Great job Ivan. I must say, I lean towards the older version. There's something about its character that really stands out. The older pedal brings a unique personality to the table, which is exactly what I look for in analog gear. The newer model, though technically refined, feels a bit too clinical and sterile for my taste. If I wanted something that precise, I'd go for digital emulations instead. For me, analog is all about that raw, distinctive edge.
exactly what my thoughts are, the new version is like they over developed something that was perfect, not always the new one is better in my experience.
I bought the new version and really liked it until I saw this video. The older version just sounds better IMHO. I just returned my newer version and ordered a used older model from reverb in mint condition for about $100 less. Great comparison BTW.
yes you where right to be fast , many people will find they loved better the old version witch isn't produced anymore so the used prices will soon go up very high the next month in Reverb ....
The older version at 9v, at certain settings, is like a ‘2 in 1’... Compressor with a bonus low gain drive pedal thrown in...Despite what you and others said about the older version having a crisper top-end, when it did go into clipping due to limited headroom, I actually heard a more prominent mid-range/harmonic content which could jump out in a mix easier than the new version should there be a ‘gap’ in the mid-range for the bass. I used my older version at 18v from day one, so never noticed this... For those who play cleaner, and do not need ‘extra mid-range’ coloring, the new version should be a clear choice. The reverse argument might not be as obvious due to new features/improvements on the new version such as metering and smaller size. At 18v, I thought the tonal differences between the two were smaller, although still noticeable. My conclusion was that I will need to wait for an updated ‘new version’ which does metering ‘conventionally’ with the leds lighting all up from zero to where the compression is ALL AT ONCE.
I get why some like the new version, but tbh, I love my old 76CB. The ability to “select” distortion levels with the flip of an 9/18v switch on the power supply is great and if I want something more transparent, I’m buying a source audio Atlas or an Empress. The thing I _love_ about the Cali76CB is that it does heavily color the sound.
Danke Ivan für das tolle Video. Ich habe genau auf dieses Vergleichsvideo gewartet, nachdem du es angeteast hattest. Ich werde meinen "Compact Bass" demnach wieder aus den Kleinanzeigen herausnehmen, weil ich dank deines Videos nun gemerkt habe, dass die leichte Färbung vom Compact Bass mir sehr gut gefällt und ich sie sogar ein bisschen vermisse beim neuen Modell. Vielleicht nehme ich wahr, dass er etwas früher zerrt und empfinde das als sättigenden Effekt... (Ich musste aber wirklich extrem genau hinhören für die Unterschiede!) Das LED Metering ist natürlich toll und übersichtlicher als die Jewelanzeige, aber mein Drang, das alte Modell schnell loszuwerden um unbedingt den neuen zu haben, hat sich gelegt. Vielen Dank nochmal für deine sorgfältigen Reviews und informativen Videos. Das ist wirklich eine Bereicherung für die Welt der Tieftöner! Beste Grüße! Darius
I have both, and the Stacked Edition, I think I’m keeping the new one of the three. The Compact Bass is fantastic, really pushes the mids to the forefront of your sound, the new one just feels big and full while also adding a little of that sparkle and clarity. From a feel perspective having the headroom I think is incredibly helpful in making the compression feel nice and natural
@@IvanBassistI was writing as listening to the samples, then got to the end of your video and you said pretty much the same thing! 😂 thank you for the shootout Ivan, looking forward to the big box shootout
So... I tried the Bass Compressor and.. The compression is pretty nice and works well. However, there are few things to consider... 1) The high end gets slightly muted and isn't clear. It's not huge, but it takes the shine off. That could be good if that's what you needed, but in my case, it works against me. If you like mellow sounds, it could be the ticket through. I play rock and metal though, and need some clarity. Slappers might too. In your case, from the music you seem to play, the top end isn't really that needed I believe. 2) The led meter isn't as great as I expected.. Maybe I haven't gotten used to it, but I remember the big box Cali76 having a much better response. Trying to use some subtle settings seems tricky. 3) The clean blend, as you mentioned, isn't really a clean blend, but another separate knob for the volume, called "dry," that mixes in the bypassed sound. This is a PITA to set. First, it's good to set the input VS the output levels simultaneously, using two hands, like you'd do in an 1176. This is already difficult enough if you're playing the instrument simultaneously, because you only have two hands lol. Then, you have to do the same thing with the output volume and the dry volume... Then, if you have to go back and forth between all three knobs, two at a time, it's a bunch of fiddling. 4) Continued from points 1 & 3, you'd think the dry volume would bring back the sparkle / upper clarity from your tone, but it's kind of marginal. You have to turn it up quite a bit, and at that point, I'm fighting against the compressed signal more than I'd like. I'll have to play with it again in the next couple of days, perhaps with a looper, so I can use both hands and not be distracted by the acoustic m sound and vibrations from my bass. I don't have a big rig available right now, and playing at medium-low volume, the bass guitar itself is too distracting to be super objective. I didn't buy the CB because I was told it wasn't as good as the original... But ao far, I wish I'd gotten the CB instead... But then again, I might still be wanting to get the original again. The size and cost were the two obvious reasons I didn't want to do that. If the top end was sweeter and more sparkly, I could definitely live with meter not being perfect and the knob fiddling, because the compression itself is good. Now the size is great! The CB isn't huge like the big boy, but the tallness seems a little awkward.
