How do you use your compressor?

[Bill_F]

I've never been a big compression guy, but have now built the Orange Squeezer and the DynaRoss. I like them both for different reasons. I thought it would be interesting to see how others use their compressors. Such as, where do you put it in the chain? First, last or? Do you have it on all the time or use it for lead boosts? Or anything else that might help us folk who are using these bad boys for the first time.

Thanks,
Bill

[Mark Hammer]

There are pros and cons to sticking it first.  I always stick it first.
My reasons?:
1) Makes for more predictable functioning of distortion units, phasers and chorusses by providing a more consistent signal that does not exceed the dynamic limits of more sensitive devices and stays close to the desired threshold for clipping devices.
2) Compressors think ALL small signals are soft picking just busting to get out and be heard.  That means when you stop playing, all residul noise is boosted to the maximum extent the compressor can boost.  The further down your chain a compressor is situated, the more cumulative noise there is to boost and the greater the need for a noise gate, which you'd like to avoid wherever feasible.
3) Makes a great clean buffer/booster if you don't demand too much compression.

[Ansil]

when i have everything running right it goes, guitar>>misc booster>>wah>>compdistortion(a cloned pedal based off of the old dod.)>>various dist>>eq>split into two divisions for time based fx>.

i don't usually use compression except with tthat one pedal most of my pedals compress enough. lol

i really only use the distcompresser pedal when i am playing some clapton type stuff i used to use with the satriani and vai stuff then i foudn something that sounded closer to that tone.

[Peter Snowberg]

My setup is Guitar->Face style fuzz->Compressor->other pedals->Amp.

The face seems to come to life when connected directly to the guitar so it sits first with true bypass.

Many years ago, an orange DOD compressor was my absolute favorite effect. I would leave it on all the time. I'm a rythm player with almost zero lead skills if that paints the picture any fuller.  :wink:

-Peter

[Jay Doyle]

When I was playing I put my distortions before the comp for rhythm/lead reasons. Playing rhythm I would have the comp on all of the time, so my clean rhythm and distorted rhythm were at the same level with the distortion seeming a little louder because of the increased ahrmonic content. This kept me at an even keel, able to punctuate choruses with distortion without having to worry about blowing everyone else off the stage. This really helped in small clubs where your amp provided a lot of the front of house sound. WHen it came time for a solo, I hopped off the compression and just used the distortion to give me a "freer" sound.

Basically I did it this way to keep everyone happy with me on stage  But I did like my tone that way. Only problems were excessive noise at the end of the songs and I never played clean, though I wasn't in a situation where I would have...

[jimmy]

my signal chain goes

Squire Strat > Orange Squeezer > Differential Doubler > YJM380 > then wahs and whatnot. then straight to the amp. usually everythings off except for the orange squeezer till i get sick of playing sultans of swing  

cheers
Jim

[Parade]

I use my compressor at the end of my chain of course, it doesn't seem very pretty with distortion so I mostly use it on clean stuff or anything that needs some punch.

[ahermida]

I have used a compressor after an old EH Memory Man echo - I can't remember the exact model but the wet signal was very low compared to the dry signal.  By placing the compressor right after it the wet signal gets amplified and the pedal sounds very balanced.  I highly recommend it.

Alf

[bwanasonic]

For a while I was using A Tech 21 GT2 into a Dyna-Comp. This allowed a wide range from clean to saturated lead tones with using only the guitars volume knob. Not a very quiet setup, so I used an Ernie Ball volume pedal as a sort of manual noise gate. In general using a comp after OD can be useful if you use your guitar's volume knob.

Kerry M

[Chris Goodson]

My board is setup like this; wah - compressor - distortion.  
I think some people like to run the distortion before the compressor.  I tried it and thought it sounded like crap and didn't seem to sustain nearly as well.  I recall reading that Trey A. from Phish runs his like this, tube screamer - tube screamer - ross and he gets a really nice long-sustaining tone.  Who knows maybe it has something to do with the amp he's using??

[idlefaction]

in my rig, compression comes after the microphone micing up the cabinet.