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svengali
Bronze Member
Australia
111 Posts |
 Posted - 08/23/2008 : 01:47:53
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i have recently purchased a mint in the box cs 1 - serial 8700, and a cs3.
the uses for a compression pedal on a guitar are i believe, limited.
however, when you need em, you really need em.
Clean twangy country hillbilly stuff sounds great with a compressor.
if you finger pick and have a strong thumb action, a compressor is really desirable.
i kept reading that cs1 is fantastic blah blah
and that the cs3 is sterile.
My findings are as follows.
the cs1 seems to have a very strong effect.
very squishy, very interesting, but where do you use it?
the cs1 i found has a fantastic effect on the warmth of the signal.
Stunning, actually. if only i could turn the compression effect down more.
the cs3 i found to be excellent- less interesting but far more usable you can turn the compression down, and the tone up, which gives you a lot of that warmth i mentioned.
any thoughts?
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 02:11:51
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I dont have a CS-1, but I do have a CS-3 that was, IMO, awful. Did a lot of mods to it before it sounded OK.
I have a CS-2 coming that I'll compare to it... |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 07:32:34
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Hi svengali, Laurie & guys
Congrats on winning the compressors.
Just a quick heads up, I know it's probably one in a million, but the first CS-2 I scored was the biggest "Tone Thief" I have come across in a Boss pedal.
It's obviously faulty, I think I tracked down faulty component, but have been,
too inundated with life the universe & everything to sort out the fix.
Laurie will attest to how busy the old Doc is, he knows a sad story
about a new workstation "Still" sitting in it's shipping box.
If you find, that you seem to be getting a great loss in tone, it's most likely, the inter-stage caps.
I will be interested to hear about your experiment.
Regards Dr. Bob
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Edited by - Dr. Bob on 08/26/2008 15:40:34 |
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Fabius
Silver Member
320 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 13:30:31
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I've a similar problem with my CS-2, I wrote dozen of times that I used it in the eighties as booster for the solos, but now I keep it in my p.b. just for nostalgy and I don't know how to use it.
The config of my pb is this one:
any suggest?
P.S. all the pedals are drawned by me (I'm proud of 'em). |
Edited by - Fabius on 08/23/2008 13:32:21 |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 14:39:19
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nice layout fabius.....
I use the CS-3 a lot... my style would be leaning to country and blues/rock.... i also use my fingers and thumb a lot as well as the plec.... i find the CS-3 to be a good compressor,i usually keep the compresion down to about 10 O'Clock,the attack nearly full,tone about 12 O'Clock and the level at 3 O'Clock....i believe as i have said before that the amp your using also plays a part as valve amps going into distortion have natural compression,also one of my amps had a valve rectifer which seems to have a lot of natural compression,but as i normally run my main amps clean i find the CS-3 to be very good for what i need...and before i get flamed,i've seen joe walsh,vince gill,johnny hiland etc all using the CS-3 on their boards...
off topic.. i also saw a pic of scotty moores setup and to recreate the original 'sun sound' of he 50's he was using a DD-3 and CH-1 into a couple of peavey classic 30's..the CH-1 is another pedal that gets a slated a lot..... |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 17:22:11
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I think CS-2 is the most useful of the Boss compressors, really good.
CS-1, used subtly, is also fine but it�s pumping too much for me when using higher sustain levels. I like the switch on it 
I don�t like the "sound" of CS-3, it adds someting I don�t like.  |
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zentropa
Gold Member
USA
837 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 17:40:35
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i've had 5 CS-2's.
4 were duds. 1 was really good. the really good one is currently in transit to laurie.
one thing i can say is that it's very important w/ CS-2's that they get ACA unregulated power or run off battery.
i've never actually heard a CS-1... but i'm not a fan of the CS-3. |
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MullyFX
Gold Member
Germany
753 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 17:54:34
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I really do like the CS-1 I got.....
it's really smooth (as in smooth sounding not as in smooth compression)
it's a pumping compressor and I really like that about the CS-1 |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 18:38:00
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quote:
Originally posted by zentropa
the really good one is currently in transit to laurie.
