Compressor Questions

[DrNick]

The new optical compressor has reminded me to post a couple questions that have been kicking around in my head. The first is whether there are any standard practices about when or why one would use one type over another. Here, by "type" I mean pedal vs. optical, etc. in the CMP block, but also when/why one would one of these over the compressor in the AMP block.

I know there are no rules, do what sounds good, etc. I also suspect that folks with much more experience than me have intuition and rules of thumb borne out of experience.

My second question, which is really idle curiosity, is what the various types in the CMP block are based on.

 

[Corinthian]

Generally speaking you'd put a pedal compressor in front of the amp to even out dynamics and increase sustain, and you'd use a studio/optical comp after the cab (via the mixing console in the real world) for a fatter, more polished sound and/or to limit peaks.

In the real world a pedal compressor probably isn't high enough quality (sound, signal to noise) to use in the desk, and a guitar signal may be too weak for a studio compressor for it to be used before the amp but of course in the Axe-FX those aren't a concern so, as you say, do what sounds good.

Personally I don't use much compression up front but I like a studio compressor after the cab but before any delay/reverb. I set the ratio pretty high but the mix somewhere around 50%. It's doing the same thing as a well used studio technique known as parallel compression - you take a copy of the signal and compress it pretty hard and then combine it with the original, uncompressed signal. What it does it gives you the fullness of heavy compression but maintains a lot of the dynamics. It can sound a little "over produced" but sometimes it's nice to have that studio sound when you're playing live.

 

[Stratoblaster]

I played with the new compressors a fair bit tonight and I liked how the Optical 1 (FastRMS, 100% mix, tweaked threshhold, etc.) before the amp block affected an amp on the edge of breakup. It really rounded it off nicely and fattened it up quite a bit; high single notes were full with great sustain, and added a refined, full bodied tone to rhythms and chords. It drives the amp differently and brings it under control, so to speak, which adds a fantastic feel and fat sound. Am going to fiddle more with the mix and a few other things, but definitely like the new blocks already.

I X/Y'd it with my dialed in Studio Compressor and liked the Optical 1 better in this case, for sure. Am really going to experiment with the both of them; I want to explore parallel compression mixing a lot more for these new additions, particularly when the comp block comes after the amp.

 

[unix-guy]

I played with the new compressors a fair bit tonight and I liked how the Optical 1 (FastRMS, 100% mix, tweaked threshhold, etc.) before the amp block affected an amp on the edge of breakup. It really rounded it off nicely and fattened it up quite a bit; high single notes were full with great sustain, and added a refined, full bodied tone to rhythms and chords. It drives the amp differently and brings it under control, so to speak, which adds a fantastic feel and fat sound. Am going to fiddle more with the mix and a few other things, but definitely like the new blocks already.

I X/Y'd it with my dialed in Studio Compressor and liked the Optical 1 better in this case, for sure. Am really going to experiment with the both of them; I want to explore parallel compression mixing a lot more for these new additions, particularly when the comp block comes after the amp.

I normally use the Studio Compressor at the front of my chain, too. I spent a bit of time trying the Opto1 in comparison and wasn't noticing a tremendous difference. I need more time to compare.

I did lower the Compression to 2 and set the Level at 1dB to makeup the gain.