What exactly does a compressor pedal do to your sound

Steven Schwartz · Post by **Steven Schwartz** » 4 Mar 2021 2:17 pm

I'm a total newbie and I cant really make sense of any of the descriptions of what a compressor does.

Thank you

Gary Watkins · Post by **Gary Watkins** » 4 Mar 2021 2:27 pm

Steven Schwartz wrote:I'm a total newbie and I cant really make sense of any of the descriptions of what a compressor does.

Thank you

Check out this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LwSJmdxjiI

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 4 Mar 2021 2:50 pm

A compressor squashes volume peaks, thus evening out the volume. They're accompanied by a boost circuit to raise the overall level back up.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 4 Mar 2021 4:16 pm

Ruins it in my opinion.

Steven Schwartz · Post by **Steven Schwartz** » 4 Mar 2021 4:22 pm

Thanks everybody. That UTube was really helpful for understanding.

George Redmon · Post by **George Redmon** » 4 Mar 2021 5:15 pm

I love my Compressor. Either on my Tele, or any steel i'm playing. It's an "always-on" "must-have" if you play anything besides country. I am currently using the Ohmless Yara v2 Optical Compressor.

https://ohmless-pedals.reverbsites.com/ ... 2/13847570

Part of my board.

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 5 Mar 2021 7:32 am

Steven: my impression is that most steelers (including myself) don't use compressors. Guitar players do.

Steelers want to use the volume pedal and right hand attack to determine their sound--not a pedal that evens everything out.

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 5 Mar 2021 7:59 am

For pedal steel (with its near infinite sustain compared to a regular guitar), I have never felt the need for a compressor. But my Telecaster needs to be tamed by a little bit of compresion – I won't play a single note without it. Used a Boss for decades, it was really good, but my new Keeley is even better. With a Les Paul-type guitar, which I very rarely play, compression is not really necessary – the humbuckers and the body construction provides longer sustain and less spikiness compared to the Tele.

Anthony Campbell · Post by **Anthony Campbell** » 5 Mar 2021 10:07 am

I leave my Cali76 on for either guitar or steel guitar.

I leave the dry blend set at a decent level so unprocessed signal can go through uncompressed.

There's pros to not using them, and pros to using them.

Try it out - if you like it - use it!

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 5 Mar 2021 11:29 am

Keep in mind, if you put a compressor after the volume pedal in your signal chain, you probably won’t notice the effect unless the volume pedal is full on and left there. The video linked in Gary W’s post is very good, but I would bet that it was done with the guitar volume knob all the way up. I think compressors like to get a full blast of output signal, no matter what purpose you intend for them.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 5 Mar 2021 5:02 pm

Think of pouring gas into a funnel...
It swishes around all over the place going into the funnel, and comes out in an even uniform flow.
You can stop pouring for a few seconds and there is still and even flow coming out.

George Biner · Post by **George Biner** » 5 Mar 2021 7:29 pm

The basic function of a compressor is to "punch up" the sound -- make the whole thing uniformly louder by reducing the peaks -- whole armies of metal guitarists use them to create massive sustain where the notes never die off -- in the last twenty years, most pop records use extreme compression to the point that they have no dynamics at all -- but, when used by sane people, they can even out your sound and make it louder and easier to hear in a mix -- they will reduce the effect of the volume pedal by the way -- and if you ever need to do a screaming, saturated, really loud lead solo to piss off your band, you'll have it handy!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 6 Mar 2021 2:02 am

the thing about a compressor is, 1st, its not an effect, 2nd , it can be !

Compressors are used to tame mild peaks, which folds them back into the sound envelope. We shouldn't even know it's on. Typically if we can hear it, it's too much.

BUT, because we can BOOST the gain on a compressor, we can now HEAR the signal being folded back, SQUASHED somewhat OR squashed A LOT !

In the recording world we can see the peaks being tamed on meters but can't hear it, thats ideal, its a tool . In the Guitar/Steel world , we boost the signal so we can hear it, now its an audio effect.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 6 Mar 2021 2:22 am

Like any effect it can be overused. On steel it would go probably first in the chain, and on only slightly so it only has minimal effect on just the highest peaks. Xotic makes the SP, with which you can blend the dry signal in so sustain increases but the squashing effect is not as noticeable.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 6 Mar 2021 7:34 am

Be careful not to conflate studio compressors with pedal compressors. They have different functions within very different contexts. Stomp box compressors are getting really good though. My little rule is to use them for enhancement and not for correction. I don’t use a stomp box compressor but it seems like there is always some sort of high end comp in the signal chain when I’m being recorded.

Don’t worry about not understanding what compressors really do. They remain mystery to some of the best pro engineers. I’ll often ask the engineer what that big blue box with the knobs and VU meters on it does and the answers is usually something like turn the knobs like this and it’s like magic.

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 6 Mar 2021 11:14 am

Bob wrote:Donâ€™t worry about not understanding what compressors really do. They remain mystery to some of the best pro engineers. Iâ€™ll often ask the engineer what that big blue box with the knobs and VU meters on it does and the answers is usually something like turn the knobs like this and itâ€™s like magic.

