Guitar Gear

Even after all these years, I still ask that question. I used to use a compressor for my solo acoustic gigs to tighten up my dynamic range, especially if I played in large, open spaces or a venue with high ceilings.

But it also frustrated me a bit because even with light compression, that narrower dynamic range made me feel as if the subtle highs and especially lows just weren’t coming through. So in the end, I decided to not use a compressor, and simply adjust how I attack my strings with my right hand.

That has proven useful and actually has helped make me better at controlling my expression. But there are times when I’m in a crowded, loud venue where I really need my guitar to cut through the ambient noise and a compressor would really help do that.

So… to answer the question I posed as the title of the article, it really depends…

Great! That’s a really f’d up answer… 🙂 In all seriousness though, here’s where I’d use a compressor:

• If you’re playing in a place with high ceilings and your amp/PA is on the ground, using some light compression will help get your sound out. You lose some low- and high-frequency definition, but it’s a good tradeoff. There’s nothing worse than having your vocals completely drown out your guitar. On the other hand, if your PA is elevated as it is in the restaurant I play in, compression might help, but you could probably do without it.
• For large, open spaces, compression is a must. Again, it should be subtle. You don’t want to squash your signal because it’ll come out muffled and lifeless.
• If you use a speaker array like the Fishman SA220 or Bose L series, or HK Audio system, just a little compression will help to define your signal as those kinds of PA systems are multi-directional.
• All that said, if you’re playing in a smaller room, or one that has good acoustics, I wouldn’t bother with compression at all.

The danger of using compression is that you might over-compress your signal, and that’s a bad thing. Compressors by their very nature reduce the dynamic range of a signal. So over-compressing will make you sound like you threw a blanket over your amp.

As for the type of compression method, that really boils down to personal preference. However, I would advise using a “soft knee” compressor as opposed to a “hard knee” compressor. With a hard knee compressor, once you hit the dB threshold for the compressor kicks in, you get compression at whatever ratio you set. That might be useful if you’re playing quiet, then suddenly slam your guitar. But dialing in the makeup gain when the compressor is engaged is a pain in the ass.

I prefer to use soft knee compressors that kick in gradually and only get to their maximum ratio once you hit a certain gain level. This means that you’ll always get a bit of compression, no matter what volume you play, but you don’t get the full squish until past a certain point. And as long as you don’t get too over-zealous with the ratio, you’ll notice a definite “kick” to your sound.

With respect to the actual compressor type to use, again, that’s personal preference. There are pedals and rack mounts available that offer different types of compression. Personally, I’ve always gravitated towards optical compressors for acoustic. I used the venerated Maxon CP 101+ for a number of years before I sold it. This is a great optical compressor that is also very subtle. Maxon makes a CP 101 reissue that’s based on the original design.

As for other types, I’ve only used them for recording. Here’s a great article on the different types of compressors. For recording, I’ll typically use VCA compressor plug-in since that is very flexible. But for mastering, I may use a FET compressor plugin for the overall mix as that seems – at least to my ears – to liven things up a bit.

As always, try before you buy. A compressor is not really something you specifically NEED, but it does come in handy for some real-life applications, and can make the difference between stumbling with your sound and putting your best foot forward.