KVR Audio

Satasha · Post by **Satasha** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:28 pm

What compressor do you use on electric bass guitar? I am looking for something that will smooth out low and high volume differences and also sound pleasing. Obviously the latter is subjective. What I normally use works OK but in some contexts it doesn't sound quite right to me - something about the mid-range becomes too overblown.

Funkybot's Evil Twin · Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:33 pm

Try the IK Multimedia White2A. Don't be afraid to dig in either. If you want something more aggressive with less attack, you can also get good results with the the Black76. You can pretty much sub in any halfway decent LA-2A or 1176 inspired plugin for these tasks (Universal Audio, Waves, etc.). I've even had good results with The Glue for rock stuff (try 10ms attack with 100 to 300 release to start).

IMO, electric bass can be the hardest instrument to deal with in a mix, and finding a good bass compressor is a big part of getting a good sound out of it.

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:40 pm

Get DC8C in any case.

Endor-8o8 · Post by **Endor-8o8** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:46 pm

Shy wrote:Get DC8C in any case.

+1000000

Dean Aka Nekro · Post by **Dean Aka Nekro** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:48 pm

Hardware, I have a few to choose from both rack and stompbox/pedal but plug-in wise/ITB I find Variety of Sound's ThrillseekerLA to be just the job, PSP Audioware's oldTimer/oldTimerME along with Abbey Road plug-ins TG12413 comp/limiter's really easy to dial in. Digidesign's SMACK! still gets alot of use and if I didn't have some of the rack units which I have then Arts Acoustic CL-Series are blinding for the job. I will also happily use Waves API 2500 model as that is hard to make sound bad. It really depends what exactly I want and in this case what exactly You want. TC Electronic (a powercore only plug-in) has/had a great 3-band compressor that was great for tightening things up but I never bought a powercore, Liked it alot though and still do

Dean

egbert · Post by **egbert** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:52 pm

PSP Old Timer is pretty nice on a bass.

mandolarian · Post by **mandolarian** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:10 pm

Endor-8o8 wrote:
Shy wrote:Get DC8C in any case.
+1000000

+1000001
Is there nothing that DC8C can't make bigger, fatter, wider, longer, thinner, tighter, taller, softer, crisper, smoother, snappier, deeper, lighter, chunkier, punchier, faster, slower, tastier, smackier, sublimer, happier? It's a dynamics gymnast - so flexible and brainlessly affordable.

Funkybot's Evil Twin · Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:21 pm

Shy wrote:Get DC8C in any case.

Forgot about this one. Another goodie!

khanyz · Post by **khanyz** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:29 pm

Ahh, something in my wheelhouse.

The best I have is GUP-1, which was from Kjaerhus. DC8C or Major Tom would be my recommendations for compressor only. For full bass sounds, try Voxformer. It's great and covers a lot of ground.

Either way, for me the key is being able to tweak the sidechain EQ, or have 2/3 bands.

Hardware wise. I had a Tech21 BassCompactor, but it was just OK so I sold with my stage rig. I haven't replaced it with anything specific as I prefer to record bass as raw as possible. Occasionally I do us an Art Levelar or the single knob on my TRIO.

zvenx · Post by **zvenx** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:32 pm

I use to use the UAD LA-3A and Fairchild (still use the fairchild) but the DC8C has taken over primary responsibility on bass for me.
rsp

Dean Aka Nekro · Post by **Dean Aka Nekro** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:57 pm

Woah, I only have the freebie from Klanghelm but when I have my new audio machine that one is now on the list to demo for sure. Thanks Shy, Endor-808, mandolarian, Funkybot's

Twin and zvenx, I have not much power on tap until I do You see but have a big pile of a list to demo properly in context when I do have some grunt again

Oh and price is really good too which I always like to see, Probably would of totally missed that one

Best to all as always

Dean

Also to You too Nigel mate, I am guilty as charged popping in the dbx 'overeasy' switch and going on knob all the way if its fit for the task. Since I got an Ashdown HyperDrive bass dirt pedal which lets one add dirt to the mid-range in a quite focused way whilst still letting through all the fundamentals clean it has made getting that old classic 'bulldozer' bass sound an absolute piece of cake along with other bits already. That could change at any time I pick up or build a new pedal though

dsynth27 · Post by **dsynth27** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:20 pm

Softube Tube-Tech CL1B.

khanyz · Post by **khanyz** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:23 pm

Dean Aka Nekro wrote:That could change at any time I pick up or build a new pedal though

Don't worry, a "What the BassCompactor should have been" is already on my To Do list.

ObiWonder · Post by **ObiWonder** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:39 pm

Funkybot's Evil Twin wrote:Try the IK Multimedia White2A. Don't be afraid to dig in either. If you want something more aggressive with less attack, you can also get good results with the the Black76. You can pretty much sub in any halfway decent LA-2A or 1176 inspired plugin for these tasks (Universal Audio, Waves, etc.). I've even had good results with The Glue for rock stuff (try 10ms attack with 100 to 300 release to start).

IMO, electric bass can be the hardest instrument to deal with in a mix, and finding a good bass compressor is a big part of getting a good sound out of it.

Thanks for the recommendation! I LOVE the White 2A on bass, I usually run 2 of them in a series and add a hint of distortion inside of AmpliTube running the Ampeg SVX models. Mmmmmm bass....

HcDoom · Post by **HcDoom** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:56 pm

Ik White2A, Black 76 or it's Waves counterparts and ofc, LA3A. Can't go wrong with any of those on bass.

Nice Compressor for Bass Guitar?