I have the impression than a great part of the mojo of the Compact Bass comes just because it is always closer to distortion, so it gives you more color and punch. The new version may have cleaner signal and more prominent low end because of the extended headroom. In theory it makes sense, so technically the new version should be superior. But maybe the limitation of the older version is desirable to get a rock clean tone closer to break but still clean, kinda tube tone with the right preamp. It may help break though a busy mix. I got a Compact bass clone that I really enjoy, and my V2 is on the way to be delivered, I can't wait to do the test by myself but this video helped me hear what I already suspected, headroom makes all the difference, but more headroom may change or make you loose some of the Compact Bass sauce. Idk if there's more essential changes on the circuit design, but it makes a noticeable difference in tone. Thanks for the video Ivan, its really helpful!
Great comparison video, Ivan, thank you! Thanks to earlier videos from Ivan, I have been using the older Compact Bass. I was considering a Stacked when the new Bass Compressor was announced, so one GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) attack later, and I have both the OG and new (no Stacked pedal). Before I decide to sell either one, I'm experimenting running one into the other with settings ideas from the Stacked manual. It's cool (but, yeah, expensive) having the two in series ($$ version of the Stacked pedal) OR having different sounds especially with the OG Compact Bass at 9V. Philip Chuah, Charlie Puth bassist, had an FB video about using two OGs in concert, one for the song Attention.
You can say the CB is easier to clip... Or you can say that, if you use it right (or wrong), you can get an excellent vintage overdriven sound. I read somewhere that Jimmy Page used two 1176 in series to get the overdriven sounds of the Led Zeppelin II album. Maybe is true, maybe is false, but if you are a jazz/funk player and you have a heavy metal gig, you could saturate your Compact Bass to get that really good dirty vintage tone combined with the dry knob. You just need to turn full clockwise HPF and ATT/REL and play hard with the IN. You don't really need to push the "Gain" (In knob) to do the trick, but you can do it in a good way. The DRY knob comes handy too if you loose too much bottom end. This comment may sound like a sarcastic critic, but not every comp in the market distorts in a pleasing controlled way, and I really like how it sounds when you push the mojo to the extreme. It might be a nice idea for a future video. Some people wont like a horse that's not easy to ride, but I have the feeling that this is the horse that will win the race. Take care fellas!
The specs of the new version are better. It's compact, has an indicator, and doesn't require an 18V power supply. But the tone of the old version is great. Thanks for the great comparison.
The new version sounds so much more clearer and better imo. The Compact bass sounds more warmer has that baked in sound which is more obvious. The newer pedal still has that but much more focused and cleaner. I sold my Compact Bass but would go for this newer version.
I'm stuck in between, i really like both of them . For me ill use the older version on a tube powered preamp and the new one on a solid state bass amplifier
Not hating at all but I’m keeping my old one. It sounds great with my gear. More of an if it ain’t broke don’t fix it kind of thing. I got used to the lack of metering a few years back when I was using the Seymour Duncan studio bass compressor. I also use a single row pedaltrain mini pedalboard so the size difference really makes no difference for me.
Yeah I see what people are saying about the older version 9V. There is some kind of charm or character to it. I think the older one at 9V is best, then the new one, and then the older one at 18V.
I'm so entangled. Thank you so much for your video, but I usually play post-rock and math rock, and occasionally I play bass solo, but I only have money to buy one, I really can't choose!
I have the older version, which i will be keeping. I think the newer one , to me, is leaning towards the empress mk2... I probably should get heaps of people telling me I'm nuts..
