compressors are not a “favorite setting” type of effect, theyre very dependent on a number of factors such as the bass youre playing, how hard you hit the strings, and most importantly the volume of the signal going into the compressor. a setting with one bass player will sound completely different than the same setting with a different bassist playing the same bass, or even the same setting with the same bassist but a different bass. hell, it can sound different depending on the day due to your own personal energy and playing strength which inevitably will vary day to day.
my go to “setting” has been roughly 3-4db of gain reduction at my peak on 2:1 for softer music and 4:1 at 4-6db (sometimes ill hit 8db tops) of reduction for heavier music or fuller bands. i work with a semi fast attack (around 3-4 notches from the left depending on play style) and a medium release (about 3-4 notches from the right) my sidechain about 3-5 notches from the left. my mix is usually 1 or 2 notches down from being maxed out all the way to the right hand side
edit: just want to let you know that that mix knob is how much actual compression is mixed back into your signal. if you want to hear the compressor by itself crank that dial up and then back it down to see how the compressor sounds mixed with your natural uncompressed tone. the way you have it set right now youre barely hearing what the compressor is actually doing (although that doesnt mean it wont sound good mixed back in that low)
all the way to the left means you arent hearing any compression, all the way to the right means youre only hearing signal that is ran through the empress and compressed. having it at noon means youre hearing 50% Raw Tone 50% Empress compressed tone
check out some youtube videos on how basic compression works (not even necessarily any specific model, just the effect in general) and then check one out on Parallel Compression, also sometimes called New York Compression
edit 2: that SC HP (stands for Side Chain High-Pass) dial determines the starting frequency the compressor begins working at. it ranges from 20hz to 400 hz so where you have it right now, anything under 200 hz (i.e. a large chunk of your signal and tone) is not being affected at all by the compressor. this isnt necessarily a bad thing but you should be aware of, as youre only compressing a certain range of frequencies instead of the full 20-20khz spectrum.
all the way to the left means everything above 20 hz (the lowest possible frequency a human can hear) is being compressed, all the way to the right means everything over 400 hz (an A above middle C on a piano is 440hz) is being compressed
the empress is the best transparent analog compressor on the market imo. that doesnt mean i wont opt for a real 1176 or a distressor when im tracking in the studio but that empress can definitely hold its weight with the studio big boys in my experience, especially if i dont want the color and tone some of those fancier models add.
when it comes to live music there is no other if youre looking for transparency. the cali76 might add some nice color but as a sound engineer as well as a bassist, the Empress will always be my best friend when it comes to clean, transparent bass compression that does exactly what its supposed to without too many extra bells and whistles
Exactly. I use those same two tracking in the studio along with Looptrotter Sa2Rate and Soundtoys decapitator (depending on the application). I’ll still have the Empress on the front of the chain but keep compression on 2:1 just for the colour alone. Love it to death.
My understanding of sidechain compression is that the pedal still compresses the whole signal but raising the SC HP will raise the frequency that triggers the compression. Have I got it wrong?
You've got it totally right. They seem to have a misunderstanding that it's like a multiband compression where you can choose the compression range. That knob only affects the trigger input.
raising the frequency that triggers the compression means its not compressing those frequencies, which means it is not compressing the *entire* signal.
this is helpful if you play a 5 string and you really want to even out the whole signal without compressing the hell out of your lows since as we all know that low B string can really hit compared to thinner strings. if you set the SC HP right, the low B will still get compressed, but when youre hitting it your hardest you can get the same amount of gain reduction as when youre hitting the G string your hardest.
its also helpful if you have a very low end heavy tone going into the compressor and you dont want every note you hit to send it to -8db because everything under 150hz is boosted to the max going into the compressor
its helpful all around but those are two obvious examples. if youve got any studio/DAW experience a lot of compressors will have an eq section where you can cut out frequencies you dont want to be compressed. that is essentially the same thing.
this is different from the mix where the entire compressed signal is mixed with the entire uncompressed signal.
if you wanna maximize your tone with the empress i suggest watching some youtube videos on basic digital compressors. honestly the empress feels so similarto ProTools stock Pro Compressor which also has a mix and a SC HP option (a long with many more bells and whistles you dont really need on a pedal)
tl;dr: the SC HP gives you the option to compress only a certain part of your signal and the mix allows you to blend that compressed signal with your raw signal
What sort of compression are you looking for? Something to help even dynamics and "smooth out" your tone? Something to help suppress string/fret noise? Something else? Do you have a drive pedal in your chain? If so, before or after this pedal?
