The many comments here saying they can't hear it (& I totally get that) just prove that compression is so much a 'feel' thing. Borrow a pedal (or two) & try them out - it will be a revelation. For years I never 'got' compression either, then within a year it was on my board (a Wampler, in my case) and always on. A good compressor will completely change how you play, and the things Rhett talks about here will gradually become clearer.
To be honest, I could understand all the theoretical concepts easily. But I swear I couldn't hear a very big difference. Probably because CZcams is also compressing the audio. However it would really help if you did this with the tracks lined up one after the other because in the small gap between tone changes, the ears 'forget' what the previous one sounded like.
Indeed, things would be better audible if he was playing with a backing track. You'd hear the quiet notes disappearing among the sound of the other instruments, but with the compression on, even the quiet notes could still be heard clearly in the mix if the compressor is working hard enough. Which is also why it's use don radio broadcast voices: if you listen to the radio announcer and there is some background noise, softly articulated words or syllables would be hard to make out, so the compressor brings all of the voice to about the same volume. Another issue is that when you upload a video to youtube, youtube itself automatically applies some compression to the audio.
@@sixto782 I observed this in the Rick Beato String Gauge video. I couldn't tell the difference when the parts were being played, but towards the end of the video when the parts were played one after the other, I was able to appreciate the difference.
@@craig7887 I guess people with more trained ears are more adept at hearing it and kind of distinguishing the sound profile. For instance I could never tell the difference between something like a blackstar amp and a Tweed amp. I could only understand the difference after I used both of them side by side at a store and compared the sonic differences. For me, it's a very hands on thing.
Good explanations. Unfortunately, CZcams's own audio compression makes Rhett's audio demonstrations almost useless. I can guarantee that, in person, he was hearing MUCH more variation in sound than we are.
Yes, we've been working to get a CZcams livestream to sound as good online at the same time as the live performance going through the PA in a space designed with great natural acoustics before electricity. Live sound mixing is much harder to do well, since that "studio time" is lacking.
Some helpful timestamps 6:48 - 2:1 ratio 7:00 - 4:1 ratio 7:13 - 10:1 ratio 7:30 - Nuke ratio 8:49 - attack set to 0 9:04 - attack set to 5 9:20 - attack set to 10 10:54 - release set to 0 11:08 - release set to 5 11:22 - release set to 10
Legend has it that he compressed the rest of the video so hard that it created a black hole and was never recovered. RIP Rhett Shull, we’ll miss you dearly.
What is labelled as "Attack" on rackmount compressors and stompboxes are two entirely *different* things. If accompanied by a "Release" control, then yes, an Attack control really does adjust the onset of the gain-reduction. On stompboxes, however (and I can't speak to Josh's unit, but I imagine his is like this ) the "Attack" control adjusts how quickly the gain *recovers* after being temporarily pushed down by an incoming transient. To my knowledge, fender's The Bends compressor is the only one that *properly* labels this control as "Recovery". But WHY is it regularly mislabelled "Attack"? If it takes longer for full gain to be restored after a picked note has pushed it down, the pick attack of any subsequent notes that are picked/strummed quickly before that full recovery will be sort of suppressed, because the gain hasn't come back up yet. If the circuit allows for the full gain to be resumed more quickly, then the attack of subsequent notes will be more audible, because it will be at full volume, not at a reduced volume. So variations in gain-recovery time allow for pick attack to be more easily heard..IF you are picking notes quickly. But it does not change how quickly the gain reduction *begins* , which is what Rhett's rackmount unit does. The audible impact of varying recovery-time will depend on how fast you are playing. If you're mostly holding notes for sustain purposes, then a slow gain-recovery will help to create the illusion of better sustain. But varying the attack/recovery control won't seem to make any audible difference to you in the music store. However, try some chicken-pickin' and you will definitely notice the difference in brightness and clarity of what you pick as the gain-recovery time is progressively shortened. Among guitarists, the old MXR Dynacomp and its derivatives were preferred for people who liked slower soulful solos where they would hold notes, while people who liked to throw lots of notes into a solo tended to prefer the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer. The original Dynacomp was set for a long gain-recovery time, while the Squeezer had a much shorter one.
I use a compressor at the beginning of my chain, it really tames my wah pedal, distortion and delay pedals, I can also use the compressor to help the delay carry longer after playing a note.....add in reverb with a strat and its very atmospheric
I use a vintage BOSS CS-2 at the front of my signal chain and my playing leans towards the Andy Summers/post-punk textural style with lots of clean tones. The compressor makes single-coil pickups punch and thickens up flanger/chorus/signal processing effects wonderfully. Downside is distortion and overdrive tends to be essentially non-varied in volume and not all that touch sensitive. If you're a blues guy- don't even bother with compression because it will rob you of that dynamic touch and finesse- but if you are looking for that big, punchy, processed 80's clean-toned guitar sound ala The Fix or The Police- the compressor is the perfect pedal. Can you imagine Mark Knopflers' Strat tones on "Sultans . . ." without compression? How about Trevor Rabin's killer clean tones on Yes' "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"? That's the beauty of compression.
i know what to look for, listening on a very good headphone set and it all sounds the same. Guess it is the video upload compression that screws the sound. At least at acoustic guitar... Anyway, explaining is great.
Glad I'm not alone with this. I felt like an audio-philistine that I couldn't hear ANY difference even on the NUKE setting, and this is on studio monitors.
Not that I heard much difference between any of the settings (an oscilloscope could probably show it), but saying compression boosts the quiet and mutes the loud seems to be the best explanation.
In our band, one of our guitarrists plays mainly single coil guitars. And for the recording of the record we are releasing now he decided to buy a compressor. One of the best decisions he did to his tone. Especially on Stratocasters, the compressor is pure magic in low gain sounds!
My JHS V3 Pulp n Peel has been on everyday since 2011. Yes, the buffer has died and it has become in itself a white noise generator. And yes, I have used it in the studio anyways.
You can't hear the compression like one person said due to you tube compression so I quickly got my board running and made the same adjustments as you were making them and was able to hear the changes on my setup. One of the best video's on Compression I've seen. I learned like you. The long way just testing different settings. Nice video Rhett.!!!.