What I'm hearing is that I way prefer the CB unless I just wanna play boomy low end. The CB has better top end clarity and punch, in almost every clip. However, with that said, maybe the BC just sounds quieter overall because it is level matched more according to the low end / low mids, and since it has more low end, the rest of the Tone just doesn't shoe through. The thing is, layered in top of that, several others have said the CB is puncher and has more sparkle. If I had seen this video, I might have either gone for the CB or gotten another TX, but even with the BC being smaller than the CP, it's heavy as hell and going any bigger it's like carrying bricks around. 😂 I play more rock and metal stuff, so the clarity is kind of important. I'm a little dissapointed they didn't just take the C and improve it's size/features, without changing the cutting aspect... But I could be wrong and the low end is just masking the top and could be esuakizedbwith the amp or whatever else in the chain.
To my ears; the old one has more coloration - sounds fatter in low mids. The new one is more transparent. I don't use pedal compressors at this time; but I'd lean towards the new one. It is smaller, has better metering and more headroom. The EQ difference we hear in this sterile environment probably won't matter as much in a live situation, and even if it did, that's what the sound engineer is getting paid for.
I love the compact bass on 9V , it feels warm because of the less headroom... combined with the DCX bass you can adjust the EQ anyway of bottom and high end sizzle ... for more headroom I would go for the UA 1176 digital studio compressor ...
First version just add that little bit of sauce that the new version just doesn't have, if you want want a transparent sound, the empress it's much better.
@@IvanBassist I definitely hear mids and saturation (which I like), but I think I'm also hearing loudness. If you matched the sounds for peak value then that might explain it. If there is saturation on the original then the RMS loudness for a given peak loudness will be louder. So better to match them for RMS loudness or another measeure (not peak), then the comparison will be more useful.
@@CrayonFarmerwhen you say “loudness” are you talking about dB? If so, it actually reinforces what @IvanBassist was saying - it sounds louder because of the midrange and additional harmonic distortion and would likely measure higher in LUFS at a given dB.
I don't really understand why you have to change something if previous pedal /version/amp /strings works perfec for you??? Because you want make any musical company more rich??😅😅
This is not a sponsored video and Origin Effects did not request me to make this. Just making the content to share information with the bass community 👍🏽
Keeping my older version. I love its low-midrange punch in the mix. Thank you for the comparison!
Thanks for watching!
Great job Ivan. I must say, I lean towards the older version. There's something about its character that really stands out. The older pedal brings a unique personality to the table, which is exactly what I look for in analog gear. The newer model, though technically refined, feels a bit too clinical and sterile for my taste. If I wanted something that precise, I'd go for digital emulations instead. For me, analog is all about that raw, distinctive edge.
exactly what my thoughts are, the new version is like they over developed something that was perfect, not always the new one is better in my experience.
I bought the new version and really liked it until I saw this video. The older version just sounds better IMHO. I just returned my newer version and ordered a used older model from reverb in mint condition for about $100 less. Great comparison BTW.
yes you where right to be fast , many people will find they loved better the old version witch isn't produced anymore so the used prices will soon go up very high the next month in Reverb ....
Did you compare them directly and like the CB better? What kind of music do you play? Thanks.
I did direct comparisons. I like the sound of the original better. I play mostly rock, and heavy rock
The older version at 9v, at certain settings, is like a ‘2 in 1’... Compressor with a bonus low gain drive pedal thrown in...Despite what you and others said about the older version having a crisper top-end, when it did go into clipping due to limited headroom, I actually heard a more prominent mid-range/harmonic content which could jump out in a mix easier than the new version should there be a ‘gap’ in the mid-range for the bass. I used my older version at 18v from day one, so never noticed this...
For those who play cleaner, and do not need ‘extra mid-range’ coloring, the new version should be a clear choice. The reverse argument might not be as obvious due to new features/improvements on the new version such as metering and smaller size.
At 18v, I thought the tonal differences between the two were smaller, although still noticeable. My conclusion was that I will need to wait for an updated ‘new version’ which does metering ‘conventionally’ with the leds lighting all up from zero to where the compression is ALL AT ONCE.
I don’t know why your channel hasn’t blown up. Everyone is sleeping on this.
Thanks for the kind words! Feel free to share the content with your friends 🙌🏽
I get why some like the new version, but tbh, I love my old 76CB. The ability to “select” distortion levels with the flip of an 9/18v switch on the power supply is great and if I want something more transparent, I’m buying a source audio Atlas or an Empress. The thing I _love_ about the Cali76CB is that it does heavily color the sound.
Danke Ivan für das tolle Video. Ich habe genau auf dieses Vergleichsvideo gewartet, nachdem du es angeteast hattest. Ich werde meinen "Compact Bass" demnach wieder aus den Kleinanzeigen herausnehmen, weil ich dank deines Videos nun gemerkt habe, dass die leichte Färbung vom Compact Bass mir sehr gut gefällt und ich sie sogar ein bisschen vermisse beim neuen Modell. Vielleicht nehme ich wahr, dass er etwas früher zerrt und empfinde das als sättigenden Effekt... (Ich musste aber wirklich extrem genau hinhören für die Unterschiede!)
