e[ast]bay score, but what do I do with a compressor pedal?

[Gone Fission]

I almost accidentally scored an Ibanez pedal (which is essentially a Dynacomp clone) for under $8 shipped. What do I do with the thing now? I've never really used compressors before in a guitar rig. Rules of thumb? Good suggestions for breaking thumbs?

[dubkitty]

the typical thing to do with a compressor is to run it after one's dirtz array to get that squashed Robert Fripp kind of Sustain That Never Dies, or to place it at the start of the chain as a peak limiter. compression after modulation and/or reverb makes for some interesting Kevin Shields kind of tone coloration. for breaking thumbs i recommend driving a dirt bike into a two-foot-high wall of concrete blocks at 40 mph.

[Gone Fission]

the typical thing to do with a compressor is to run it after one's dirtz array to get that squashed Robert Fripp kind of Sustain That Never Dies, or to place it at the start of the chain as a peak limiter. compression after modulation and/or reverb makes for some interesting Kevin Shields kind of tone coloration.

Okay, both the Fripp and the Shields mentions got my attention. Will give those a go.

for breaking thumbs i recommend driving a dirt bike into a two-foot-high wall of concrete blocks at 40 mph.

Awesome crunch tone, dude!

[jrmy]

for breaking thumbs i recommend driving a dirt bike into a two-foot-high wall of concrete blocks at 40 mph.

If you don't have a dirt bike, you might want to use something with a simpler interface, like, say, a hammer. The only problem is that once you've broken one thumb, you'll probably have to get a friend to break your other thumb for you.

[bpamier]

i think one of the best ways to hear the actual difference between a compressed/non-compressed clean signal is to simply hit a big chord with the pedal off. notice how your bass notes are louder than your higher notes. turn on the compressor and give it some - remember more compression, more volume. now listen, and you'll find things are a lot more "evened-out". your low notes will basically be at the same level as the higher ones. playing like this actually becomes quite addictive.

use headphones for your first experiments. you'll get some cool results.

[Gone Fission]

Got it in today. It doesn't magically make my life complete, but . . .

the typical thing to do with a compressor is to run it after one's dirtz array to get that squashed Robert Fripp kind of Sustain That Never Dies,

Holy Schnikes, that works in spades! Just a Rat into this and who needs an E-Bow? I'll have to keep experimenting post-modulation, though, as I haven't quite found the magic yet. I'm going to have to see what dirt likes it in front, too.

[dubkitty]

you might try a rather warbly phase/flange--the sort of thing that makes you feel mildly seasick--followed by severe compression. add some chop tremolo before or after the flange: instant sequenced synthesizer!

[hbombgraphics]

Dude,
Is it a square button?

I have an ibanez comp, you can get crazy snappy clean sounds and I love running it into delay it improves the way the repeats happen, I run before my overdrives but after germ fuzzes and it is worth trying all over the place on your board.

[kosta]

These tips are all very helpful. I'm a compressor newb too. Need to get in the game with some of these set-ups. Some great suggestions here. Thanks everyone!

[dubkitty]

yeah, they're great to run clean for that happy-snappy Bakersfield Telecaster sound. yee-haw!

[Gone Fission]

Dude,
Is it a square button?

Nah, mine's the plastic pill bug. Soundtank CP-5. CP-5, CP-10, CP-9, all roughly the same. FET-buffered Dynacomps with different VCA chips. I think at least most if not all of the Boss CS series are of the same essential topology.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

I almost accidentally scored an Ibanez pedal (which is essentially a Dynacomp clone) for under $8 shipped. What do I do with the thing now? I've never really used compressors before in a guitar rig. Rules of thumb? Good suggestions for breaking thumbs?

cheap compressor pedals also make good improvised throwing weapons. That's good to remember the next time when the soundguy disapproves Your volume ups and downs in the sound check.




















...seriously, hope it works perfectly and does the trick or You

[hbombgraphics]

Dude,
Is it a square button?

Nah, mine's the plastic pill bug. Soundtank CP-5. CP-5, CP-10, CP-9, all roughly the same. FET-buffered Dynacomps with different VCA chips. I think at least most if not all of the Boss CS series are of the same essential topology.

Sound tanks are awesome, super ugly, I have been looking for the 80's style distortion one at a good price forever, is it a power lead?