Re: where to compress?

[Dave Stagner <dave@spnz.org>]

Nemoguitt@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 6/30/03 12:22:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
> evanmeyers@yahoo.com writes:
> 
> 
>> hi all, just looking for some opinions on where is the
>> best place in my chain to compress
> 
> 
> 
> i know very little about compression and i have been wanting to learn 
> more about it.....anyone care to explain how it's used in their live 
> looping system.....michael

I've only recently started using compression in my live looping.  My 
compressor is a Blackbox Electronics Oxygen, which is a beautiful 
device.  I don't think of it as part of my looping rig, but rather my 
tone source.  In my mind, there's sort of a circle to my rig... guitar 
to analog tone-shaping pedals (compression, wah, distortion, flanging, 
analog echo) to loopers (Vortex and DeltaLab) to amp to guitar (feedback).

Placement-wise, my compressor is the first device in the analog effects 
chain.  Compression after noisy devices (like my beloved horrible 
Danelectro wah) amplifies the noise to unacceptable levels.  Besides, 
the Oxygen includes a noise gate that works quite well if i keep the 
initial noise levels reasonable.  I'm also finding neat effects using 
the compressor and its gate along with distortion, and very light 
tapping - it makes little explosive noises that just disappear 
afterward.  It'll take some time to learn to control this, tho.

The main motivation for getting a compressor was to even out my 
fingerpicking tone - bare fingers plus overdrive equals uneven tone.  It 
matters for looping only because it makes my tone better in general. 
Its other uses, like explosive tapping, are more a matter of how i abuse 
effects for my own nefarious ends than how a more normal musician would 
do things.

In short, put the compressor first.