Das LED Metering ist natürlich toll und übersichtlicher als die Jewelanzeige, aber mein Drang, das alte Modell schnell loszuwerden um unbedingt den neuen zu haben, hat sich gelegt.
Vielen Dank nochmal für deine sorgfältigen Reviews und informativen Videos. Das ist wirklich eine Bereicherung für die Welt der Tieftöner!
Beste Grüße!
Darius
Hey Darius! Freut mich zu hören, dass die Videos Hilfreich sind! :)
I have both, and the Stacked Edition, I think I’m keeping the new one of the three. The Compact Bass is fantastic, really pushes the mids to the forefront of your sound, the new one just feels big and full while also adding a little of that sparkle and clarity. From a feel perspective having the headroom I think is incredibly helpful in making the compression feel nice and natural
Agreed! I love the extra headroom
@@IvanBassistI was writing as listening to the samples, then got to the end of your video and you said pretty much the same thing! 😂 thank you for the shootout Ivan, looking forward to the big box shootout
WOW. Thank you so much for this video, I wasn’t expecting such a big difference between the two. Gotta get the new one now!
So... I tried the Bass Compressor and.. The compression is pretty nice and works well.
However, there are few things to consider...
1) The high end gets slightly muted and isn't clear. It's not huge, but it takes the shine off. That could be good if that's what you needed, but in my case, it works against me. If you like mellow sounds, it could be the ticket through. I play rock and metal though, and need some clarity. Slappers might too. In your case, from the music you seem to play, the top end isn't really that needed I believe.
2) The led meter isn't as great as I expected.. Maybe I haven't gotten used to it, but I remember the big box Cali76 having a much better response. Trying to use some subtle settings seems tricky.
3) The clean blend, as you mentioned, isn't really a clean blend, but another separate knob for the volume, called "dry," that mixes in the bypassed sound. This is a PITA to set. First, it's good to set the input VS the output levels simultaneously, using two hands, like you'd do in an 1176. This is already difficult enough if you're playing the instrument simultaneously, because you only have two hands lol. Then, you have to do the same thing with the output volume and the dry volume... Then, if you have to go back and forth between all three knobs, two at a time, it's a bunch of fiddling.
4) Continued from points 1 & 3, you'd think the dry volume would bring back the sparkle / upper clarity from your tone, but it's kind of marginal. You have to turn it up quite a bit, and at that point, I'm fighting against the compressed signal more than I'd like.
I'll have to play with it again in the next couple of days, perhaps with a looper, so I can use both hands and not be distracted by the acoustic m sound and vibrations from my bass. I don't have a big rig available right now, and playing at medium-low volume, the bass guitar itself is too distracting to be super objective.
I didn't buy the CB because I was told it wasn't as good as the original... But ao far, I wish I'd gotten the CB instead... But then again, I might still be wanting to get the original again. The size and cost were the two obvious reasons I didn't want to do that.
If the top end was sweeter and more sparkly, I could definitely live with meter not being perfect and the knob fiddling, because the compression itself is good. Now the size is great! The CB isn't huge like the big boy, but the tallness seems a little awkward.
I have the impression than a great part of the mojo of the Compact Bass comes just because it is always closer to distortion, so it gives you more color and punch. The new version may have cleaner signal and more prominent low end because of the extended headroom. In theory it makes sense, so technically the new version should be superior. But maybe the limitation of the older version is desirable to get a rock clean tone closer to break but still clean, kinda tube tone with the right preamp. It may help break though a busy mix.
I got a Compact bass clone that I really enjoy, and my V2 is on the way to be delivered, I can't wait to do the test by myself but this video helped me hear what I already suspected, headroom makes all the difference, but more headroom may change or make you loose some of the Compact Bass sauce. Idk if there's more essential changes on the circuit design, but it makes a noticeable difference in tone.
Thanks for the video Ivan, its really helpful!
I think you are correct about the headroom theory. I already returned my v2 and now own a v1. It sounds incredible
Great comparison video, Ivan, thank you!
Thanks to earlier videos from Ivan, I have been using the older Compact Bass. I was considering a Stacked when the new Bass Compressor was announced, so one GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) attack later, and I have both the OG and new (no Stacked pedal).
