Rack-mount compressors

[MOONDOGGY]

I've been researching compressors, but I still feel like a moron with them. I'm looking for a dual channel rack mount compressor.

This will be for use on bass, but there are no compressors for bass vs. guitar/audio, correct? Since compression only looks at signal amplitude, does it matter what the frequency range is?

Does anyone have any recommendations for dual channel compressors? I'm looking to stay around $150 used, so I know that limits me to cheap units. Most of the ones I've been seeing in this range are low end DBX, Alesis, and a few others thrown in there.

[lonewolf]

Most compressors are 20hz-20khz range, so you shouldn't have any problem with that.

dbx is widely used and has a decent model right in your price range:

http://www.music123.com/Pro-Audio/Signa ... 000000.sku

I have a few Boss VF-1 half rack space processors for sale that have true stereo compressor/noise suppressor/enhancer/EQ/delay program, as well as bass guitar processing with a compressor in the chain and a few bass models & multi-FX.

The "bass multi" program is not stereo and would sum the stereo inputs to mono, process the signal and send a stereo signal out. The compressor in the bass program is specially tailored for bass guitar and gives you controls for an enhancement frequency.

Multi-FX: Something else you might want to think about.

[MOONDOGGY]

Jeff, which of these would be better for instrument inputs:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... 1000000000

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... 9000000000

It seems the biggest differences are the impedances.

[lonewolf]

Jeff, which of these would be better for instrument inputs:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... 1000000000

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... 9000000000

It seems the biggest differences are the impedances.

Actually, neither...these are line level devices. They would need to go in your FX loop to operate properly. Probably not the best place for a compressor in a bass rig, but doable. If you intend to do this, the cheaper one is probably better suited for unbalanced FX loop connections.

The VF1 is designed to plug a bass directly into it or to use as a line level device.

[UncleScabby]

Lonewolf, what would be the difference between a compressor/gate and a compressor/limiter?

[lonewolf]

A compressor/gate is a compressor with a gate built in and a compressor/limiter is a compressor with a hard limiter built in.

A gate won't allow signals through a circuit unless it reaches a certain preset level. This can be used to eliminate guitar noise when not playing or to prevent a microphone from passing unwanted sounds into the mix when its not being used, but still picking up background noise.

A limiter won't allow too strong of a signal to get through. For all practical purposes, it is a super-compressor set to squash signals above a certain level. This is commonly used to prevent too high of a signal getting to the power amp and helps protect the speakers from clipping and overload.

Generally, the gate is very useful for instruments and the limiter is not, although it can't hurt to put a limiter between the preamp and power amp when you have a super clean uncompressed signal that requires a lot of headroom and can cause the amp to go into unwanted clipping.

[UncleScabby]

That was exactly the information I was looking for, thanks!