Randolf Arriola (embryo) Guitar Gear 101
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embryo
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...was sorting my emails and noticed that I received yet again more enquiries about why Compressors like the Dynacomp and CS3 among others seem to add noise.
Also it seems if there's anything more confusing than a Compressor pedal it's a Noise Gate.
I'd like to address, discuss and share more about Compressors and Noise Gates. When to use, how to use, the good bad and ugly. Anyone wishes to start with queries here, feel free to do so.
Also it seems if there's anything more confusing than a Compressor pedal it's a Noise Gate.
I'd like to address, discuss and share more about Compressors and Noise Gates. When to use, how to use, the good bad and ugly. Anyone wishes to start with queries here, feel free to do so.
DarknessIsComfort
New member
alrite i'll start with the most common one.
does compressor tighten up your sound?
does compressor tighten up your sound?
Okay I'll start 1st...
I've heard from lots of people Noise Supressors sucks out lots of tone... is that true? haha.
Another question.... you said that the more power (somewhere along that line, anyway) a pickup generates, the less the tone of the wood matters.... thats only for driven settings, and not under clean, right?
Cheers~
I've heard from lots of people Noise Supressors sucks out lots of tone... is that true? haha.
Another question.... you said that the more power (somewhere along that line, anyway) a pickup generates, the less the tone of the wood matters.... thats only for driven settings, and not under clean, right?
Cheers~
embryo
New member
The simple answer to that question is yes.
Now, take a cup of nice hot or ice milo or your favourite drink, get comfy on your cushy chair and take a deep breath....Ahhh... Ready!? No la not so long la Hehehehe.
Ok, so the shorter version of a long answer is that compression creates that "tightened" effect by squashing the initial attack of the note and raising the fading signal. Depending on how one sets the "sustain" knob of eg. CS3 the dynamics range (level difference between softest and loudest) will be narrower. Also as the compressor keeps trying to raise the fading note it creates that sutain effect.
Compression when tweaked well works to the guitarists' advantage in a group setting because it keeps your sound level more stable as in your signal will be more consistent and the soundman will love you for it because he doesn't need to keep pushing the mixing board faders up and down for you within song because your signal previously without dynamic consistency was either too soft or too loud.
So in the way described above yes compression will tighten your sound.
Now if the compression effect was applied more than liberal 2 things will hapen to your disadvantage;
1. Your signal will be too squashed and lifeless as in there's no dynamic change where everything sounds like a flatline without peaks and valleys in your phrasing, your chordal and soloing.
2. Because the compreesor is set too high it keeps trying to raise all the soft notes including the "silence" betwwen notes and musical passges. This will result with undesirable noise. This is a no no of course.
Hope this helps ya.
embryo
New member
Ok for today let's go Noise Gates and Noise Supressor devices as raised by our friend's query;
Usually the idea of employing a noise gate device is a major sign of mismanaging of the tonal and gain structures in one's guitar rig setup. The fact is there will always be more noise when you apply distortion to your signal and with that in mind it is impossible to totally eliminate noise but.... you can control this problem by reaccessing your tone and gain structure to achieve a much better ratio of signal to noise as in maximum intended gain against the much dreaded "Shhhhhheeeeeeeeessssshhhhh!" NOIse!
Noise Gates and Noise supressors are 2 different technologies used to tackle the noise issue.
Noise Gates work like reverse compression where incoming signals higher than the set threshold will be allowed to pass through whereas weak signals like the tail of a fading sustained note that falls below the threshold setting of the noise gate device will trigger the device to clamp down the signal totally. Noise gates are usually more effective with high transient sound source like drums and percussion where the initial attack and decay of the sound is much faster compared to musical instruments with long decay characteristics like wind and string instruments. You can imagine that if the noise gate was set too high you'd experience the very irritating "potong steam" premature "chop off" of the tail of your sustained feedbacking note. Urrrrrgh!
Noise Suppressors like the Rocktron Hush and DBX technology devices are different as in that they are frequency range specific. These devices are more sophisticated in their design of allowing the user to zone in on the intended range of frequencies where the noise resides and ial in the amount to attenuate it. They do not behave n the same manner as noise gates but if set too high will choke the entire good signal's initial attack, sustain and decay,
So.... noise gates and suppressors have their positive aspects and use but as gain, gain and more gain concious guitarist, careful planning of one's tone and gain stacking is important to achieve more tone against noise so as to avoid "sucky tone suck"
Hope this helps
Usually the idea of employing a noise gate device is a major sign of mismanaging of the tonal and gain structures in one's guitar rig setup. The fact is there will always be more noise when you apply distortion to your signal and with that in mind it is impossible to totally eliminate noise but.... you can control this problem by reaccessing your tone and gain structure to achieve a much better ratio of signal to noise as in maximum intended gain against the much dreaded "Shhhhhheeeeeeeeessssshhhhh!" NOIse!
Noise Gates and Noise supressors are 2 different technologies used to tackle the noise issue.
Noise Gates work like reverse compression where incoming signals higher than the set threshold will be allowed to pass through whereas weak signals like the tail of a fading sustained note that falls below the threshold setting of the noise gate device will trigger the device to clamp down the signal totally. Noise gates are usually more effective with high transient sound source like drums and percussion where the initial attack and decay of the sound is much faster compared to musical instruments with long decay characteristics like wind and string instruments. You can imagine that if the noise gate was set too high you'd experience the very irritating "potong steam" premature "chop off" of the tail of your sustained feedbacking note. Urrrrrgh!
