Studio Bass Compressor by Seymour Duncan

Seymour Duncan just released their Studio Bass Compressor pedal. This is a VCA-controlled soft knee compressor designed and voiced for the bass. Similar to the Vise Grip (Guitar Compressor) they offer some nice features – Mid / Low / Full switch that will allow you to ‘blend’ those frequencies back into your signal. They mention that this is a studio grade compression in a pedal. Definitely the voicing and blend are a couple of features you don’t see. Additionally, the enclosure is in a standard single size unit, so it won’t eat up too much space on your board.

Here is the official press release issued by Seymour Duncan:

The Studio Bass Compressor is a studio-grade soft-knee compressor designed for bassists who want to take control of the dynamics of their sound, from a subtle smoothing-out of peaks and valleys to the most squished and pinched extremes and everywhere in between. It’s extremely low noise and has an easy-to-use control format: The Blend knob allows you to adjust the amount of wet signal so you can bring natural snap back into your individual notes. The Volume knob lets you control the output (or you can push it up and lower the Compression for a great clean boost). The Attack knob regulates how quickly the compressor reacts to your initial pick attack – cranking it up will give a late attack that allows your pick or finger dynamics to come through before the compression kicks in. The Compressor knob is the heart of the pedal and allows you to easily control the dynamic range.

The Studio Bass Compressor combines features not normally seen, like the Low/Full/Mid switch that can restore some of the dynamic range lost in compression and it allows you to choose to be frequency selective or dial it in full range. It also fattens up the compressed signal for thick and heavy reggae sounds. Or you can use it to simply make sure your effected sound remains consistent with your bypassed bass tone. Other features not commonly seen are the Automatic Gain Compensation, which compensates for input gain loss as the compression and attack controls are adjusted. The pedal will also automatically increase the compression ratio as the signal approaches the threshold. This allows it to function more like a limiter if needed. Unlike most compressors with hard-knee thresholds, the SD Studio Bass compressor gradually enters into compression at a lower ratio prior to the signal reaching the threshold. This slower onset of compression provides a more natural, transparent sound, especially at low compression levels.

The Studio Bass Compressor is incredibly versatile: you can easily go from a subtle compression that gently smoothes things out all the way to a high compression that balances the dynamics in slap-style playing to keep each note from being too harsh or overbearing. Rock players can effortlessly summon powerful midrange punch while maintaining a fat bottom end. Bassists who prefer a more vintage sound can dial in a nice even mixture of top, mid and bottom frequencies.

Here is a video by PixxyLixxx where they visit the Seymour Duncan booth at this years Winter NAMM 2015. Fast forward to about 3:40 where they talk about the Studio Bass Compressor:

Now, if you’re interested in picking up the Seymour Duncan Studio Bass Compressor, they are available for $169 at Amazon.com!

Let me know what you think by commenting below!