Good compressor for bass guitar

[Fancy Lime]

+1 to not giving a compressor to a beginner bass player. It really makes learning dynamic control harder. I would suggest something that makes playing dynamics more audible and therefore easier to learn. Depending on musical preferences that could be a touch sensitive overdrive (various bass adapted Tube Sound Fuzz variants) or a touch wah / envelope filter (loads of options there). Especially the latter is great for learning to play consistently and to place dynamic accents deliberately when playing finger style. And it's a ton of fun to play, if you're into that sort of music. If you are more into heavy music and/or play with a pick, the same can be said for an overdrive.

Andy

[EBK]

+1 for envelope filter.  Mutron iii is nice.

[bool]

There's nothing wrong with a compressor. Makes the player focus more on the groove/drive instead of individual notes dynamics. As recording engineers know, compressing a bassist makes him automatically focus more on staying in the pocket and being ... err ... a good/better person in general.

[DIY Bass]

Maybe look at what is missing on the amp he uses and make that.  By that I mean see what he wishes his amp would do.  I like to use 2 different EQ settings - a typical rock bass low mid emphasised tone and a more bass heavy mellow tone for mellower songs.  For me that means having an amp that will allow 2 different EQ settings, or an EQ pedal/preamp that will allow that to happen.  I would be very frustrated with just an amp with a single EQ.  On the other hand I almost never use any form of distortion so that would be useless to me.  Find out what he is missing and make him that.

[jfrabat]

OK, important nore here; my son is 10, so asking him what he wants changes every 15 minutes...  my intention is to (1) get him involved in the build to (a) teach him a bit of electronic building (he has helped me solder pedals in the past, and does a pretty good job at it), (b) get him excited about his bass, and (c) spend some quality time with him.  I also want him to (2) find new possibilities to play the bass to keep interested, (3) make bass playing fun (he is taking classes, but classes tend to be less fun than playing).  Since I play guitar and my daughter plays keyboards, I want to make it fun for him to join us in out home jam sessions...

[jfrabat]

Oh, and I am also making myself a new pedalboard, so my intention is to use the old power supply and case to build him a small pedalboard...  and right now, he is helping me populate an Orange Phaser clone, which I may let him keep if it sounds good on the bass (may need to check i put and output caps for that, though).

[Rob Strand]

(b) get him excited about his bass, and (c) spend some quality time with him.  I also want him to (2) find new possibilities to play the bass to keep interested, (3) make bass playing fun (he is taking classes, but classes tend to be less fun than playing).

I guess when you are a kid the pedals which attract the most interest are different to when you are an adult. 

I've pretty much had access to all types of effects over my bass playing life.  I'd say when I was young the most used pedal would be a flanger (or chorus); could have something to do with the 80's.   As an adult I'm more interested in specific EQ's and adding a bit of compression.   Things like envelope filters and Octavers are fun but I guess you have to find a place to use them.

populate an Orange Phaser clone, which I may let him keep if it sounds good on the bass

I actually like a bit of phaser on a bass.    I think I like the sound more as an adult than a kid.  It's probably the only effects pedal I could be bothered building for bass these days.

[jfrabat]

I guess when you are a kid the pedals which attract the most interest are different to when you are an adult. 

I've pretty much had access to all types of effects over my bass playing life.  I'd say when I was young the most used pedal would be a flanger (or chorus); could have something to do with the 80's.   As an adult I'm more interested in specific EQ's and adding a bit of compression.   Things like envelope filters and Octavers are fun but I guess you have to find a place to use them.

My intention is to use the Green Russian Big Muff, a EA Tremolo, maybe the Orange Phaser (have to test it out) and I thought maybe either a compressor or a reverb (could be both in the future).  I do have some boards for Little Angel Chorus around that I built trying to get them to work that I could trouble shoot and give him, but those are not for him to do but rather for me to troubleshoot...

[DIY Bass]

I have a digital multi effect, so I can get just about any sound on bass that I want.  What I usually use is a good compressor, a couple of EQ settings, sometimes a light overdrive (Darkglass Vintage Microtubes clone).  Occasionally I will also use light flanging or phasing, bass chorus and octave.  I am thinking of putting together an old style pedal board.  It will have the compressor, overdrive, 2 EQ's flanger octaver and maybe chorus.  Probably also a preamp with DI out.  I think that most bass players use less effects than me, and I only use them sparingly.

[Fancy Lime]

OK, important nore here; my son is 10, so asking him what he wants changes every 15 minutes...  my intention is to (1) get him involved in the build to (a) teach him a bit of electronic building (he has helped me solder pedals in the past, and does a pretty good job at it), (b) get him excited about his bass, and (c) spend some quality time with him.  I also want him to (2) find new possibilities to play the bass to keep interested, (3) make bass playing fun (he is taking classes, but classes tend to be less fun than playing).  Since I play guitar and my daughter plays keyboards, I want to make it fun for him to join us in out home jam sessions...

If motivation and fun to play are major concerns, I want to put in another vote for an envelope filter. And if ease of build is another factor, allow me to shamelessly plug my own design here (with breadboard (thanks to sevrien), pcb (thanks to rankot) and strip board layout and an audio sample, too):
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=119101.0

Cheers,
Andy

[jfrabat]

Andy, I like the idea...  Can you repost the schematic?  I cant see it on the other post (may be just the phone, not sure)

Edit
Never mind...  saw it in page 2

[jfrabat]

pcb (thanks to rankot)

You got PCBs available for sale?

[Fancy Lime]

pcb (thanks to rankot)

You got PCBs available for sale?

I don't and I am unaware if anyone else has. I am about to try and find out what a small batch of maybe 50 PCB's would cost to have made professionally. If that turns out at all reasonable, I will probably do that for my own PCB design of the Quackmire, once I have that verified.

Andy

[jfrabat]

pcb (thanks to rankot)

You got PCBs available for sale?

I don't and I am unaware if anyone else has. I am about to try and find out what a small batch of maybe 50 PCB's would cost to have made professionally. If that turns out at all reasonable, I will probably do that for my own PCB design of the Quackmire, once I have that verified.

Andy

I typically make mine with OSH park. Since I dont sell them, I order in batches of 3, and they come to about $20 per batch (under $7 each).  For 50 I am sure the price will drop...

[Chris S]

If you are after a simple build. I build the bass player in my band the bearhug compressor. Sounds good.

[bool]

If you are after a simple build. I build the bass player in my band the bearhug compressor. Sounds good.

Gifting your bassplayer with a compressor is just another way of saying "behave, boy!", heh heh.

[rockola]

the Vactrol VTL5C10 optocoupler seems hard to find (I looked in Mouser, Mammoth, and locally and could not find it.  And on eBay, they are over $10 each plus shipping to Panama, so that's not happening).

UK Electronic has them for EUR 8.95. https://www.uk-electronic.de/onlineshop/product_info.php?products_id=1507