Compressor pedal need?

[maddnotez]

I am working on a trade right now that includes a Decimator for me.

I already have one in front and will be using this one in the loop to tame the hiss. My cheap option right now, I will not be buying a G String or a Pro Rack

So in front the Decimator slightly sucks the tone. It is not bad, it is subtle but I can notice the difference. Still sounds good though.

I haven't tested it much in the loop but now I am imagining double tone suck. I read some things about needing a compressor and wondering if that is accurate.

I read it helps the cleans but also taps and legato type of stuff.

 

[Racerxrated]

I am working on a trade right now that includes a Decimator for me.

I already have one in front and will be using this one in the loop to tame the hiss. My cheap option right now, I will not be buying a G String or a Pro Rack

So in front the Decimator slightly sucks the tone. It is not bad, it is subtle but I can notice the difference. Still sounds good though.

I haven't tested it much in the loop but now I am imagining double tone suck. I read some things about needing a compressor and wondering if that is accurate.

I read it helps the cleans but also taps and legato type of stuff.

Hmm...I've never noticed tone suck from my decimator, and I tried with/without many times when I first got it, but it was used. Maybe it has been modded? I noticed some with the Boss pedal I tried first, but not with this.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Only for cleans or light amp-only crunch. If the amp is distorting more than a stock JCM800 or an OD pedal is being used, a compressor is not necessary. It'll certainly make a difference depending how extreme you set it, but hardly a necessary thing.

 

[maddnotez]

Only for cleans or light amp-only crunch. If the amp is distorting more than a stock JCM800 or an OD pedal is being used, a compressor is not necessary. It'll certainly make a difference depending how extreme you set it, but hardly a necessary thing.

Thanks I probably don't need it then for what I do. Was more worried about the taps and legato.

 

[RockyStar]

I don't think you need it in all truth. I have no tone suck using ISP products and I have the rack and pedals.

 

[Dave L]

A clean tone often sounds more pro and polished with a compressor, but once you have anything more than a light crunch going on the signal is way compressed already and will turn to mush and noise with more compression. You would also lose any and all dynamics that are left, which would certainly help with tapping and legato but would sound and feel like you are playing through the most nightmarish digital preamp from 1991 that you could imagine.

But from the original post it almost seems like you´re wondering if you would need a compressor to go with the ISP...? That´t not the case, anyway, compression can´t help with tone suck.

Anyhoo, why some people experience tone suck with a pedal and some don´t often boils down to what´s before and after it. Headroom, input and output impedances and different bypass schemes can be finicky things sometimes, if you listen closely enough.

 

[JimmyBlind]

What Jake said. I only use my compressor for cleans.

 

[maddnotez]

A clean tone often sounds more pro and polished with a compressor, but once you have anything more than a light crunch going on the signal is way compressed already and will turn to mush and noise with more compression. You would also lose any and all dynamics that are left, which would certainly help with tapping and legato but would sound and feel like you are playing through the most nightmarish digital preamp from 1991 that you could imagine.

But from the original post it almost seems like you´re wondering if you would need a compressor to go with the ISP...? That´t not the case, anyway, compression can´t help with tone suck.

Anyhoo, why some people experience tone suck with a pedal and some don´t often boils down to what´s before and after it. Headroom, input and output impedances and different bypass schemes can be finicky things sometimes, if you listen closely enough.

Yeah, I don't have much of a chain at all. Amp, koko boost, Decimator.

Could be my cheap cables

The tone suck is barely noticable. I wouldn't even call it a suck. It sounds good but it's more of a tone change when I engage the Decimator. Was worried about using a second gate for the loop.

 

[leib10]

Try running your Decimator at -40 or -45 if you are noticing tone suck. It's more than enough suppression for my Uberschalls at high volume.

 

[JakeAC5253]

A clean tone often sounds more pro and polished with a compressor, but once you have anything more than a light crunch going on the signal is way compressed already and will turn to mush and noise with more compression. You would also lose any and all dynamics that are left, which would certainly help with tapping and legato but would sound and feel like you are playing through the most nightmarish digital preamp from 1991 that you could imagine.

But from the original post it almost seems like you´re wondering if you would need a compressor to go with the ISP...? That´t not the case, anyway, compression can´t help with tone suck.

Anyhoo, why some people experience tone suck with a pedal and some don´t often boils down to what´s before and after it. Headroom, input and output impedances and different bypass schemes can be finicky things sometimes, if you listen closely enough.

Yeah, I don't have much of a chain at all. Amp, koko boost, Decimator.

Could be my cheap cables

The tone suck is barely noticable. I wouldn't even call it a suck. It sounds good but it's more of a tone change when I engage the Decimator. Was worried about using a second gate for the loop.

If you suspect cheap cables are sucking tone, (and yes they do, it's true) I highly recommend Canare GS-6 cable.

 

[messenger]

I'd think the compressor would bring up your noise floor. And you're using 2 noise gates? Do you have that much noise? Are you sure you don't have an issue with something?

 

[tripstan]

Cheap patch cables can add hella noise too. I know when my george L's get a little loose I get nasty ground hum. I tighten them up and it goes away.

 

[maddnotez]

Try running your Decimator at -40 or -45 if you are noticing tone suck. It's more than enough suppression for my Uberschalls at high volume.

I'll play with it some more. I have it around 38 ish. I try to get it as close as I can to where it completely eliminates the feedback. I do need to test that more and I should probably upgrade my cables but it's more of a tone "change". When I engage the pedal it sounds very slightly different. You could say tone suck but it's not ridiculous, just very slight.

And yea I need a gate for my loop hiss. I'd prefer no noise in all areas and I'm not getting a pro rack.

 

[thenine]

never had much success with noise gates in front. Im always reading about guys who use theirs out front. Maybe I should try again but really for me, I have always had the best success when I put my gate first in the loop.

 

[Dave L]

It probably depends on where the noise comes from. If the guitar is noisy (this also includes environmental interference) you´ll get a heck of a lot more noise if you run it all through a high gain preamp, resulting in more destructive settings on the gates and what not. In that case you want it before the amp. If the preamp itself generates noise putting a gate in front does nothing, so then you need it in the loop.

 

[NewWorldMan]

What Dave said. The noise you're getting and where it's coming from will determine where your noise suppressor needs to go. I still use my BOSS NS-2 I've had for probably close to 15 years. Boosting a Marshall/Recto? It goes up front. Using my BE100? It goes in the loop. I've never had a need for more than 1 noise suppressor before.

 

[leib10]

Unfortunately, the Uberschall is a somewhat noisy amp compared to some others. Part of that is the stock Chinese preamp tubes. Replacing some of the tubes with other types may help with noise, as will upgrading your cables (including speaker cable).