compressor settings, please need help

[migueledge]

Hey I´m looking for a good setting for compressor, like Boss cs2 o mxr Dynacomp. I play in a u2 cover band and i need a good setting for compression, i play all the time with delay. It must be soft but present.

Could you help me?

 

[iaresee]

I think these are for a very old firmware release but it's a start: http://axefxwiki.guitarlogic.org/index. ... r_settings

 

[Mark Cullen]

Axe-Fx scale
The Axe-fx use from 1-10 rather than ms for the attack and release settings. They are scaled in an inverse log relationship to 1 to 1000ms. This was confusing at first because a setting of 10 indicates a faster attack rate which means 1 millisecond. Same thing with release - just remember they are rates and not times. Faster rates mean lower values.
Axe-Fx Setting : Actual Time (attack or release)
1 : 1000ms
2 : 954ms
3 : 903ms
5 : 778ms
7 : 602ms
8 : 477ms
I tend to stay the 9.X range for most things:
9.0 : 301ms
9.2 : 255ms
9.5 : 176ms
9.7 : 114ms
9.9 : 41ms
9.92 : 33ms
9.95 : 21ms
9.97 : 13ms
9.98 : 9ms
9.99 : 4ms
10.0 : 1ms

I would love to know if these numbers are still accurate at firmware 8.09? Does anyone know?

I've had a little trouble dialing in what I want with the compressor.

 

[migueledge]

For my that old values don´t work fine with 8.09 firmware. I´m looking for a compressor.

 

[Radley]

IMHO, the way to get truly pro-sounding guitar compression with the AFX is to use 2, or even 3 compressor blocks *in series, back-to-back* (the settings of each block should be on the conservative side so you don't get more than you need). I get good results mixing the Comp & MBC blocks together, but I like any combination better than any single compressor in the AFX. Although I consider Compression one of the weakest links in the AFX effects chain, I still believe you can beat a DynaComp by using series comp blocks, and you have a lot more control that way.

 

[VegaBaby]

Axe-Fx scale
The Axe-fx use from 1-10 rather than ms for the attack and release settings. They are scaled in an inverse log relationship to 1 to 1000ms. This was confusing at first because a setting of 10 indicates a faster attack rate which means 1 millisecond. Same thing with release - just remember they are rates and not times. Faster rates mean lower values.
Axe-Fx Setting : Actual Time (attack or release)
1 : 1000ms
2 : 954ms
3 : 903ms
5 : 778ms
7 : 602ms
8 : 477ms
I tend to stay the 9.X range for most things:
9.0 : 301ms
9.2 : 255ms
9.5 : 176ms
9.7 : 114ms
9.9 : 41ms
9.92 : 33ms
9.95 : 21ms
9.97 : 13ms
9.98 : 9ms
9.99 : 4ms
10.0 : 1ms

I would love to know if these numbers are still accurate at firmware 8.09? Does anyone know?

I've had a little trouble dialing in what I want with the compressor.

There was never anything in the release notes that could lead to thinking otherwise. I guess really only Cliff knows the true answer to that.

On the other hand, why such a pro and advanced unit like the Axe doesn't use 'regular' time values in the comressor is beyond me. This has been on the wishlist since quite some time, comes up over and over and even the simplest freeware plugins have time values... :?

 

[dk_ace]

IMHO, the way to get truly pro-sounding guitar compression with the AFX is to use 2, or even 3 compressor blocks *in series, back-to-back* (the settings of each block should be on the conservative side so you don't get more than you need). I get good results mixing the Comp & MBC blocks together, but I like any combination better than any single compressor in the AFX. Although I consider Compression one of the weakest links in the AFX effects chain, I still believe you can beat a DynaComp by using series comp blocks, and you have a lot more control that way.

FWIW, I like subtle in series comps better as well. I often combine an outboard pedal comp with the one in the Axe-FX.

D

 

[Radley]

FWIW, I like subtle in series comps better as well. I often combine an outboard pedal comp with the one in the Axe-FX.

D

The *great* thing is that the AFX allows using back-to-back compressors - most units don't allow redundant effects usage. This principle of series compression was put to good use in FMR Audio's RNC Comp - the 'Super Nice' mode is actually 3 comps in series.

Here's what FMR says about it:

A clever technique to reduce compression artifacts is the use of multiple compressors cascaded serially. In this way, none of the individual compressors has to work quite as hard as they would if there was only one compressor doing the same amount of gain reduction. If things are properly adjusted, you can accomplish a good level of signal control without the usual "choked" sound of the typical lone compressor. By the way, this technique works well with almost any type/brand of compressor(s). Try it with the other compressors in your rack!

 

[rsf1977]

FWIW, I like subtle in series comps better as well. I often combine an outboard pedal comp with the one in the Axe-FX.

