Compressor

A compressor can be a versatile and powerful effect in a player’s tool bag, used by professionals on stage (usually through a pedal) and in the studio (in the form of rack gear) to further craft and control their tone. Unfortunately, many players who are inexperienced with compression are unaware of their potential benefits. Below, we’ll take a look at what exactly compressor pedals are, how they work and the number of ways they can help you enhance your tone.     Continue reading →

BBE MaxCom Dual-Channel Compressor, Limiter and Gate with Sonic Maximizer. A compressor is sometimes a limiter, but a limiter is never a compressor. Let me explain. A dynamic range compressor is essentially a tool that takes any given signal and - when used correctly - can lower the volume peaks of a track but can also be used to...

[caption id="attachment_2626" align="alignright" width="248"] Avalon VT-737SP available @ $2,475.00[/caption] Avalon Design is well known in the industry for their top of the line, pure Class A recording equipment that feature the highest quality components available. The secret of Avalon’s appeal goes deeper than the obvious – it’s not just the superior tone that draws engineers, producers and musicians to their gear, it’s the additional little details that go into making equipment that look and feel as good as they sound. Among their lauded staple of gear, the VT-737SP stands as one of their more popular pieces. After taking the VT-737SP through its paces, it's safe to say that it's more than earned its lofty reputation! Continue reading →

[caption id="attachment_2078" align="alignright" width="300"] ART PRO VLA II Two Channel Vactrol-based Compressor[/caption] First off, a compressor is sometimes a limiter, but a limiter is never a compressor. A dynamic range compressor is essentially a tool that takes any given signal and - when used correctly - can lower the volume peaks of a track but can also be used to make the softer parts loud, ultimately giving the entire track a more balanced volume output. Imagine if you have a song that starts off with some low volume vocals, such as a whisper or spoken word, and then sometime after that the song begins to reach its climax, complete with big guitars, loud drums and screaming vocals. Without a compressor, those quiet vocals might be completely muted by the time you adjust the volume of your louder segments. Conversely, if you were to raise the whispers loud enough to be heard, the initial louder parts will be ridiculously loud. Essentially, a compressor compresses the dynamic (volume) range of the track. A limiter on the other hand limits the amount of a signal passing through. Both use a user dialed in volume output cap (known as the threshold) but instead of taking the volume overage and compressing it, a limiter just completely removes it. One more time just to get this crucial point across; the main difference between the two is that a compressor squeezes down excess sound while a limiter completely removes it. Continue reading →