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What Does A Compressor Pedal Do?

When it comes to guitar and bass effects pedals, the compressor is often overlooked in favor of flashier options like distortion or delay. But the truth is, a compressor pedal can be a valuable tool for shaping your sound and improving the overall quality of your playing. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into what a compressor pedal does, and how it can benefit your music.

What is a Compressor Pedal?
A compressor pedal is an effects pedal that is used to even out the dynamic range of a guitar or bass signal. Dynamic range refers to the difference between the loudest and softest parts of a sound. For example, a drummer may hit a snare drum very hard, but then play a quiet cymbal crash afterwards. The difference in volume between these two sounds is the dynamic range.

How Does a Compressor Pedal Work?
A compressor pedal works by automatically reducing the volume of loud signals and boosting the volume of quiet signals. This helps to even out the dynamic range and make the overall sound more consistent.

When you turn on a compressor pedal, it will have a threshold setting. This threshold setting determines how much the compressor will reduce the volume of loud signals. For example, if the threshold is set to -6 dB, any signal that is louder than -6 dB will be reduced by that amount.

Additionally, compressor pedals will have a ratio setting. This ratio setting determines how much the volume of the loud signal will be reduced compared to the quiet signal. For example, if the ratio is set to 4:1, for every 4 dB that the loud signal exceeds the threshold, the loud signal will be reduced by 1 dB.

How Can a Compressor Pedal Improve Your Sound?
There are several ways that a compressor pedal can improve your sound. Here are a few examples:

Making Your Playing More Consistent: One of the biggest benefits of a compressor pedal is that it can help to even out the dynamic range of your playing. This means that quiet notes will be louder and easier to hear, while loud notes won’t overpower the rest of the band. This can make your playing sound more consistent and professional.

Adding Sustain to Your Notes: Compressor pedals can also be used to add sustain to your notes. By reducing the volume of the initial attack of a note and boosting the volume of the sustain, a compressor pedal can make your notes sound longer and more pronounced.

Adding Punch to Your Playing: Compressor pedals can also be used to add punch to your playing. By reducing the volume of the initial attack of a note and boosting the volume of the sustain, a compressor pedal can make your playing sound more powerful and assertive.

Creating Unique Sounds: Compressor pedals can also be used to create unique sounds. By adjusting the settings of the compressor pedal, you can create sounds that are not possible with other effects pedals. For example, you can create a “squashed” sound by setting the ratio to a high level and the threshold to a low level.

Compressor Pedal Settings and Techniques
Threshold: The threshold setting determines how much the compressor will reduce the volume of loud signals. A lower threshold setting means that the compressor will start reducing the volume of loud signals at a lower volume level.

Ratio: The ratio setting determines how much the volume of the loud signal will be reduced compared to the quiet signal. A higher ratio setting means that the loud signal will be reduced more than the quiet signal.

Attack: The attack setting determines how quickly the compressor will start reducing the volume of loud signals. A faster attack time means that the compressor will start reducing the volume of loud signals as soon as they exceed the threshold, while a slower attack time means that it will take longer for the compressor to start reducing the volume.

Release: The release setting determines how quickly the compressor will stop reducing the volume of loud signals. A faster release time means that the compressor will stop reducing the volume as soon as the loud signal drops below the threshold, while a slower release time means that it will take longer for the compressor to stop reducing the volume.

Hard/Soft Knee: Compressors can be set to have a “hard” or “soft” knee. A hard knee means that the compressor will start reducing the volume of loud signals as soon as they exceed the threshold, while a soft knee means that the compressor will start reducing the volume gradually as the loud signal gets closer to the threshold.

Parallel Compression: A technique known as parallel compression, also known as “New York compression” is a popular way to use a compressor pedal. This technique involves blending the compressed signal with the dry, uncompressed signal. This allows you to retain the dynamic range and character of the dry signal while still benefitting from the compression.

Sidechain Compression: Sidechain compression is a technique where the compressor is triggered by a separate audio source, rather than the guitar signal itself. This can be used to create a “pumping” effect, where the volume of the guitar is reduced in time with the beat of the music.

Conclusion
A compressor pedal may not be as flashy as some other effects pedals, but it can be a valuable tool for shaping your sound and improving the overall quality of your playing. By understanding how a compressor pedal works and experimenting with different settings and techniques, you can use a compressor pedal to add sustain, punch, and unique sounds to your playing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a compressor pedal do?
A compressor pedal is an effects pedal that is used to even out the dynamic range of a guitar or bass signal. It works by automatically reducing the volume of loud signals and boosting the volume of quiet signals, making the overall sound more consistent.

Why should I use a compressor pedal?
A compressor pedal can be a valuable tool for shaping your sound and improving the overall quality of your playing. It can make your playing more consistent, add sustain to your notes, add punch to your playing, and create unique sounds.

What are the different settings on a compressor pedal?
The main settings on a compressor pedal are threshold, ratio, attack, release, hard/soft knee. Other settings may include blend, gain, and sidechain.

What is parallel compression?
Parallel compression is a technique where the compressed signal is blended with the dry, uncompressed signal. This allows you to retain the dynamic range and character of the dry signal while still benefitting from the compression.

What is sidechain compression?
Sidechain compression is a technique where the compressor is triggered by a separate audio source, rather than the guitar signal itself. This can be used to create a “pumping” effect, where the volume of the guitar is reduced in time with the beat of the music.

When should I use a compressor pedal?
The best time to use a compressor pedal is during the mixing and mastering process of a recording. However, some guitarists and bassists also use it live to achieve a more consistent sound and add sustain or punch to their playing.

Can I use a compressor pedal with other effects pedals?
Yes, you can use a compressor pedal with other effects pedals. Many guitarists and bassists use a compressor pedal in their effects chain before other effects like distortion, delay, and reverb.