Compression - cheating?

I was just wondering what your thoughts were on using compression in your sound - how often do you guys use it? Do you consider people like Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai, who use it almost all the time, to be "cheating", in a way? Just a question that came out of a discussion with a friend, and I'm also wondering whether I can compress my clean sound a little without being considered a "cheater"!

Absolute necessity as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't consider it cheating.
Hell, if you listen to just about anything it's had the crap compressed out of it. With guitar it starts with pedals but going through the sound board as well. Then a final time when the songs are mastered. Then yet again when they're played on the radio.

Of course it depends on what style of music and what level of recording you want to make. If you're doing hard rock or pop then for sure, you'll need it at some point if not all the time.
However, if you're doing something requiring more dynamics meant to be played on a high end system you'll want to keep the processing to a minimum.
Although you'll still need it to some extent when the CD is mastered.

As far as guitar players go, try listening to some of the bootleg Van Halen stuff that was recorded in the studio during the first album or the acappella version of leads like 'Beat It'. They're compressed with tons of reverb and other processing.

I use compression pretty much all the time on my clean sound, mainly for a little extra sustain, and occasionally on my dirty sound as and when i feel the need for it, i don't consider it cheating, i mean who or what are you cheating? your just getting the sound you want, cheating can be defined as the act of lying, deception or trickery to obtain an unfair advantage, i don't really see how using any widely available effect can be considered cheating.

My 2 cents. :)

I would only consider it cheating if you are having some kind of contest on who can shred the best or something weird like that. Then if one of you is using compression and the other is not and the one who is using the compression lies about it. Then that would be cheating......other than that if you are using it to get a sound you like then who cares.
Or maybe you are trying to compare popular players and which is the best. One uses it and the other does not and that is the basis for who is better. These kind of things never have an ending. Its like having a top 10 guitar players listing. Its all up to the individual and what they like as to who is top 10 etc. etc. etc. Now I am off on a tangent.....Maybe I will go fiddle with the GNX4 and the compression setting see what happens. :rolleyes:

Cheers, guys. :)

Would somebody please enlighten me why the thought that it may be cheating would even come up? I don't really know what compression does other than add some sustain.

Almost all heavy bands put a compression before their preamp to bring the chops up in chugging riffs. Also, shredders all use it to bring up the volume of each pick to differentiate notes in very fast runs with alt picking. Nothing to do with cheating, all to do with getting the most from your gear and imporoving the overall sound. Just like Schmange said, practically everything gets compressed at different stages through the signal chain and mix itself. Then radio compresses the **** out of everything.

it evens out the sound so that quieter notes you played and louder ones are more equal in volume....I believe. guitar playing is not a contest. :p but you could say having a Marshall halfstack is cheating because your guitar does not really sound like that. ;)

Question--> why is the compression from my rp-80 so noisy? Is this characteristic of compression, or just my crappy unit?

characteristic.....noise suppression is the cure. it is taking the noise and increasing it as it would a note not picked hard and increasing it to a level that is set on the compressor.

Originally Posted by: ericthecableguyQuestion--> why is the compression from my rp-80 so noisy? Is this characteristic of compression, or just my crappy unit?

Either there is something wrong with the unit OR it could be boosting ambient noise and/or electrical hum. If the later is the problem then stick a noise supressor before the compressor and bingo.

Thanks doods.

As a fellow rp-80er, I've found that when I've got the compression turned on, it helps to turn the noise gate up a bit (it's set at 5 for most of the presets, but I often have it turned down or off).

Originally Posted by: ericthecableguyQuestion--> why is the compression from my rp-80 so noisy? Is this characteristic of compression, or just my crappy unit?

Because it's an RP-80... to put it bluntly.

The RP-80 is a great little tool, I have one myself and it's pretty handy. I've got some great tones out of it. I try not to turn the compression up too much on it though. I think Compression takes all the organic natural qualities out of the tone of your guitar... Gives it less character.

But you can't expect too much out of the RP-80... after all it IS a 50-60 dollar piece of equipment... It's not the most sophisticated effects unit out there.

I have an MXR Dyna-Comp---which Gilmour uses and it makes noise, not a ton but it is noticeable when not playing.