It’s absolutely *not* essential, trust me. That being said, I have one on all three of my boards because they’re so useful. Compressors do two things as far as I’m concerned...they “control your level” like everyone says but more importantly, they make your guitar feel easier to play. Nothing makes your guitar rig more forgiving than reducing your dynamic range. That’s why certain things are so much easier to play with an overdrive on. Compression is the EXACT same thing in principle, but far less extreme and more controllable. Think of it as an overdrive pedal without the dirt...that’s all.
I feel its essential when you are used to it. I play in a reggae band and compression is essential as you play mostly clean licks and muted pickings. It just even outs the guitar sound. Without compression. I would have to make so much adjustment as the muted picking will have a lower volume compared to the soloing...perhaps thats just me...
@@gianinavette9235 For that sound, compression almost is essential. Those Michael Jackson records and Reggae tracks with single note guitar lines...if the guitars didn’t have a little squish to help them sit like a percussion instrument, it just wouldn’t sound right. You could get away without compression but your picking hand would have to be far more consistent than mine is...that’s for sure.
I admit I was reluctant to watch a 24 minute video about compression after thinking I have it mostly figured out, but this was incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to thoroughly explain it in different scenarios. Well done sir. 🤘
I think compression is great for clean guitar sounds. I play a lot of jangle pop and I noticed when I use compression that I get more sustain especially from higher strings. Roger McGuinn from the Byrds used a lot of compression to improve the sustain of his guitar too.
I think it's especially nice for low output pickups. The clean channel on my amp is really sensitive to volume adjustments, and wildly different between my guitars with low vs high output pickups. Compression is a godsend for me (and an EQ, only way for me to get the chimey cleans I like).
Just realized I've been using compression the wrong way, I've seen several videos on compression but I was still getting it wrong. This video was really helpful, thanks for going into detail Rhett.
Looks like an American Professional II in Mystic Surf Green. Just bought one myself and loving it, although seeing Rhett's makes me think maybe I should have gone for the rosewood fretboard.
@@yessitsme6884 Naaah, maple is fine. I prefer it myself and I think it looks great matched with this body color. (I do like the fact that Fender makes sure to get pretty dark rosewood for its professional line though. It looks great).
@@arn999 Maple was my first choice. Had a Mercury finish one initially which I really liked but it only came with rosewood and that was just too much dark (dark body, black pickguard, rosewood neck...). I would have liked the Maple fretboard on the Mercury finish but they only make that in lefty for some odd reason. I do really like the maple fretboard on the Mystic Surf Green... but then I do really like Rhett's Strat in this video. I should have kept the Mercury one and swapped the necks!
This is absolutely the best explanatory video on compression ever! I finally understand how all of the compressor settings work in practice. Thank you!
With analog recording, it was important to keep levels compressed before recording, in order to get a good signal to noise ratio. In the early days of digital recording, it was good to compress before recording to maximise the bit depth of the recording. But with low noise preamp in our audio interfaces, and now 24 bit recording is standard, there is less reason to compress before recording, compressing in the box will lead to excellent results.
I. NEEDED. THIS. Compression has always been a huge hurdle of knowledge I could never grasp. I'm very glad it was exampled with the electric and the OD setup for lead-style playing. I've never used comp, but I've felt like I needed it for something. I'm very thankful for this video.
Yes, It may be difficult to tell but you can pick up on the info. Was looking for side chain to emphasize certain frequencies on guitar leads, The compressor causing the opposite, expanding tones even to vary and adjust automatically even a varying rooms and halls. Zappa came out while the auditorium was filling seats and played certain notes to match tones. I think he had a parametric on his guitar. Just wanting to see if comps would work. Hey, got to give a star for using standalone hardware units.
As far as I’m aware, compressors only reduce the volume of anything over the threshold, they amplify the whole signal on the way in, but not as the volume drops below any point.
Spending one day with an LED triggered compressor is worth a lifetime of fiddling with a Boss CS-3 or DynaComp at home. Playing a lot of solo acoustic has helped as well. You are the band. No crutches. Great video.
What I always tell people is that compression is all about finger feel. I have a cali76 that’s almost always *somewhere* in the chain. Before the drive to make it a little more chewy, after the drive for a more studio compressor vibe, after a dotted delay to even out all the repeats. There are a TON of uses for a compressor. What you have to do is listen a feel a little “deeper”. A compressor isn’t going to affect your signal as obviously as a fuzz but it could easily mean the difference between “ugh, this doesn’t feel right tonight” and “wow, my sound is sitting perfectly and my guitar is playing effortlessly”.
I couldn't hear the difference during the Acoustic demos. I understood what the concepts were about, I've used compression a lot. This was still really good.
It takes everybody a long time to grasp. This is the first time -- in print or real world or infoweb or whatever -- that I've seen a clear explanation of how to get those long sustain effects out of a compresser: namely, compresser to overdrive, and I've been playing for years. Many thanks, Rhett.
I’ve owned a few compressor pedals and I always end up going with an EQ pedal instead. For guitar, I feel EQ works better in a band mix - it makes the guitar pop out without muddying the overall sound spectrum. However, now I own the Jackson audio Bloom and that compressor has a very nice onboard boost as well as a Baxandall eq which makes it very useful on a board. For vocals a compressor is great though.
Cool, and ambitious. Compression seems to be more of a "concept" that can be adapted to different situations than a systematically applicable principle. But you clearly lay out the different key parameters, which is a great starting point for any novice. Thanks for that.
Thanks! When I started out playing the guitar again two months ago I got me an SG copy, a cheap 5W Tube amp, a chinese compressor and a chinese Klon centaur.
Let me set the record straight about the history of audio compression. Yes it was used in radio in the 1930s however the concept and implementation was conceived long before the start of radio broadcasting. Telephone engineers developed the technology for transmitting signal long distances and through equipment. Remember that the telephone goes back to the 1880s at the earliest and utilized DeForest tubes to amplify signals once those came on-line. The film industry implemented the compression technology before radio as sound on film/disc and electric recording was developed, this in the late 1920s. Famous names in compression tech go way back, like Westrex and Fairchild and originated in telephony tech prior to film. Fairchild has been the holy grail of compression for longer than your and my lifetimes combined. So yes, older than radio. It was off-the-shelf by the time of radio.
i like how the compressor makes my guitar sound more detailed/expensive. i can hear all the little plucky sounds from the pick running across the strings that would usually get lost.
