Hi all
I've recently built a Keeley 4 knob compressor. It's great for evening out frequency response but I'm not really finding it adds any sustain to my clean or distorted tone.
Can anyone suggest a compressor that 'specialises' in sustain?
Thanks in advance!
Try turning compression and volume up.
All compressors could add sustain, I guess youd want a slow release time. Slower attack means more transparent, quick means more "country" squish.
checkout Forest Green comp and Slide Rig on YT
Guitar PCB has the MoRC compressor, (Modified Ross Compressor).
I have built 2 of them, one for me and the other for our Lead player.
We both leave them on all the time.
Great comp! Great sustain! :)
link > http://www.guitarpcb.com/apps/webstore/products/show/5764897 (http://www.guitarpcb.com/apps/webstore/products/show/5764897)
I built an MoRC and a orange squeezer. The OS is way to pussy foot for 57 classic humbuckers. They drive it to distort. The MoRC can handle the humbuckers but I felt robbed of some high end chime. I tried every spot in the chain for it. I always seemed to like it near the end best (but before my final clean boost) but I always struggled with it. Ultimately I took it off and play without it. One day I'll finish my afterlife board and see if I like that circuit better.
Quote from: jtaormina on April 24, 2016, 11:19:24 AM
I built an MoRC and a orange squeezer. The OS is way to pussy foot for 57 classic humbuckers. They drive it to distort. The MoRC can handle the humbuckers but I felt robbed of some high end chime. I tried every spot in the chain for it. I always seemed to like it near the end best (but before my final clean boost) but I always struggled with it. Ultimately I took it off and play without it. One day I'll finish my afterlife board and see if I like that circuit better.
Interesting...
I also built the OS and found it took away too much high end sparkle.
It was pretty much useless for me.
I don't have that problem with the MoRC. It seems to retain the highs, at least on my rig.
I have it first in the chain and play (mostly) a Nashville Tele.
Quote from: galaxiex on April 24, 2016, 11:50:04 AM
Quote from: jtaormina on April 24, 2016, 11:19:24 AM
I built an MoRC and a orange squeezer. The OS is way to pussy foot for 57 classic humbuckers. They drive it to distort. The MoRC can handle the humbuckers but I felt robbed of some high end chime. I tried every spot in the chain for it. I always seemed to like it near the end best (but before my final clean boost) but I always struggled with it. Ultimately I took it off and play without it. One day I'll finish my afterlife board and see if I like that circuit better.
Interesting...
I also built the OS and found it took away too much high end sparkle.
It was pretty much useless for me.
I don't have that problem with the MoRC. It seems to retain the highs, at least on my rig.
I have it first in the chain and play (mostly) a Nashville Tele.
The tele is the key I think. That guitar loves compressors. I play a es335. It hates compressors I guess. It's already a guitar that is more fat and jazzy. Any roll off a treble is noticeable to me.
Quote from: jtaormina on April 24, 2016, 02:23:23 PM
Quote from: galaxiex on April 24, 2016, 11:50:04 AM
Quote from: jtaormina on April 24, 2016, 11:19:24 AM
I built an MoRC and a orange squeezer. The OS is way to pussy foot for 57 classic humbuckers. They drive it to distort. The MoRC can handle the humbuckers but I felt robbed of some high end chime. I tried every spot in the chain for it. I always seemed to like it near the end best (but before my final clean boost) but I always struggled with it. Ultimately I took it off and play without it. One day I'll finish my afterlife board and see if I like that circuit better.
Interesting...
I also built the OS and found it took away too much high end sparkle.
It was pretty much useless for me.
I don't have that problem with the MoRC. It seems to retain the highs, at least on my rig.
I have it first in the chain and play (mostly) a Nashville Tele.
The tele is the key I think. That guitar loves compressors. I play a es335. It hates compressors I guess. It's already a guitar that is more fat and jazzy. Any roll off a treble is noticeable to me.
Ahh yes... that makes sense.
Our lead player mostly uses a Strat (bridge pup) so it's very bright as well.
I never tried the MoRC with any humbucker guitars.
.
I built a 4-knob ross comp from Pickdropper, I believe. I could definitely get a note above the 12 fret on the high e to sustain permanently with my Marshall. Try using enough volume to induce some controllable pickup feedback.
