Compressor noise cure?

[Frank67]

I wanted to pick your brain on a problem I've had:

my signal chain is  Xotic SP Compressor -> EP booster -> Distortion -> Overdrive -> Chorus/Delay/Reverb -> EQ -> Booster

I have tried other compressors than the SP compressor and I tend to have problems with them being noisy. That is annoying in clean, quiet passages.

Might the problem be that the compressor is picking up any noise from the guitar/cable? Should I possibly run the booster (or a line driver/buffer) before the compressor so that I can take the volume on the comp down in order to avoid the noise?

 

[Cagey]

Putting a booster in front of the compressor is just going to make the compressor work harder and will likely exacerbate the problem. If it was me, I'd put a gate in front of the compressor so it doesn't try to bring up any incoming noise.

It's been a while since I used discrete pedals, so I can't really make any recommendation. But, there are a pile of them here you can read about.

 

[mrpinter]

Compressors are inherently noisy. Some of the newer ones are supposedly a bit quieter (Wampler Ego, Earthquaker Devices The Warden) but short of that I've had good luck with putting my compressor and other noisy pedals like overdrives (but not stereo pedals) in the loop of a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor. If it sucks tone I can't hear it. It's pretty effective, and it really only is working during the quiet moments when you would otherwise hear all the noise.

 

[AndyG]

Funny, I've never used a noisy compressor .....
Compressors, in doing what they do, will bring up any noise inherent in the signal chain.  I use an MXR M87 bass compressor (on bass, obviously), and the amount of compression isn't based on a threshold knob, but rather on the ratio of the input versus the output.  Keeping these 2 knobs at 11 o'clock (input) and 1 o'clock (output) gives me a great signal to noise ratio, and a healthy, but not over-the-top amount of compression.

I have tried with M87 with my guitars, and it works just fine despite the "bass compressor" label.  At the end of the day, any compressor will do the job properly with the proper settings.

 

[Cagey]

Funny, I've never used a noisy compressor .....
Compressors, in doing what they do, will bring up any noise inherent in the signal chain.

Perzactly.

 

[stratamania]

Do you get noise with only the compressor in the chain ? E.g guitar comp amp ?

If not try adding the others back into the chain one at a time to see where the noise comes in. But it might be a combination of pedals rather than just one. The NS2 mentioned above is a good solution as you could put the drives and distortion for example in its loop.

 

[stubhead]

I would remove the compressor entirely, crank up the amp and learn to use a volume pedal. It takes a while, but if you just keep your foot on it it eventually becomes part of the chain. When you can make notes louder and softer with your pick, your little finger, your foot, and the combination of pedals, it opens more options.

All tube amps, and all speakers, and most stages of overdrives, are each adding some degree of compression to the final signal. So if you're using a modeler of some sort, adding some compression early can help. But most stompbox compressors that I've tried are unsubtle in the extreme, the famous MXR might as well just have an on/off switch! The old DOD ones were manageable, and the better Ross & clonettes, but I finally gave up and just use the volume pedal.

I greatly admire some of the best country guitarists, and they hit on the MXR as a way to make a clean guitar part stay LOUD, but without overdrive. But there are a lot more options now than there were in 1978. And people like Brad Paisley have more crank on their guitar than 90% of Hendrix & Page parts in years past. :laughing3: Fuzz Country! Mmmm. mmm... umm.