D

The *great* thing is that the AFX allows using back-to-back compressors - most units don't allow redundant effects usage. This principle of series compression was put to good use in FMR Audio's RNC Comp - the 'Super Nice' mode is actually 3 comps in series.

Here's what FMR says about it:

A clever technique to reduce compression artifacts is the use of multiple compressors cascaded serially. In this way, none of the individual compressors has to work quite as hard as they would if there was only one compressor doing the same amount of gain reduction. If things are properly adjusted, you can accomplish a good level of signal control without the usual "choked" sound of the typical lone compressor. By the way, this technique works well with almost any type/brand of compressor(s). Try it with the other compressors in your rack!

I'm pretty new to using compressors since i was all high gain before but now I'm using some clean tones and I really think this technique would be beneficial to me can you possibly describe how you set up the parameters in a series of compressors?

 

[VegaBaby]

The *great* thing is that the AFX allows using back-to-back compressors - most units don't allow redundant effects usage. This principle of series compression was put to good use in FMR Audio's RNC Comp - the 'Super Nice' mode is actually 3 comps in series.

Here's what FMR says about it:

A clever technique to reduce compression artifacts is the use of multiple compressors cascaded serially. In this way, none of the individual compressors has to work quite as hard as they would if there was only one compressor doing the same amount of gain reduction. If things are properly adjusted, you can accomplish a good level of signal control without the usual "choked" sound of the typical lone compressor. By the way, this technique works well with almost any type/brand of compressor(s). Try it with the other compressors in your rack!

Do you by any chance know if the RNC in Super Nice uses the same settings throughout the 3 compressors (it's 3, isn't it ?).

If I'd want to do a similar thing and say I'm using a -20 threshold and a 4:1 ratio in one compressor for example, would I just half these values when using two and leave the rest the same ?

I've never worked with the RNC, but heard really good things and would like to hear more about the technique used there...

 

[Radley]

I'm pretty new to using compressors since i was all high gain before but now I'm using some clean tones and I really think this technique would be beneficial to me can you possibly describe how you set up the parameters in a series of compressors?

There are no rules I know of, other than making sure that the outputs are unity gain (same volume as when bypassed). As an experiment, I set up 3 series compressor blocks - one Studio type, one Stomp type, and one MBC. I adjusted each one for a fairly natural, mild compression at unity gain with the others bypassed. Then I tried the various combinations of twos as well as all three at once - at this point it probably comes down to personal preference, but I found a couple of combinations I really liked and did some final tweaking to optimize the sound - it's all by ear at this point because the human ear knows sound better than any test equipment. In general, I usually end up with very short attack times (high numbers) and fairly short release times (higher numbers) and experiment with the RMS/Peak detection settings - I also use moderate 'knee' settings.

Wouldn't it be cool if Cliff gave us Ultra users a new compressor model that was an optimized equivalent of series compression (like the RNC's Super Nice mode). Come to think of it, the best studio compression I ever got was by using two LA-2a compressors *in series* (almost forgot about that!)

To clarify: I don't believe the AFX compression is unusable (like Line6), but I do believe it could be substantially improved. To my ears, it doesn't sound as warm & open as my GT-10's compression - there is something a little bit sterile about the sound/feel.

 

[Dramelot]

Great info Radley.
Definitely going to look into this.
I usually use a comp first in the chain then sometimes a MBC at the end.
But two or three in a row?
Learn me somthin new everyday


www.duaneramelot.com

 

[torchlord]

I think i sort of started doing this three compressor thing on accident just by messing arround. Some of the axe patches had a compressor at the beginning and a multiband at the end of the chain. Somewhere along the line i decided to try one after the amp model to see if it would tame some harshness in the tone, and it did just that (almost too much).

I noticed you can lessen the how much the compression sucks you tone out, buy not having the mix at a lesser value then a 100%. I wonder if you did this three compressor chained in series with the mixes of each at lets say 80%, you could achieve a more natural compression. Just a thought.

 

[Ochanomizu]

I feel another Radley Super Tweak guide coming on!

 

[jlagana2002]

If I can put in my two cents, even using all 3 compressors in a row does not beat a high end Compressor Pedal.
Just a thought. I am one that is not against using pedals or other effects with the Axe Ultra at all.
Some poeple say, how could you!

My Ear is King !

 

[Radley]

If I can put in my two cents, even using all 3 compressors in a row does not beat a high end Compressor Pedal.

On that note, the onboard compression in my Boss GT-8 & 10 is pretty hard to beat for guitar - most other multi-effect units or stomp pedals don't even come close.

Edit: Oddly enough, Boss's software compression (in the newer GTs) sounds better than their analog pedals (CS-3 & Limiter) - this gives me hope that we shall soon achieve 'compression Nirvana' without resorting to *any* extra pedals.