I nearly got very grumpy...  |
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whiskeytown
Copper Member
United Kingdom
16 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2008 : 21:00:57
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| well CS-1 is optocompressor, CS-2 is very simmilar to MXR Dynacomp, but instead of using CA3080 chip, they put in BA662A, and CS-3 is "CS-2 on steroids". |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2008 : 15:47:09
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quote:
Originally posted by whiskeytown
well CS-1 is optocompressor, CS-2 is very simmilar to MXR Dynacomp, but instead of using CA3080 chip, they put in BA662A, and CS-3 is "CS-2 on steroids".
Hi whiskeytown
Nice to see you back...
Which one, or which compressor do you use?
Regards Dr. Bob |
Edited by - Dr. Bob on 08/26/2008 15:47:26 |
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2008 : 10:56:04
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quote:
Originally posted by whiskeytown
well CS-1 is optocompressor, CS-2 is very simmilar to MXR Dynacomp, but instead of using CA3080 chip, they put in BA662A, and CS-3 is "CS-2 on steroids".
I think this man sums it all up in the technical details as in how and why.
I agree with Mully.
Basically all Boss compressors change your tone.
I like the CS-1 for what it does. I like the CS-3 for it going much further. None of them I really dig for compression.
Why would someone want some compression? For a little bit of tightness and brightness in your sound. I personally like the Korg LM-1 and the Aphex punch Factory. Both of those will brighten up your sound. The Aphex is also capable of boosting your signal quite a lot without altering its tone.
Compressors are really subtle pedals. I can still remember when I did get my first one, which was the Boss CS-3 and I did not really notice what it did. Over the years I have come to appreciate them a lot and now I use the Korg LM-1 on a daily basis.
A side note on the Boss LM-1: That one is great for that clicky sound [great on clean settings]. Similar to the CS-1, but the LM-1 is better at it. Still, also the LM-1 does change your tone, but in a nice way.
I believe Boss has made the CS-3 so extreme because there are probably not many compressors around which can give you all those tonal options. I can even get a double bass sound from it when used on guitar. Again, this is something you may only use a few times a year, on a recording or something of that kind. Maybe nice to keep a CS-3 around just for experimenting with sounds. It is certainly a pedal that will grow on you if you like experimentation and can see its wider applications. If you are a "straight-forward rocker" [Hey what the heck is that??!] you may not like it though.
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Dirk
Platinum Member
Netherlands
1309 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2008 : 17:10:32
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I've been using a CS-3 for the past 12 years now, and can barely function without it.
Off course, I use it with bass guitar, not guitar, I have no need for compression on guitar, I must be a straight forward rocker
I bought it second hand in '96 and recently upgraded the pedal with a Monte Allums opto mod which I changed a bit.
It really helps making the pedal sound better, less low end loss, less noise, etc.
That is offcourse, when I'm not using my amprack with my beloved RCL-10
Oh, did I mention that I'm awaiting the arrival of an MXR dynacomp from Ebay cause I read good stuff about that pedal, and I wanted to give it a try.
It may turn into a nice experimental mod pedal. |
Edited by - Dirk on 08/29/2008 17:12:21 |
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whiskeytown
Copper Member
United Kingdom
16 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2008 : 14:08:05
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Hi Dr.Bob,
sorry for my late answer, well I use CS-3, and Ross Comp clone. CS-3 works very fine for my sound, country tele twang, Ross also. |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2008 : 16:56:42
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quote:
Originally posted by whiskeytown
Hi Dr.Bob,
sorry for my late answer, well I use CS-3, and Ross Comp clone. CS-3 works very fine for my sound, country tele twang, Ross also.
Hi whiskeytown
Did you build or buy the Ross Comp Clone compressor?
Doy you use the CE-3 exclusively, or do you have both on, & switch between the two?
Regards Dr. Bob
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whiskeytown
Copper Member
United Kingdom
16 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2008 : 23:00:26
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I have build Ross Comp from schematic on the net, but more often I play Boss CS-3. I dont keep them both in signal chain. cheers 
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Topic |
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cs1- cs3
