WHICH COMPRESSOR?

[guitarsam]

Forgive me for being so dumb, but can somebody please answer a question that I have? In regards to early Shads material, what is the best pedal to use -
a compressor/limiter or a compressor/sustainer and why?

Regards,
Scott

[Deleted]

Hi Scott,
The answer to your question can be quite comprehensive but I am presuming if you know what a compressor is and does kind of answers it anyway. However probably the most defined track would be Atlantis where the notes appear pushed as opposed to other slower track hits. It seems the most popular compressor that guys here use is the Boss CS-3 which is described as compressor/sustainer.
Tony

[guitarsam]

Thanks for helping me out, Tony.
I have actually got a Boss CS3 that I bought in the late 1980's when I was playing in bands, but hardly ever used it (and from memory, I don't think I was using it properly when I did use it). For a good while now,
It has been sitting idle in a storage box. I must get it out and mess around with it. I might just have some use for it after all.
I have just started using again my old Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay that I bought in 1985 and sort of rediscovered it. I originally abandoned it in 1988 for a Boss DD3 Digital Delay ( what on earth was I thinking?)

Regards,
Scott.

[tonybiker]

Hi Scott.

Compressors have not really changed and they all have the same basic controls. The word 'sustainer' seemed to come from nowhere and stuck at the end of compressor, and I have always looked at that word as a 'sales technique'. A sustained note caused by the compressor has always been a sort of by-product. Using 'sustainer' ensured a number of sales to people who locked onto that very word and bought one. There are a fair few members that own such a pedal for that reason.
A limiter is used for drums where a more aggressive form of control is needed, it's been used with bass as well. You will often find a noise gate as well.
If your playing rock or country then a compressor is the norm, but for clean shads sound I don't think it has a place. The original Atlantis has a nasal sound and maybe an attempt to have a different sound from very limited gear they had in those days.

Tony

[shadfan4]

The expression "sustainer" used with compressors derives from the "sustain" effect that if the compressor is set right, as the string vibration decreases, the compressor increases the volume giving the illusion of sustain. This can be achieved using (depending on the type of comp) fast attack with low threshold, high ratio, and slow release settings.

The best of the bunch for a pedal type unit just for this, is the MXR "Dyna Comp" my one is quite old now, and not used much, alongside my MXR "Phase 100".

Mike.

[Deleted]

Scott

For Shadows music I think a compressor makes a big difference to the sound. It makes it worse.
This also applies to Surf music The Atlantics (Martin Cilia) The Ventures etc. A compressor does not work for me.
I have a Boss Compressor Sustainer (CS3) I have tried it and I just do not use it for this type of music.
As Tony said good for Rock or Country. Having said that I play some country on a telecaster and I do not use the CS3.
Compression has its place elsewhere, especially for vocals.
George.

[daleb2010]

Hi Scott I think any of the units programmed with Charlie's Echoes from the past will do the trick but another important thing is the guitar pickups, for the modern day Hank sound from 2001- present Hank has been using Kinmans (FV-HMS) - Zero Hum pickups, but because your looking for the early sound maybe a good set to try would be Kinmans Impersonator 54 Pickups, these are more for Hanks early sound.

Here is a link www.kinman.com/guitar-pickups/stratocaster/

Hope this helps you

Regards
Dale

[guitarsam]

Thanks for the info, guys. Much appreciated. As I mentioned, I was never a big compressor fan; I just couldn't find a place for it in anything I played. I was just wondering that's all.

Dale:
Thanks for the info on the pickups.
In regards to Charlie's EFTP
units, I have a Zoom G2nu with EFTP and have grown to not like it at all. Don't get me wrong, Charlie has done a fantastic job writing patches for the G2Nu considering it's limitations. The echoes are too thin and the pedal itself seems to degrade the core tone of your guitar no matter what effect you are using.
I guess I'll have to wait for the Hall & Collins Echo to come out... (and upgrade my pickups).

Regards,
Scott

[26rednef]

Hi.

On "Atlantis" Hank is using truckloads of compression, and the compressor used was Abby Road studio II in house tube equipment, Fairchild 660, a big box with a very fast attack reaction and run at a very high voltage so it produces no thumps and have a very low distortion.

Personally I use this *** Gray Compressor clone if compression is needed and for Shadows music it is just the tune "Atlantis" there it is so obvious it is used and needed.
www.buildyourownclone.com/5knobcompressor.html


Kind Regards,
26rednef

[DaveC]

Hi Scott,

The biggest user of a compressor for "sustain" was Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. That famous "jingle-jangle sound" was achieved by feeding the output from his Rickenbacker 360/12 through two studio compressors in series!

When Rickenbacker produced the Roger McGuinn Signature 360/12 it had a compressor built into the guitar.

Similar circuitry is now available in the JangleBox www.ricsrus.com/Janglebox.html , which is probably the best stompbox compressor available. It's a bit pricey and no use whatsoever for Shadows stuff .

Regards
Dave

[rogerbayliss]

I think the Shadows used compression and limiting in the studio but not in their rigs for live play. Most people tend to use the compressor to thicken the sound certainly with thinner strings and thin pickups esp the bridge. I went down this route but in the end all you need is the heavy strings and a good valve amp and echo for live playing and some technique.

Compressors do suck tone ! Here is a good site with reviews on many comps for mainly Bass players but relevant for 6 stringers too.

www.ovnilab.com/index.shtml

[26rednef]

Hi.

That is correct, the studio used compression but mostly to even things out in the end, it is hard to find it on single tracks other then on Hanks guitar at the "Atlantis" recording, they double tracked his guitar more or less on regular basis.

Kind Regards,
26rednef