Aguilar TLC Compressor

Some of us bought this pedal when it started selling for $99 at Sweetwater. If there’s a better compressor out there for that price, I’ve never heard of it.

So, what does everybody think about it?
Any settings you’ve settled on?
Do you need any help making it do what you want?

I like it quite a bit. Very quiet. Very transparent. I’m still learning about it myself, but I’ll do my best to help out however I can.

One of the things it’s done for me is create GAS for a compressor that isn’t so transparent (does more to colour the tone). Like the Boss Bass Comp BC-1X or, more probably, the Markbass Compressore. But, I digress, as that is a discussion for another topic.

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It’s still priced for over 250 - 300 euros here. :face_with_monocle:
That is such a good bargain!

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Certainly was a bargain @eric.kiser but even after a couple of years of playing I still don’t understand the advantage/use of compressors , noise gates etc!
I do get fuzz, distortion and pedals that have a marked change to my untrained ear but still struggle with the rest

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In simplest form @Mac

  • it can even the highs and the lows (volume wise) of your playing so hard plucks are not as loud and soft plucks are a bit louder, giving you a consistent sound. Pedals are great for live, plugins are great for recording in DAW.

Ever listen to a cover here and have it sound like some notes drop ‘out’ and some are just really loud? - compressor to the rescue

Alternatively

  • a bit of overturning of knobs can get you new tonal sounds, clipping off the tops and bottoms of waves, adding…not really distortion, but something unique.
  • dial in between for some of each
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I bought one on your recommendation and love it for what it does (thanks!). I was going to add additional pedals to shape sound (TLC Fuzzistor and Darkglass 3K). For what it supposed to do, compression, the TLC is great. I dont want to go crazy with pedals since I am at the level where simple is better, and more settings means more stress to me when playing out.

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Agree. I love it. Mark just had that lesson on the Peter Hook riff from Love Will Tear Us Apart. I thought I’d give it a go. All I did was turn up the compression ratio a bit on the TLC to pull the picking transient down more and it sounded much better.

I like it so much I went back to see if I want the Octomizer.

Sidetracked by the chorus thread though. I have an EHX Superego+ that does chorus if you set the effect to Mod and turn Depth up past noon. Trying to see if I can like that enough.

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Thank you for the explanation @John_E .
That actually makes sense than a lot of stuff I’ve read.

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I agree that’s right on.

I understood compression first with singers. If you have someone who can sing nice and even and then can really belt it out when they get going, that would be way too much during the exciting parts. You want it to be more but not that much more. If you compress their exciting parts they get 9 louder, but you only let it through 3 louder. It’s more, but it doesn’t take your head off.

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Compressors are critical when mixing multiple instruments. Ironically, you use them to increase the loudness while keeping the levels sane. Drums and vocals absolutely require compression and limiting.

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