Quote from: midwayfair on April 24, 2016, 02:58:57 PM
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Haha Silent suggestion? I've wanted to try the bear hug too. Just never got around to it. I got my after life pcb like a year ago. :-[
I am liking the engineer's thumb quite a lot these days.
The longest sustain I've ever seen is Trey anastasio, which amongst other things, involves a Ross compressor
I'm not necessarily a compressor expert, bu I've built the Compulator, Orange Squeezer, MoRC, Engineer's Thumb, Flatline, and Bearhug.
Personally, I like the sustain of the Compulator the best, also "warms" the tone a bit so I do feel I lose some of the high end, but I like the tone it leaves. Orange Squeezer is probably the least transparent of the group. All are great effects though.
Quote from: drolo on April 24, 2016, 09:40:14 PM
I am liking the engineer's thumb quite a lot these days.
Yeah, I built mine as a 5-knobber. I would change the attack, threshold, release to different values or tapers...the weird attack "glitch" bugs me but I can dial it in to sound almost just like my zvex instant lofi comp.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'm starting to think maybe I'm doing something 'wrong' with my Keely clone.
I'll keep fiddling with it and definitely look into building another comp based on the suggestions.
Thanks again
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
I believe trey uses 2 tube screamers
Quote from: Guybrush on April 25, 2016, 07:17:22 AM
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'm starting to think maybe I'm doing something 'wrong' with my Keely clone.
I'll keep fiddling with it and definitely look into building another comp based on the suggestions.
Thanks again
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
The first compressor I had was a Boss CS-3 Compression/Sustainer.
I could not get it to "work" for me, no matter how much I tweaked everything. I eventually sold it.
It kind of soured me on compressors for a time.
What I like about the MoRC, and I know this sounds trite,
but it really does have the "can't tell when it's on, miss it when it's gone" thing.
Hope you find one that works for you. :)
I have a CS-3 and it is an obvious effect. What I do like about it is the EQ has gain so you can dial in the highs that all compressors take out.
Anyone build Haberdasher's Zirconia?:
http://lectric-fx.com/product/zirconia-optical-compressor/ (http://lectric-fx.com/product/zirconia-optical-compressor/)
I'm used to studio compressors so I wish I could build one that has metering that lets you see the gain reduction and release visually.
Sounds like the Diamond Compressor. I'm building the 4:1 soon and would like to try Bearhug, Ross (modified), Compulator, and Rothwell Lovesqueeze--all with mods for more control.
And to OP, maybe you'd like the Dynacomp? Noisy but iconic for the sustain.
FWIW, I measured some compressors and made a spreadsheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KDYdyKn-rG-0-RljN8W3Ug4FL56FLGDuN-30dHAZaPU/edit?usp=sharing (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KDYdyKn-rG-0-RljN8W3Ug4FL56FLGDuN-30dHAZaPU/edit?usp=sharing)
And this site is awesome for compressor info (from a bass player's perspective): www.ovnilab.com (http://www.ovnilab.com)
I'd love to do a shootout if I had enough together.
Quote from: blearyeyes on April 25, 2016, 09:58:36 PM
I have a CS-3 and it is an obvious effect. What I do like about it is the EQ has gain so you can dial in the highs that all compressors take out.
Anyone build Haberdasher's Zirconia?:
http://lectric-fx.com/product/zirconia-optical-compressor/ (http://lectric-fx.com/product/zirconia-optical-compressor/)
I'm used to studio compressors so I wish I could build one that has metering that lets you see the gain reduction and release visually.
Not very DIY, but Monoprice sells a cheap mini compressor pedal that is rumored to a Diamond clone. I just bought one and it's awesome (ashamed to say it knocked all my DIY compressors off my board), does sound like a tilt-style EQ but don't have a Diamond to compare to.
Ovnilab says that one's noisy, not as nice as diamond but dunno...maybe a bad batch
yup, the zirc is the diamond.
it's the transparent type of comp that doesn't sound like an effect, but if you turn the comp knob up it does sustain. lots of volume on tap as well. i won't say it's the best for sustain because I'm not really an authority on the subject, but I thought I'd throw in two cents.