Re: [Harp-L] using compression

[Ken Deifik <ken@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gary Hodgson wrote:

> my digitech rp250 has Sustain, Tone/Attack, and Compressor Level.
> the Tone/Attack controls Tone if using digitech compressor, or Attack
> if emulating Boss CS-2.
>
> so my questions are:
>
> why do i want to use this?  what effect does it have on the sound,
> specifically harp sound.  i understand compression in general.
>
> how would you set those parameters for what type of effects?  would
> you set things differently in different circumstances?

The best thing about owning this stuff is that you get to monkey around 
with it in the hopes that you'll happen on some setting that will give you 
something you haven't heard before, and that you like.  AND that will make 
the rest of us wonder how the hell you get that sound.  Tiny changes can 
make a huge difference if you have enough control over the parameters.

I have a pal who was an assistant engineer at the old Bell Sound in NYC, 
back in the 60's.  This engineer had laid down tons of hits.  (All four 
engineers at Bell back then had unbelieveable track records.)  Producers 
would often hire a specific Bell engineer the same way he'd use a specific 
arranger or drummer as the right one for a singer and song.  My friend told 
me that the engineers at Bell all had their own studios, tweaked precisely 
to their hard-won and valuable recipes.  The guy he worked for had towels 
hanging over the knobs on the Pultec compressors, and nobody was allowed to 
see his recipe.  My friend didn't even get to see them for the first four 
months he worked there.

As long as you know how compressors work, spend as much time as it takes 
with them to get something that sounds great to your ear.

Then set up a towel and you're in bidness. -K