Compressor Mods question

[Ricardo Antunes]

I´ve got a compressor sustainer Oliver. What´s the better way to minimize noise when the effect is "on", without to use a noise supressor?

[Mark Hammer]

Always make your compressor either the very first effect in line, or at least second in line after a *clean* *quiet* booster pedal.  Compressors boost anything that is "interpreted" as a low level signal, so any background noise gets boosted if there is no signal present to result in gain reduction.  That noise can be residual hiss, pickup hum, or noise accumulated along the cable.  Having a hotter signal means you don't have to turn up the amp as much so you get an audibly quieter signal from the amp.

A second means to achieve some sort of noise reduction is to make sure the treble content is nice and crisp going into the compressor.  Then you can either turn down the treble on the amp or impose some treble cut in the compressor itself such that you keep tonal balance while reducing any hiss boosting the compressor creates.  A decent buffer/booster before the compressor can do that.

Certainly if the pedal itself has any room for swapping a noisier semiconductor (op-amp, transistor, etc.) for a less noisy version of the same, that is worth trying.  For instance, has anyone made themselves an Orange Squeezer with an OP-0275 or NE5532 instead of a 4558?

[Ricardo Antunes]

OK, MARK. THANKS A LOT FOR THE ANSWER AND...SORRY ´BOUT MY ENGLISH

[Mark Hammer]

No problem.  I am always humbled by those who speak English as a second or third language.  I hope the answer I gave was not too "flowery".  The main thing is that a compressor will make a noisy signal worse, so make the signal as quiet and clean as you can at the start.