Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room

Do we have any musical people on DC?

<< < (40/65) > >>

40hz:
How to be a "jerk guitarist." Works for bass players too!  :huh:



Feel free to add your own. ;D

40hz:
How many of these have you heard during a recording session?  ;D ;D ;D

40hz:
(Note: the first part of this post will likely only be of interest to actual bass players. You have been warned!  ;))

Are you a bass player? As in a bass player doing some serious recording work? If so, check out one of these bad boys - a Keeley Bassist Limiting Amplifier (also known as a compressor/limiter):

Do we have any musical people on DC?

I have wanted to find a very subtle and musical compressor-type device specifically designed for electric bass for some time now. And I think I probably tried out at least dozen or so before I stumbled on this one. It's surprisingly affordable for the signal quality and transparency it offers. As good as what you'd find in a recording studio rack IMO. And it's usable too. Great sound plus simple logical controls that behave the way you'd think they would. (Not every similar device can make that claim.) And it doesn't get in the way of your sound like so many of these devices sometimes can.

If you're a bassist who knows what a compressor is used for - and you're in the market for a really good one - look no further. Highly recommended. :Thmbsup:

(Note: the standard disclaimer applies here. I'm not affiliated with Keeley Engineering in any way, shape, or form. I bought mine with my own money through the regular retail channels.)

----------------------------------------------

For those who are curious as to exactly what a compressor does, this video explores some of the sonic benefits such devices can bring to the party. You'll need headphones or decent speakers to really hear the difference in this video because (when properly used) most applications of this 'effect' will be fairly subtle. And you may need a few repeated listens before your ear becomes attentive enough to clearly hear some of them.



But do you actually need one? The next video gets into that thorny and subjective question in some depth.

Skip forward to the 1:00 mark to get right into the explanations and demos.



Cool tools! Check it out! :Thmbsup:

Edvard:
RE: the Keeley compressor - Nice find!  I've always known compression to be a 'secret weapon' for keeping the bass 'in the pocket' sonically (musically depends on the wielder of said four-string weapon).  Never found a really good one though, I'll check it out.

The only compressor for guitar that I've ever been truly impressed with was the Ibanez CP10 Compressor/Sustainor.  With guitar, sometimes the best thing is for it to be a little on the non-subtle side; transparent, YES, but for the brief time I was allowed to play with this thing, the more I became aware that there finally existed a tool that would smooth over the jangling mis-pick or the 'oops, I muted that bend again' that so plagued me in my formative years. 
Now, I'm painfully aware that nothing will EVER replace experience, practice, and some good 'ol fashioned talent, but sometimes, technique be damned, I just wanted to jam and boy did this little pedal let me do it, politely sweeping up the garbage as I went.

Solo demo:


and vs. the Keely C-4:


The CP10 has some serious hang-time and 'smoove' without raising the noise level like so many other compressors-in-a-pedal that I've heard and played. 
Now I just gotta clone that thing...

40hz:
^Really like that CP10. It adds a bit more coloration. But it's a lovely butterscotch sort of coloration. Which on guitar works very well. And the absence of noise in a compressor that old is amazing. (Remember the ubiquitous MXR DynaComp anyone?)

Guitarists have a definite advantage over bass players when it comes to their tone palette. All those extra high frequencies give effects (and our ears) so much more to work with. And while I have seldom heard bass benefit much from using an 'effect' pedal (beyond "remedial" signal processors such as a limiters or compressors), most guitars can gain a whole new dimension by their judicious employment. They key word here being "judicious."

So little time (and money!)...so many interesting things to try. Wha' fe do, Mon...wha' fe do?

Tom Hughes did a very fine book on effects called Analog Man's Guide to Vintage Effects, which covers over 150 different manufacturer's devices. It's a history book, a collector's wish-list/catalog, and a tech guide all rolled into one. The $45 asking price may be a bit of a put-off. And what's covered will likely only appeal to the diehard effect users, "gear-geeks," and serious collectors out there. But it's well worth it IMO. This book is as good as guitar-porn gets. If you love stomp boxes, look no further. Here is bedrock.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page