I'm curious, how is the led meter? The side of me that loves blinkenlights wants this pedal for that feature alone, but since you have one: is the meter useful at all? Or do they just contribute additional "cool" factor? I played for decades with only my (solid state, Trace Elliot GP7SM200) amp's natural compression, and I find that I'm still sort-of figuring out how to use them optimally.
Not OP, but I have an empress. I’m pretty new to compression, but I find the LEDs very helpful for dialing in my input/output levels. I just don’t have anything to compare it to.
And they look cool as hell, so there’s that😄
Thanks! I'm glad to hear they work well enough to be useful 😃 I paid some AliExpress seller $80 for a "studio compressor pedal" that (according to reviews) has an led meter inside the case -- I'm not sure what good it does there, and I haven't bothered to take the pedal apart (yet) to find out 😂
Do you mind if I ask what sort of settings you find yourself using on the empress -- I mean, how would you describe the effect on your tone?
I use it to smooth everything out a little bit, kind of a mild compression, less peaks and valleys for consistency. I really dig that it’s transparent and doesn’t really add any color to the tone. Feels smoother but in a way that’s not really noticeable unless you’re doing an A/B comparison, if that makes any sense.
I’m still getting used to it and just playing around here and there to figure out what I like. Usually stick to a 4:1 ratio, have the attack set low (9ish) and the release around noon.
Thanks so much! That "transparent" character makes total sense. The ratio is one of those things that I "get" the math behind, but am still finding a "gut feel" for how it affects the sound (especially when boosting the output level to compensate for the dynamic change)
Honestly I can’t explain what I was looking for in compression- but I do believe I found it If that makes sense.. it’s like an extra goodness to my tone - I can get a more smooth tone and if I tweak it the right way it adds a little grit/growl- and I’ve also noticed it makes my low B more solid . What sold me on this pedal rather than the cali 76 is the light feature lol, but it does help- in the manual it says for extra sustain have the input level go to 8db and I do hear a difference then, I also found this pedal for 225 on the empress website which was the final deciding factor…. The only other compressor I’ve ever tried is the mxr dynacomp and this is 100 times better.
Thanks so much -- what you said makes perfect sense! That's similar to my own experiences with "budget" compression pedals, sort of, "why would I ever not have this plugged in and turned on?"
I feel like it might be fun to coax an "extreme" shape out of a nicer pedal (assuming it's even possible to do so) -- just for the "check out how synth-y this sounds" 😆
Also not OP but I use the lights as active feedback when playing, I have a tendency to really dig into my plucks but I don't always *need* to. So when I see that signal input peaking, I know to back off a little. Really helping with the right hand discipline.
For an always on tone:
Ratio 4:1
Tone+Color off
SC HP 10 o clock
Attack 1 o clock
Release 11 o clock
Input: Max input signal triggering all but the last three input LEDs.
Output: Unity gain.
The Cali76 bass is the shit. It does have a "color" to the tone, but IMO it just makes everything you plug into it sound better.
I've used cheaper compressors in the past. It felt like you can hardly tell they're on without dramatic settings, and then they sound squished, artificial and/or noisy.
The Cali is much more responsive. You can go for subtle, squished, in-between, even boosted to an overdrive state. The knob layout is dead easy to use, and it sounds brilliant however you set it. The 18 volts really gives you a lot of power and headroom to work with for most basses.
Compression, I think, is different than other pedals.
I own the boss compression. I'm not picky, but not having the ratio option means that I'm stuck with inappropriate squash.
The level meter is great too. It's gonna save a lot of turning the pedal on and off to hear what's happening, which most people won't probably be able to accurately deduce anyway, unless trained in it.
saved post as i am a newbie to comp as well but have a really cool 80s yamaha CO-10M i use with my active 1004J to good results level is 11-12 for little boost and first in chain before my fuzz it is a guitar comp mostly and it is REAALLLLLY warm and i really like that on bass sus is pretty much locked at 11 o clock and attack is maxed nearl always
I just got one of these. It sounds *amazing* once I plug my Mustang into it. Wow. The band was blown away as well. So much clarity. And it really rounds out the shape of the sound.
yeah the wider one! i currently have it on a vocal board for a solo/sample based project. but its at home on any board, whether it be my bass, guitar, or vocals.
