Why would I want a Rack compressor?

[wakeguitar]

Hey guys,

So I'm building a rack to host several goodies and have been looking for gear to put in there!

I noticed some players use rack compressor (like dbx166). I'm wondering if one would help me out in anyway other than brickwall limiting atm which I think isn't really necessary. Usually more of a less is more approach to gear and engineering but I'm willing to try new things so...

I usually don't play loud, play inside and sometimes through impulse modeling.

So guitar slutz anymore need for a compressor? Parallel, Serial, output before/after fx?? Or use it for tonal effect?

 

[eedude]

from my own experience I have never needed a compressor at all... and the only time I ever had one in my rack was to use the noise gate feature (but my g-major does that for me now). It does depends on the style of music you play and the amps that you are using. I play mostly with heavily distorted tones, so they are already compressed, addition compression only causes sonic damage IMO. I have found that when using a clean tone sometimes a compressor may be beneficial, but for myself I have always manage to work around even that and still have a decent clean tone...

i'd be interested in how others improved their rig with a compressor....for myself I run one thing in the loop, my g-major and that's it. (the g-major does have a compressor but i don't like or use it)

 

[GtrGeorge!]

If you play low or medium gain..then it MIGHT be worth i to you..but nowsadays there are few reasons to go with a rack compressor.

 

[Daryl]

Don't bother with a rack compressor. The best way to go is with a Keeley compressor pedal. I have had one for a couple of years now and I use it for cleans and sometimes even with gainier tones. It always puts the nicest edge on the sound and it's built like a tank.
http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=8
This unit has racked up a lot of accolades over the years and well deserved. It is a magic little box. I still use it because my GMajor2 is in the serial loop and compressors tend to work better in front of the preamp IMO.

Check it out. If compression is what you need, go for the best. Don't waste time playing around with junk or overkill. Boutique Goodness all the way.