Testing Compressors: Cali, Smoothie, Empress, Diamond, Keeley, FEA, Darkglass, Doc Lloyd, JHS & more

scubaduba · May 21, 2018

TheLopp · May 21, 2018

I’m on tour right now in the US and last night I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the sound in my in ears until the very end of the show. I forgot to put my Cali76 CB on. It’s the only pedal that doesn’t gets on when powering up my pedal board.

The signal goes through my Cali and the splits into two signals with a Lehle P-split into a Noble for clean and a VT Bass DI for a pushed tube amp sound. I didn’t now it affected my sound that much until yesterday, it makes a huge difference.

I haven’t tried any Keeley compressor or the Smoothie but I own a Cali76-TX and the CB, Diamond, the Accountant, SpectraComp and a Milkbox. Different flavours but the CB is really, really good.

tshapiro · May 21, 2018

They're going to have to pry my Cali76 Bass from my cold dead hands.

Spidey2112 · May 21, 2018

After speaking with their customer support, it was a no-brainer...

... Keeley.

petrus61 · May 21, 2018

Might want to try the FEA Labs offerings for the next go round.

dannybuoy · May 22, 2018

Don't discount the Spectracomp! It may be the underdog, but I prefer mine to my Cali CB and the RMI, Keeley, Diamond, and EBS contestants that proceeded it.

It may only have one knob - but what a knob it is!

Oh and don't forget to run that Cali at 18V if you can, it does clip a bit (although not in a harsh way) at 9V if you have the attack and/or HPF up high!

scubaduba · May 22, 2018

petrus61 said:
Might want to try the FEA Labs offerings for the next go round.

I'd very much like to get my hands on the FEA (any version). Anybody have one they'd like to sell me?

dannybuoy said:
Don't discount the Spectracomp! It may be the underdog, but I prefer mine to my Cali CB and the RMI, Keeley, Diamond, and EBS contestants that proceeded it.

It may only have one knob - but what a knob it is!

Oh and don't forget to run that Cali at 18V if you can, it does clip a bit (although not in a harsh way) at 9V if you have the attack and/or HPF up high!

I've used the Spectracomp before. Actually tried two different units. Both were far too noisy for my taste. Maybe I'll try another one and see if things have improved (or my taste has changed).

Yes, I'm running the Cali at 18 volts.

petrus61 · May 22, 2018

scubaduba said:
I'd very much like to get my hands on the FEA (any version). Anybody have one they'd like to sell me?

I've used the Spectracomp before. Actually tried two different units. Both were far too noisy for my taste. Maybe I'll try another one and see if things have improved (or my taste has changed).

Yes, I'm running the Cali at 18 volts.

I had an Opti-Fet posted in the classifieds up until a couple days ago, or else I would have! They’re amazing pieces of gear. Definitely go for it if you ever get the chance. Have fun in the journey down the compressor rabbit hole!

scubaduba · May 22, 2018

Yeah, I saw that one. But I saw it too late. I'd really like to try the Opti-Fet.

40Hz · May 22, 2018

For day to day straight ahead transparent limiting I find the Keeley Bassist quickest to set and easiest to use. It’s very difficult to make yourself sound bad with it. That makes it ideal as a first compressor if you’re new to it, or as something that lives on your board for whenever it’s needed. Mine is one of the first things I’ll drop in my gig bag. Perfect for dealing with difficult room acoustics.

The Smoothie is a thing unto itself. If you want a certain special sauce type of “smoove” and thickening, a Smoothie is hard to beat for the price. I’ve got one and I like it a lot.

I don’t own any Cali compressors. But the ones I have tried were all uniformly excellent at what they do. Pricey, but worth it IMO.

For a relatively higher end pedal compressor I use a Bogner Lyndhurst which packs a Neve designed transformer. It’s a little overkill buying one just for bass unless you’re recording with it a lot. But my SO is a guitarist. She’ll put the snags on it anytime I’m not using it, so it earns its keep. Surprisingly affordable and bordering on a bargain for what you get if you shop around. If round and warm and sparkle is your thing, it’s well worth checking out. It’s sometimes compared to a Cali. But it, like the Cali, each has their own vibe and feel so I wouldn’t consider either a substitute for the other. In a perfect world, I’d own both. Which is the fun thing about compressors. They’re each a little different. So if pursuing sonic and textural subtleties is your thing, a compressor is your baby.

I have five compressors so far. And at least another three on my GAS list.

It’s a sickness…

dannybuoy · May 22, 2018

scubaduba said:
I've used the Spectracomp before. Actually tried two different units. Both were far too noisy for my taste. Maybe I'll try another one and see if things have improved (or my taste has changed).

I was fully expecting the same after reading Bongo's comments about the Hypergravity, but I was pleasantly surprised. Running at unity gain with the stock preset into a clean headphone amp and decent cans, I can't hear any noise whatsoever. YMMV with other Toneprints of course and it might be fussy on certain power supplies.

One thing I always struggle to dial in right with compressors is getting it to do all of the following:

- Even out playing dynamics
- Not overly clamp down when a low note is played
- Not let the high clack of a thumb slapped note end up over compressing everything to lose the power of the low end
- A long enough attach time to add a little pop at the front of each note
- Have the release time short enough so that I can hit a note hard without it obviously affecting the next note... yet long enough so I can play a long note without it noticably swelling up
- Does not dull my high end or lose my low end
- Adds no noticeable noise

I put the Spectracomp at 9 o'clock and ticked every box on my list, then wondered why I had bothered with the frustration of trying to dial in the 6 knob compressor sat next to it. :roflmao:

bass40hz · May 22, 2018

Send them all back and get an FEA DE-CL

40Hz · May 22, 2018

dannybuoy said:
I put the Spectracomp at 9 o'clock and ticked every box on my list, then wondered why I had bothered with the frustration of trying to dial in the 6 knob compressor sat next to it.

