Compressor or Limiter required?

pintspiller

I've been playing guitar and bass for over thirty years. Recorded some and played in bands off and on.

I gave up on playing guitar in public a long time ago as I found it much easier to join/form bands as a bassist. I was a pick only kind of guy up until about ten years and have been using pick or fingers since.

The problem I have is volume differences between the two, as I seem to play harder using fingers than a plectrum. I've tried playing closer to the bridge as that doesn't seem to be as loud, but it's not easy to remember all the time.

I used a compressor years ago to even out volume on different strings when I played a shitty plywood P-bass, but never sure if it actually worked or not (I was drunk or stoned half the time in those days).

I've been thinking about using pedal(s) to help sort the problem. What is the thoughts of the forum? I have a compressor made by Locobox from 1980s with Level and Sensitivity controls and a Belcat Vintage Compressor with Attack, Sustain and Level. 

Or is a Limiter a better idea?

fretmeister

This is the main reason I use one too. At a gig I will be swapping between fingers, pick, and slap and the different volumes are massive.

I use a Boss BC-1X. It's awesome (so good I sold my Cali76 and others) but it's quite an expensive pedal.

Try the ones you have. 

The main problem with compressors is that different companies name the knobs a bit differently. Sometimes Sustain is the Ratio of the compression and sometimes it is the Threshold when compression starts. On some pedals with a Threshold control it might be named Input instead.

Attack is usually the time for when it kicks in. Level is often the make up gain boost to get a compressed signal back up to a level you want.

It's all very annoying until you get used to what a particular pedal does.

A brilliant resource: http://www.ovnilab.com/faq.shtml


It's not updated with new stuff anymore but it's full of reviews and a "How to Use" a compressor and what settings type thing.

Definitely worth your time having a look.

steamabacus

Ovni Labs is a good resource of bass-centric compressor reviews/comparisons.

Both of those you mention sound like the old squishy Dynacomp-type compressors - probably not the best for what you're after.

My personal favourite pedal compressor is the Rothwell Love Squeeze and I use one on bass (just home recording though). It's a very simple two knob compressor, so not much to get your head around in use, but has more of a transparent studio-style compression than a Dynacomp - and much, much quieter noise floor.

Funkfingers

The tc electronic Spectra Comp multi-band compressor works well for bass. 

JezWynd

steamabacus said:

Ovni Labs is a good resource of bass-centric compressor reviews/comparisons.

Also check out https://www.compressorpedalreviews.com/ it's a more currrent site and features recently released stuff.

ICBM

I used a Boss LMB-3 Bass Limiter Enhancer for quite a few years, it worked very well. (I never used the enhancer part.)

But don’t let it become a crutch, it’s better to learn how to control the dynamics naturally with your fingers. That’s not a put-down, it took me a while too.

stickyfiddle

I actually have the opposite situation to OP - my picking is reserved for the growly rock stuff and is usually far louder than fingerstyle (this is primarily using a vintage-flavoured P). I also want to be able to pick the strings anywhere from neck to bridge for tonal reasons without having significant differences in volume.

I use a Cali76 Bass. I set the both the input/threshold at 1pm and don't even trigger it half the time when fingerpicking, and use the HPF to reduce the compression on the lowest notes as well. In that setup it's just a mild "make sound better" device except when I'm really digging in with a pick, at which point it just levels everything out nicely so I'm not blowing people's heads off. 

CarbonCopy

I have suffered the same issue in that my finger playing is much stronger than my picking. I only use a pick in one band and then only for 2 songs. I've found that using a 1.5mm thick Dunlop Jazz III tortex pick works best to get more volume and a thicker sound. Also, I use a different picking technique compared to guitar and pick more through the string rather than skimming the top of it. So maybe work on a different picking technique and pick to see if that helps.

I do use a compressor (Origin Effects Cali76) too though. I've used other simpler compressors (Boss CS3) but they seem to do horrid things to the tone and sound. It's worth trying what you've got and if the sound is not to your liking, find a more transparent pedal.

ICBM

CarbonCopy said:

I've found that using a 1.5mm thick Dunlop Jazz III tortex pick works best to get more volume and a thicker sound.

I use Dunlop Big Stubby 3mm - or the Alice copies of them - the ultimate bass pick! There doesn't seem to be any significant difference between pick and fingers now, and I don't use the limiter any more.

LastMantra

Volume control/pedal?

I'd have thought if you put a compressor across everything you'd get massively different amounts of squish? 

Secret_Sam

A limiter feels different to play.  You get all the dynamics, until you start digging in, when it then saturates.  Very worth trying one.

I used to give myself blisters playing on compressors, because I would instinctively try to restore the dynamics that the compressor squashed.

I now use an old Seymour Duncan double back, which blends in the dry signal. Very pleased with it. The modern equivalent is the Studio Bass, I think. 

Winny_Pooh

Use a compressor to subtly smooth and sustain. If you overdo it you can't really keep "big moments" when you want to match drummers hitting hard or emphasise sections.

In your case an active pre will allow you to use the volume to set overall output between pick and fingers, then use a compressor to make it sound fatter.

This logic is opposite to recorded bass which is compressed to fuck. 

pintspiller

The compressor DOES seem to even out my volume between plectrum and fingers, but adds a little too much sustain for my liking. I've reduced the gain on the Behringer BRO which helps a little.

Used it at a gig for the first time in ages and my Sound City amp sounded fantastic (more punch than I remember). It was on a bigger stage than we might nor!ally perform so I turned the volume up a bit more than usual. Pity about the bum notes though, a combination of forgetting where I was in a few songs now and then and not having a rock solid mix in my in-ears).

Kebabkid

I don't know if this might be overkill for you but it's not a complicated bass multi-fx unit but if you can get your hands on a Zoom B1X or B1Xon and used, you shouldn't have to pay more than £40-50, it has some great compressors in it as well as a limiter, boosts, amp models and a tuner. Their MS-60B is also very good but costs more.

The TC Spectra Comp is also a good one and you'll miss it when it's not on 

ChrisCox1994

Don't overlook the EBS bass compressor, I've tried the spectra and I know a lot of people love them on bass but the EBS has some nice roundness too it and is still dynamic while being simple to dial in. 

All these modes sound great for different things and the led lights up more intensely depending on the gain reduction amount helping you dial in the amount of comp.

I'm sure the spectra could sound good with tweaking but the one knob thing really limits it's usability at a gig situation.

jamjarman

Whether or not your having technique based volume issues a compressor is good for bass. 

I use a MXR dyna comp (now modelled in my helix) always on set with everything just above 12 o clock. It adds tightness and punch as well as taming digging in too hard.