I like using multiple compressors at moderate setting various stages for my electric tone. One at the beginning to even out my signal to make my auto wah decay better, and to get a little extra sustain and boost into the OD section of my board. Then I use a second comp after my crybaby to tame the spike it adds. Also, when using amp sims in my DAW, I still use both compressors. It doesn't change the sound of the amp sim, but it does change its touch response.
Great video and explanation. I've always found Compression a very handy tool for recording situations. But I rarely used it when playing live. I just think it sucks much of the rawness out of live playing because it can really screw up the dynamics of the sound. The only time I ever saw it of any value in a live situation was when using 12 string acoustic or electric guitars where properly set up compression would enhance the jangle and chime of those instruments. One guy I know used to say any guitar player who used a compressor live was simply handing over the playing skills to the compressor device. LOL
Compression: automatic volume level control. It stabilizes levels. It keeps a sound from going over a certain level. Makes things easier on the ear. Changes the feel of the instrument if played through an amp and speakers.
Compressors and limiters are also used in radio broadcast because an overly loud signal may push the radio amp into high levels of harmonic distortion and those harmonics can cause your radio signal to bleed into others radio airspace triggering tens of thousands of dollars in FCC fines.
The second effects pedal I ever got was a Boss Compressor. The first was a Tube Screamer clone. Whether you use a pedal or rack processor, compression is a MUST!
Hey, so I was an compressor always on kinda guy and recently I re did my board and turned it off yesterday... wow man you are so right... then I was Kick it on for leads and some parts and what a game changer Thanks
one major issue for us with this kind of video, is the compression applied to the video, even via youtube, or our headphones output of a device etc. it stuffs being able to hear the differences your talking of. however, i really like the smoothness of the distressor. there was a really nice compact compressor called, a really nice compressor, would love to find one of those one day. live, compression on clean guitar parts really works well for me, od parts have compression from od valves, and additional comp can be good and bad. acoustics are really benefitted by careful compression.
First off, I love your vids, I've learned a lot from them. But I have admit, I'm relieved that I'm not the only one who couldn't hear much difference. BUT...now I'm going to experiment with my compressor to find out how I can best apply to to my style of music. So, thanks!
Another "What is compression?" video and I'm still not 100% sure that I hear it. I get the concept, I just can't hear it. Some suggestions from a noob: * Run the guitar straight into a looper pedal, record a 3-second phrase, and then click the compressor on/off as *exactly* the same input loops through the signal chain. (Apparently I have the same audio memory as a goldfish. Any more than 5-10 seconds of noodling and I forget what the previous noodle sounded like.) * Plenty of comments below about CZcams's compression. Release some mp3's for us to download? Love this channel!
Thanks Rhett. I think some compressors seem to work better with one overdrive and another might work better with a different overdrive. They can make the notes really sing as you demonstrated near the end.
Thanks that helped. I started playing in the 60s when every time we wanted to tweak our tone we bought a whole new amp. lol The result being a lack of tech understanding. If Bands were lucky back then they had one guy that was an electrical engineer or at least had a seat of the pants ability to know what helped and what did not. Thanks for the simple explanations. You make sense.
Man I thought I knew how to use compression, I knew nothing ! Great video and classroom on this subject ! I learned a lot , this has changed how I approach this effect. Another gem Rhett. Cheers!
This excellent episode just reminded me again that while rhythm and musicality are of supreme importance it is also the beauty of "tone" and timbre that please and inspire. Compression can help with that, of course.
Pretty damn good explanation Rhett. As clear and concise as I’ve seen anywhere. I’ll be sending this off to a couple of my less-experienced students and clueless friends who think they’re engineers. Thanks for posting.
I've had 4 compressors before and I don't understand why I bought them, because I never used them. But now I have the Greer Amps Fish Press and so far I love it, because I use it as a clean boost and then I can add just a little bit of compression to taste. I think this one will stay.
*Immediately wants to go and play with the previously-unused compression module in his cheap-ass Zoom unit* The best CZcams videos always make me want to dash off and try something new. Cheers, Rhett!
My Thorpy Fat General rarely gets switched off nowadays, just a bit of lift is great for low-volume rehearsal, home recording and even balancing your live signal. Integral to a modern sound that people have come to expect nowadays.
It takes a bit of ear training to be able to better hear how the compression parameters change the sound. The House of Kush guy has some great videos to help learn. Here's some trivia for you, kids: Tape compression? It's because the tape only has so many magnetic particles that can only move so fast at a given tape speed. Question: Are tape compression effects used mostly for drums? Does it have a place to give guitar or anything else a particular sound? I'm interested in "off-label" uses for different types of effects.
Great explanation! Really cleared some misconceptions I had. I play bass and one compression pedal I like is the Blackfinger by EHX. It uses two 12ax7 preamp tubes to accomplish the job. You can increase the gain at the pedal and get some distortion into the amp. If your using a class d amp it will warm it up and sound a bit like a valve amp. And the schematic on it shows it’s running around 300 volts at the tubes plate.
Great, clear, easy to understand video. Thank you! BTW, another reason compression (limiting) was used in early radio was to keep the signal from being knocked off the air by over modulating it. The FCC was picky about that sort of thing!
Maybe it's my attention span, but I heard no difference, zip, nada, in the various note/chord sequences. Had someone switched the settings whilst you were playing, maybe I could, but it just sounded the same every time. The sad thing is, I know exactly how they "trim" the sine wave, and what components/by-pass filters, are used, as I used to design them. I guess I am one of those people who simply appreciate the tune being played and not looking to be impressed by the equipment being used to transfer it from your thoughts/hands to my ears! My guitars have minimal pedals and between my fingers, tubes, Leo and Les' genius, sound pretty darn good! Thanks for the detailed examples, very clearly explained. It helped me understand how damaged my ears are! Thanks again.
