For me it's not which settings I use because "settings" can vary from compressor to compressor. In other words, YMMV.

For me the question is which compressors do I use on guitars ? ... and that's an easy one to answer. I love UREI LA4's on guitars. The only "settings" on an LA4 is the ratio, threshold and make up gain. I usually go for 4:1 and knock about 6dB off the guitars, which results in a silky sustain that I like on crunch, clean and acoustic guitars.

Hi there!

Thank your for your quick answer. I use the Cubase SL compressor not the best in the world, but that's all I can afford at the moment. When you say you knock about about 6db off the guitars, does this mean I reduce the volume from 0db to -6db in the increase volume setting? Sorry for asking such silly questions but im bit green when it comes to these issues.

:oops:

What I meant was I dial in 6dB of gain reduction on the track.

With the Cubase comp I would apply a fast attack and a mudium release ... and dial in the gain reduction until you see the GR meter show peaks of -6dB.

Happy tracking!

I think he means lower the threshold until it's consistently pushing down about 6db in the gain reduction meter.

CURSE YOU AND YOUR SPEEDINESS KURT!

I see! Thanks a lot guys!

:D

compression on distorted guitars?

Usually a very distorted guitar is so compressed anyway I just don't use compression - certainly not when tracking.

Re: compression on distorted guitars?

tmcconnell wrote: Usually a very distorted guitar is so compressed anyway I just don't use compression - certainly not when tracking.

Exactly...much of the "quality' of distortion is nothing more than drastic compression going on at several places in the amp (input and output stages...effects looks, etc...) This is why solid state distortion (compression) sounds so differently than tube amp distortion/compression...

On those rare occassons I do add yet another level of compression to a already squashed to death signal, its more as tonal coloration...

In software, I'll try a UAD Fairchild set very mildly...or an LA2, just as another flavor....

More on compressing guitars

If you examine the link here

http://www.opus-harmonious.com/Misc%20audio%20stuff/bassguitar%20spectrum.jpg

you will see a spectragram I made of a bass guitar, directly into the board, first plucking the low E, then a Low A about 10 seconds later. The stripes are the harmonics emerging from the noise field created by the attack. You can see the fundemental of the E in the low 50's to get oriented. Color indicates energy level, and note the scale covers a lot of range.

This gives you an idea of what will happen when you compress a guitar. The noise burst is by far the most total energy, and its the first thing the compressor responds to. You can avoid this with a long attack time. The compression in amps looks like a fast opto - with a knee, allowing a little more attach thorugh than a compressor with a zero attack time.

Then you see the harmonics emerge. Note on the A string how the second harmonic has more energy than the fundemental. As the compressor begins to release, the frequencies still left in the source will bloom, and normally, the higher frequencies will emerge as the attenuation decreases. This creates the organic effect we all love about distorting amps. If you want to emmulate that effect then I suggest a opto (or a knee), 30ms attack, and long like 1000 ms release depending on the passage and the material. peace.

Re: compression on distorted guitars?

tmcconnell wrote: Usually a very distorted guitar is so compressed anyway I just don't use compression - certainly not when tracking.

Well I always thought the purpose of the compressor was to flatten the sound to fit naturally in with the rest of the tracks, no matter if it was guitar, bass or vocals.
But I guess there's more then one way to use it.

Thanks guys for all your advice!

Re: compression on distorted guitars?

tmcconnell wrote: Usually a very distorted guitar is so compressed anyway I just don't use compression - certainly not when tracking.

tmcconnell is telling you right. I don't use ANY compression on ANYTHING other than when I'm tracking vocals. And only because my levels keep jumping on me, I have to compress them when tracking to avoid this "or" during mixdown.
Think of a signwave as a womens boobs :shock: hehehe
And the compressor is a bra.
If you don't use the bra (in this case compressor)
then those big t!t's are "ALL in your face" (or rather the size of the audiowave)
But, if you put a bra on them (or compress them) all the sudden they don't seem so BIG.
Sure their nice and tight and compressed. But when they are aloud to be "natural" they are much more pleasent to touch, err umm I mean hear. :roll:
AND I would add, that you can see (or hear) alot more curves, without all the unessasary stuff. It's actually BIGGER without compression.
So many people want to jump on here and say yeah "compress everything" and then 300 people read that and think , O.K.
Compression is good. Wrong
Compression is a tool that changes the charactoritics of the dynamic's.
It basically destroy's them.
But some guy's think compressors are boob jobs.

That is the most bizarre analogy I have ever read or heard...

But to continue with it...sometimes the natural state of things needs a bit of assistance on while planning what to wear...ergo, compression on the inbound is often a very good tool...

And much like a bra, should enhance rather than detract from the final overall pitcure...and should NOT be seen directly.

If you find the NEED to compress going in then some careful examination of the source is needed. ie...mic placement,room characteristics,tonal settings on the amp,even arrangement.There is a sticky thread at PSW written by the infamous Slipperman that makes for very interesting reading about this very subject.I recommend it to all you heavy guitar recordists.

