Anyone using Speaker Compression?

I remember watching one of Leon's videos a while back where he suggested setting the Speaker compression to around 3. Since I learned so much of my Axe Fx tweaking from Leon's videos, I played around with it. 3 was too much for me most of the time and I ended up leaving most patches set at 1. I did find a couple set at 3 and setting those back to zero really tightened them up. My main patch is a Trainwreck Express tweaked to have a Plexi power section and that sounds best to me set at 1.
 
I would be careful reducing speaker compression from 3 to 0 and concluding quickly, it sounds better. There will definitely be an increase in level, and that alone will sound better to most ears. Best thing is to make parallel channels, make sure to level match them and then switch between them.
 
I use it a lot, though typically with my HV tube preamps, so I'm using it when the Axe's amp block is acting as a tube power amp sim (typically between 0 - 2).

Default at whatever is needed is fine as I can adjust it etc, though please don't remove or hide it!
 
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Still use it all the time
As low as 1 with non-MV amps, but almost always with "speaker compliance" 85 to 95%
With a lot of the MV amps like Mesa Mark (especially the USA Pre / Triaxis) I use low master volume (2 to 3)
Speaker compliance 95% or so, and speaker compression up to 3 or 4 - then play with the timing on the speaker page to tame the palm mutes
Feels a lot more like my Mark V through an old speaker cabinet
 
But is it a simple taste preference or there is a physical reason/trick/ motus operandi to set the speaker compression to a specific value?
 
Fab8040 said:
But is it a simple taste preference or there is a physical reason/trick/ motus operandi to set the speaker compression to a specific value?
Click to expand...
It is definitely taste, but my recommendation is to play a variety of things: leads, chords, palm mutes, hard, soft, fast, slow… You will find the speaker compression affects them all differently. Ultimately, you are dialing in feel and dynamics.
 
Fab8040 said:
But is it a simple taste preference or there is a physical reason/trick/ motus operandi to set the speaker compression to a specific value?
Click to expand...

For what it's worth, I've used it several times just to tame the highs in a different way. For a more helpful answer, I think only Cliff may be able to help with that. I just know I love it!
 
I'll use it occasionally when using two different amps with different headroom characteristics. It's my "last resort" to even out volumes between the two amps when gain staging different drives.
 
I find if I want a little compression in the amp for feel/tone the Cathode Follower works better for me. I always turn Speaker Compression to 0.00 but I really should spend more time with it and it's associated parameters.
 
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