Compression for guitars/bass

[Roger7]

Hello, I have a few questions about recording distorted guitar and bass with compression - mainly...how much do I use? I want to control the peaks on both and smooth out the sound, avoid dips or spikes in the sound level of the input, etc. Are there standards when it comes to compression for recording these instruments? I'll be using a plug-in compressor through Reaper, btw. Thanks!

 

[RAMI]

Are there standards when it comes to compression for recording these instruments?

Not only are there no standards, it's questionable that you should even be recording with compression, as opposed to recording dry. Distorted guitars, especially, rarely need compression.

 

[Kingofpain678]

mainly...how much do I use?

No one in the world can give you a specific answer to that question.
Just use as much as you think any given sound needs if any at all.
And rami is right, usually distorted guitars don't need too much compression because distortion is basically just that - compression.

 

[Disease8]

yeah its just about fiddling but try it on mid setting on all the pots usually a good starting point to see how much it changes.

 

[Seafroggys]

I never compress distorted guitars, especially a lead guitar. Distortion creates natural compression. Now I have used compression on occasional rhythm guitars to actually change the shape of the sound, to get rid of the attack out of the strumming and have it more solid sound, like a keyboard.