How much compressor can change clean tone?

[Sickindian]

I was wondering as i seen DBX 266XL Compressor / Limiter / Gate but im not sure if i really need it so i want to ask experienced players who know what it does and can guide :roll: me in right direction.

Cheers
Adrian

 

[Sickindian]

So i assume its just a waste of money?

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I used to use one in my PA a long time ago, but never tried it with a guitar rig.


I really like the Maxon CP-101. It's very transparent and does exactly what I want and nothing more.
It does color the tone a little, but not as bad as some others I've had.

I had this one right next to a Keeley (can't remember how many knobs) and the Maxon won, hands down.
I had 3 other guitar players in the room and they were all blown away at the sound difference between the 2.

 

[Sickindian]

I used to use one in my PA a long time ago, but never tried it with a guitar rig.


I really like the Maxon CP-101. It's very transparent and does exactly what I want and nothing more.
It does color the tone a little, but not as bad as some others I've had.

I had this one right next to a Keeley (can't remember how many knobs) and the Maxon won, hands down.
I had 3 other guitar players in the room and they were all blown away at the sound difference between the 2.

I was thinking about dbx 266xl rack but 1st need to know what is compression toneways?

 

[Strategy500]

IMO, if you want to use a comp for your guitar, I'd go with a pedal version over a rack mounted. Why? because in my experience (not that it has any significance) pedals are geared to instrumental applications. The rack units that I've used will do the job too, but are more subtle, and take a bit more tweaking, and are suited better for studio apps.

 

[Sickindian]

IMO, if you want to use a comp for your guitar, I'd go with a pedal version over a rack mounted. Why? because in my experience (not that it has any significance) pedals are geared to instrumental applications. The rack units that I've used will do the job too, but are more subtle, and take a bit more tweaking, and are suited better for studio apps.

Sounds fair enough have you got any suggestions?(ive been only thinking about dbx 266xl cause the price isnt too high and ive got plenty space in my 16 u rack)

 

[jab]

to your original question, "how much compressor can change clean tone"? A lot or a little. My experience was the "a lot" version was the Boss CS3 (I think it was called). Got really squishy with that tone, it was almost like an effect. Didn't like it for traditional compression needs and it seemed to change the output and overall character of my guitar. The other side of the planet is a Barber Tone Press. It uses a parallel compression where it compresses the signal, but with virtually no altering of the original tone, and that's what I was looking for. For clean work, an uncompressed signal to me just sounds a little harsh on some strings, and this really smooths it out so every string rings out about the same. It's subtle, but I haven't been able to take it off my pedal board so I'm officially addicted to that subtle improvement. And I like the bit of sustain that comes with it for solo work.

Everyone raves about Keeley too, but in my limited experience it did a little more tone alterning than the Barber (although sounded good), and I didn't like the extra knobs. Simple is good.

 

[Sickindian]

to your original question, "how much compressor can change clean tone"? A lot or a little. My experience was the "a lot" version was the Boss CS3 (I think it was called). Got really squishy with that tone, it was almost like an effect. Didn't like it for traditional compression needs and it seemed to change the output and overall character of my guitar. The other side of the planet is a Barber Tone Press. It uses a parallel compression where it compresses the signal, but with virtually no altering of the original tone, and that's what I was looking for. For clean work, an uncompressed signal to me just sounds a little harsh on some strings, and this really smooths it out so every string rings out about the same. It's subtle, but I haven't been able to take it off my pedal board so I'm officially addicted to that subtle improvement. And I like the bit of sustain that comes with it for solo work.

Everyone raves about Keeley too, but in my limited experience it did a little more tone alterning than the Barber (although sounded good), and I didn't like the extra knobs. Simple is good.

Thats the answer that most are looking for thanks for explaining ill try to get into it and ill try to find if Barber Tone Press is available in UK if not then i will probably jump into dbx as its affordable. Thanks again!

 

[petejt]

Compressors can do a lot to clean tone, including rackmount compressors.


I believe that compression is a larger factor in that slick polished '80s clean tone than chorus.

 

[UKBoogieboy]

I have got a Digitech/dbx Main Squeeze, studio quality compressor, its doesn't tone suck when off but when on it ruins the sound, kills the tone, I don't use it.
I was going to get the T.C. BUT.................T.C. put a calibration system on their stuff, which is useless for Mesa send and returns, UNLESS you have got a single output knob like the Lonestar and rectoverb. On amps like the Express and F50, forget it because the send output is controlled by the master volume knob, so everytime you turn the volume up or down on the amp, you change the input to the T.C. and have to RE CALIBRATE!!

Thats why I didn't buy their products even though I wanted to.