your compressor choice for acoustic fingerstyle?

[sdelsolray]

I use one live (solo fingerstyle) but the reason for its use is kinda complicated. I use a true stereo system, panned about 20% L and 20% right. The left source is a blend of a SBT and mag and the right source is a microphone (internal or external, depending on venue). These sources are fairly different, hence I only pan a bit. I use a two channel compressor and limiter, in dual mono mode to assist with equalizing the dynamics of the two stereo channels. I find that I can get an overall higher volume before feedback with its use. It also helps keep the stereo image from wandering left to right due to the different level of response one source might yield (when compared to the other source). I can also hit the strings hard on occassion without having the volume/dynamics spike as much (good for the audience). Plus, the unit I use has a gate, which is helpful in cutting off output between songs.

In the studio things are different, and I don't use a compressor for solo fingerstyle for tracking. However, I might use a multiband compressor, very lightly, to tame low mids, instead of using an eq, if it is called for.

[J.R. Rogers]

Originally Posted by zenpicker

Fife - good thought, thanks. But I think my distortion occurs between my pre and my computer interface (a Yamaha i88x), so by the time I get to my (software) EQ I'm already toast. I guess I could get a hardware EQ but it seems like a compressor is simpler....?

Which inputs are you using on the i88x? I'm assuming from what you're saying that you're running through a preamp of some kind (mixer?) and then into the i88x. If this is the case, you need to make sure channels 1 and 2 are set to LINE instead of MIC or Hi-Z. You might want to try using some of the other 4 inputs and see what happens, just in case the Yamaha isn't fully bypassing the pre on ch1 and ch2. Level problems are frustrating, aren't they?

JR

[mattinbeloit]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

I use one live (solo fingerstyle) but the reason for its use is kinda complicated. I use a true stereo system, panned about 20% L and 20% right. The left source is a blend of a SBT and mag and the right source is a microphone (internal or external, depending on venue). These sources are fairly different, hence I only pan a bit. I use a two channel compressor and limiter, in dual mono mode to assist with equalizing the dynamics of the two stereo channels. I find that I can get an overall higher volume before feedback with its use. It also helps keep the stereo image from wandering left to right due to the different level of response one source might yield (when compared to the other source). I can also hit the strings hard on occassion without having the volume/dynamics spike as much (good for the audience). Plus, the unit I use has a gate, which is helpful in cutting off output between songs.

In the studio things are different, and I don't use a compressor for solo fingerstyle for tracking. However, I might use a multiband compressor, very lightly, to tame low mids, instead of using an eq, if it is called for.

Wow, thats cool. Like I said, I can see why someone would use one live, but not really in the studio. I can understand using one lightly in the studio possibly when you are going back and doing EQ stuff, but still if I can help it I'll just use a different mic, another take, or tell the guy to take it down a little bit on the attack. Anyway, that live setup is really cool, I think I'll try to set up something similar to that tonight and see what it sounds like because it sound like it would work really well and at the same time not have that heavily compresses sound. If you have any live recordings of you or someone using that I would love to hear a clip, thanks for sharing.