Agreed, the magic 'all buttons in' (crush?) mode on an 1176, LOL.. The various ways compressor circuits are designed can have a huge impact on what actually happens to the signal, and the kinds of control you have. This article has some fairly interesting details on common compressor types with intrinsic characteristics. Even though slanted toward the studio recording applications, these explanations apply, as most of these circuit types find their way into 'pedals' as well. An FET comp is going to work like and FET comp, no matter where it is..

https://audiohertz.com/2017/08/07/what- ... mpressors/

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 6 Mar 2021 11:50 am

a compressor limits your dynamic range. your level is "squashed" to a point where everything you play is about the same level.

having said that. in the old days, the engineers would tell you.."if you can hear the compressor...its too much"....

Georg Sørtun · Post by **Georg Sørtun** » 6 Mar 2021 3:12 pm

I use a stomp-box type compressor as "permanently-ON" buffer-amp w/tone control for PSG – before VP and all else, and prefer one with a little slow attack and decay so as not to squash the pick-attack sound but rather make it more distinct without peaking so high that it causes clipping in following amp-stages in my sound-chains.

As few if any stomp-box size compressors have adjustable attack and decay settings, they are either designed/built with suitable characteristics, or they make the PSG sound like "something else". I want a naturally/traditionally sounding PSG regardless of type of music, so finding a suitable compressor took time. All units for 6-strings I have tested over the years have fallen through as unsuited, but the Boss LNB-3 primarily built as "expression pedal" for bass-guitar fits right in there with a very playable effect.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 6 Mar 2021 7:19 pm

And then, to muddy the water a bit, there are limiters, which are a bit different than compressors.

I believe the Boss LMB 3 that Georg uses is actually a limiter.

I've never used either; but, there are some interesting articles about the differences on the internet.

Georg Sørtun · Post by **Georg Sørtun** » 7 Mar 2021 1:17 am

Lee Baucum wrote:I believe the Boss LMB 3 that Georg uses is actually a limiter.

Only in name: "Limiter/Enhancer"

http://www.ovnilab.com/reviews/bosslmb3.shtml
It has the characteristics of a somewhat slow compressor, with a limiter to shape the top-peak. Makes it well suited to "stretch the attack" (make it sound strong even if it isn't) instead of squashing it – behaves more like a driven tube pre-amp.

FWIW: I have built lots of compressors in my time, for broadcasting etc., and know how I want them to work for various uses. I have never tried to cramp one into a stomp-box though, which is why I went on the market for one. The LNB-3 is the only one I have tried that I find it a joy to play through, and with the (typical for a Boss) high input impedance and very low output impedance it has also replaced all the various buffer amps I have tested. Only drawback with it is that batteries don't last as long as I would have liked – need am external supply if I want more than 8-10 hours playtime without interruptions.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 9 Mar 2021 1:02 pm

If you put the compressor/limiter BEFORE the volume pedal you get micro-precise control over your levels.I just got a Keeley Compressor-Plus, and the only drawback(for me) is the temptation to squish the steel sound to the point it sounds like a Tele with 12 benders!

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 10 Mar 2021 5:32 pm

there's a few different kinds and there's also this website with hundreds of reviews, which I'm sure don't help at all

I bought the LMB3 based on recommendations and am a believer, it gives notes "sparkle" and "bloom" and words like that. The Presonus studio channel is also a nice unit (maybe not real durable) I would like to try a joemeek and dbx 676 sometime

https://www.izotope.com/en/blog/mixing/ ... world.html

http://www.ovnilab.com/

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 11 Mar 2021 5:29 am

Dave Hopping wrote:If you put the compressor/limiter BEFORE the volume pedal you get micro-precise control over your levels.I just got a Keeley Compressor-Plus, and the only drawback(for me) is the temptation to squish the steel sound to the point it sounds like a Tele with 12 benders!

The squish was exactly the reason I used an MXR Dynacomp in the 70's & 80's. Loved that popping sound that is kind of an imitation of the Tele sound. Only on a few songs was it ever used. Most of the night it was off.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 11 Mar 2021 7:47 am

Yes itâ€™s cool full on for special cases. I use it to add an extra stage to fuzz pedals, too. It seems that Buddy Emmons used a DynaComp quite a lot in the 70s if you check his work on Flying Fish records. So if canâ€™t be ALL bad....right?

Charley Paul · Post by **Charley Paul** » 11 Mar 2021 10:05 am

I’ve recently begun experimenting with a compressor on psg. I quite like the results. The sound is more polished and feels more controlled and even. It makes the psg punch through a bit more, as well.

I think the two important takeaways when using compression with psg are to have a 50/50 blend of the dry and compressed signals, and to not over-compress.

I like a dry blend because it preserves the attack of the note, as well as the subtleties of the volume pedal.

I think, as pointed out before, if you can hear the compressor squashing the sound, then you need to dial it back. On psg, I like it best when I don’t know it’s there...

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What exactly does a compressor pedal do to your sound

What exactly does a compressor pedal do to your sound

Re: What exactly does a compressor pedal do to your sound