Compression as an effect??

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Crayon Boy

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I have sometimes heard people refer to compression as an effect as opposed to just being used to shrink dynamic ranger. What sort of effects can be obtained using compression??
 
Pumping and breathing due to attack/release.

Changing the dynamic envelope: enhancing/squashing initial transients, the body, or release, using makeup gain.

Saturation/limiting effects on output.

General squashing, fuzzing/softening/losing highs and lows with high ratios.

Any more?

MP :)
 
Sometimes you can 'create' a front end to a note where there kinda isn't one... suck a note out of one that was kinda choked... flip the envelop around... all kinds of shit that mothernature never intended.

Play with them... it's often fun.
 
...........for example the Alesis 3630, 1 of the noisiest dynamic processors on the market with little or no use for most in the area of limiting and gating(though there are those who have effectively utilized this unit to obtain adquate results), can indeed
be used to produce "wierd" efx, especially on bass.
Though the 3630 introduces unwanted sound artifacts during signal processing that are extremely annoying, incorporating a Hi-thresh and attack with a slow release on bass yields an "ooooomphh"sound similar to that bass effect heard on late 70's group "MANDRILL". In addition, using the unit's gating function,wholly inadequate on snares,etc., again with a hi-thresh
on bass, emits a sort of a "fading whoosh" sound that's used in
techno and house music.
Experimentation is the key when seeking useful "add-ons" to the desired signal.
 
So would using a compresser help a guitarist attain that 'John Petrucci "Pull Me Under" Suction/Sticky' Hi-gain sound? Pehaps even just using a 1:1 ratio?
 
probably one of the most dramatic effects of a compressor is to use it [side]chained with another item ...useful as a De-esser, ducker or whatever..

another "effect" is the sustain you can get on instruments like guitars and such with "squashed" type settings...not to mention making things "punchy"...like bass guitars. Very common uses.

However that said, I think it is USUALLY thought that if a compressor is working and set well, you do NOT hear the unit. In other words, you may hear a "compressed" final version, but couldn't tell there was any compression on it.

The bad artifacts of compressors (pumping, breathing..etc) usually indicate faulty use or just a plain shitty unit like Mr. Q's rack full-o- 3630's!!!:eek: :D

People probably refer to it as an "effect", because in effect!!...they are affecting the signal... and is 'patched in' similar to other "effect" type units in many cases...(BUT certainly not all;) )
 
Nitronium Blood said:
So would using a compresser help a guitarist attain that 'John Petrucci "Pull Me Under" Suction/Sticky' Hi-gain sound? Pehaps even just using a 1:1 ratio?
Click to expand...

If a compressor has a certain sound color than it could add to the effect. There is basically no compression going on but the sound is being affected tonally. One common technique to use a 1:1.1 ratio with deep threshold settings. It can fatten up a vocal or guitar track given the right compressor.
 
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