Bought lots of pedals since the 70’s. (Read: I’m old). The only pedal I’m using these days, into either my Marshall’s or Vox is a Wampler Ego compressor. I currently use mostly Suhr guitars straight into a good amp. Of course that’s the fun of pedals, may get the itch for a some other sound and drag em out again ;- )
The problem with doing compression demos over the Internet is that the CZcams algorithms also provide their own compression so you may not hear everything that’s changing. It’s important to remember that a compressor works by turning down it’s like having an invisible hand on your volume control that when the same oil goes above threshold the volume knob automatically gets turned down. Attack time is how quickly the hand turns it down released time is how quickly it turns it back up to unity gain after the signal drops below threshold. In the old days early broadcast compressors only had input and output and in fact some producers that I’ve worked with use the compressor that way in the studio. They would increase the input until they heard the softest sound at the level that they wanted and then turn the output down until the loud signals were within normal operating range.This is having 1176 works where there is no threshold control instead you increase the input and then back down the output as needed. I wrote an article for Premier guitar magazine several years ago called the truth about compressors. Check it out to see if it’ll help you understand what compressors do.
Been learning how to use compression in recording and on guitar more this past year, thanks for this refresher course!, I’m about to mix a song with some edge of breakup guitar, and wondering how to get the sound in my head, I think I need to add some compression lol! 🗜🎸
Great video and your explanation was very detailed but I still don't understand it. It could be my laptop speakers but it sounded the same to me. Maybe I need to get one and play with it.
I've watched a lot of people a lot of reviewers doing the same compression review I think you do it the best you explained it perfectly you did your job thank you for all the information it's greatly appreciated and I now finally understand compression so thank you very much and you have a great day
4/1 is very very medium indeed 😂 But on a serious note those really helps explain some things! I don’t really have experience with studio compression so I’m really just use to guitar pedal compressors. Which are great but the controls are definitely more simplified. Thank you for making this!
I could hear the differences through my iPhone 😂, it was subtle but heard the difference , nice Melissa playing Rhett, as alway your videos are awesome and I always learn something new from your videos
How about a compressor after overdrive as a de-esser? No one makes a de-esser pedal, but there are some really nice rackmount units. Back in the 90s I had a rackmount rig with Seymour Duncan Convertible and rack effects units. For the past 2 years I have been watching videos and pedal shows galore, and it seems, for me, the whole thing has come full circle again. I am going to return to an entirely rackmount rig; though, with Hiwatt amplification for pure clean tones (and Freyette for stereo wets). This way, the only thing on the front of the stage is a midi controller and expression pedals (including volume and wah) in a self-contained pedalboard. Everything else is backline. Roll it all in; roll it all out. Quick, easy, and clean. Think of it as a Gilmour rig for relatively poor people.
Im very very much not an expert. But from my limited experience i tend to use compression pedals to control feedback. Thats the most ive used it for so this vid was class
its been 5 years that ive been making music and engineering and i still sometimes just find my self compressing out of luck, attack and release times is something i dont always find myself understand when and why to use a specific attack and release setting
Thank you for showing this with acoustic guitar. It seems like every compression video I watch only shows how you can get that pumping sound on drums. Trying to find quality videos like this that deal with acoustic guitars is hard. The fact you used the same mic I have was also a bonus! 👍 thanks again Rhett.
The most misunderstood effect there is. It takes a long time to really figure it out. Most overuse it. Great video Rhett. You could probably spend 2-3 hours on compression.
The many comments here saying they can't hear it (& I totally get that) just prove that compression is so much a 'feel' thing. Borrow a pedal (or two) & try them out - it will be a revelation. For years I never 'got' compression either, then within a year it was on my board (a Wampler, in my case) and always on. A good compressor will completely change how you play, and the things Rhett talks about here will gradually become clearer.
To be honest, I could understand all the theoretical concepts easily. But I swear I couldn't hear a very big difference. Probably because CZcams is also compressing the audio. However it would really help if you did this with the tracks lined up one after the other because in the small gap between tone changes, the ears 'forget' what the previous one sounded like.
Agreed. It just takes a fraction of a second for the ear to "forget" and miss the difference at such subtle levels.
Indeed, things would be better audible if he was playing with a backing track. You'd hear the quiet notes disappearing among the sound of the other instruments, but with the compression on, even the quiet notes could still be heard clearly in the mix if the compressor is working hard enough. Which is also why it's use don radio broadcast voices: if you listen to the radio announcer and there is some background noise, softly articulated words or syllables would be hard to make out, so the compressor brings all of the voice to about the same volume.
Another issue is that when you upload a video to youtube, youtube itself automatically applies some compression to the audio.
@@sixto782 I observed this in the Rick Beato String Gauge video. I couldn't tell the difference when the parts were being played, but towards the end of the video when the parts were played one after the other, I was able to appreciate the difference.
I'm glad it wasn't just me. I couldn't hear the difference either.
@@craig7887 I guess people with more trained ears are more adept at hearing it and kind of distinguishing the sound profile. For instance I could never tell the difference between something like a blackstar amp and a Tweed amp. I could only understand the difference after I used both of them side by side at a store and compared the sonic differences. For me, it's a very hands on thing.
Good explanations. Unfortunately, CZcams's own audio compression makes Rhett's audio demonstrations almost useless. I can guarantee that, in person, he was hearing MUCH more variation in sound than we are.
Is that what it was? I was questioning my ears and musical aptitude so hard, because most times I couldn't hear any variation.
@@FretLevelMidnight Nope, you're good; lots of sonic subtlety is lost over CZcams. Hey! I recognize your handle from Phil McKnight's livestreams!
Yes, we've been working to get a CZcams livestream to sound as good online at the same time as the live performance going through the PA in a space designed with great natural acoustics before electricity. Live sound mixing is much harder to do well, since that "studio time" is lacking.
It all sounds the same on my iPad
Exactly lol
Some helpful timestamps
6:48 - 2:1 ratio
7:00 - 4:1 ratio
7:13 - 10:1 ratio
7:30 - Nuke ratio
8:49 - attack set to 0
9:04 - attack set to 5
9:20 - attack set to 10
10:54 - release set to 0
11:08 - release set to 5
11:22 - release set to 10
👍👍👌👌✔️✔️
Legend has it that he compressed the rest of the video so hard that it created a black hole and was never recovered.
