Compressor not as good as it could be

I have no doubt the compressors in the Fractal gear CAN do what's needed and folks here could help. But...............................Story repeats 1,000 times and continues.
So, to repeat... ;) That was thought before, yet the last several (algorithm) improvements are just about a year old, IIRC.
-
And to be clear...
  • I am not complaining about anything
  • I am not requesting anything
I was mostly wondering and suggesting if an analog compressor could still be superior. I trust Cliff thinks digital can do it, which counts as 50% of all experts to me. I'd love to hear other experts to tip the scale.
 
Last edited:
So, to repeat... ;) That was thought before, yet the last several (algorithm) improvements are just about a year old, IIRC.
Brewce, I stand by what I said. Been here since the beginning.
So, to repeat... ;) That was thought before, yet the last several (algorithm) improvements are just about a year old, IIRC.
Uh, my post was actually directed at the op I should have specified.
 
Brewce, I stand by what I said. Been here since the beginning.
I've been here since the very first forum too — I've just been away a few years (not to another modeler) and noticed there was a compressor update around October 2021.
I'm not sure what is repeating for you. What repeats for me is that stuff is claimed to be "there," yet still gets improved for some reason ;) Then, when that person has his thing, he will claim everything is totally there, but another person may not find his thing yet.
 
I was in the very first forum too — I've just been away a few years and noticed there was a compressor update around October 2021.
I'm not sure what is repeating for you. What repeats for me is that stuff is claimed to "there," yet still gets improved for some reason ;) Then, when that person has his thing, he will claim everything is totally there, but another person may not find his thing yet.
What I meant by "repeating is, someone insists the device cannot get this sound or do this or do that. Like I said, either you get a quick answer, you're right it cannot do that or you get help from MANY knowledgeable folks.
BTW, Are you grading my posts? Will I graduate? :cool:
 
These requests, without clips and a willingness to work on things, fall into the mostly useless category I'm afraid.
... which is part of why I am not complaining or requesting anything.
I also makes me sense an unwillingness to understand it's not just about sound (see the example about ratio), but under which circumstances you get that sound (for example).
You might be an example of the guy that now has his thing and will claim everything is now there — which I don't dispute for now.
 
... which is part of why I am not complaining or requesting anything.
I also makes me sense an unwillingness to understand it's not just about sound (see the example about ratio), but under which circumstances you get that sound (for example).
You might be an example of the guy that now has his thing and will claim everything is now there — which I don't dispute for now.
Eh? Settle down, Skippy.

If you can't let us hear the sound you want, there's no way to effect any change to get the sound you want.

I've done this long enough to know it's the rare case the firmware needs to change.
 
How so? I have not graded/Liked your posts ;)
It is you who tried to grade yourself by suggesting you've been here long before me...
Realize that some n00bs may have been here before you.
Excuse me, please show me where I said I was here longer than you. NEVER SAID THAT. Try the truth. Jeeezzzzz!
How does "been here since the beginning" mean I have been here longer than you?
 
Not for me. I had it every time and the difference was way too big to be a day-to-day thing.
I think I only sold it around 2005.
It is probably the most fun sound I've ever had and the main one I'm missing.

Even if an Axe can technically match it, I still suspect it's a (for me) magical combination of all that specific gear.

But hey, in a few weeks I may be back if I finally found it again :) In theory, I should be able to improve on it. Matrix amp instead of 8008, and Axe instead of GSP. Nothing close last time I tried on the Axe II though. I also blame that on not having complete knowledge, and again, on the sum of that specific gear. Sometimes you strike it lucky...

Just an observation, so it's been 17 years since you heard this sound you're after.
If that's the case then there's every chance it's what you think it was rather than what it actually was having some impact here. I've gone back to stuff I hadn't heard, or watched when we consider TV and film too, and it's not at all what I remembered.
There's every chance you're remembering it correctly, but equally you memories are tainted by time
 
one challenge I've run into is that Axefx provides kindv an open palette in many areas - I have all possible parameters for an effect at my fingertips, but, if I'm after a specific sound from a real world pedal with only a couple of knobs on it, the tweaking can get challenging as that pedal has a lot of its sound dialed into it internally with that info not exposed / available to the user. The target sound can be dialed into Axfx with the tools at hand, but reverse engineering the target sound back to it's core parameters can require some knowhow, in addition to proficiency for dialing in Axfx parms.
 
Also, if you heard the tape and I would tell you I had those gorgeous slaps by even just slightly pulling strings, you might suggest, "Put ratio to 8:1", and I'd have to say, "No, I'm getting this at 2.7:1 — the difference shouldn't be that much. I don't want an 8:1 feel." IOW, that may be a clue where a lack or a difference may still lie — you can't judge it just on sound.
It seems you're a bit stuck on the ratio rather than accepting the possibility that a "higher" ratio could provide similar results using one of the FAS models. 8:1 may be too high, but then again it might give you what you're looking for. At least be open to the possibility that another ratio that's a higher than your memories ideal can work just as well in conjunction with the other parameters.
 
Here is one of my main patches. I use this with a Strat and Tele mainly. Cab is from Ownhammer but use whatever suits you.

View attachment 110588
View attachment 110589

Edit: In this setup Out 2 goes to an amp fx loop in/return (Cat 100) and Out 1 to FOH.

How hot is your input signal? It looks like you're compressing from -60dB, which I suspect is much lower than most of your pedals. IIRC the Keeley Comp Plus doesn't have an adjustable threshold, but the other Keely's comps I believe have a lowest setting of -50dB. In any event, if you haven't already, consider raising the threshold so that there is an appreciable portion of the signal that doesn't get compressed, so that the peaks are more noticeably compressed, possibly increasing the ratio and our mix to compensate. FWIW, I just checked some of my compression settings in the FM3, and none are near that low (-30 something is the lowest I could find in a sampling of my presets, and that's with relatively low output pickups ...).

Also, have you tried using the side-chain? I don't know what your tone sounds like, but it could be that lower frequencies are triggering the compression in a way that is not working for the high frequencies, so by removing the lows in the side-chain you may be able to get closer to a classic guitar tone that is responding to the transients/pick attack.
 
The compressors are great. If you are typically using pedal compressors like the Keeley then you want to be using the "Dynamicomp" type. The other types are studio compressors and won't sound/feel like what you are used to.

Yup. The Dynacomp type is my perfect, simple compression solution.
 
Back
Top Bottom