OD's & Compressors???

[Monsta-Tone]

OK, so I'm finally ready to buy a compressor. Some of you guys helped me before, but my setup has changed slightly.

I know that some of you guys like the following:

OD's:
OCD
Fulldrive II
Abundai II
TS-808


Compressors:
Keeley 4-knob
Ross
Barber Tone Press


Here are my questions:

1. What are the major differences between the Keeley 2-knob & 4-knob?

2. What would the advantage be of using the Tone Press with parallel compression?

3. What other models do you guys use & why?


Here is the setup as it stands now:
PRS McCarty or Custom 22
Planet Waves Tuner pedal
Bad Horsie II Wah (set on Contour mode)
Fulltone Fat Boost
DC-10 amp (usually the 2x12 combo)
Nova System in the Loop

Here is my goal:
Clean channel is very sparkly, very much like a Fender Super Reverb.
Lead channel is liquid sustain, very fat and warm, like Santana's tones on Supernatural.

I want to be able to push these channels even more with a compressor.

I also want to find an OD pedal that I like. I had the TS-808 re-issue, but had the tone turned so low that it affected the harmonics too much for my tastes. Basically, I didn't really like it that much. Maybe I should have modded it instead of selling it.


I want an OD & Compressor that won't suck tone, doesn't cost as much as a car, and are fairly small in footprint.

 

[gonzo]

compressor:

cut and paste from earlier time:

i had a dynacomp for 10 years.

then i tried a barber tone press, and was absolutely sold.

i a/b'd it against a Keeley compressor.

here's my review:



got to a-b a Keeley compressor against a Barber tone press


both of these, are guitar player magazine editor's choice award winners.

my luthier, bought a keeley comp.

i bought a Barber tone press.

we got together last night and a/b'd the two-- same rig, same guitar, same settings, etc.

gotta say, they're both amazingly good sounding compressers.

both are pretty transparent.

both are dirt simple to operate.

both have true bypass. you don't hear them in line at all, when the effect is off.
all other compressors, i've ever tried, sucked tone when off.

both have led's to show when the effect is engaged.

both are made very well.

the barber is bigger, and a bit heftier, than the keeley. i like heavy, myself, but if it was an issue of fitting a smaller pedal on a pedalboard, the keeley has the upper hand.

$219

the keeley, is based somewhat on the mxr dynacomp.
i had a dyncomp, til about a month ago, so i'm well versed in the feel of that classic comp.
the keeley, is more transparent, and not quite as noisy, as the original mxr dynacomp.
the keeley has more aggressive settings on the sensitivity, and gets pretty noisy when dimed (completely understandable with high settings of ANY compressor).

-but the middle settings sounds really nice, and even at really low settings, you can get very transparent compressor settings. Still, you can hear a certain amount of 'pop' at the harder pick attacks, and this is very much in line with the classic dynacomp sound....and it still sounds 'squished' to my ears...... it's more obvious that this effect is on, even on mild settings, than what is achievable with the tone press.

it has an 'attack' control, inside the box, that can be tweaked to a degree, but is somewhat a nuisance to get to and mess with...
we left this set on the factory setting for this test.

the barber Tone Press, can do this same sound, but has a completely other side as well....

it can do "Parallel compression".
and it works.

website defines it best:
Barber developed a one-of-a-kind and quite proprietary continuous “blend control” circuit and combined it with a discrete “Class A” FET mixer circuit to allow you to continuously blend the natural signal of your carefully selected guitar with a “phase-corrected” classic compression circuit.

basically, i can dial in the amount of compression (sustain) i want, then take the blend knob and dial in the straight, dry unaffected guitar signal along with the compressed signal.
this allows me to set the compressor so i get exactly the amount of 'attack' i want, and it comes through without being squished.

when i first plugged it in, it almost seemed like the compressor was not doing anything...
because you hear all of your original attack, and with typical compressors, you hear the compressor working on the signal right away. i had to leave that session, come back later with a different mindset, before i really became aware of how this thing really works.

--with the tone press, it's very subtle how it's working, and doesn't mess with the basic tone and dynamics as much, based on how you set the blend control. but you still get all the compression you want, it's just way more dynamic.

it seems to enhance the tone as well, meaning, it doesn't 'take away' any of the treble or bass response. you can turn the blend all the way to the right, and get the 'dynacomp' sound if you want it.

but i'm finding, the unique sound of this compressor has allowed me to dial in a much more natural sounding effect.

it sounds perfect for strats.

i back it down a bit for humbuckers....... which is as easy as just dialing the 'blend' knob back a notch or two.....

a side benefit of this pedal...
you can use it as a class A 'clean boost'.......... with 8 db of boost, and the blend all the way to the left.

there is a 'color' trim pot inside the box. you can tweak this to give a more round vintage sound. i like it in the factory 'full on' setting.

$139.95

for the price, i think it's a no brainer.

YMMV

 

[gonzo]

Electric guitar effect: Barber Direct Drive SS:
Barber Electronics


Price Paid: US $135, purchased directly from Barber Electronics

Ease of Use: 9 (out of 10)
having internal trim pots allows for a much greater flexibility in dialing in the sound 'just right'.
they are a bit of a pain, but in the big scheme of things, the best way to do it, in my opinion.
i'd hate it if this pedal had 7 knobs on top of it!

it's dirt simple, though. turn the pot til you get what you want!

