Compression Sustainer

oyster jelly

Could anyone explain to me just what does this pedal do for you and your sound? I have read different things about it but none tell me in terms I can understand. Thanks.

mccreadyisgod

So, when you play guitar, the volume changes between the things you play. Single notes have less volume than full chords, some notes just get played louder than other notes, etc. A compressor takes the peak signals and squishes them down a little bit, then raises the entire signal, so that the volumes are a lot more uniform. Not exactly the same, but more manageable. And they have controls to adjust exactly how squashed the sound gets. You can use this to fatten up the guitar's sound, especially single coils, and to make certain playing styles more even in sound and volume.

That's the simple answer...

In technical terms, a compressor sets a volume level called a "threshold" where everything louder than that gets squished. The amount you squish is called the "ratio": a 2:1 ratio means that if your guitar's signal goes 2 dB past the threshold, it will squish the signal so it only goes 1 dB over the threshold. Another example: a 3:1 ratio means if you go 9 dB over the threshold, it will squish the signal so it only goes 3 dB over. So, the ratio is how much it will even things out. A limiter, by the way, is a compressor that evens EVERYTHING out at the threshold, so NOTHING gets louder than that. This can also be called an infinite ratio.

Most guitar pedals combine the ratio and threshold controls into one knob, and as you turn that knob up, it lowers the threshold and increases the ratio at the same time. Then the output takes the squished signal and turns it back up a bit, since the loudest stuff isn't so loud anymore, so the quieter stuff, i.e. single notes between chords, can be heard easier.

Hope that helps...

Pearl Jam and toast

it helps when playing solos or single notes without a lot of distortion as well.. ?

oyster jelly

That is the best answer I have seen yet and explains alot. Now, since I got this pedal used with no manual, I need to know what the attack and level knobs do, I get the drift of the sustain knob, I think.

mccreadyisgod

oyster jelly wrote:

Now, since I got this pedal used with no manual, I need to know what the attack and level knobs do, I get the drift of the sustain knob, I think.

The Sustain knob controls the threshold/ratio levels, like I discussed above. The Level knob controls the output signal, makes it louder or quieter. You can adjust it so that it's about the same volume on or off, which will just bring up the level of your single notes, or you can use it as a boost for solo's, etc. The Attack knob controls how fast the compressor squishes your signal... faster times will squish it right away, but slower times will be a bit lazy, and allow the first part of the note (the 'attack') come thru a little stronger before squishing it. Again, adjust to taste.

I assume you have the Boss unit? What guitar you playing thru it?

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

it helps when playing solos or single notes without a lot of distortion as well.. ?

A lot of people use them to boost/comp a clean solo line, yes. Like I said earlier, if you switch from playing chords to single notes, the single notes are a lot quieter, so a comp will level out those volumes. Also, a compressor will affect tone and typically fatten up single notes. It really helps a lot, although it's a subtle effect. Heck, I use my comp to boost my tubescreamers and help with sustain. It also works great for creating controlled, harmonic feedback (the good kind, not the squeal-y kind) with a distortion or overdrive.

oyster jelly

mccreadyisgod wrote:

The Sustain knob controls the threshold/ratio levels, like I discussed above. The Level knob controls the output signal, makes it louder or quieter. You can adjust it so that it's about the same volume on or off, which will just bring up the level of your single notes, or you can use it as a boost for solo's, etc. The Attack knob controls how fast the compressor squishes your signal... faster times will squish it right away, but slower times will be a bit lazy, and allow the first part of the note (the 'attack') come thru a little stronger before squishing it. Again, adjust to taste.

I assume you have the Boss unit? What guitar you playing thru it?



A lot of people use them to boost/comp a clean solo line, yes. Like I said earlier, if you switch from playing chords to single notes, the single notes are a lot quieter, so a comp will level out those volumes. Also, a compressor will affect tone and typically fatten up single notes. It really helps a lot, although it's a subtle effect. Heck, I use my comp to boost my tubescreamers and help with sustain. It also works great for creating controlled, harmonic feedback (the good kind, not the squeal-y kind) with a distortion or overdrive.

Actually it is an Ibanez cp10 and I mainly use my epi g310 SG. I run it behind my wah and before my chorus, but by Friday(hopefully) I'll also have a Boss Super Distortion and Overdrive pedals and will run all to a Marshall 15watt microstack.

dont_go_on_me

so what are everyone's favorite compressor/sustainers. Once i pay off my amp and get a distortion and delay, the compressor/sustainer will be next. I honestly know very little about them (this thread was very helpful!) and which ones are the best. I've heard a lot about the MXR comps, and i'd imagine that the Boss line is respectable. so what are your favorites?

