what comp for your clean tone?

Anyone using a compressor with their clean tone?
If so, what sounds good. I'm not looking for that
squishy, Dynacomp sound, nor do I need it for sustain.

Just looking for one that just evens it all out.

Hmm...will backing off the presence achieve
the same thing? I'll have to try that...

Thanks!!

jb's 52 said:

Anyone using a compressor with their clean tone?
If so, what sounds good. I'm not looking for that
squishy, Dynacomp sound, nor do I need it for sustain.

Just looking for one that just evens it all out.

Hmm...will backing off the presence achieve
the same thing? I'll have to try that...

Thanks!!

Click to expand...

Anything with a blend knob. The common one's you'll hear folk mention will be the Wampler Ego, Barber Tone Press, Empress comp, and Xotic SP.

I use an Xotic set to "low" comp ratio, and the blend anywhere from 45-65% for what you're describing.

I use a compressor in front of all three channels, just for flavoring, not on all the time. I too use the presence knob for similar results. I use the Carl Martin compressor, it has it's version of a blend knob called RESP. Of the ones I've tried it is my favorite. No tone coloring. I have owned the Barber tone press and a Boss compressor but I like this one the best. Good Luck.

I used a Keely compressor 2 knob in the studio for clean but for live Ididnt use it. try a clean boost or xotic ep booster it will make a big difference in a non squashy good way to allot all strings to come through

Thanks guys!!

I went and picked up the Xotic SP and it's doing what I want it
to do at moderate volumes. The jury is still out until I can try it
at band volume and in rehearsal Wednesday.

Good luck with the Xotic SP... I love it. I would also highly recommend the AnalogMan Mini BiComp...both are just awesome!

My maxon od9pro+ works amazingly well as a clean compressor.
Set to;
Gain - 0
tone - noon
level - max
mode - normal
dip - 9v

Just adds a glistening sustain and warmness without really trimming the frequency range or dynamics much.
Dave Weiner has a video maxon shootout where he really raves on the transparent- compression aspect of the pedal.
It's not the mid-compressed uumphy boost like the 808 ran "clean boost".

To my ears the 9v operation sounds better in about every application, but it does do 18v also in case you're running blackouts lol,.

I had a Rothwell Love Squeeze and it was very quiet with nearly imperceptible tone coloration. They can be hard to find but well worth it.

After my luthier stabilized my humbuckers by shimming them with wood so they would not vibrate, I found I did not have as much need for a compressor for what I used it for (to help the guitar stand out in the mix and just sound better). As for resonant peaks, I thought the Love Squeeze did a great job with that too.

You can see the pickup stabilizing mod here if you look at between the wood and the buckers http://arlingtonfretworks.com/