I'm planning a 4-in-1 box for my brother, also a bass player, and I'm wondering how the Afterlife and 4:1 compresses compare for use with bass. I feel like he may find the 4:1 easier to use since only 2 knobs control the comp and the 3rd knob is a clean blend. But there's more info on the Afterlife, so I figured I'd ask before choosing one by Rock, Paper, Scissors.
I put Mictesters' Really Cheap Compressor in my bass station. That paired with the NE-1 makes for a great bass preamp IMO. I've been gigging with mine straight into a powered foldback for my amp, and getting many compliments on the sound. I also put a Sprout in there, but without a blend I find it gets lost with the two other dirty guitars.
http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=8581&hilit=bass+values&start=140#p166260
http://www.paulinthelab.com/2013/02/yamaha-ne-1-bass-parametric-eq-preamp.html
On the compressor is it one or both leds that need pointing at the LDR?
Both face the LDR. I rolled my own LDR/LED optocoupler. From memory it's two square LEDs stacked on each other in my build, in heatshrink facing the LDR.
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=15890.msg150320#msg150320
I mentioned the possibility of leaving the compressor on and leaving it on in that post, and that's how I gig with it. The compressor is set pretty flat out, and the tone is set with the NE-1, which also stays on.
I've found an optical compressor less versatile in a live setting, I like the Ross in this case. The bearhug will be useful because of the switchable knee.
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Jimi, have you done both versions of the bearhug? I have everything to do the original on vero, but I'm wondering if I should just do the newer version instead.
I've been itching to build a compressor though, dirt pedals are getting old.
Quote from: jimilee on May 31, 2016, 02:52:33 PM
I've found an optical compressor less versatile in a live setting, I like the Ross in this case. The bearhug will be useful because of the switchable knee.
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The only Ross-variant that I've found to sound good on bass is the OvniFX Smoothie.
My brother's a pretty straightforward player, mostly fingerstyle or pick. Compressor wouldn't be used for squashing or catching hard peaks from slap or anything.
The clean blend on the 4:1 makes it pretty cool for bass. It's become the mainstay on my guitar pedal board and doesn't sound as squishy as the Dyna/Ross variants. It's pretty much a "is this thing on?" type of compressor. I use it mostly to fatten up clean sounds. It's also really quiet.
I have not built the new one. Picks ripper has a variant board he sells. It has about a bajillion knobs on it. Sounds great. I use the EHX soul preacher myself. It's an always on effect on my bass board. As far as a bass blend, I haven't messed with a compressor that takes away the bottom end yet.
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For me, the blend aspect is less about worrying if the comp cuts bass but more about having a little more control over dynamics if there comp is set to a squashier setting. I'm waiting to hear back from my brother, but I might just build both, do an A/B video and let him decide.
I have used a few Afterlife builds for bass and I think it sounds great/adds a lot to the tone and really makes you stand out in a band setting. I went for the Ghost Note version. Personally, I don't think a blend on a compressor really does much, at least for the way that I'm using it (to stand out in a band setting). I think you either want the full compressor on or you don't. Mine is always one.
In the build doc for the 4:1 Brian says it is basically an afterlife with a clean blend. They probably sound about the same. If you build both let us know how they shape up against each other.
I did build version two of Midwayfair's Bearhug comp. It sounds great, though I haven't tried it on bass yet.