Pacomc79

http://www.amptone.com/g126.htm



enjoy that.

Check out the LA2A

Most Tube Compressors are fucking great (E-H black finger etc.) Rack compressors , others I like

I love Barber's Tone Press. Everything by Analogman.

Eric Shannon has an excellent take on the old Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer.

Really honestly man, I could go on all night. such a subtle and yet extremely noticible effect.

enharmonic

I'd just like to add that a compressor and a sustainer are ofteh two different ieces of gear. while a compressor can add sustain, it does so differently than a Fernandes sustainer.

Speaking as an engineer, I find that anything more than 2:1 on guitars will suck the life out of a performance. That's not to say that you can't find some very cool sounds in other ranges...just that for natural, organic, non fucked-with tone...anything more than 2:1 is going to be obvious.

mccreadyisgod

enharmonic wrote:

Speaking as an engineer, I find that anything more than 2:1 on guitars will suck the life out of a performance. That's not to say that you can't find some very cool sounds in other ranges...just that for natural, organic, non fucked-with tone...anything more than 2:1 is going to be obvious.

Using a comp before the amp makes it less obvious. Plus, most guitar players use a comp for an effect, not a subtle gain-structure tool. If you're using a comp in a recording environment, during mixing and after the guitar has been recorded, that's very true. Although tube amps provide a fair amount of compression on their own, so I don't like using compression at all on a tracked guitar.

As far as models, there really are a lot to choose from. Boss and MXR have the most popular models, just because they're the best from any major manufacturer. The Electro-Harmonix has a great reputation, as well, but it's not battery-friendly and costs a bunch. The boutique models all have their sound, and they're worth every penny if that's the sound you want. Me, I have my trusty ol' DynaComp, and it's treated me well for years. However, the DynaComp (and all comps, to some degree or another) is better on single-coil pickups, and not so great on humbuckers. I use my comp all the time on my P-90's, and I've used it on Strats and Teles before that, but I rarely use it on my humbucker-equipped guitars.

The best thing you can do is research... go to Harmony Central (http://www.harmony-central.com) and read user reviews, ask around here, figure out what results you want in combination with the gear you already use.

dont_go_on_me

mccreadyisgod wrote:

The best thing you can do is research... go to Harmony Central (http://www.harmony-central.com) and read user reviews, ask around here, figure out what results you want in combination with the gear you already use.

Yeah, once i get my setup about done, i'll post a thread on here asking what would probably work the best...but that probably won't be for at least a couple/few months.

where does the compressor normally go, FX loop or out in front? Where would you put a phaser, FX or in front? Could a wah go in the FX loop? What are going to be the major differences in sound by putting each in the FX loop or out in front?

mccreadyisgod

don't_go_on_me wrote:

where does the compressor normally go, FX loop or out in front? Where would you put a phaser, FX or in front? Could a wah go in the FX loop? What are going to be the major differences in sound by putting each in the FX loop or out in front?

I'd put all three of those in front of your amp, not in the FX loop. The comp COULD go in the FX loop and provide a different function than in front of the amp. But generally, I line up my effects in this order:

Wah -> modulation -> gain -> time

And many folks have a tuner and/or a volume pedal at the very front. Phase is a modulation, and compression is a gain. Reverb and Delay and Chorus are all time. If you use an amp with an FX loop, it means your amp has a gain/overdrive/distortion channel. You want your time-based effects after your gain-based effects, so the FX loop takes the signal after the on-board gain so you can put in delays or reverbs or choruses.

You could put the comp in the FX loop, but it's effect will be different. The only real way to figure out which way you want it is to try it both ways.

And just a quick FYI: even though comp is a gain-based FX, I have it between my wah and my phaser. There are no rules, only recommendations and trial-and-error.

pjammer

mccreadyisgod wrote:

Most guitar pedals combine the ratio and threshold controls into one knob, and as you turn that knob up, it lowers the threshold and increases the ratio at the same time. Then the output takes the squished signal and turns it back up a bit, since the loudest stuff isn't so loud anymore, so the quieter stuff, i.e. single notes between chords, can be heard easier.

Hope that helps...

That was a great explanation!...
Does the sustain knob also automatically adjust the makeup gain?

mccreadyisgod

pjammer wrote:

That was a great explanation!...
Does the sustain knob also automatically adjust the makeup gain?

If your sustainer doesn't have a separate control for output, then most likely yes.