Noise Suppressors like the Rocktron Hush and DBX technology devices are different as in that they are frequency range specific. These devices are more sophisticated in their design of allowing the user to zone in on the intended range of frequencies where the noise resides and ial in the amount to attenuate it. They do not behave n the same manner as noise gates but if set too high will choke the entire good signal's initial attack, sustain and decay,
So.... noise gates and suppressors have their positive aspects and use but as gain, gain and more gain concious guitarist, careful planning of one's tone and gain stacking is important to achieve more tone against noise so as to avoid "sucky tone suck"
Hope this helps
embryo
New member
The short answer is no. It applies to both driven and clean.
The longer answer is for the pickup to generate more output more wire is applied around the magnets. Using more wire introduces higher resistance which inherently affects the highs. This is why you'll notice that most higher out pickups are marketed as "more mid range, more bottoms with a sweeter top end" Because adding more wires to the coil introduces higher output compromising the top end manufacturers discovered that replacing the alnico magnets with ceramics helped revived the missing highs. Ceramics do have a sharper tonal characteristic but do not have the warmth and sweetness we all now and love about Alnicos.
Personally I do love the sound of Alnicos in medium and low output passive pickups but there are also certain situations where I do enjoy the tone of pickups with Ceramics like the 90's issues of Gibson Les Paul Classics.
embryo
New member
Goosey said;
Noise Supressor technology is a more sophisticated version of the notch filter idea. Notch filtering is like finding the intended freq slider on your graphic eq and sliding it down affecting both the bad noise and good signal (almost like chemotherapy ya) What the noise suppression technology does is it affects the various odd and even harmonics of the zoned in freq where the user identifies as noise. Noise suppression is also the same technology in variation used in feedback eliminator devices.
Noise Supressor technology is a more sophisticated version of the notch filter idea. Notch filtering is like finding the intended freq slider on your graphic eq and sliding it down affecting both the bad noise and good signal (almost like chemotherapy ya) What the noise suppression technology does is it affects the various odd and even harmonics of the zoned in freq where the user identifies as noise. Noise suppression is also the same technology in variation used in feedback eliminator devices.
embryo
New member
Another interesting technology that fascinated me was a category of devices called "Enhancer/Exciter" Devices like the Sonic Maximizer technology of BBE, and Aural Exciter design of Aphex.
The intended effect is almost the same but the technogies used are very different. What the BBE does is a unique application of the delay technique apllied to the 3 eq bands of low, mids and highs. The Aphex technology is a variation of the notch filter with odd and even harmonics.
The intended effect is almost the same but the technogies used are very different. What the BBE does is a unique application of the delay technique apllied to the 3 eq bands of low, mids and highs. The Aphex technology is a variation of the notch filter with odd and even harmonics.
lespaulfreak
New member
hey, just wanted to clarify something. Is it ok if i put several true-bypassed pedals with non-true bypass pedals in a true bypass loop? any sort of difference in sound or might dmg the circuitry or something.
thanks.
thanks.
embryo
New member
I'd like to discuss about amps next.
Pesonally, I'm a big fan of tube amps. Mine being a Carvin X100B Half Stack, A Fender Super 60 and a really old '57 Fender Champ. I'm not necessarily exclusively tube amp only player/ user as I'm also a big fan of solid state amps like the Roland JC120 and Modelling amps like the Line6 Flextone III. My favourite modelling tool is the Roland VG88.
Feel free to bring up stuff about all things guitar amp related.
Pesonally, I'm a big fan of tube amps. Mine being a Carvin X100B Half Stack, A Fender Super 60 and a really old '57 Fender Champ. I'm not necessarily exclusively tube amp only player/ user as I'm also a big fan of solid state amps like the Roland JC120 and Modelling amps like the Line6 Flextone III. My favourite modelling tool is the Roland VG88.
Feel free to bring up stuff about all things guitar amp related.
Is it possible (and safe enough) for someone who has basic soldering knowledge and a bit of knowledge of modding pedals to do small component changes (like what we do with pedals) to solidstate amp.... in this case, specifically I'm interested in changing the voicing of the driven channel of my Toneblaster 25, as well as fixing the headphone jack (it doesnt work).
Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions lol; I've never seen the interior of an amp (aside from the speaker of course!) before. :lol:
Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions lol; I've never seen the interior of an amp (aside from the speaker of course!) before. :lol:
trianglebiscuit
New member
hey dude, thanks for the snappy job with the transformer wiring. rattling the walls now :wink:
how did the avenger fair through your 4x12?
how did the avenger fair through your 4x12?
embryo
New member
Tanx for asking. That's an honest query and I 'll give you an honest answer.
Unlike stomp pedals that predominantly operate on 9volts or 18 volts Amplifiers operate on much higher voltages. The life threatening hazards are real as there are components within an amplifier that retain voltages even with the amp switched off. Unless in the presence or handled by trained professional service man I cannot take any responsibility for encouraging you to take unnecessary risks in this venture. Hope you'll understand and take my advice ya.
embryo
New member
You should be beaming with toneful pride mate as the Soldano Avenger 50 is a lovely amp! I was revin in up coupled with my Carvin Half stack loaded with Celestion V30 x 2 and Greenback x 2. Lovely! The preamp distortion has a wide range and the Power amp in saturation is very warm and sweet! Wanna go nasty with pedals... simply crank the preamp dial no more than Notch 2,5 and raise the master b/w 4 to 6. Adjust the EQ knobs in fact I'd recommend you get real acquainted with the tone knobs as that's where the amp relies on for final tone shaping which requires different settings for different combination of pre and power tue saturation.
Man, I wish I had one of these Soldanos! Heh! Enjoy it mate!
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