. Is it really that much better for the effect I'm describing? If it really is it would be worth it to me.
 
Walk in to any chain guitar store and ask to try out a Dynacomp. If you like it, you can walk out about $70 lighter and $130 happier!!!
 
....And while you're at it....

Try out every compressor in there, who knows??.. the one you really like and which supports your sound and feels the easiest to tweak, might be one of the cheapest. It's your compression. :cool:
 
Jouni said:
....And while you're at it....

Try out every compressor in there, who knows??.. the one you really like and which supports your sound and feels the easiest to tweak, might be one of the cheapest. It's your compression. :cool:
Click to expand...

And everyone knows you don't get a second chance to make a good first compression... <duck and cover>
 
Carl Martin makes a wonderful stomp compressor. Sounds comparable to some of my rack stuff
 
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