CHAPTER 3 Distortion and Sustain Goitarists nave been jealous of the supe: rior volume and sustain available to other instrumentalists ever since the guitar was invented. Homs were louder and could hold a note until the player's breath ran out (or indefinitely with circular breathing). The church organ sustained as long as the key pressed and was capable of cathedral filling volume. Even the less powerful violins and other strings could hold a note until the player's bowing arm got tired. The invention of electric guitars and their amplificrs instantly solved the volume problem, but gui tarists remained envious of other instru. ‘ment’s sustain capabilities. There are two different apocryphal stories about the invention of distortion. One has it that a tube came loose in an amplifier, creating a distorted sound. The other is that a speaker was torn. It is unlikely that either would create a sound that a guitarist would covet. It is far more likely that guitarists merely started driving some of those carly fifteen watt amps until they began to over- load the tubes. This caused the tubes to distort and create a warm singing tone some- what akin to that of a saxophone. Eureka! In addition to the resemblance in tone, the lucky guitarists found that their notes sus- tained longer - not as long as a horn, but long, enough to change the way guitarists would phrase their lines from that day forward (check out some Charlie Christian records). This sustain was caused by the “compres: sion” effect of tubes distorting, which brings us neatly (o the first of the “effects!” COMPRESSION To understand the use of compression and compressors, we must first understand the difference between distortion and sustain. Distortion is a description of a type of sound. The ear hears certain overtones around the note that it discerns as distortion (more on this in the next section), Sustain refers to how long the note remains audible, Distortion can sometimes increase sustain, but sustain can also be increased without any distortion, We have discussed how to maximize the acoustic sustain of your guitar in the first section. This is very important because 0 electric device will make up for choking strings or a poorly cut nut. However, once your guitar is sustaining well acoustically, a compressor can increase the “apparent” sustain of your instrument. As you read on, ‘you will understand why I say ‘apparent’ and why the natural sustain of the instrument is, so important How compression works It is easiest to understand compressors if you think of them as automatic volume pedals: No matter how hard or how soft you strike the strings, the compressor reduces the volume sent to the amplifier to a pre-set level. Then, as the string slows its vibrations and the volume sent 10 the amp by the pickup(s) drops, a little amplifier in the com- pressor gradually raises the volume to keep it at the same level as the initial attack. 736 + GETTING GREAT GUITAR SOUNDS You can see for yourself how this works. Plug in your guitar and stand next to your amplifier. Set it for a clean sound. Now strike a note - and as the volume drops, keep turning up your amplifier volume. You will hear that the note appears to be sustaining, longer. You will understand why 1 say “appears” if you try it again without turning, up the volume. Listen closely. Now try it the first way again. You will hear that the actual note does not last any longer when you turn up the volume, it just remains louder longer. If this is still unciear, see Figure 3. Figure 3 A Uncompressed mzcro< 0123456789 1 Time {Seconds} B Compressed mZcro< 012384567891 ‘Time {Seconcs] Note that the sorund doesn't last any longer ~ it just stays fouder tonger Apparent or not, this extra sustain can come in handy. Compressors have many applications in getting great sounds, Adrian Belew has one on at all times with the sustain at maximum, When he plays his clean rhythms, you can hear the squeezing effect of the dampened attack. At the same time, the sustain makes his chorusing and flanging effects that much more dramatic. ‘The incredible, highly controlled feedback that he gets is a combination of compression and distortion, but you will find that if you ply around with a compressor, you can often get controlled feedback with virtually no distor tion. Andy Summers of the Police also used ‘compression combined with mild flanging to achieve the distinctive chiming sound on their records Another use for compressors is to even out the sound produced by the guitar. Even the bestmade guitars will have some notes that sound louder than others.A compressor will lower the sound of the loud notes and raise the volume of the quieter ones. It can, also make up for defects in your technique. A note that is struck tentatively will come out just as strong as one struck forcefully, making your playing sound more confident than perhaps it is. Acoustic guitars are often com- Pressed! so that the bass strings do not over- power the treble ones. Compression is often used in the studio to keep from overloading the tape and to help certain instruments stand out in the mix. Other effects, such as octavers, function beter when receiving the consistent signal provided by a compressor. Of course, there is a down side, As I men- tioned when discussing active pickups, com- pression limits your dynamics and attack Come types of compressors are actually called limiters’). Since much of the distinctiveness of your playing style fs contained in the way you attack the strings and the dynamics of your playing, compression tends to homoge- nize your sound. Adrian Belew and Andy Summers are identifiable more for their concept and use of effects than their touch, but players like Robben Ford, Jeff Beck, and Mark Knopfler would be illserved by exces sive compression.