RIP Rhett Shull, we’ll miss you dearly.
😂
He could still be alive. Once our rockets are advanced enough we'll go search for him and bring him back.
RIP rhett
Lol
If you think about it, CERN is bassically just a really big compressor.
Thank god it’s back, was so bummed when the vid originally disappeared
So glad this video is back. I started watching it yesterday, and it disappeared.
Compression is a tool I use regularly
this is like the 100th video I've watched on compression but i feel like i always learn something new
My favorite compressor is the Ibanez Tube screamer
The Tube Screamer is a tube distortion emulating pedal. It's not a compressor. ;)
@@donaldfewell8908 I think he was kidding big guy
@@yourmother7112 Yes, I see your point. Thanks!
@@donaldfewell8908 distortion can functionally be a compressor with how it flattens the waveform
@@dzjin wooosh
What is labelled as "Attack" on rackmount compressors and stompboxes are two entirely *different* things. If accompanied by a "Release" control, then yes, an Attack control really does adjust the onset of the gain-reduction. On stompboxes, however (and I can't speak to Josh's unit, but I imagine his is like this ) the "Attack" control adjusts how quickly the gain *recovers* after being temporarily pushed down by an incoming transient. To my knowledge, fender's The Bends compressor is the only one that *properly* labels this control as "Recovery".
But WHY is it regularly mislabelled "Attack"? If it takes longer for full gain to be restored after a picked note has pushed it down, the pick attack of any subsequent notes that are picked/strummed quickly before that full recovery will be sort of suppressed, because the gain hasn't come back up yet. If the circuit allows for the full gain to be resumed more quickly, then the attack of subsequent notes will be more audible, because it will be at full volume, not at a reduced volume. So variations in gain-recovery time allow for pick attack to be more easily heard..IF you are picking notes quickly. But it does not change how quickly the gain reduction *begins* , which is what Rhett's rackmount unit does.
The audible impact of varying recovery-time will depend on how fast you are playing. If you're mostly holding notes for sustain purposes, then a slow gain-recovery will help to create the illusion of better sustain. But varying the attack/recovery control won't seem to make any audible difference to you in the music store. However, try some chicken-pickin' and you will definitely notice the difference in brightness and clarity of what you pick as the gain-recovery time is progressively shortened.
Among guitarists, the old MXR Dynacomp and its derivatives were preferred for people who liked slower soulful solos where they would hold notes, while people who liked to throw lots of notes into a solo tended to prefer the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer. The original Dynacomp was set for a long gain-recovery time, while the Squeezer had a much shorter one.
Thanks for this, so far my approach to compression has been to turn the knob until I can hear the difference, then back it off a little.
I use a compressor at the beginning of my chain, it really tames my wah pedal, distortion and delay pedals, I can also use the compressor to help the delay carry longer after playing a note.....add in reverb with a strat and its very atmospheric
I use a vintage BOSS CS-2 at the front of my signal chain and my playing leans towards the Andy Summers/post-punk textural style with lots of clean tones. The compressor makes single-coil pickups punch and thickens up flanger/chorus/signal processing effects wonderfully. Downside is distortion and overdrive tends to be essentially non-varied in volume and not all that touch sensitive. If you're a blues guy- don't even bother with compression because it will rob you of that dynamic touch and finesse- but if you are looking for that big, punchy, processed 80's clean-toned guitar sound ala The Fix or The Police- the compressor is the perfect pedal.
Can you imagine Mark Knopflers' Strat tones on "Sultans . . ." without compression? How about Trevor Rabin's killer clean tones on Yes' "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"? That's the beauty of compression.
Lol - guess I'll have to re-watch this with headphones on because it all basically sounded the same over my PC speaker!
Probably it won't change much with headphones. It's really subtle to say the least.
i know what to look for, listening on a very good headphone set and it all sounds the same. Guess it is the video upload compression that screws the sound. At least at acoustic guitar... Anyway, explaining is great.
Glad I'm not alone with this. I felt like an audio-philistine that I couldn't hear ANY difference even on the NUKE setting, and this is on studio monitors.
@@fathuman Yep, me too. I even listened several times and just figured that i have no idea what to listen for!
I have what I consider to be a very high end sound system and I could barely hear any difference at all lol
Compression is such a cool effect, thank you for going so detailed into what makes it so great
Not that I heard much difference between any of the settings (an oscilloscope could probably show it), but saying compression boosts the quiet and mutes the loud seems to be the best explanation.
In our band, one of our guitarrists plays mainly single coil guitars. And for the recording of the record we are releasing now he decided to buy a compressor. One of the best decisions he did to his tone. Especially on Stratocasters, the compressor is pure magic in low gain sounds!
yea man. i play a strat and always have a compressor. really helps to cut through and give great tone.
My JHS V3 Pulp n Peel has been on everyday since 2011. Yes, the buffer has died and it has become in itself a white noise generator. And yes, I have used it in the studio anyways.
Love my v4 pulp n peel. Need to put it back on the board.
Thank you Rhett. Compression has always baffled Mose and I.
beets beat compression!
You can't hear the compression like one person said due to you tube compression so I quickly got my board running and made the same adjustments as you were making them and was able to hear the changes on my setup. One of the best video's on Compression I've seen. I learned like you. The long way just testing different settings. Nice video Rhett.!!!.
I listened to a drummer doing compression in post and the differences were so much more apparent with percussive playing..
Compression is scary because all the pedal bros (tps, jhs, etc.) say it’s essential but for the longest time I had no idea why people even used it
It’s absolutely *not* essential, trust me. That being said, I have one on all three of my boards because they’re so useful. Compressors do two things as far as I’m concerned...they “control your level” like everyone says but more importantly, they make your guitar feel easier to play. Nothing makes your guitar rig more forgiving than reducing your dynamic range. That’s why certain things are so much easier to play with an overdrive on. Compression is the EXACT same thing in principle, but far less extreme and more controllable. Think of it as an overdrive pedal without the dirt...that’s all.