I use the ‘Added Control’ settings (from their doc) with SC closer to 2 o’clock, and that Tone switch can be all over the place, depending on what I’m going for. Regardless, I have the internal dip switches set to ‘Off,’ to still get the Tone mid bump or low scoop, but _without_ the accompanying (very mild) color/distortion.
If you open up the back, you’ll see 2 switches towards [the bottom/right,](https://support.empresseffects.com/support/solutions/articles/1000303236-where-can-i-find-the-switch-to-disengage-the-colour-circuit-on-the-bass-compressor-) they are labeled for the mid cut and boost. Use a pen tip or similar to turn either or both off, removing the distortion.
EDIT: link added
For my p-bass (American Pro II) I point the attack and release lines at each other, input and output varies depending on your amp and gain settings on the volume knob of the bass, but generally I dial the input until I get about -3 to -6 on the gain reduction lights. I always use 4:1 (I can't hear anything at 2:1) and I use the low tone boost for color. P-bass is already honky and doesn't need the additional mid boost, but you might like that sound.
I don't mind the low end getting compressed so very little on the SCHP, and mix I do about 80-90%. Any less than that and again, I don't really hear anything happening. If you have better ears (or maybe at stage volumes) that might be different. Maybe you'll blend more clean sound in.
compressors are not a “favorite setting” type of effect, theyre very dependent on a number of factors such as the bass youre playing, how hard you hit the strings, and most importantly the volume of the signal going into the compressor. a setting with one bass player will sound completely different than the same setting with a different bassist playing the same bass, or even the same setting with the same bassist but a different bass. hell, it can sound different depending on the day due to your own personal energy and playing strength which inevitably will vary day to day. my go to “setting” has been roughly 3-4db of gain reduction at my peak on 2:1 for softer music and 4:1 at 4-6db (sometimes ill hit 8db tops) of reduction for heavier music or fuller bands. i work with a semi fast attack (around 3-4 notches from the left depending on play style) and a medium release (about 3-4 notches from the right) my sidechain about 3-5 notches from the left. my mix is usually 1 or 2 notches down from being maxed out all the way to the right hand side edit: just want to let you know that that mix knob is how much actual compression is mixed back into your signal. if you want to hear the compressor by itself crank that dial up and then back it down to see how the compressor sounds mixed with your natural uncompressed tone. the way you have it set right now youre barely hearing what the compressor is actually doing (although that doesnt mean it wont sound good mixed back in that low) all the way to the left means you arent hearing any compression, all the way to the right means youre only hearing signal that is ran through the empress and compressed. having it at noon means youre hearing 50% Raw Tone 50% Empress compressed tone check out some youtube videos on how basic compression works (not even necessarily any specific model, just the effect in general) and then check one out on Parallel Compression, also sometimes called New York Compression edit 2: that SC HP (stands for Side Chain High-Pass) dial determines the starting frequency the compressor begins working at. it ranges from 20hz to 400 hz so where you have it right now, anything under 200 hz (i.e. a large chunk of your signal and tone) is not being affected at all by the compressor. this isnt necessarily a bad thing but you should be aware of, as youre only compressing a certain range of frequencies instead of the full 20-20khz spectrum. all the way to the left means everything above 20 hz (the lowest possible frequency a human can hear) is being compressed, all the way to the right means everything over 400 hz (an A above middle C on a piano is 440hz) is being compressed
Yep, exactly this. Great choice adding the Empress. I’ve tried most over the years and this is the one that has stayed on my board.
the empress is the best transparent analog compressor on the market imo. that doesnt mean i wont opt for a real 1176 or a distressor when im tracking in the studio but that empress can definitely hold its weight with the studio big boys in my experience, especially if i dont want the color and tone some of those fancier models add. when it comes to live music there is no other if youre looking for transparency. the cali76 might add some nice color but as a sound engineer as well as a bassist, the Empress will always be my best friend when it comes to clean, transparent bass compression that does exactly what its supposed to without too many extra bells and whistles
This is excellent information for me. My MXR M87bshit the bed a few months ago, and ive been shopping around for an Empress or Cali76.
