new pedal compressor emphasis control

[jb70]

i was just checking out the new emphasis control on the pedal compressor but wasn't sure what it does exactly. can someone explain it in layman's terms?

 

[Tremonti]

It emphasis's your control.......

 

[jb70]

next....

 

[barhrecords]

Since there isn't a separate side chain input, the pre-emphasis does a high freq boost with an equal high freq cut at the compressor output.

This affects the compression by changing what the detector sees.

Richard

 

[jb70]

Since there isn't a separate side chain input, the pre-emphasis does a high freq boost with an equal high freq cut at the compressor output.

This affects the compression by changing what the detector sees.

Richard

right. i understand that much but how does that affect the overall guitar tone?

 

[merlin17]

Lower notes won't squash the compressor too much (in relation to higher notes). As lower notes normally have more level than higher notes this can result in unpleasant results (low notes squashed, high notes unaffected) when not accounted for in the compressor's sidechain.

 

[javajunkie]

right. i understand that much but how does that affect the overall guitar tone?

High frequencies generally have less energy than the bass, the emphasis allow you to even things out so the the high become as likely or more likely to trigger the threshold as the bass frequencies. The high notes can get squishier with out clobbering the bass notes.

 

[jb70]

aha! thanks peter and sean. that makes sense. so i'm guessing you would set the emphasis control pretty high for those 80's style funk/r&b clean rhythm parts

 

[chris]

not necessarily. those parts aren't using much of the low notes on a guitar, so the compressor, if set specifically for that high funk chording, wouldn't have to shun the low end or "emphasize" the high end.

i would think the emphasis setting is mostly for full chords, clean passages and helping to even out single note lines that run from low notes to high.

but if turning up emphasis helps with the funk stuff too then YEAH!

 

[barhrecords]

I need to experiment with how it is implemented in the AxeFx.

I imagine if you crank the emphasis you can get the compressor to kick in on higher frequencies with lower thresholds. IOW, you can set the amount of compression overall lower but still get the high notes to squash.

From the old Ross pedals, the emphasis / de-emphasis also affects the note attacks too. Gives a distinct roundness to them that a lot of folks find desirable.

Richard

 

[yek]

I think this parameter has been introduced as the result of a recent thread where Radley asked for it.
It only has a very subtle impact in my experience so far.

 

[javajunkie]

I need to experiment with how it is implemented in the AxeFx.

I imagine if you crank the emphasis you can get the compressor to kick in on higher frequencies with lower thresholds. IOW, you can set the amount of compression overall lower but still get the high notes to squash.

From the old Ross pedals, the emphasis / de-emphasis also affects the note attacks too. Gives a distinct roundness to them that a lot of folks find desirable.

Richard

Yes a distinct roundness is a good description.

 

[Radley]

I think this parameter has been introduced as the result of a recent thread where Radley asked for it.
It only has a very subtle impact in my experience so far.

Yes, the difference is more subtle than I expected as well. Cliff: Is it possible to make the emphasis control have a stronger effect without darkening the tone? Thanks again for this cool update!

 

[guitarnerdswe]

I recently tried this. The weird thing is, it seems to work in reverse. Higher settings make it compress the bright stuff less, and the bass more. I thought it was going to be the other way around?