[Jon S.]

For a long time, I've thought the compressor is best before the auto-wah (or envelope filter). But in an ongoing thread on the TDPRI, multiple people are arguing for placing it after the auto-wah. Of course, I'll now try the latter approach, too, but curious as to what folks here prefer?

[Tacosauce]

Not using one currently, but when I did have a compression pedal on my board it was the first thing in line.

I don’t think I did this out of any personal preference, only cause what I read about compression told me that it belonged up front.

To be honest, I’ve been playing guitar for over 30 years and I still don’t know how to accurately define a compressed sound.

[lbpesq]

My understanding is that the purpose of placing the compressor before the auto wah/envelope filter is to give the auto wah a consistent signal matched to the auto wah. I would think that placing a compressor after the auto wah defeats this purpose.

Bill, tgo

[lbpesq]

To be honest, I’ve been playing guitar for over 30 years and I still don’t know how to accurately define a compressed sound.

A compressor makes the quieter sounds louder while simultaneously making the louder sounds quieter, resulting in more consistency of volume, with less peaks and valleys.

Bill, tgo

[Chocol8]

My understanding is that the purpose of placing the compressor before the auto wah/envelope filter is to give the auto wah a consistent signal matched to the auto wah. I would think that placing a compressor after the auto wah defeats this purpose.

Bill, tgo

I take the other view. The idea of the auto-wah is to control it with your picking dynamics. With the compressor in front you are handicapping yourself.

Meanwhile the output of an auto-wah or envelope filter can be a little spiky/uneven and placing a compressor after it can help smooth out the volume levels.

[jackevorkian]

When I owned an original Mutron, I ran an optical compressor before. I basically used it as a super clean and transparent boost with very little compression...really just enough clean gain to open the wah. Those old Mutrons were harder to trigger (mine was at least), which I assume is part of the purpose of the OBEL. But, I agree with Chocol...part of what makes the Mutron so vocal is the picking dynamics. If you squish your signal too much, you lose at that expressiveness.

[lbpesq]

I agree that a compressor used in front of an envelope should be set at minimal compression, so as to allow for pick dynamics. For this purpose, a clean boost works equally well.

Bill, tgo

[Jon S.]

Interesting. For me, placing my compressor before my envelope filter is intended to alter my picking dynamics. Specifically, to stop from triggering the highest frequency "screeches." And it's been working for me to do this. It seems to me placing the compressor after the filter would also accomplish this by limiting the highs after the fact. I.e., both approaches seem to have merit. But, again, I need to try the after the filter approach now, perhaps I'll like it better.

[cyrusj83]

I never properly figured out how to use a compressor but back in my pre-OBEL days when I had a modern Q+, I put my comp after the Q to control the spikes. I don't recall trying it before the Q, but if I did, I assume I found that it squashed the sound and affected the trigger. Putting the comp after affects the result. I'd rather affect the result than the trigger, if that makes sense.

Good luck!

[Jon S.]

Fascinating! The results are in: I do like the compressor better after the envelope filter!

In the process, I also discovered that stacking two compressors, one before my Fulldrive 2 and the other after it, produces a cool tone. Not at all Jerry (or even Mayer) - closer to Trey. (It might even be characterizable as "thick air." ) But I'm digging it so I'm going to leave the board as is for the time being.

[19deadhead65]

While I’ve never used a compressor, I’ve pretty much only heard of it recommended being placed BEFORE an envelope filter. This thread has me wanting to get one and fiddle with it! I don’t have an OBEL and have a Strat with relatively weak pickups (compared to Dimarzios) so it takes some finesse to get my MuTron to trigger correctly. I have my effects in an effects switcher, I’ve got a buffer in a stomp box, and within my MuTron loop I have a Boss GE-7 EQ placed before the MuTron with the mids and level boosted a bit to help trigger the old beast. An OBEL, an onboard buffer and dimarzios are in my future. I’m particularly fond of Jerry Tone Store’s Jerrified Strats!

[Jon S.]

In another thread on envelope filters, Bill mentioned he's now using a cheapo Donner Dynamic Wah on his smaller board and I chimed in that I am now, too.

I own two MuTron Micro-Tron IVs. Not being precious about exactly copying anyone else's specific tones, I'm finding the Donner unit to be both more "forgiving" (for lack of a better word) than the Micro-Tron and having a wider range of sensitivity to my picking to trigger the effect.

I found that, with my Strat-style Reverend Avenger and its 6.0K ohms middle Kent Armstrong single coil pickup, I needed to precede my Micro-Tron with a clean boost to best trigger it. With the Donner Dynamic Wah, playing straight into the envelope filter triggers it just fine.

As always, as we own different guitars and have our own picking styles, YMMV.

It's nice to live in an age where we have so many options. When Jerry chose the Micro-Tron for himself, there were far fewer choices. Who knows what a young Jerry might choose today.

[Chocol8]

With weak pickups and the mu-tron style envelope: Boost -> EF -> Compressor

My Strats have onboard boost circuits that make it easy, but you definitely don't want to be handicapped with weak pickup output that requires hard plucking just to trigger. That robs your picking dynamics even more than having too much compression out front.

The boost can be anything from a greater than unity buffer to an EQ pedal to a typical boost pedal. I wouldn't want too much coloration like a TS, but that can work as well.

[Jon S.]

Excellent points.

These days, I find myself preferring compressors with a lot of volume/gain on tap set to minimal compression over clean boosts because of the compressors’ versatility for multiple uses.

I moved my Doozy Boost to last in the chain to serve as a final-before-the-amp’s preamp “more” pedal.

[Jon S.]

FWIW I just redid my 'board as follows. Notes:

- envelope filter first (after passive Hub Bub routing box)
- 2 TS-style stacked overdrives (FD2 is in comp cut & fixed mids mode)
- dual compressors before and after the stacked overdrives
- Doozy Boost clean boost last