Reccomend a bass compressor

[Kipper4]

please reccomend some bass compressors.
A buddy has asked me to build one for him.
Thanks

[Mike Burgundy]

QD2, with a buffer in front.

[Kipper4]

Sorry Mike

QD2?

[Mike Burgundy]

Sorry, quick 'n dirty 2. Jack Orma's take on the SSM2166 datasheet. Search the forum for SSM2166 compressor and you should be okay. Also Merlin's engineers thumb is very nice, and there was a very interesting one on the forum not so long ago which I can't find just now.
I really like the SSM2166 one - plus it has a gate, compressor AND limiter all in one go with very low parts count. It's still on my board and has been for years. There's a lot of arguing about taste, but I've never liked Dyna/ross types on bass. Too squashed and muddy.

[Kipper4]

Thanks Mike
I already built the engineers thumb and i like it as much as the orange sqeezer. I also built and like Marks modded Squeezer.
I'll take a look at Jacks Comp. I like the idea of a comp /limiter with gate and i think my buddy will too.

I'm awaiting optofets for the salad squeezer to complete and debug.

Thanks for the tip.

[Kipper4]

I like that its low part count and the quick sample i listened to sounded good too.
The one chip isnt cheap though but i'm sure it'd be worth it.
I'll put it to my buddy when i can get hold of him.

[midwayfair]

Thanks Mike
I already built the engineers thumb and i like it as much as the orange sqeezer. I also built and like Marks modded Squeezer.
I'll take a look at Jacks Comp. I like the idea of a comp /limiter with gate and i think my buddy will too.

I'm awaiting optofets for the salad squeezer to complete and debug.

Thanks for the tip.

For bass, I think Circuit Salad's MOSFET comp would be a better choice. It's almost as easy, and it is insanely punchy sounding. Honestly it's the closest I've heard to a wall-of-bass recording track.

Shameless plug: My Bearhug got the thumbs up from at least one bassist, and it's cheap and easy.

Agreed on the SSM2166. That chip is insane.

[Kipper4]

oops
heres what he wants. I'm not sure i'm gonna find something like this

" I was looking for something that gave a solid cut off mate almost like how you mute a string right after playing it to give a solid thump?"

Help me out here guys please

[Kipper4]

I'm hoping the opto fets arrive anytime soon now Jon So i can debug and test it.

The bearhug. let me go check it out
thanks

[Mustachio]

I built a flatline comp for a bass player , I think all I changed was the input cap to 1uf. It's a great comp that is simple and doesn't color the sound, just adds that punch in the gut.

I actually etched a board and put together a little kit for another bass player friend of mine on the west coast and he loves it as well! I think it replaced his black finger tube comp.

[moosapotamus]

oops
heres what he wants. I'm not sure i'm gonna find something like this

" I was looking for something that gave a solid cut off mate almost like how you mute a string right after playing it to give a solid thump?"

Help me out here guys please

Sounds to me like he is describing a gate with a really high threshold setting so you have to play somewhat hard to open the gate and then it shuts right away, muting the signal.

But personally, when I think of a bass sound that has a "solid thump", I do not necessarily think of a super short, gated decay. Instead, I think of a sound that is made by appropriately tweaking the Attack control on a compressor (like the QD2, maybe?). A slightly longer Attack setting will very briefly let the full volume of the bass come through for an instant, before the compression clamps it down, giving a "pop" or "thump" feeling to the sound.

If you build a QD2, you get Attack and Gate controls, so he can try either way.

~ Charlie

[El Heisenberg]

I use it as a cheap compressor for recording vocals or anything else i want compressed. I use my mixers effect channel and run it through that. I built it as shown in the datasheet. I didnt think itd be that great but it makes everything sound a ton better and my band records vox exclusively with it cos the stuff on fruity loops doesnt sound as good.

Been meanin to build my bassist a compressor with one along with one for guitar for me!

[Kipper4]

The QD2 looks like a clear favorite at this time.
I believe what he wants is a slow enough attack to let the initial transiant  through then clamp down. I've yet to speak to him to confirm this. As Charlie said
Keep the ideas coming anyway guys and thanks for all the help.
Rich

[samhay]

If you want a slow compressor, you could try one of the many optical ones kicking around. You might need to increase the input and output caps a little bit, but they will work fine otherwise.
If you have an LDR in your stash, it will only take 5 min to knock one of them up on the breadboard. Seeing as we are shamelessly plugging - I have tried my A-OK compressor with bass and it seemed to work pretty nicely.

[artifus]

you may also want to consider a blend control to mix compressed and unprocessed signals.

[Giglawyer]

I am building a Forest Green Compressor for my bass...I will let you know, but its supposed to be really good for bass.

[Kipper4]

Great stuff guys
I'll be looking into them all thanks for all the suggestions so far.
A Buff and blend is something i considered already but not for the compressor.
I thought i'd put a distortion in the same box with a blend control and bypass.(for the Distortion)
I dont know what rig he has nowadays. Active/passive pick ups?
i would like to hear his rig and talk to him properly so he can explain more. I'm sure i will once he gets back from his easter break.
Sam have you got a schematic or thread link i cant find it when i do a search. I'll try and google it i often have more luck, i'll report back.
The forest green sounds good too let me know how the build and sound goes mate thanks
Rich

[midwayfair]

I am building a Forest Green Compressor for my bass...I will let you know, but its supposed to be really good for bass.

Eh, I just don't think that compressor has enough transistors to be any good. 

[Kipper4]

I found the comp Sam i've seen it before and reccomended it to some other builders on the HR forum too.
I might have to get some vactrols soon and bite the bullet. Wheres a good place to get them pls UK based ty

[samhay]

Most of the simple optical compressors (including mine) were designed to, or will work with, an LED/LDR combo. Might be about time to really learn how to 'role your own' (vactrol that is).
Maplin has a surprisingly good supply of LDRs, but I usually get mine from bitsbox. I'm usually too cheap for Vactrols, which you can get from the big guys (Farnell, RS etc) and often ebay.
I should stress that optical compressors do one thing quite well - fairly slow attack and smooth(ish) decay with minimal part counts. They are worth a quick try, but if they don't cut it, move on and try a more substantial compressor. I would usually suggest Merlin's 'engineers thumb' but I'm not sure how well it will cope with a potentially very hot signal (OTAs don't clip very nicely).

Edit - for interests sake, what's the HR forum? Your not in human resources are you!