Seymour Duncan introduces the Studio Bass Compressor, a soft-knee compressor effect pedal designed for bass guitars.
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The company describes it as a studio-grade compressor, and as such it comes equipped with a hefty amount of tone shaping controls to achieve a wide range of compression effect, from “subtle smoothing” to over-the-top “squished and pinched” tones.
Although only subtly used, the compressor effect has become a mainstay in both recording and live music productions, and it is available for both the sound engineers and the musicians themselves. The Seymour Duncan Studio Bass compressor brings this effect to bassists who are looking for precise control over their sound.
The Studio Bass Compressor has a unique Low/Full/Mid switch that will let you restore specific dynamic ranges that were lost in compression. You can pick between the low and mid frequencies that are specifically tweaked to favor bass instruments, or select the full range. This feature helps fatten up the compressed signal, which is ideal for musical styles that require thick and heavy bass parts. You can also use it to make the compressed tone sound more like your bypassed tone, even when the compression is dialed higher.
Another special feature of this pedal is its built-in Automatic Gain Compensation. This allows the pedal to compensate for input gain loss as the compression and attack controls are adjusted, allowing for consistent volume while tweaking the controls. The pedal can also function like a pseudo limiter if needed, with the compression ratio increasing as the signal nears the threshold.
Being a soft-knee compressor, your bass guitar signal will enter into compression at a lower ratio as it reaches the threshold. This slower compression design is meant to produce a more organic, transparent sound, especially at low compression levels, where this pedal will probably be most used in.
To provide versatile compression control, the company equipped the Studio Bass Compressor with four knobs, each of which provides precise control over specific parameters as found on studio compressors.
The Volume knob gives you straightforward control over the output, you can even push it up to achieve a clean boost effect. The Blend knob lets you adjust the amount of wet signal mix, this lets you mix in the uneffected signal if you want to achieve a more natural sounding compression.
For tweaking the compression effect itself, the pedal has an Attack knob and Compressor knob. The press release says, “Attack knob regulates how quickly the compressor reacts to your initial pick attack – cranking it up will give a late attack that allows your pick or finger dynamics to come through before the compression kicks in. The Compressor knob is the heart of the pedal and allows you to easily control the dynamic range.“
Seymour Duncan concludes, “The Studio Bass Compressor is incredibly versatile: you can easily go from a subtle compression that gently smoothes things out all the way to a high compression that balances the dynamics in slap-style playing to keep each note from being too harsh or overbearing. Rock players can effortlessly summon powerful midrange punch while maintaining a fat bottom end. Bassists who prefer a more vintage sound can dial in a nice even mixture of top, mid and bottom frequencies”
The new Seymour Duncan Studio Bass Compressor is built in their Santa Barbara, California facility, and feature true-bypass switching. It is now retailing online for $159, visit Seymour Duncan for more information and sample settings.Related Articles:
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