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Re: where to compress?




> Placement-wise, my compressor is the first device in
> the analog effects chain. 

i tried that.  i'm using an EBS multicomp stomp box
for my bass.  i've found that in the beginning of my
chain, it defeats the purpose of dynamic based effects
like envelope generators and filters.  i've been
playing around with it after those effects and it
seems pretty good...because it brings out those
effects and it limits the extreme sounds created by
some of my filter devices (i'm a big fan of sweeping
the cutoff frequency and turning the resonance up to
11, which can blow most any speaker).

> Compression after noisy devices (like my
> beloved horrible Danelectro wah) amplifies the noise

> to unacceptable levels. 

people really use those dan electro pedals?  i always
looked at them as the pedals for a beginner player
since you can get a whole set of them for about $100. 
but then again, there are certain pedals that give
sounds that nothing else comes close to and they can
be cheapies too!  i'd part ways with your noisy dan
electro wah...vox and dunlop make fantastic wah pedals
and i've even had great success using morley (which
seems to be on the not so hot list as far as quality
gear goes).  wah pedals are under $100 these days and
when movie prices are crackin $10 (i live in
manhattan), there is little debate as to where the
money should go.

> Besides, the Oxygen includes a noise gate that works

> quite well if i keep the initial noise levels 
> reasonable.  I'm also finding neat effects using 
> the compressor and its gate along with distortion,
> and very light tapping - it makes little explosive 
> noises that just disappear afterward.  It'll take 
> some time to learn to control this, tho.

i bet that sounds interesting.  i've always been a fan
of working with what you have to find out how it can
be incorporated and it seems like you've found that.

> The main motivation for getting a compressor was to
> even out my fingerpicking tone - bare fingers plus 
> overdrive equals uneven tone.  It matters for 
> looping only because it makes my tone better in 
> general.  Its other uses, like explosive tapping, 
> are more a matter of how i abuse effects for my own 
> nefarious ends than how a more normal musician would

> do things.

compression is great because it brings out the quieter
notes and limits the louder smashed notes.  and with
filter effects, you can get extreme volume jumps which
suck in a loop.

> In short, put the compressor first.

i disagree.  but i think it depends on your setup. 
i'd say put the compressor wherever you want your tone
evened out...could be good in the middle or at the
end, or even in the beginning, but i think it is more
dependant on what you are using.  compressing before
an envelope filter defeats its purpose completely.

peace and bass, evan

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