Last month, we began
exploring compression for
guitar, primarily from plug-ins
and outboard hardware
[
“Secrets of Compression, Pt.1,” August 2011]. This month,
we’ll explore the same subject
as it relates to guitar pedals. As
we all know, any time you talk
about pedals with guitar players,
opinions fly wildly. That
said, it’s worth your while to
get a broad perspective of what
stompbox compressors can do
for your sound.
In the studio, compression
is often added after the fact. In
other words, the guitar parts
are tracked with little to no
compression, and the effects are
added either on the console or
in your digital audio workstation
(DAW). This delivers the
most production control, as the
amount of processing can be
increased or reduced without
affecting the original audio. If
you record with “in-line” compression—
that is, with a pedal
or rack unit in the recorded
signal chain—the effect cannot
be removed later. That means
you are stuck with what you’ve
tracked. While there are situations
where compression and
other effects are an essential
part of your sound, it’s sometimes
advantageous to track
without them.
With pedals, compression
is primarily about dynamic
control (smoothing out string
response), boost, and sustain.
In fact, some pedals, such as the
Boss CS-3 and T-Rex ToneBug
Sustainer, are specifically marketed
as compressors/sustainers.
While some manufacturers
keep it simple (and somewhat
limited) with Input and Output
knobs, others offer additional
controls such as Level, Tone,
Gain, Attack, and Sustain.
Veteran guitarist Sam
Broussard (Steve Riley and
the Mamou Playboys, Jimmy
Buffett, Linda Ronstadt) uses
compression pedals both live
and in the studio. “I didn’t
know what compression was
when I was younger,” he says,
“and I wondered why they
weren’t called sustain pedals—
because that’s what they did.
Now I know that they have
controls similar to the simple
and wonderful Teletronics/
Universal Audio LA-2A studio
compressor. That unit has a
knob to increase input signal to
the unit’s squashing circuit, and
a gain knob. Typical pedals have
Sustain and Level knobs, and,
like the hardware, they squash
the dynamics. Sustain is a major
byproduct of the adjustments—
the signal gets grabbed, held for
a bit, and then dropped. It’s not
love, but it’ll do. So I always
squash a little when playing
slide or twang, and combined
with distortion I might get
that elusive bloom of the tone
expanding—opening up—in
the ‘held’ period, a second after
the strings are struck.”
But compression pedals don’t
work in every situation. “They
make your notes die later,”
Broussard says, “so your rig feels
more forgiving. But compressor
pedals often don’t sound good
for blues. Smoothed-out dynamics
aren’t appropriate for raw
juke-joint music.”
I asked Broussard which pedals
he’s currently using and what
they do for his sound. “The
Boss CS-3 is a good workhorse,
if not exactly a tone machine,”
he says. “But there are many
mods for them on the ’net. And
they have an Attack (or anti-attack)
knob that I don’t use.
More expensive pedals preserve
more of the guitar’s tone, but I
find there’s not enough of me
in the out-front mix to warrant
studio-quality tone and expense.
I have a Keeley pedal in the
chain for studio work, but you
must remember that another
byproduct of compression is a
rise in the noise floor—hum
and hiss. This isn’t much of a
problem at a gig—if you can
hear the noise, the song stopped
or your drummer left. In the
studio, however, it’s critical to
avoid noise.”
Every compression pedal will
have a slightly different tone
and respond differently to your
particular technique. The $20
Behringer DC9 won’t sound the
same as the tube-based $350
Effectrode Photo-Optical Tube
Compressor. As with other gear,
price does not always equate to
quality, but generally speaking,
the more expensive units use
better components and materials.
Also, compression pedals
aren’t for electric work alone. Try
plugging your acoustic DI into a
compression pedal. Compression
can add a nice sustain to both
chords and single-note lines
played on a flattop.
Overall, you should use
compression pedals judiciously.
Too much compression can
squash the dynamics out of
your sound. But just the right
amount can not only give you a
nice boost, but also make your
tone thicker. Like other effects,
to get a grip on compression,
you just need to experiment
with those knobs.
Rich Tozzoli is a
Grammy-nominated
engineer and mixer who
has worked with artists
ranging from Al Di
Meola to David Bowie.
A life-long guitarist, he’s
also the author of
Pro Tools Surround
Sound Mixing and composes for the
likes of Fox NFL, Discovery Channel,
Nickelodeon, and HBO.