Somehow it makes everything feel buttery as you play it. Too much though and to me it starts to feel weird and mushy.
I feel its essential when you are used to it. I play in a reggae band and compression is essential as you play mostly clean licks and muted pickings. It just even outs the guitar sound. Without compression. I would have to make so much adjustment as the muted picking will have a lower volume compared to the soloing...perhaps thats just me...
@@gianinavette9235
For that sound, compression almost is essential. Those Michael Jackson records and Reggae tracks with single note guitar lines...if the guitars didn’t have a little squish to help them sit like a percussion instrument, it just wouldn’t sound right. You could get away without compression but your picking hand would have to be far more consistent than mine is...that’s for sure.
I admit I was reluctant to watch a 24 minute video about compression after thinking I have it mostly figured out, but this was incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to thoroughly explain it in different scenarios. Well done sir. 🤘
I think compression is great for clean guitar sounds. I play a lot of jangle pop and I noticed when I use compression that I get more sustain especially from higher strings. Roger McGuinn from the Byrds used a lot of compression to improve the sustain of his guitar too.
I think it's especially nice for low output pickups. The clean channel on my amp is really sensitive to volume adjustments, and wildly different between my guitars with low vs high output pickups. Compression is a godsend for me (and an EQ, only way for me to get the chimey cleans I like).
@@DCJayhawk57 Agree.
Just realized I've been using compression the wrong way, I've seen several videos on compression but I was still getting it wrong. This video was really helpful, thanks for going into detail Rhett.
How were you using it?
Really love the color of that Strat.
Looks like an American Professional II in Mystic Surf Green. Just bought one myself and loving it, although seeing Rhett's makes me think maybe I should have gone for the rosewood fretboard.
@@yessitsme6884 Naaah, maple is fine. I prefer it myself and I think it looks great matched with this body color. (I do like the fact that Fender makes sure to get pretty dark rosewood for its professional line though. It looks great).
@@arn999 Maple was my first choice. Had a Mercury finish one initially which I really liked but it only came with rosewood and that was just too much dark (dark body, black pickguard, rosewood neck...). I would have liked the Maple fretboard on the Mercury finish but they only make that in lefty for some odd reason. I do really like the maple fretboard on the Mystic Surf Green... but then I do really like Rhett's Strat in this video. I should have kept the Mercury one and swapped the necks!
I'm trying to hear a difference, but I can't tell anything.
Did you try listening to it with headphones? It might help, but it didn't help me.
@@rosschristianos3628 No, I did not use headphones.
@@TractorMonkeywithJL welcome to the tone plebs my dude 😀
This is absolutely the best explanatory video on compression ever! I finally understand how all of the compressor settings work in practice. Thank you!
That overdrive and compression combo made the Strat sound like a Gibson Les Paul. Now that's a sound I dig.
Dynacomp Custom Shop Script, always on over here... I think. It doesn't have an LED...
I have 3 cheap clones - 2 are useless, the other is pure magic and always on!
lol
With analog recording, it was important to keep levels compressed before recording, in order to get a good signal to noise ratio. In the early days of digital recording, it was good to compress before recording to maximise the bit depth of the recording. But with low noise preamp in our audio interfaces, and now 24 bit recording is standard, there is less reason to compress before recording, compressing in the box will lead to excellent results.
I. NEEDED. THIS. Compression has always been a huge hurdle of knowledge I could never grasp. I'm very glad it was exampled with the electric and the OD setup for lead-style playing. I've never used comp, but I've felt like I needed it for something. I'm very thankful for this video.
Yes, It may be difficult to tell but you can pick up on the info. Was looking for side chain to emphasize certain frequencies on guitar leads, The compressor causing the opposite, expanding tones even to vary and adjust automatically even a varying rooms and halls. Zappa came out while the auditorium was filling seats and played certain notes to match tones. I think he had a parametric on his guitar. Just wanting to see if comps would work. Hey, got to give a star for using standalone hardware units.
As far as I’m aware, compressors only reduce the volume of anything over the threshold, they amplify the whole signal on the way in, but not as the volume drops below any point.
Spending one day with an LED triggered compressor is worth a lifetime of fiddling with a Boss CS-3 or DynaComp at home.
Playing a lot of solo acoustic has helped as well. You are the band. No crutches.
Great video.
Compression has been a question in my head since I started playing guitar 12 years ago, thanks for sharing knowledge Rhett
What I always tell people is that compression is all about finger feel. I have a cali76 that’s almost always *somewhere* in the chain. Before the drive to make it a little more chewy, after the drive for a more studio compressor vibe, after a dotted delay to even out all the repeats. There are a TON of uses for a compressor. What you have to do is listen a feel a little “deeper”. A compressor isn’t going to affect your signal as obviously as a fuzz but it could easily mean the difference between “ugh, this doesn’t feel right tonight” and “wow, my sound is sitting perfectly and my guitar is playing effortlessly”.
I think of the beautifully compressed Strat tones on those old Al Stewart records.
I think, this lessonabout compression is the best, I ever heard.
I couldn't hear the difference during the Acoustic demos. I understood what the concepts were about, I've used compression a lot. This was still really good.
It takes everybody a long time to grasp. This is the first time -- in print or real world or infoweb or whatever -- that I've seen a clear explanation of how to get those long sustain effects out of a compresser: namely, compresser to overdrive, and I've been playing for years. Many thanks, Rhett.
I’ve owned a few compressor pedals and I always end up going with an EQ pedal instead. For guitar, I feel EQ works better in a band mix - it makes the guitar pop out without muddying the overall sound spectrum.
However, now I own the Jackson audio Bloom and that compressor has a very nice onboard boost as well as a Baxandall eq which makes it very useful on a board.
For vocals a compressor is great though.
Cool, and ambitious. Compression seems to be more of a "concept" that can be adapted to different situations than a systematically applicable principle. But you clearly lay out the different key parameters, which is a great starting point for any novice. Thanks for that.
Thanks! When I started out playing the guitar again two months ago I got me an SG copy, a cheap 5W Tube amp, a chinese compressor and a chinese Klon centaur.
