compressor praise

DonPetersen

Fractal Fanatic
as I said before, I really like the compressor of the Axe - and here one exsample why that is:

I have this nicely messed up Tonebender/No Amp/Ringmod patch that does a lot of the things I've been trying to get out of 'normal' fuzz pedals (without success, btw.). It has a certain synthetic, chewy attack that was just perfect, but sometimes the attack clipped the output. :(

I didn't want to mess with the ratio, threshold or attack parameters, since I had the response I wanted, well except the clipping obviously.

Lookahead to the rescue.
What a glorious parameter!
First I turned it up all the way (the attack was quite slow so I figured I need A LOT of lookahead). The clipping was gone, and so was a good portion of my attack - powerful stuff.
At 12 o'clock it was still taking away too much of the transient, but in a very controlled and pleasant way.
I turned it all the way down (the clipping came back) and increased the lookahead very slowly.
At 0.055ms I found the sweet spot for this sound!
Yay!
 
Hmmmm....I will try this tonight. I typically run my "pedal" comp 1st with the attack around 9:00...look ahead at default.
I would like to run this past you since you also use the comp too.
For 8 years playing through various PODS, I've always placed my MXR Dyna-comp 1st in the chain without fail. Leave my vol. pot wide open on my strat, and control my POD "output" through a modified Morley pedal. Purpose? To have a uniform thickness and level hitting the pod. I have recently tried no comp in the Axe, and trying to control volume with the guitar pot. My levels are all over the frickin' place, and the sustain ain't happening..(using IEM"s..no live cabs)
I have added a pair of sweep analog VU's across my output (DC isolated of course) as to "see" my levels to the console.
The Axe is super sensitive to pickin style. I can see it on the VU's!..wow. Here's the crux: I just can't get used to it, or control the beast. I have found bliss by placing my comp block 1st again, pushing the input to the amp block with it (2~4dB)
A tape drive after that to smooth and tone shape the highs and mids..and WALA!
The good side is...my levels are more manageable for all concerned. We all use IEM's..so this was a must. Sure, I don't have near the dynamics, but it feels right, familiar. Do you any of you guys resonate with this, or am I just a lazy frickin' picker?
 
Hmmmm....I will try this tonight. I typically run my "pedal" comp 1st with the attack around 9:00...look ahead at default.
I would like to run this past you since you also use the comp too.
For 8 years playing through various PODS, I've always placed my MXR Dyna-comp 1st in the chain without fail. Leave my vol. pot wide open on my strat, and control my POD "output" through a modified Morley pedal. Purpose? To have a uniform thickness and level hitting the pod. I have recently tried no comp in the Axe, and trying to control volume with the guitar pot. My levels are all over the frickin' place, and the sustain ain't happening..(using IEM"s..no live cabs)
I have added a pair of sweep analog VU's across my output (DC isolated of course) as to "see" my levels to the console.
The Axe is super sensitive to pickin style. I can see it on the VU's!..wow. Here's the crux: I just can't get used to it, or control the beast. I have found bliss by placing my comp block 1st again, pushing the input to the amp block with it (2~4dB)
A tape drive after that to smooth and tone shape the highs and mids..and WALA!
The good side is...my levels are more manageable for all concerned. We all use IEM's..so this was a must. Sure, I don't have near the dynamics, but it feels right, familiar. Do you any of you guys resonate with this, or am I just a lazy frickin' picker?

I hear you. I use IEMs. i too, used to be a comp junkie. but Ive weaned off of it. But to answer your question.... i resonate.

I just use more gain than i normally used to and I get the dynamics AND plenty of ring. The comp, for me... is my singlecoil fixer. keeps that splatter down. unless I'm playing my Gretsch-o-caster... not needed! .lol. unless im going for Andy Summers.
 
Went back to comps last night...over all is better, but I am losing "emphasis" when needed. Even switching to my bridge humbucker. I will try to wean off the milk too! =)
 
Back
Top Bottom