Compression Pedals

[Smokey]

I recently purchased an Aria compression pedal.  Although I'm of the understanding that compression pedals are a subtle effect I cant really hear that it does anything.  I only paid Ģ45 for it and it was available locally.  Am I expecting too much from compression pedals or is it worth considering another pedal is what I'm wondering.  Thanks for any input.

[Kiichi]

I got an MXR Supercomp, set a bit more for sustain and that way it is one of those pedals you donīt really notice are there, but notice when they are not. THe biggest effect I get is more sustain on my notes and a bit smoothing out in general.
What else it does I only notice when I really do a side by side with turning it on and off again. Then I notice how a few dynamics go away, in a good way, making the sound a tad more focused and my palm mutes sound and such sound fuller and again a bit more focused.

Try a side by side, see how palm mutes feel and if you get sustain differences.
Also check the settings, maybe you just donīt have the right ones.

[Plenum n Heather]

There are lots of different types of compressors out there. What kind is the Aria? Do you know what the compression ratio(s) is (are)? The hotter the input into the compressor, the more gain reduction it will provide; bringing up the low and squashing the high amplitudes. If you are playing with a lot of gain, you are already compressing your signal and it won't be nearly as noticeable. Finally, where the compressor resides in your signal chain will have a vast affect on how noticeable it is.

[Brow]

Compression is 1 of those effects that if you can hear it working, unless you're going for a specific effect, then you're using too much.

[dave_mc]

some compressors are more subtle than others... that's not to say there's not something wrong with it, as there may well be, but it also may well be working fine :lol:

[gordiji]

For me , compressors are for clean guitar, to enable sustain and eveness on the plain strings so
they don't sound weedy. Think Knopfler.
They can give a vol boost and useful extra sustain with Crunch. With more than light Crunch they're pretty useless imo.

[JJretroTONEGOD]

compression can be subtle or aggressive and anything in-between, I prefer the natural dynamics without a compressor. I used to own the keeley comp and didn't like it much yet other people love it.

[Telerocker]

This explains a bit (though he looks like a brother of Sylvester Stallone  :) )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMSCKz4GRZY

[JJretroTONEGOD]

This explains a bit (though he looks like a brother of Sylvester Stallone  :) )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMSCKz4GRZY

lol it could be his illegitimate son! just one of many...

AADDRRIIAANN!  :lol:

[MrBump]

I definitely have a Love/Hate relationship with my MXR Super Comp.  It's currently off my board; I have a rule that I only have as many pedals on that can be powered with a single 1Spot, and it's nearly always the Super Comp that gets sacrificed.  However, when I get bored with whatever new junk I put on there, the Super Comp goes back on and I fall back in love with the smooth shiny cleans. 

But somehow it feels unnatural to use a compressor. It feels like the pedal is doing work for me, particularly when overdriven.  I like the more natural, non compressed drive sound.

MXR Super Compressor is a great pedal though, for a compressor.

[DavidRees]

the guy is on the button about how it makes you fit in better when playing with others, more prominent but less loud is the way I see it. I use a Rothwell Love Squeeze which is one of the coolest names for a pedal ever... 8)

[xXNicFlairXx]

I have a Keeley Compressor which i like to run after my overdrive (Marshall Bluesbreaker) It's nearly always on, I find that it evens out the volume when engaging the overdrive and gives me the grit without the volume boost. I run a treble booster after it for when i want that effect. My main guitar is HSS so the compressor also helps keep an even volume level when switching to the humbucker.

[Telerocker]

Cmpressors have a purpose, especially for recording, but I don't like how they mess with my pickattack. Not really for me. Maybe I should play for a longer time with an uppermarket pedal, like the Coca Comp.

[BigB]

Well, I do have a rather "uppermarket" compressor (Celmo Sardin Can), and I still barely use it even finger-picking on single coils (which only happens @home - I'd probably use it if I was to play that way in a band).