Sound Quality: 9
i play a Carvin dc200 koa with a duncan Custom Custom in the bridge, carvin original humbucker in the neck, through a mesa boogie mark2b 60 watt head, into a pair of 1x12 cabs loaded with 30 watt celestions.
i also have a custom strat, that has bill lawrence L280s and a L-500L in it...

i love this pedal.

it does bring in a certain level of noise with the higher gain settings, but i haven't seen any pedal that does not do this to some degree. a little less noise at a given drive level, than most other pedals at the same drive level.

-with the internal harmonics, bass, midrange and presence trimpots, you can obtain a lot of shades and tones of overdrive, used in conjunction with the level, drive and tone knobs on top. i really dig the harmonics trim pot...for me, my rig, it works.

What I love abut this pedal is that it took the basic sound of my rig, as i've tried to optimize it for full range tone, and added a level of touch sensitivity and another level of hot preamplification....and allowed me to really dial in the sweet spot and the amount of distortion i really want. It has a decidely 'marshally' sounding grind. no fuzz, just grind. perfect for me. it has the capability to go really crunchy, but i have set it up right now for a slightly smoother sound, with a touch of the crunch... i've got the harmonic trim pot set up at about 3:00 on the clock dial, i have yet to experiment with running the harmonic trim all the way to the minimum setting, just to see how that would sound.

it's very harmonic, very flexible. i finally have the touch sensitivity thing going on, that i could't quite dial in with any other combination of my rig before. and i've been through, or demo'd a lot of od's and distortions.

this is the best one i've tried to date.

it's not a modern gain type of sound at all, more like a hot rodded vintage marshall.

in combination with the smooth grind of the boogie, it's a perfect combination.

it made me completely re-think my gain structure on my boogie face....
true bypass rules.


Reliability: 9
i haven't had this pedal long enough to vouch for longevity.

but in comparing it with my other pedals, it's build quality is high.
i would suspect this would last for ages, it's solid. the wiring looks really clean, only the switch itself, would ever be the thing that would wear out, and that'd take quite some time.
i'd gig with it and no backup.

Customer Support: 10
David Barber seems like such a nice guy. when i called him to talk about the idea of his coughing up every penny of the purchase of 30 DDSS's, towards katrina relief, he seemed very heartfelt about the relief effort, and it was this conversation with him that clenched the deal for me.

i've emailed him several times with questions, and posted on the BBS, and he is quick to repond, and basically is completely open with information and a helpful attitude.

you just don't get that level of committment in many places, these days.

Overall Rating: 10
This is a Fantastic Pedal. An even better Value. And it's so versatile, i set it up as a clean boost, worked great! i have a lot more experimentation to do, to completely dial it in..
but after several hours on saturday, a few more on sunday, i've got a good feel for this thing already.

i've played rock, fusion, other styles, for 30 years, as a full time road musician for 7 of those.

i've played through most every type of classic tube amp, and a few of the more modern high gain models.
i've gone through pedals like imelda marcos through shoes!

i have a high level of conviction that this is a keeper.

i'd get another one if it was lost or stolen.

i'll be looking at the Barber Tone press next.....

(i knicked this review from the Harmony Central review i posted right after recieving this pedal)

 

[BobL]

Monsta,
Hope all is well in tone town. One of the best compressors available to day is found at the link below. It's the Analogman Comprosser, a slightly modified Ross clone. I would suggest a Ross (no you can't have one of mine) but I see the prices up over $3-400 now, so I recommend the Analogman.

The problem you had with the re-issue 808 is not a new one. I wish you hadn't sold it because for the price of a .50 capacitor you could have eliminated the problem. For the tone you want with the rig you have you might be best with a BB pre amp.

Check this out;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiW22O914Cg

 

[GIG4FUN]

I just bought a Xotic BB (shipped on the way now). I am pretty confident it is the one for me
I suggest it, BUT I won't know for sure until it gets here. I will post back.

 

[Laskyman]

There are a lot of great effects- gotta play with a couple to know what is right for *you*- as for me, I really dig the Tone Press.
It is as versatile as you want it to be- if you want squish- its in there, but, if you want your picking attack to be natural with the sustain of a compressor- the Tone Press has no equal that I am aware of. "You wont always know its on, but you'll know when its off"....
My $.02 on OD- you cant go wrong with the Maxon OD808. I use mine as a creamy topping for clean channels, and that boost over the cliff on dirty channels. Doesnt take over or transform you core tone, just adds a gain stage to what was there before. Your tone only tighter.
As others have stated, the BB is bullet proof as well- i may well end up with a BB on my board at some time, but is a little bit more $$......

For what you are looking for- tone and value- the Barber units or OD808 may be up your alley.

Hope this helps-

Laskyman

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Hey thanks guys,

I think the Barber is the way to go. It's a little bigger than I want (small pedal board), but the pick attack and compression is what I wanted to hear.


As for OD....The BB might just be the ticket.
I wish I still lived in the city so I could just make a day of it and find what I want.

Keep em coming!!!!

 

[jab]

I think you'll like Tone Press. It's the only effect I ever bought "blind" and I don't regret it. It does what it says it will do in a subtle way. Let us know what settings you end up with.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

:lol: I'll probably start with whatever settings you guys use! :lol:

 

[jab]

I seem to hover with blend and sustain both at 11:00. Pick attack still there and gives good sustain. I wouldn't mind more sustain on solos, but I like to leave it on all the time balanced for rhythm/lead. I believe Barber calls that a "magic dust" type of setting.