Let me set the record straight about the history of audio compression. Yes it was used in radio in the 1930s however the concept and implementation was conceived long before the start of radio broadcasting. Telephone engineers developed the technology for transmitting signal long distances and through equipment. Remember that the telephone goes back to the 1880s at the earliest and utilized DeForest tubes to amplify signals once those came on-line. The film industry implemented the compression technology before radio as sound on film/disc and electric recording was developed, this in the late 1920s. Famous names in compression tech go way back, like Westrex and Fairchild and originated in telephony tech prior to film. Fairchild has been the holy grail of compression for longer than your and my lifetimes combined. So yes, older than radio. It was off-the-shelf by the time of radio.
i like how the compressor makes my guitar sound more detailed/expensive. i can hear all the little plucky sounds from the pick running across the strings that would usually get lost.
watching you step up through the compression ratios really showed how much compression comes with youTube as standard.
I like using multiple compressors at moderate setting various stages for my electric tone. One at the beginning to even out my signal to make my auto wah decay better, and to get a little extra sustain and boost into the OD section of my board. Then I use a second comp after my crybaby to tame the spike it adds. Also, when using amp sims in my DAW, I still use both compressors. It doesn't change the sound of the amp sim, but it does change its touch response.
Great video and explanation. I've always found Compression a very handy tool for recording situations. But I rarely used it when playing live. I just think it sucks much of the rawness out of live playing because it can really screw up the dynamics of the sound. The only time I ever saw it of any value in a live situation was when using 12 string acoustic or electric guitars where properly set up compression would enhance the jangle and chime of those instruments. One guy I know used to say any guitar player who used a compressor live was simply handing over the playing skills to the compressor device. LOL
Compression: automatic volume level control. It stabilizes levels. It keeps a sound from going over a certain level. Makes things easier on the ear. Changes the feel of the instrument if played through an amp and speakers.
Compressors and limiters are also used in radio broadcast because an overly loud signal may push the radio amp into high levels of harmonic distortion and those harmonics can cause your radio signal to bleed into others radio airspace triggering tens of thousands of dollars in FCC fines.
My ears don't work, apparently. I didn't really notice any change as the settings were manipulated.
Same here.
blame the youtube compression. i bet it sounds different in person.
Compressor earlier was used for early telephones, to level out the voices on calls
I could barely hear the difference until the single note examples at 15 minutes. Thanks!!
The second effects pedal I ever got was a Boss Compressor. The first was a Tube Screamer clone. Whether you use a pedal or rack processor, compression is a MUST!
Hey, so I was an compressor always on kinda guy and recently I re did my board and turned it off yesterday... wow man you are so right... then I was
Kick it on for leads and some parts and what a game changer
Thanks
one major issue for us with this kind of video, is the compression applied to the video, even via youtube, or our headphones output of a device etc. it stuffs being able to hear the differences your talking of. however, i really like the smoothness of the distressor. there was a really nice compact compressor called, a really nice compressor, would love to find one of those one day. live, compression on clean guitar parts really works well for me, od parts have compression from od valves, and additional comp can be good and bad. acoustics are really benefitted by careful compression.
First off, I love your vids, I've learned a lot from them. But I have admit, I'm relieved that I'm not the only one who couldn't hear much difference. BUT...now I'm going to experiment with my compressor to find out how I can best apply to to my style of music. So, thanks!
Another "What is compression?" video and I'm still not 100% sure that I hear it. I get the concept, I just can't hear it. Some suggestions from a noob:
* Run the guitar straight into a looper pedal, record a 3-second phrase, and then click the compressor on/off as *exactly* the same input loops through the signal chain. (Apparently I have the same audio memory as a goldfish. Any more than 5-10 seconds of noodling and I forget what the previous noodle sounded like.)
* Plenty of comments below about CZcams's compression. Release some mp3's for us to download?
Love this channel!
Thanks Rhett. I think some compressors seem to work better with one overdrive and another might work better with a different overdrive. They can make the notes really sing as you demonstrated near the end.
Thanks that helped. I started playing in the 60s when every time we wanted to tweak our tone we bought a whole new amp. lol The result being a lack of tech understanding. If Bands were lucky back then they had one guy that was an electrical engineer or at least had a seat of the pants ability to know what helped and what did not. Thanks for the simple explanations. You make sense.
the fact that you actually let us listen to it helps
Man I thought I knew how to use compression, I knew nothing ! Great video and classroom on this subject ! I learned a lot , this has changed how I approach this effect. Another gem Rhett. Cheers!
This excellent episode just reminded me again that while rhythm and musicality are of supreme importance it is also the beauty of "tone" and timbre that please and inspire. Compression can help with that, of course.
I have a Boss compressor. I use it to boost for solos and to sustain feedback. Works a treat.
Pretty damn good explanation Rhett. As clear and concise as I’ve seen anywhere. I’ll be sending this off to a couple of my less-experienced students and clueless friends who think they’re engineers. Thanks for posting.
I've had 4 compressors before and I don't understand why I bought them, because I never used them. But now I have the Greer Amps Fish Press and so far I love it, because I use it as a clean boost and then I can add just a little bit of compression to taste. I think this one will stay.
*Immediately wants to go and play with the previously-unused compression module in his cheap-ass Zoom unit*
The best CZcams videos always make me want to dash off and try something new.
Cheers, Rhett!
My Thorpy Fat General rarely gets switched off nowadays, just a bit of lift is great for low-volume rehearsal, home recording and even balancing your live signal. Integral to a modern sound that people have come to expect nowadays.
love compression, my wampler can dial back in some of the original signal, it stays on all time i like the way it can push my overdrives too
This is best explanation of compression I have ever seen and I’ve seen too many videos explaining compression. Even better to have context of pedal.
WOW... Thank you for this. I never understood some of the terms used in my comp. Thanks again!!
It takes a bit of ear training to be able to better hear how the compression parameters change the sound. The House of Kush guy has some great videos to help learn.
Here's some trivia for you, kids: Tape compression? It's because the tape only has so many magnetic particles that can only move so fast at a given tape speed.
