Which cali76 compressor?

Pellman73 · Mar 6, 2017

On another thread Renderit was helping me learn more about the cali76 compressors and recommmened the TX-p.... which looks awesome but may prove to be very hard to find.

he felt the big versions were better than the compact versions

the compact deluxe looks great. I love how you can stack w the slide rig and get that incredible sustain too... they have these ones with the Lundahl transformers...

anybody have any other thoughts on these or which one I should get ?

pehaps if you have thoughts you could also elaborate on how you use it (for non guitar things as a compressor for studio work, where in the signal chain, what type of playing you like to use it for ?)

Nick-O · Mar 6, 2017

I made my decision some time back somewhat based on what I learned here on this YT video. Not sure if this will help you, but it certainly shows you can dial in the basic tone and reaction with the smaller pedal. Best heard on headphones of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7pzP8dUiTM

Yelly · Mar 6, 2017

You don't need to stack another compressor with any of the Slide Rigs. They are 2 stacked "1176"s. If you want that Little Feat studio slide sound (think Lafayette Railroad from Duxie Chicken) they nail that perfectly. My buddy has compact Slide Rig and it is great....very easy to dial in. I have a compact Cali76 Deluxe which for me us the last word in fine tuneable compression. The ability to add the direct sound independently is a real asset and makes it fantastically useful and well worth the extra cash. My buddy finds it more confusing to use particularly as he has little experience with using rack compressors (or daw sims). I haven't touched my beloved Keeley Comp since getting the Cali.
Pete Thorn's demo is highly recommended.

Pellman73 · Mar 6, 2017

thank you for input guys

yes I guess what I meant was using the slide rig to stack w in itself for that Little Feat effect (I did watch the Pete Thorn vid. very cool)--- not stack a slide rig on another one! I thought that might sound muddled.

thanks for the thoughts. seems like the compact deluxe would be great to have no matter what

all I have right now is an Xotic effects Sp (i do have a vintage script dyna comp but thats a whole nother story). I find I like having compression a lot of the time and it sounds like the calis are just that much better....

Pellman73 · Mar 6, 2017

Nick-O said:
I made my decision some time back somewhat based on what I learned here on this YT video. Not sure if this will help you, but it certainly shows you can dial in the basic tone and reaction with the smaller pedal. Best heard on headphones of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7pzP8dUiTM

that video is really good. thank you for sending it.

usually those A/B comparison vids are hard to get anything from but that's one of the best ones I've ever seen. the guy is such a good player that he can play the riff essentially the same way every time which makes the experiment more valid.

renderit · Mar 7, 2017

I think the compact units are miles above any compressor I have played with. The large units are a little better (clearer) than the small ones. But they are HUGE. The fun stuff is chaining 2 Cali76's together. Yes, it is like a Slide Rig but gives you a lot more control. The Slide Rig is awesome for guitar though. I will always have my large Slide and TX-P. Like I said, I will probably get rid of my large G (I keep saying that and magically it is still here) which is like an original plus a germanium fuzz. And either of my Cali's sound great for vocals, bass, drums and keyboards. The large units also have recording based ins and outs on the back the smaller ones do not.

I think if you are playing live a lot the smaller ones would be wiser. A Compact Deluxe for most or a SlideRIG Compact Deluxe for chained. The chaining just blows my socks off.

Pellman73 · Mar 7, 2017

renderit said:
I think the compact units are miles above any compressor I have played with. The large units are a little better (clearer) than the small ones. But they are HUGE. The fun stuff is chaining 2 Cali76's together. Yes, it is like a Slide Rig but gives you a lot more control. The Slide Rig is awesome for guitar though. I will always have my large Slide and TX-P. Like I said, I will probably get rid of my large G (I keep saying that and magically it is still here) which is like an original plus a germanium fuzz. And either of my Cali's sound great for vocals, bass, drums and keyboards. The large units also have recording based ins and outs on the back the smaller ones do not.

I think if you are playing live a lot the smaller ones would be wiser. A Compact Deluxe for most or a SlideRIG Compact Deluxe for chained. The chaining just blows my socks off.

thanks again for your thoughts! And damn you for planting that seed!

ive got a compact deluxe coming to me via Chicago music exchange. I DO like that little jewel light too. I'm easily entertained by things like that. I figure I'll find enough uses for it. I figure I'll also keep an eye out for the TX-p for my studio in the sky that I'm slowly building up. Add that to my list of daily eBay and reverb searches. Other is a matchless rv-1 reverb unit. I want one of those puppies bad. And I if see two I'll let you know too since you mentioned you were looking for another TX-p!

renderit · Mar 7, 2017

Totally. And those reverbs are to die for.

Pellman73 · Mar 7, 2017

renderit said:
Totally. And those reverbs are to die for.

I was a complete dope a few months ago. In october there was a really sweet white one on Reverb. I asked the guy if he had the foot switch? :##:##:##:##:##:##:##

the answer was no... (you dumbass. who cares about the foot switch was really what he was thinking)

and it was gone (like Kayser Sozye). I've looked every day since then to no avail. there was one on ebay a month or so after that and I didn't get because the guy had altered the case. again. dumbass.

won't let the next one go! they are REALLY hard to come by.

