Help me to understand Fractal compressors

My recommended settings are what guitarists typically like and are diametrically opposed to minimum coloration. Guitar players like the compressor to add color and feel.
 
A guitarist known as David Gilmour so enjoys the coloration of a compressor that he runs two pedal style comps, sometimes on together, in his rig.... can't argue with his results
 
thank you for the reply, i haven't lost my ears ;)
It seem that the Comp add color !thank you Cliff for the information.
Perhaps it will be a good idea to incorporate in the Axe a comp who are very transparent for the guitarist who like that .
The use of compressor is an "art" , and two guitarist are not the same.I personally like the compressor "transparent" .the CL-2A is a perfect example of a compressor studio that i like for his transparency.But it's true that his function is more in mix studio.
 
Read what I wrote again. My *recommended settings* are ... The studio compressor can get extremely colorless if adjusted properly.

A CL-2A is popular precisely because of the color it adds (it adds both amplitude and frequency distortion) so something is up with your hearing.
 
Last edited:
thank you for the reply, i haven't lost my ears ;)
It seem that the Comp add color !thank you Cliff for the information.
Perhaps it will be a good idea to incorporate in the Axe a comp who are very transparent for the guitarist who like that .
The use of compressor is an "art" , and two guitarist are not the same.I personally like the compressor "transparent" .the CL-2A is a perfect example of a compressor studio that i like for his transparency.But it's true that his function is more in mix studio.
Have you tried turning the mix knob down like I suggested? It'll let some of the original signal through while adding the benefit of the amount of compression you want
 
An API compressor adds a certain coloration to the audio it compresses too.

The difference is that the op is used to the coloring that the API imparts on a recoreded track.

If the OP really wants to experiment, record the guitar track direct to DAW with no Fractal. Process the track with your normal compressor plug in settings. Run the compressed track via SPDIF or AES/EBU through the Fractal and compare to the results recording a track using the Fractal and using the comp block before the amp.
 
Read what I wrote again. My *recommended settings* are ... The studio compressor can get extremely colorless if adjusted properly.

A CL-2A is popular precisely because of the color it adds (it adds both amplitude and frequency distortion) so something is up with your hearing.
It depends of the settings .....(analog 50hz, 60hz or off......and )But the CL-2A doesn't add distortion when it modulate the sound.

But i found the solution by the help of Brownmatthall, it's better for me to mix the Comp with dry/wet signal. Mix between 70/75% please me ;)
 
Don't worry about the English. You're doing better than most of us would do in French!

The effects in the Axe are HIGHLY tuneable. The default settings are for a quick solution, it's up to you to figure out what works for you.
 
Don't worry about the English. You're doing better than most of us would do in French!

The effects in the Axe are HIGHLY tuneable. The default settings are for a quick solution, it's up to you to figure out what works for you.

I understand more after reading your post.
Because i find the standard settings of comp: attack and release not useable for me.
I thought that Cliff put in each block, the optimal settings....
 
My recommended settings are what guitarists typically like and are diametrically opposed to minimum coloration. Guitar players like the compressor to add color and feel.
Perhaps we are not using the word colour to describe the same thing? I've checked both the pedal compressors and the studio compressor more than once using noise from the synth block and analysing the results. Every time, the results were totally flat frequency wise.
 
What are "optimal settings"? There is no such thing, it's all down to preference.
For example, (second time i write this example) : for a sound that contain 100HZ, the period is 10millisecond, so if set your attack below 10ms, you have trimmed your signal !
So typically, if we are not country player, the optimal setting of the attack time will be not at 2ms like like standard setting( of the comp itself) when we choose a Comp in a block.And 100ms for the release seem to be too high. Because the risk of static compression.
You understand now why i talk about " optimal settings" when we choose a comp in a block.
 
For example, (second time i write this example) : for a sound that contain 100HZ, the period is 10millisecond, so if set your attack below 10ms, you have trimmed your signal !
So typically, if we are not country player, the optimal setting of the attack time will be not at 2ms like like standard setting( of the comp itself) when we choose a Comp in a block.And 100ms for the release seem to be too high. Because the risk of static compression.
You understand now why i talk about " optimal settings" when we choose a comp in a block.
No, I don't. It's nonsense to be honest. If it sounds good, it is good. Stop trying to calculate this and just use your ears man. I always set the attack time of the compressor at its's lowest value, that's where it sounds the best to me. I hate it when the initial attack gets through before the compressor reacts.

As I said, it's all down to preference, use your ears.
 
No, I don't. It's nonsense to be honest. If it sounds good, it is good. Stop trying to calculate this and just use your ears man. I always set the attack time of the compressor at its's lowest value, that's where it sounds the best to me. I hate it when the initial attack gets through before the compressor reacts.

As I said, it's all down to preference, use your ears.
For me , the compressor is good to my ears when the initial attack pass entirely before the compressor reacts ;)
otherwise, i don't use a compressor.I want to control my dynamic pick.
But i understand very well your point of view.
 
I understand more after reading your post.
Because i find the standard settings of comp: attack and release not useable for me.
I thought that Cliff put in each block, the optimal settings....

No such thing as 'optimal' settings' EVERYTHING is dependent on use and player. It just may take some time to figure out how the Axe compressors work for you.

In the end, it may be that it's easier for you to use a pedal as a compressor in front of the Axe. That works too!

(But I believe that you can find settings that will do even better in the Axe II.)

Good luck!

R
 
For me , the compressor is good to my ears when the initial attack pass entirely before the compressor reacts ;)
otherwise, i don't use a compressor.I want to control my dynamic pick.
But i understand very well your point of view.

For what it's worth I'm a big fan of the LA-2A (and 3A) as well, and it would be my first reach, but I'd never dream of putting it on the signal before the amp, DI bass, sure. It's always tacked on near the end of the chain, so maybe try the studio comp just before your verb.

Honestly, the best compressors in a guitar rig are the amp and speakers... Boost level going in, and adjust the gain level to compensate. The few times I do compress guitars, its usually very gentile and mainly because I have lots of guitar parts that need glue to fit together better.

You'll be chasing your tail if you try to make a pedal comp in the front of your chain do what a rack comp does in a DAW.
 
For what it's worth I'm a big fan of the LA-2A (and 3A) as well, and it would be my first reach, but I'd never dream of putting it on the signal before the amp, DI bass, sure. It's always tacked on near the end of the chain, so maybe try the studio comp just before your verb.

I've recently started doing this too, sticking the Studio Comp near the end for cleans, then switching it off in the next scene for drive sounds.
 
Back
Top Bottom