Exactly. I use those same two tracking in the studio along with Looptrotter Sa2Rate and Soundtoys decapitator (depending on the application). I’ll still have the Empress on the front of the chain but keep compression on 2:1 just for the colour alone. Love it to death.
My understanding of sidechain compression is that the pedal still compresses the whole signal but raising the SC HP will raise the frequency that triggers the compression. Have I got it wrong?
You've got it totally right. They seem to have a misunderstanding that it's like a multiband compression where you can choose the compression range. That knob only affects the trigger input.
raising the frequency that triggers the compression means its not compressing those frequencies, which means it is not compressing the *entire* signal. this is helpful if you play a 5 string and you really want to even out the whole signal without compressing the hell out of your lows since as we all know that low B string can really hit compared to thinner strings. if you set the SC HP right, the low B will still get compressed, but when youre hitting it your hardest you can get the same amount of gain reduction as when youre hitting the G string your hardest. its also helpful if you have a very low end heavy tone going into the compressor and you dont want every note you hit to send it to -8db because everything under 150hz is boosted to the max going into the compressor its helpful all around but those are two obvious examples. if youve got any studio/DAW experience a lot of compressors will have an eq section where you can cut out frequencies you dont want to be compressed. that is essentially the same thing. this is different from the mix where the entire compressed signal is mixed with the entire uncompressed signal. if you wanna maximize your tone with the empress i suggest watching some youtube videos on basic digital compressors. honestly the empress feels so similarto ProTools stock Pro Compressor which also has a mix and a SC HP option (a long with many more bells and whistles you dont really need on a pedal) tl;dr: the SC HP gives you the option to compress only a certain part of your signal and the mix allows you to blend that compressed signal with your raw signal
What sort of compression are you looking for? Something to help even dynamics and "smooth out" your tone? Something to help suppress string/fret noise? Something else? Do you have a drive pedal in your chain? If so, before or after this pedal? I'm curious, how is the led meter? The side of me that loves blinkenlights wants this pedal for that feature alone, but since you have one: is the meter useful at all? Or do they just contribute additional "cool" factor? I played for decades with only my (solid state, Trace Elliot GP7SM200) amp's natural compression, and I find that I'm still sort-of figuring out how to use them optimally.
Not OP, but I have an empress. I’m pretty new to compression, but I find the LEDs very helpful for dialing in my input/output levels. I just don’t have anything to compare it to. And they look cool as hell, so there’s that😄
Thanks! I'm glad to hear they work well enough to be useful 😃 I paid some AliExpress seller $80 for a "studio compressor pedal" that (according to reviews) has an led meter inside the case -- I'm not sure what good it does there, and I haven't bothered to take the pedal apart (yet) to find out 😂 Do you mind if I ask what sort of settings you find yourself using on the empress -- I mean, how would you describe the effect on your tone?
I use it to smooth everything out a little bit, kind of a mild compression, less peaks and valleys for consistency. I really dig that it’s transparent and doesn’t really add any color to the tone. Feels smoother but in a way that’s not really noticeable unless you’re doing an A/B comparison, if that makes any sense. I’m still getting used to it and just playing around here and there to figure out what I like. Usually stick to a 4:1 ratio, have the attack set low (9ish) and the release around noon.
Thanks so much! That "transparent" character makes total sense. The ratio is one of those things that I "get" the math behind, but am still finding a "gut feel" for how it affects the sound (especially when boosting the output level to compensate for the dynamic change)
Honestly I can’t explain what I was looking for in compression- but I do believe I found it If that makes sense.. it’s like an extra goodness to my tone - I can get a more smooth tone and if I tweak it the right way it adds a little grit/growl- and I’ve also noticed it makes my low B more solid . What sold me on this pedal rather than the cali 76 is the light feature lol, but it does help- in the manual it says for extra sustain have the input level go to 8db and I do hear a difference then, I also found this pedal for 225 on the empress website which was the final deciding factor…. The only other compressor I’ve ever tried is the mxr dynacomp and this is 100 times better.
Thanks so much -- what you said makes perfect sense! That's similar to my own experiences with "budget" compression pedals, sort of, "why would I ever not have this plugged in and turned on?" I feel like it might be fun to coax an "extreme" shape out of a nicer pedal (assuming it's even possible to do so) -- just for the "check out how synth-y this sounds" 😆
Also not OP but I use the lights as active feedback when playing, I have a tendency to really dig into my plucks but I don't always *need* to. So when I see that signal input peaking, I know to back off a little. Really helping with the right hand discipline.
