Where do I put an "always-on" compressor?

[Chicken Man]

I've been leaving my compressor on most of the time for our last few gigs--I finally have it dialed in to where it smooths everything rather than squashing/boosting. I turn it off for a few things, particularly if I'm doing Carter-style strumming with the lead in the bass strings, which is muffled with the compressor on.

Overall, it's working, but there seems to be some conflict with my boost pedal (an EQ set up with a little treble boost and and overall level boost). It seems like there is very little space between not loud enough and shrill and piercing, no matter how I adjust the boost. Right now, the boost comes right after my tuner at the beginning of the signal chain, and the compressor is near the end, just before the tremolo. So the compressor is pressing the boost pedal. Should I rearrange?

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Sounds like you want your comp before your boost. What's the full signal chain?

 

[Grant Gross]

I always thought the comp should go before the boost.

 

[Chicken Man]

Signal chain is tuner-->EQ/boost-->delay-->comp-->trem-->PADI. I don't know why the compressor is where it is, I think I looked it up once, and haven't thought about it since.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Signal chain is tuner-->EQ/boost-->delay-->comp-->trem-->PADI. I don't know why the compressor is where it is, I think I looked it up once, and haven't thought about it since.

If it were me, I would do this: Tuner -> Delay -> Comp -> Trem -> Boost -> PADI

 

[OGG]

Putting the compressor after the delay is not good.

You don't want your echo trails being boosted. It's like a perpetual noise maker.

If it's always on, then it goes first (or second if using a gate).

 

[Chicken Man]

I have a tiny little bit of slap-back coming from the delay. It didn't seem to cause a problem, but I could see that being a major issue with a little more/longer delay.

 

[mikesr1963]

 

[Wyatt]

I place my comp after wahs and envelope filters (the compressor helps boosts heel down and tame toe down on a wah), before fuzz, OD, etc.

I can see having the delay early for slapback. But for me...

Tuner->Comp->Boost->Delay->Trem...or Trem->Delay

 

[Modern Saint]

Here is what I would do

tuner-->Comp>EQ/boost-->delay-->trem-->PADI

 

[baimun]

Depends on what you want the boost to do. If you put the boost before the compressor you'll increase gain but not volume... if you put the boost after the compressor it will boost the volume of the compressed signal.