Midlandmorgan wrote: That is the most bizarre analogy I have ever read or heard

Thanks Midlandmorgan :D
And I can come up with something more bizarre than that. :o
Lets say JLO's ass is the waveform and her G-string is the compressor.
Of course this would be about a 1 to 40 ratio. :D

You lost me...I wouldn't know J Lo if she walked in my front door ...

I agree with Morgan in a lot of ways. Compression for electric guitar can sometimes be used as a wonderful effect. Just as surely as it's used with acoustic guitars.

Take a passage that you want to be very intimate and up front and personal for instance. You can turn up the amp relatively loud, play the passage very softly and carefully (especially if using fingerstyle), compress it at about 4:1 on the way in and get a very cool effect where very soft and subtle techniques are brought up to the surface to be heard just as clearly as the not-so-subtle characteristics. Essentially creating the effect of having the listener be more privy to "the moment".

Midlandmorgan wrote: You lost me...I wouldn't know J Lo if she walked in my front door ...

Now your losing me. It was just a joke dude. Get over it....
And just so you know, JLO is that sexy actress (with the big ass) that also sings and records CD's. I hear she uses compression on her guitar tracks. :wink: She's basically everywhere, award shows, commercials, magazine covers, movies, films, TV show special guest, she's a real sucess. You really can't be much more famous than Jennifer Lopez. And I'm sure you dont need to worry about "her ever walking through your front door. "

its that guy again wrote: [quote=Midlandmorgan]You lost me...I wouldn't know J Lo if she walked in my front door ...

Now your losing me. It was just a joke dude. Get over it....
And just so you know, JLO is that sexy actress (with the big ass) that also sings and records CD's. She's basically everywhere, award shows, commercials, magazine covers, movies, films, TV show special guest, she's a real sucess. You really can't be much more famous than Jennifer Lopez. And I'm sure you dont need to worry about "her ever walking through your front door. "

WTF?! I know its a joke...and I am aware of her success...But since I don't watch TV much, hardly ever go to movies, refuse to set through awards shows, and only read science fiction and trade magazines....

As for her walking thru the door, I know I don't need to worry about it, since you seem to have it all locked up.... :roll:

Gimme a break man...I know a joke when I see one...

Midlandmorgan wrote: You lost me.

If your cool with a joke, then how did I "lose you". I think you "hit the reply" icon just to dis me.

Midlandmorgan wrote: WTF?! I know its a joke...and I am aware of her success

WFT, WFT, WFT.
calm down dude, if you "know" it's a joke you don't need to reply to tell me "You lost me". That does not sound like you understand that it was a harmless joke. But that you would rather dis me for whatever reason.

midlandmorgan wrote: As for her walking thru the door, I know I don't need to worry about it, since you seem to have it all locked up.

Now that's a joke! :) I wish I had that locked up. As would any man with a brain in his head.

Davedog wrote: If you find the NEED to compress going in then some careful examination of the source is needed. ie...mic placement,room characteristics,tonal settings on the amp,even arrangement.There is a sticky thread at PSW written by the infamous Slipperman that makes for very interesting reading about this very subject.I recommend it to all you heavy guitar recordists.

I think this condenses it: http://www.badmuckingfastard.com/sound/slipperman.html

It is quite hilarious, but if you can glean something more useful than just "vague things to think about," then you must be more consistent in your Ritalin dosages than me (or Slipperman).
Piece

Reggie...An in depth reading would be in order.Because it was a thread that was posted and added to for several months,it does lack in congruity to some extent. BMF has hi-lited the content which,if you use those links, makes it much easier to glean the truly in depth information that IS available in these threads. I agree its manic....its Slipperman....but there really is some gems in it. Thanx for posting that link..it should help others sort out the aspects of the thread relating to recording distorted guitars. Plus,as you said, it is a great read for the fun of it.

FYI. I am not a person who really needs the ritalin, but thanx anyway. I prefer the 12 year old single malt scotch.

Yeah it's pretty good I guess. Nothing that really gives you a magic bullet, but gives a person some things to think about when setting up an amp to record. Finding the spot where the speakers get into it, and the cabinet, and so forth. I like the part where he tries to get a good sound with a DI and the part about his ex-wife. :lol:

Re: compression on distorted guitars?

its that guy again wrote: Think of a signwave as a womens boobs :shock: hehehe
And the compressor is a bra.
If you don't use the bra (in this case compressor)
then those big t!t's are "ALL in your face" (or rather the size of the audiowave)
But, if you put a bra on them (or compress them) all the sudden they don't seem so BIG.

or sometimes you need a miracle bra :roll:

compression can be good to make somewhat weak sounding signals sound more up front and clear. can also help even out stuff like pianos and drums. it can be useful for bass guitar depending on recording technique. can give a decent sound to a clean electric guitar. its mostly good for sounding more commercial (which isnt always a good thing, especially in stuff like metal and punk). can also be used (mostly multiband) to compress a master chain down so you can boost the levels up a few dB.

most of the time when i use compression i use 1.5:1, 20ms attack, 100ms release, and thresh just enough to give overall reduction. just a slight evening out overall.

for distorted guitars, it can help on light gain where the guitar sounds a bit faint, other than that it probably wont do much. the only thing you really can do with a heavy gain amp is use a fast limiter to raise the RMS without clipping, which is basically what the whole loudness war is about.