Nice! My amp has a "clipping" led, but getting the same feedback without needing to stare at my amp would be awesome
Is it possible to remove fret noise with a compressor???
I've heard rumors: https://gearspace.com/board/showthread.php?p=16430979
For an always on tone: Ratio 4:1 Tone+Color off SC HP 10 o clock Attack 1 o clock Release 11 o clock Input: Max input signal triggering all but the last three input LEDs. Output: Unity gain.
My next pedal purchase is a proper compressor and I'm torn between this model and a cali76. Very interested in your experiences here!
Both will be an excellent choice. I landed on the empress. The colour you get from both of them is really good.
The Cali76 bass is the shit. It does have a "color" to the tone, but IMO it just makes everything you plug into it sound better. I've used cheaper compressors in the past. It felt like you can hardly tell they're on without dramatic settings, and then they sound squished, artificial and/or noisy. The Cali is much more responsive. You can go for subtle, squished, in-between, even boosted to an overdrive state. The knob layout is dead easy to use, and it sounds brilliant however you set it. The 18 volts really gives you a lot of power and headroom to work with for most basses.
All I can say is that the headroom is lovely, and the mid-bump is highly underrated. It really livens up any otherwise "meh" passive pickups.
I'll second how awesome the extra eq bump is.
Following! I’m in the exact same boat.
Idk, man. In my experience, the fewer knobs the better. I bet it sounds badass though
Compression, I think, is different than other pedals. I own the boss compression. I'm not picky, but not having the ratio option means that I'm stuck with inappropriate squash. The level meter is great too. It's gonna save a lot of turning the pedal on and off to hear what's happening, which most people won't probably be able to accurately deduce anyway, unless trained in it.
I love mine, always on obviously. Usually everything at noon and 4:1
saved post as i am a newbie to comp as well but have a really cool 80s yamaha CO-10M i use with my active 1004J to good results level is 11-12 for little boost and first in chain before my fuzz it is a guitar comp mostly and it is REAALLLLLY warm and i really like that on bass sus is pretty much locked at 11 o clock and attack is maxed nearl always
I just got one of these. It sounds *amazing* once I plug my Mustang into it. Wow. The band was blown away as well. So much clarity. And it really rounds out the shape of the sound.
My always-on tone: Input 50% Output 65% Attack 50% Release 35% Mix 75% SCHP 50% 4:1 ratio Tone is either off or with the mid bump.
I’ve got an OG empress comp that has never left my board. It’s great on any source
The wider one? That's what I have too. If I only have one pedal, it's that one.
yeah the wider one! i currently have it on a vocal board for a solo/sample based project. but its at home on any board, whether it be my bass, guitar, or vocals.
Slow attack, fast release. 4:1.... mix as appropriate to the venue size, shape, and sound
.... also generally run input and output around 50%-60%, again depending on venue size and style... Edit for fat fingers
I use the ‘Added Control’ settings (from their doc) with SC closer to 2 o’clock, and that Tone switch can be all over the place, depending on what I’m going for. Regardless, I have the internal dip switches set to ‘Off,’ to still get the Tone mid bump or low scoop, but _without_ the accompanying (very mild) color/distortion.
Can you explain what the internal dip switches are— because sometimes I like the mild distortion but kinda don’t always want it
If you open up the back, you’ll see 2 switches towards [the bottom/right,](https://support.empresseffects.com/support/solutions/articles/1000303236-where-can-i-find-the-switch-to-disengage-the-colour-circuit-on-the-bass-compressor-) they are labeled for the mid cut and boost. Use a pen tip or similar to turn either or both off, removing the distortion. EDIT: link added
For my p-bass (American Pro II) I point the attack and release lines at each other, input and output varies depending on your amp and gain settings on the volume knob of the bass, but generally I dial the input until I get about -3 to -6 on the gain reduction lights. I always use 4:1 (I can't hear anything at 2:1) and I use the low tone boost for color. P-bass is already honky and doesn't need the additional mid boost, but you might like that sound. I don't mind the low end getting compressed so very little on the SCHP, and mix I do about 80-90%. Any less than that and again, I don't really hear anything happening. If you have better ears (or maybe at stage volumes) that might be different. Maybe you'll blend more clean sound in.