compressors. do you guys use them? how does Edge use them?

[Mack_Again]

Compressor is an interesting effect. people say it's essential, some say it's unnecessary.

I used to think it's unnecessary. despite of the fact that my multi effect has 3 comp model (dyna comp model, Boss CS-2 model and one that's made by Digitech), I almost never used them until recently when I realized the lack of option for clean boost within the unit. I realized that by boosting the level on the compressor, I can push distortion pedals/amps even harder without coloring the tones too much. that was an amazing discovery and I am now more interested in how Edge uses a compressor; does he use it to even out the dynamics in his playing (I remember Dallas said that Dyna comp is used during his slide solos) or he has other tricks as well? also, how do you guys use compressors? just being curious.

 

[kiwilad]

I've always been in the compression is pointless camp. Now my dodgy multi unit is dead and I don't have a dedicated pedal...
Perhaps i should give compression another shot...

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[Rockhound252]

For what i know at this moment... in this tour edge is using the Cs-2 "only" for clean guitar part in "Joe Ramone". He also used the compressor for a few times in electric co just after the solo with FA-1 but only at the beginning of the tour...


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[Mack_Again]

So......he uses Cs-2 as a clean boost, then?


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[Rockhound252]

Maybe... not sure... he is using during verse part. I dont know if he is boosting , so he is playing chords in that part.


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[Mack_Again]

Or he might be simply beefing up the guitar sounds. I know tons of users of single coil-equipped guitars do that.

 

[Rockhound252]

and why he is not doing that on his fenders or grestch? both guitars are single pickup too

 

[Mack_Again]

well, i imagine that u2 songs have multiple guitar parts played with various rigs. so i can imagine that in live situation, he needs to alter tones of guitars in one way or another to sort of cover these grounds.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

I think the compressor is part of Edge's slide sound.. Helps the sustain.

and why he is not doing that on his fenders or grestch? both guitars are single pickup too

Edge's Gretsch guitars have Filtertron pickups. They are humbucker, not single coil.

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[Rockhound252]

He is not using cs2 on slide parts... not in bullet city or real thing


Everything You Know is Wrong

 

[Mack_Again]

What if he's just using some boost/light overdrive in the place of compression? Just saying

 

[kiwilad]

Whatever he uses to boost his cleans, for that subtle tiny bit of crunch, just kills me. Have never got close to replicating that.

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[Mack_Again]

That's the beauty of Vox amps, i think.

 

[kiwilad]

It's as simple as that? I have a fender blues deville. Kinda similar but not crunchy.
I feel I've read Edge uses some old delay units just for their preamps to give him that crunch?
But yeah. Vox. I drool.

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[Mack_Again]

Im not saying that it's everything but that near-break sound of Vox sounds pretty sweet as it can go super clean and great gritty sound simultaneously. and yes, he's used his preamp within Korg SDD3000 delay unit to boost the front end of the amp. He now has arrays of boost pedals, tho.

 

[the tourist]

I use a Cali76 Compact Deluxe by Origin Effects. Leave it on pretty much all the time with some clean, uncompressed signal blended in. Just adds a touch of magic and color and evens everything out string to string just a little bit.

 

[Muad'zin]

I used to be in the compressors are useless camp, as they kill dynamics. I still think they're useless with distortions, they already compress your guitar signal anyway. Adding a compressor to that seems overkill. And not in the good overkill as in a Matrix style shoot out.

For cleans however I find them useful. You can boost the overall sound with them and make the soft parts a little louder. But they should not ruin my attack. That's what I want in a compressor. As some guy in the internet once said, compressors are like overdrive for clean guitar. It is however a very hard effect to master though. Dirt pedals tend to be in your face. They're hard not to miss. Compressors are lot more subtle.

On bass compressors are mandatory though. And more to eliminate those loud peaks that can happen from time to time. More so if the bass player is one of those jump around nutters who is all enthusiasm and zero playing skills.

 

[Mack_Again]

I know compressors are petty useless with rusty distortion. But....I got to admit that use of comp with light drive is not bad. As I use very bright single coil sound, fattening up with comp isn't too bad.


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