TM1 · Mar 8, 2017

I've been using the JangleBox units for at least 10 years. Great stuff and considerably less than the Cali stuff. I say find your own sound. Sure there's nothing wrong with being able to sound like Lowell, but you have to find your own voice. Lowell and Bonnie Raitt both have the same sound because Bonnie learned from Lowell. But I think you should find your own voice.

Pellman73 · Mar 8, 2017

TM1 said:
I've been using the JangleBox units for at least 10 years. Great stuff and considerably less than the Cali stuff. I say find your own sound. Sure there's nothing wrong with being able to sound like Lowell, but you have to find your own voice. Lowell and Bonnie Raitt both have the same sound because Bonnie learned from Lowell. But I think you should find your own voice.

im really just looking for a great compressor rather than looking to play slide like Lowell George. Duane's my slide hero anyhow for what it's worth.

finding my own voice is good advice though. Spending less time focused in gear and more on playing would help that. But as a confessed gear nerd junkie I do enjoy reading and learning about many aspects of musical instrumentation, recording, gig rigs, all that.

So this is more about adding a great compressor to my Arsenal of stuff than my path as an original sounding artist-- but it is good to always keep that in mind, thanks for the thoughts!

Pellman73 · Mar 8, 2017

TM1 said:
I've been using the JangleBox units for at least 10 years. Great stuff and considerably less than the Cali stuff. I say find your own sound. Sure there's nothing wrong with being able to sound like Lowell, but you have to find your own voice. Lowell and Bonnie Raitt both have the same sound because Bonnie learned from Lowell. But I think you should find your own voice.

im really just looking for a great compressor rather than looking to play slide like Lowell George. Duane's my slide hero anyhow for what it's worth.

finding my own voice is good advice though. Spending less time focused in gear and more on playing would help that. But as a confessed gear nerd junkie I do enjoy reading and learning about many aspects of musical instrumentation, recording, gig rigs, all that.

So this is more about adding a great compressor to my Arsenal of stuff than my path as an original sounding artist-- but it is good to always keep that in mind, thanks for the thoughts!

TM1 · Mar 8, 2017

What I like about the JangleBox is that it doesn't suck the note down on the initial attack like say a Dynacomp does. It's actually the first compressor I could use and not have the notes sound like it's being compressed.

Pellman73 · Mar 8, 2017

TM1 said:
What I like about the JangleBox is that it doesn't suck the note down on the initial attack like say a Dynacomp does. It's actually the first compressor I could use and not have the notes sound like it's being compressed.

Cool. I'll check it out.

Pellman73 · Mar 8, 2017

Got the Compact Deluxe today. Love it!

If you can weed out the bad and sloppy playing I think its pretty cool to hear the difference between on and off. its off the first part, then its on for the second part (when I hit the switch. I have it in a loop switcher) of my horrible rendition of little wing. then off first and on again for my even worse rendition of wind cries mary.

Bloom is the word that comes to mind for me. it just makes the sounds bloom. really nice!

I probably should have done more than this take but... I've got a turkey to rotisserie

at the very least watch me and feel good about your playing!

and now I know I have a bald spot.

renderit · Mar 9, 2017

Very nice! I think the best way to put it is everything sounds more meh when it's turned off. Even when the guitar sounds great without it, the sound is better with it. BTW on an organ, piano, acoustic and drums it is the same way. Awesome piece of machinery. And when pushed it is a great effect. But mostly mine is on the edge of "you can't tell it's there, but you can".

Pellman73 · Mar 9, 2017

renderit said:
Very nice! I think the best way to put it is everything sounds more meh when it's turned off. Even when the guitar sounds great without it, the sound is better with it. BTW on an organ, piano, acoustic and drums it is the same way. Awesome piece of machinery. And when pushed it is a great effect. But mostly mine is on the edge of "you can't tell it's there, but you can".

yes most def more meh without!

thanks man! appreciate the heads up on these things :salude

duaneflowers · Mar 9, 2017

I have one of the original versions and love it. I do find it to be kind of a one trick pony though, it does what it does extremely well, but I don't find it plays all that well with others. Enjoy!!!

Nick-O · Mar 9, 2017

DF, do you mean it brings out noise in other pedals? I found that with one pedal only, and have been mucking with the order. Starting to think it is the pedal, although it is just a drive. I keep the fuzz in front of the compressor of course, I know that they aren't the best mates. Curious on your comment though.
Peace

renderit · Mar 9, 2017

Interesting! I have found it to play exceedingly well with others. It is an order thing, but I have found nothing which does not work with it. Can you elucidate? While keeping your pants on? Seriously, I am interested. I always use mine and I don't usually use a lot of other pedals, but have run it with Archer Boost, Wampler Velvet fuzz, Providence Chrono Delay, Alter Ego reverbs, Slide Rig, Roto Choir, Morley Volume, Digitech RV7, and all my sequencers and large reverb units. I have found no problems. I usually run it late in the chain.

On my usual days it and maybe the Chrono and a reverb of some sort are my normal chain elements. I don't spank my pedals a lot, just when a mood hits. I need to rewire all that crap anyways now that I gots my GEC 9.

Speaking of which, since you are frequently in possession of everything known to mankind, do you have a Schaffer Replica? I am thinking hard right now on one since hearing his Boston and Steely Dan stuff. I like AC/DC (at least a bunch of their songs) but not a huge follower. But when I heard him nail Party and then Reelin In The Years I decided I DID have a place for one.

Which cali76 compressor?

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