Guitar Interactive – Issue 66 2019

(^136) Guitar Interactive Issue 66
Using compression
Compression is a very powerful tool for
evening out your guitar’s dynamics. It
limits sounds above a certain level, and
that allows you to turn the overall volume
up - effectively “boosting” the quiet parts.
As with EQ, subtlety is key here, and set-
ting your compressor too aggressively can
lead to noise and feedback. Also, if you’re
a solo acoustic player who relies on a wide
dynamic range, you may want to avoid
compression completely.
Using reverb
Reverb adds a sense of space and life to
almost any sound, but not all reverbs are
the same. The kind of long, bright reverbs
that are fantastic on vocals and snare
drums can sound horrible on acoustic
guitars - like you’re playing down a well.
By contrast, a dark-sounding “room”
reverb with a short decay can add warmth
and body to your tone in a very “natural”
way, because it’s closer to the environment
in which we’re used to hearing acous-
tic guitars played. Solo instrumentalists
may benefit from more, while strummers
might want a little less.
...and with that, you’re well on your way
to sounding your best, night after night.
Make sure you join us next time where
where we’ll be taking a closer look at
some specific applications for different
kinds of player.
END <<
THE QUIETROOM_NICK JENNISON THE QUIET ROOM CROSSPICKING & HYBRID PICKING WORKOUT