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Compressors! An Essential part of your Pedalboard

Source Audio Blog

Compressors! An Essential part of your Pedalboard

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Posted in: News

This is another report by the elusive, intrepid and fearless CEO of Source Audio, Roger Smith.

Compressors and Raisinhead

For those of you who are reading my notes from the road, you will get an exclusive Source Audio scoop: we are working 
on a Soundblox Compressor as our next product.  Compression basically takes your signal and keeps the levels from 
getting too high or too low and extends the time they are audible.  We have a compressor on the front end of the Multiwave 
Distortion, but there is only one knob (SUSTAIN) to control its characteristics.  Many artists want to control the attack and 
decay parameters of the compressor, and this has suggested that we create a dedicated product.  Luckily, our Chief 
Scientist, Bob Chidlaw, has been studying compressors for more than 20 years and is well suited for the task of making 
a really bad-ass compressor.

Given the secret product work, it was a very interesting coincidence that I would encounter an artist using a compression 
pedal as much or more than distortion.  The band is Raisinhead, and I saw their set at Zig Zags Pub in Lake Placid New 
York.  Zig Zags is a fun spot right on main street, and it is named for the treacherous serpentine curves of the 1932 
Olympic Bobsled Course, which is nearby.  Yes, there was Stella on draft and, yes, there was Patron Silver too!  
Rob Beaulieu is the lead guitarist and he uses a compressor in front of both pedal distortion, and 2 kinds of 
amp distortion.  Given the band’s jam orientation, it is vital for a guitarist to keep it interesting. Rob was able to create 
a wide palate of sounds and kept the crowd on their feet for almost 4 hours!!  It was a fun night and another reminder of 
how much great live music is available for those who seek it out.

Do any of you have any thoughts about good compressors?  Let us know!!

Comments

Hey Roger!
It’s been awhile. As far as guitar compressors go as an actual or noticeable ‘effect’, I’ve found ‘subtle’ (as an audible characteristic) to be the key when it comes to these devices. Unless creating a ‘special effect’, cranking the bias way too high can mess with the dynamics of one’s playing. Then again, musical styles have changed over the years with hard-clipping distortion frequently bagging a front seat over playing ‘clean’ with a little something extra behind it (i.e. Roy Buchanan, SRV, Rory Gallagher, David Gilmore et al).

As far as compressors go, some folks lay a high premium on the ‘transperancy’ & added sustain inherent in certain designs. Being a ‘minimalist’ I tend to gravitate towards the re-vamped (true by-pass/floor pedal) Armstrong OS. If you want some added ‘grit’, turn up the external volume knob past 12. For clean squashing, keep it around 9-11. With a properly set internal trim pot bias, the guitar volume knob serves as the ‘input’ to trigger the attack. Pretty simple + the added db (8+) when it is used as a booster sometimes sounds better than a lot of overdrives...improved definition but with a unique texture all its own.

Just a hacker’s 2-cents worth. I accidentally came across this webpage while researching another topic. Been getting back into the outlet, sort of. Refinished my Stratocaster in nitro-cellulose over the spring & have been building some fx during the summer months. Need to get a good 5 watt tube amp...considering the Victoria 5112. Still have my ‘67 D-28.

Pass along a howdy to Julianna.

Steve

Posted by easywind@usa.com on 07/24 at 05:37 PM