Compressors - why are they so common with bass?

[Nickweissmusic]

Some also like to use it as an effect as well. I keep a Boss CS-3 around for just that and it can sound pretty gnarly. The other uses are the ones stated above. Comp preference is probably one of the most personal choices we can make to augment our rigs. Here's a primer:
Compressor Reviews

WOW THATS A LOT OF COMPRESSORS! I've only owned three over the years, and his results are essentially exactly what I found. I still own the visual sound route 66 pedal, because the overdrive section is phenomenal for both guitar and bass, but I haven't so much as stepped on the comp switch in probably a decade.

I personally have had very little luck with stomp box compressors, when performing live I get my compression from the gain versus volume adjustment on my Genz Benz, in the studio I use a Firefly or REDDI DI, which both yield a nice subtle compression/expansion. There's also an interesting compression effect known as "playing notes consistently"

 

[matty1039]

I have a cheap compressor. I use it so I don't have to dig in as much with my fingers on my right hand.

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

I tried the Milk Box, MXR M87, Diamond BCB-1, FEA DE-CL, and finally settled on the Empress Comp. I had a hard time letting them be more of a utility item and subtle, prob why I went through so many. I see both sides of the argument from bass players, arguing that they are essential and that they are not necessary. My Empress really shines with doing recordings at home. I can actually really tell that it's cleaning up my sound.

 

[Timmy-Watts]

I only use a tiny bit of compression. I play with a lot of dynamics, and I have it set so I can still express easily. For me, it's more for when I change pickup blend, subtly change the active on board eq for tone, or change basses, and it seems to fatten the overall sound of any of my instruments. And i frequently change playing technique- finger, thumb, muting, slap, etc.

I always practice dry, and my particular compressor (the Smoothie) has a dry blend, whose level is usually about 80% of where the affected signal is.

 

[Josh Kneisel]

I noticed that a lot of bass players use compressors. Why is that? Is it certain styles of music that use it?

Just trying to learn.

I use one to help keep me sitting in a good place in the mix, helps even out notes between strings, fattens my tone up a bit. I don't squash the crud out of it just a tad so low A's and E's don't overwhelm everything else

 

[Josh Kneisel]

I use the Darkglass Supersymetry

 

[Josh Kneisel]

Also, keeps volume fairly similar between different bass configurations

 

[AshInAmsterdam]

I run mine before my distortion, a modded DS1 that is very sensitive to picking strength and therefore it benefits from a stable input signal, which the compressor promises.

It tends to end up always on as it resides at the back of my pedal board and to turn it off means to knock the other pedals' knobs.

(You'll also find a lot of guitarists use them, particularly for chunky rhythms and solos).

 

[non]

if you play the bass as a band foundation instrument then a compressor is great for keeping your dynamics in check. it kind of makes you the designated driver for the band. compressors are great for slapping and if you tend to get excited and dig in a little to hard they even out your playing.
i used a mxr bass compressor that i like even thought my tc rh head has a compressor. then i only had my tc rh head once so i used the built in compressor. i could not believe how much better to my ears the tc rh compressor sounded. it just controls the dynamics in a different and better way.

 

[SGT. BAKER]

Well! I keep my TLC Aguilar the mostly times out of my pedalboard.
In the past I worked hard my own technique, so I can say that I got controlling good enough my playing and my dynamics.

The only reason that it makes me putting my compressor is the needing of some songs, for instance when I need getting an smoother attack or/and having a longer sustain like in some ballads; some praise songs (specially when I played in a gospel choir); or some dance music for getting a bass sound with a bit less of percussive character.

 

[SGT. BAKER]

And of course I agree that the compressor they are an usefull tool when you are recording in studio.

 

[FuzzFacetious]

Stops the room shaking, literally. Other than that, I don't know what else it's doing perceptively although I know what it's doing on paper.

 

[davegt666]

I use mine to fatten my tone a little, tame peaks, and even out my playing since I can be a bit of a Mexican jumping bean on stage .

 

[ofajen]

Dynamic range is the enemy.

Otto

 

[beatnut]

Thanks for the replies and the link to reviews.



Something I've noticed in my short time playing bass is that if I alternate i-m with the same type of attack I use on a classical guitar, I get a percussive sound when my finger first hits the string. To be honest, I don't really like it. It's a problem I'm trying to deal with. Would the compressor make this effect better or worse?

Might it be just the opposite - that a compressor would put more demands on your technique? Lacking actual experience, I could so it working out either way depending on the player/situation.

Are you talking about free strokes, as opposed to apoyando? With a free stroke, you're supposed to avoid planting, i.e. placing your finger on the string before playing the note. Whereas with bass guitar, that is a perfectly valid technique. I tend to keep my fingernails trimmed, so I have a choice of using just flesh or flesh+nail. Also, big meat of thumb, side of thumb, palm muting, pick (plastic, felt, wood, tortoiseshell). There's always a way.

A compressor wouldn't make much difference, in my opinion, unless you set it to squash the attack entirely, which is quite an unpleasant sound in itself.

 

[DavC]

because we like to make lots o Volume spikes for various reasons ...

pluck or slap to hard

boost to much EQ ( especially Bass on Active basses )

to protect your speakers and the PA ..!!

in my case , ... i'd get a little to drunk and start wanking away ..!!

 

[AshInAmsterdam]

in my case , ... i'd get a little to drunk and start wanking away ..!!

And a little compression can sure help with that...

 

[Mushroo]

I noticed that a lot of bass players use compressors. Why is that? Is it certain styles of music that use it?

Almost every instrument or voice that you hear, on almost any song you listen to on the radio, is compressed. Compression is a "magic" effect that makes just about anything sound better, to the majority of listeners. A musician learning to use a compressor is about as rare as a chef learning to use a blender.

Interesting article on the topic here: Loudness war - Wikipedia

Don't worry about it if you don't own a compressor. Your sound/mixing engineer is probably using one on your bass track, whether he tells you about it or not.

 

[Ellery]

My experience, I used a comp pedal when I was running a solid state head to get my tone, now I have a hybrid with a tube in the pre and that does the job for me.

 

[AdamX]

Are you talking about free strokes, as opposed to apoyando? With a free stroke, you're supposed to avoid planting, i.e. placing your finger on the string before playing the note. Whereas with bass guitar, that is a perfectly valid technique. I tend to keep my fingernails trimmed, so I have a choice of using just flesh or flesh+nail. Also, big meat of thumb, side of thumb, palm muting, pick (plastic, felt, wood, tortoiseshell). There's always a way.

A compressor wouldn't make much difference, in my opinion, unless you set it to squash the attack entirely, which is quite an unpleasant sound in itself.

Mostly free stroke, but I notice it with both. I need to experiment more with a rest stroke. I see videos of bass players using both techniques. Maybe I need to lighten my touch because I'm not trying to dig out an acoustic sound like I am with nylon.