tc electronic SpectraComp Bass Compressor

To me, a compressor is the most important piece of gear a bass player can buy. When my old boss limiter pedal died, it was time for a new compressor. I narrowed my options down to the following three:

- Lehle Basswitch Dual Band Compressor
- TC Electronic Spectracomp
- Origin Effects Cali76 Comp. Bass Compressor



To test these pedals, I hooked up my bass to Logic and made some A/B comparisons.

The Spectracomp is definitely the odd one out here. It's super small, probably a third of the size of the other two pedals. It has one knob, which determines the amount of the selected compression is applied. To select a preset, you can hook up the pedal to your computer. Too bad the necessary usb cable was not provided.

It's also possible to stream presets from a smartphone app to the pedal, using the pickups from your bass. This is a very cool, very futuristic feature that actually works. The reason I didn't choose this pedal in the end is twofold:

- The selected preset can only be modified by hooking it up to a computer. This is not band/stage/rehearsal room friendly.
- the gain staging is way too aggressive for my taste, and again, is only adjustable with the computer editor.

The need for balance in volume across the tonal range has led me to this little compressor. I've heard great things about tc electronic in the recent years and thought I'd give it a try.

The idea that you could set everything up the way you want it at home and control it with just one knob while playing is great, but it doesn't really fit the dynamics of playing in a band. The amount and type of compression you need really depends on what you're playing through and where you are playing, so making changes when you need them is a crucial part of usability and this is where this pedal falls short. I've tried almost every preset and every time turning the knob meant an increase in the amount of compression (thereby an increase in sustain) and for some reason the amount of volume (gain). I did find a good preset and a sweet spot on the dial I can use for most gigs, but some venues need more/less sustain and usually you don't have enough time to try out different presets through the app and turning the dial will usually change the output volume which can annoy some sound techs.

Anyways, it's a great pedal, good build quality and does an amazing job if you set it up right. If you're a touring musician or gig regularly this is not the pedal for you. If your musical environment is static and you have the time and knowledge to operate it - go for it!

I have been playing guitar, bass and keyboards at a pro and semi pro level for the last 35 years. I'm a big compressor fan and it takes a lot to impress me. So .. with the difference between compression for quality/utility and compression for effect clearly fixed in our minds this is the later (although it is high quality too..lol). I bought it because I'd seen a clip with Nathan East talking about it or playing it (can't remember which) and he had a toneprint for it. When it arrived I plugged it in and decided I couldn't care less about changing the original preset to something else. It was really my kind of compression for effect!. I play a custom made, active four string with east electronics in to Markbass LM2 into a MarkBass 2x10 4ohm cab. I've recommend this to loads of my mates.

This little pedal is amazing, I initially bought it solely for the use of bass. I took this pedal touring around the middle east, this compressor felt so good to play & sounded great too. You can hook this up to your computer via USB cable and access very specific parameters but the sound straight out of the box is more than enough!

I also use this pedal for my guitar pedal rig if I do need compression!

I've gigged with this pedal for about a year and I'd say the biggest drawback is the knob. Over time the knob becomes loose and is easily moved by your foot or a patch cable so that gets kind of annoying. My workaround is that I position the pedal in a place where I don't turn on/off pedals regularly as I use compressor as an always-on pedal.

Very small but very dramatic, this thing is not subtle, at least straight out of the box. I am really enjoying the extra sustain it brings to my sound but it does kill the dynamics and attack a bit. Once I find the right cables I will plumb it into my computer and have a go at adjusting the settings, but it's not very easy to do mid-gig... The idea of Toneprint is a nice enough idea but there are so many other variables that the celebrity Toneprints that you can download are not of massive value and are mostly a gimmick. What would be better is a fully functional app that you could tweak live... This doesn't seem to be the case, at least lb Android just yet. So in summary, a very aggressive and coloured limiter that won't suit everyone but I'll go with it for a few gigs and see how it goes...