Question: Are tape compression effects used mostly for drums? Does it have a place to give guitar or anything else a particular sound? I'm interested in "off-label" uses for different types of effects.
Great explanation! Really cleared some misconceptions I had. I play bass and one compression pedal I like is the Blackfinger by EHX. It uses two 12ax7 preamp tubes to accomplish the job. You can increase the gain at the pedal and get some distortion into the amp. If your using a class d amp it will warm it up and sound a bit like a valve amp. And the schematic on it shows it’s running around 300 volts at the tubes plate.
Great, clear, easy to understand video. Thank you! BTW, another reason compression (limiting) was used in early radio was to keep the signal from being knocked off the air by over modulating it. The FCC was picky about that sort of thing!
Maybe it's my attention span, but I heard no difference, zip, nada, in the various note/chord sequences.
Had someone switched the settings whilst you were playing, maybe I could, but it just sounded the same every time.
The sad thing is, I know exactly how they "trim" the sine wave, and what components/by-pass filters, are used, as I used to design them. I guess I am one of those people who simply appreciate the tune being played and not looking to be impressed by the equipment being used to transfer it from your thoughts/hands to my ears!
My guitars have minimal pedals and between my fingers, tubes, Leo and Les' genius, sound pretty darn good!
Thanks for the detailed examples, very clearly explained. It helped me understand how damaged my ears are!
Thanks again.
Yes, quite informative. I've had one for years and never used it, because I couldn't figure out how to set it.
That was a very helpful explanation of how to rightly use compression. Thanks Rhett!
You can use it as a limiter or you can use it for sustain.
Compression controls decay.
Bought lots of pedals since the 70’s. (Read: I’m old). The only pedal I’m using these days, into either my Marshall’s or Vox is a Wampler Ego compressor. I currently use mostly Suhr guitars straight into a good amp. Of course that’s the fun of pedals, may get the itch for a some other sound and drag em out again
;- )
I have the Wampler Ego Mini and love it. "Always on" pedal for me, along with my Wampler Tumnus actually ;)
@@DCJayhawk57 - I have a Tumnus as well. I really like Wampler pedals. I just find myself using the Ego these days. Enjoy !
The problem with doing compression demos over the Internet is that the CZcams algorithms also provide their own compression so you may not hear everything that’s changing. It’s important to remember that a compressor works by turning down it’s like having an invisible hand on your volume control that when the same oil goes above threshold the volume knob automatically gets turned down. Attack time is how quickly the hand turns it down released time is how quickly it turns it back up to unity gain after the signal drops below threshold. In the old days early broadcast compressors only had input and output and in fact some producers that I’ve worked with use the compressor that way in the studio. They would increase the input until they heard the softest sound at the level that they wanted and then turn the output down until the loud signals were within normal operating range.This is having 1176 works where there is no threshold control instead you increase the input and then back down the output as needed. I wrote an article for Premier guitar magazine several years ago called the truth about compressors. Check it out to see if it’ll help you understand what compressors do.
I’ve been wondering what compression is/does. Thanks!🤘🎸
Keith Williams and Rhett are favorite guitarist shows on the tube!! Excellent work
Great video! I actually really needed it. I watched Rick’s video on it but it still didn’t click 100%. This cleared it up for me. Thank you!!!
Been learning how to use compression in recording and on guitar more this past year, thanks for this refresher course!, I’m about to mix a song with some edge of breakup guitar, and wondering how to get the sound in my head, I think I need to add some compression lol! 🗜🎸
Great video and your explanation was very detailed but I still don't understand it. It could be my laptop speakers but it sounded the same to me. Maybe I need to get one and play with it.
I've watched a lot of people a lot of reviewers doing the same compression review I think you do it the best you explained it perfectly you did your job thank you for all the information it's greatly appreciated and I now finally understand compression so thank you very much and you have a great day
4/1 is very very medium indeed 😂
But on a serious note those really helps explain some things! I don’t really have experience with studio compression so I’m really just use to guitar pedal compressors. Which are great but the controls are definitely more simplified. Thank you for making this!
I could hear the differences through my iPhone 😂, it was subtle but heard the difference , nice Melissa playing Rhett, as alway your videos are awesome and I always learn something new from your videos
Literally couldn’t hear a difference from my TV. I definitely need to rewatch with a headset! Cool video, Rhett.
How about a compressor after overdrive as a de-esser? No one makes a de-esser pedal, but there are some really nice rackmount units. Back in the 90s I had a rackmount rig with Seymour Duncan Convertible and rack effects units. For the past 2 years I have been watching videos and pedal shows galore, and it seems, for me, the whole thing has come full circle again. I am going to return to an entirely rackmount rig; though, with Hiwatt amplification for pure clean tones (and Freyette for stereo wets). This way, the only thing on the front of the stage is a midi controller and expression pedals (including volume and wah) in a self-contained pedalboard. Everything else is backline. Roll it all in; roll it all out. Quick, easy, and clean. Think of it as a Gilmour rig for relatively poor people.
I use a comp pedal more as a limiter for clean. Sustain all the way down
Im very very much not an expert. But from my limited experience i tend to use compression pedals to control feedback. Thats the most ive used it for so this vid was class
its been 5 years that ive been making music and engineering and i still sometimes just find my self compressing out of luck, attack and release times is something i dont always find myself understand when and why to use a specific attack and release setting
I think No one understands it But keep using it :)
Thank you for showing this with acoustic guitar. It seems like every compression video I watch only shows how you can get that pumping sound on drums. Trying to find quality videos like this that deal with acoustic guitars is hard. The fact you used the same mic I have was also a bonus! 👍 thanks again Rhett.
at 7:34
listen to how loud those picked motes are because they are running though the compressor.
without the compressor they would be way lower.
I ordered a Really Nice Compressor on Reverb the other day, so this video was super helpful. Thanks!
Very informative video on compressors. I have one on my pedal board but I am going experiment with my compressor now that I know better what it does.
The most misunderstood effect there is. It takes a long time to really figure it out. Most overuse it. Great video Rhett. You could probably spend 2-3 hours on compression.
Best in depth explanation of compression I have seen on CZcams …nice work Rhett !