There's a lot to be said for simpler is sometimes better. If someone really needs to get super persnickity with settings maybe they do need full control over each of the parameters, assuming they know what they're doing. But as Keeley says in one of their user manuals, there are some standard long established settings that "just work" and sound good.

So unless you're doing some micro level sound sculpting in a recording studio, why bother dithering with a lot of knobs? Especially if you're talking about live performance. Any subtleties you're shooting for will go right out the door at stage volume levels.

Like you I've learned to appreciate the value of not overcomplcating things.

red_rhino · May 22, 2018

40Hz said:
Like you I've learned to appreciate the value of not overcomplcating things.

That's one of the things I like about the Smoothie; simple, intuitive, and easy to get a good sound in a hurry. I like to have my sound dialed in before the third set. :thumbsup:

The Keeley and the Cali both look easy to operate as well; probably sound great too. I just tried the Smoothie first and stayed with it.

mmbass21 · May 22, 2018

I've been wanting to try a Cal76 but I love my Smoothie so much. Every time I start thinking it isn't helping me live I turn it off for a song and wind up turning it back on midsong. I also play with the tone knob from time to time to get some slight different tones out of it to keep it fresh.

Aloe · May 22, 2018

scubaduba said:
I've used the Spectracomp before. Actually tried two different units. Both were far too noisy for my taste.

well, Spectracomp is indeed noisy (or at least notably amplifies the subtle hiss produced by guitar) when it's after 3 o'clock or something like this. this said, I happily sold my Markbass Compressore after buying the Spectracomp. the hiss does not bug me even in studio as my typical setting is between 10 and 12 o'clock.

my main grief with single-band compressors (I had Compressore and MXR M87) is that they somewhat lose the low end (can be tweaked with post-EQ but makes pre-EQ like bass boost in my active bass not very useful). for this reason, I prefer multi-band compressors.

this all said, compressor is a very subjective piece of gear. use the one that works for you and don't overthink this.

deepestend · May 22, 2018

Subscribed... I have been using a Bearhug compressor for the past few weeks and really like it. Has that nice combination of slight boost, roundness, and fatness... also helps you to sit nicely in the mix.

I built one and then saw one come up on reverb and bought it: Bear Hug Compressor – NEW Version – 1776 EFFECTS

dannybuoy · May 22, 2018

40Hz said:
There's a lot to be said for simpler is sometimes better. If someone really needs to get super persnickity with settings maybe they do need full control over each of the parameters, assuming they know what they're doing. But as Keeley says in one of their user manuals, there are some standard long established settings that "just work" and sound good.

So unless you're doing some micro level sound sculpting in a recording studio, why bother dithering with a lot of knobs? Especially if you'r talking about live performance. Any subtletes you're shooting for will go right out the door at stage volume levels.

Like you I've learned to appreciate the value of not overcomplcating things.

Actually if you're into tweaking this thing has a zillion adjustable parameters if you delve into the Toneprint app (I've never bothered, people with better ears than me seem to have already nailed the stock preset for my use!).

Aloe said:
well, Spectracomp is indeed noisy (or at least notably amplifies the subtle hiss produced by guitar) when it's after 3 o'clock or something like this. this said, I happily sold my Markbass Compressore after buying the Spectracomp. the hiss does not bug me even in studio as my typical setting is between 10 and 12 o'clock.

my main grief with single-band compressors (I had Compressore and MXR M87) is that they somewhat lose the low end (can be tweaked with post-EQ but makes pre-EQ like bass boost in my active bass not very useful). for this reason, I prefer multi-band compressors.

this all said, compressor is a very subjective piece of gear. use the one that works for you and don't overthink this.

Agree it is noisy if you crank the compression, but that's to be expected. Stock preset, knob at 9 o'clock, I get moderate squash and silence.

With you on the multi-band approach, you really hear both the attack of low end thump and high end clack coming through much more. The Cali CB has the LPF which is a great way to fix the same issue but not quite as good a solution IMHO. However the EBS had headroom issues for me and the RMI multi band noticeable altered my tone, needed isolated power due to being a source of noise (probably the 9-18V doubler inside) plus it died within a few days so was returned under warranty!

Surprised there aren't more multiband comps out there!

Rickter · May 22, 2018

When I was doing comp shopping, it was between the Keeley Bassist and the Duncan Studio Bass. I went with the Duncan and have been perfectly happy. Sometimes the blend feature is where the magic is at, sometimes you can barely tell it's there, but that's just me.

While the blend functions may not be a big deal currently, I'm a believer in "better to have and not need than to need and not have".

To me the Cali would still be a major contender based on it's pristine nature, the tone sweetening it seems to do for everyone but especially for the addition of the HPF circuit.

deepestend · May 22, 2018

I really want to play the Keeley... glad to hear it get a good review here.

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Testing Compressors: Cali, Smoothie, Empress, Diamond, Keeley, FEA, Darkglass, Doc Lloyd, JHS & more

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scubaduba

Moderator

TheLopp

tshapiro

Spidey2112

petrus61

dannybuoy

scubaduba

Moderator

petrus61

scubaduba

Moderator

40Hz

dannybuoy

bass40hz

Cigar smoker, scotch drinker, American Patriot

40Hz

red_rhino

Currently on Double Secret Probation

mmbass21

Aloe

deepestend

dannybuoy

Rickter

deepestend