Before I decide to sell either one, I'm experimenting running one into the other with settings ideas from the Stacked manual. It's cool (but, yeah, expensive) having the two in series ($$ version of the Stacked pedal) OR having different sounds especially with the OG Compact Bass at 9V.
Philip Chuah, Charlie Puth bassist, had an FB video about using two OGs in concert, one for the song Attention.
You can say the CB is easier to clip... Or you can say that, if you use it right (or wrong), you can get an excellent vintage overdriven sound. I read somewhere that Jimmy Page used two 1176 in series to get the overdriven sounds of the Led Zeppelin II album. Maybe is true, maybe is false, but if you are a jazz/funk player and you have a heavy metal gig, you could saturate your Compact Bass to get that really good dirty vintage tone combined with the dry knob. You just need to turn full clockwise HPF and ATT/REL and play hard with the IN. You don't really need to push the "Gain" (In knob) to do the trick, but you can do it in a good way. The DRY knob comes handy too if you loose too much bottom end.
This comment may sound like a sarcastic critic, but not every comp in the market distorts in a pleasing controlled way, and I really like how it sounds when you push the mojo to the extreme. It might be a nice idea for a future video. Some people wont like a horse that's not easy to ride, but I have the feeling that this is the horse that will win the race. Take care fellas!
I have the older model, but I currently prefer the deluxe compressor on my HX stomp. I have no complaints about either.
What are your settings on the Deluxe Comp?
Just the default setting.
The specs of the new version are better. It's compact, has an indicator, and doesn't require an 18V power supply.
But the tone of the old version is great. Thanks for the great comparison.
The new version sounds so much more clearer and better imo. The Compact bass sounds more warmer has that baked in sound which is more obvious. The newer pedal still has that but much more focused and cleaner. I sold my Compact Bass but would go for this newer version.
I'm stuck in between, i really like both of them . For me ill use the older version on a tube powered preamp and the new one on a solid state bass amplifier
One can never have enough pedals
The first version is Cali76, the newer one sounds more to Empress to be honest and lost its bite. Dunno maybe UA-cam compressed the signal too much.
Not hating at all but I’m keeping my old one. It sounds great with my gear. More of an if it ain’t broke don’t fix it kind of thing. I got used to the lack of metering a few years back when I was using the Seymour Duncan studio bass compressor. I also use a single row pedaltrain mini pedalboard so the size difference really makes no difference for me.
came for the comparison, stayed for music! Nice playing man! the new version feels more natural sounding to me. old version is more colourful.
Thanks for the kind words! Hope your US tour went well!
@@IvanBassist thanks man! ❤ it was fun!
Yeah I see what people are saying about the older version 9V. There is some kind of charm or character to it. I think the older one at 9V is best, then the new one, and then the older one at 18V.
I love the comparison @IvanBassist, how do you think they compare to the built in 1176 on the Quad Cortex?
These are miles better than the one in the QC
The Cali76 Bass Compressor is in a different league than the 1176 on the QC. Sadly, I don’t care for any of the compressors on the QC.
If you have the previous version, just run it on 18V and burn the cash on a DCX bass :D
Or buy the new one and the dcx bass 🤯😱
I'm so entangled. Thank you so much for your video, but I usually play post-rock and math rock, and occasionally I play bass solo, but I only have money to buy one, I really can't choose!
I have the older version, which i will be keeping. I think the newer one , to me, is leaning towards the empress mk2... I probably should get heaps of people telling me I'm nuts..
I didn't gel with the old one despite it's status. The new one seems so similiar. The metering is a great improvement though
What I'm hearing is that I way prefer the CB unless I just wanna play boomy low end.
The CB has better top end clarity and punch, in almost every clip.
However, with that said, maybe the BC just sounds quieter overall because it is level matched more according to the low end / low mids, and since it has more low end, the rest of the Tone just doesn't shoe through.
The thing is, layered in top of that, several others have said the CB is puncher and has more sparkle.
If I had seen this video, I might have either gone for the CB or gotten another TX, but even with the BC being smaller than the CP, it's heavy as hell and going any bigger it's like carrying bricks around. 😂
I play more rock and metal stuff, so the clarity is kind of important. I'm a little dissapointed they didn't just take the C and improve it's size/features, without changing the cutting aspect... But I could be wrong and the low end is just masking the top and could be esuakizedbwith the amp or whatever else in the chain.
To my ears; the old one has more coloration - sounds fatter in low mids. The new one is more transparent. I don't use pedal compressors at this time; but I'd lean towards the new one. It is smaller, has better metering and more headroom. The EQ difference we hear in this sterile environment probably won't matter as much in a live situation, and even if it did, that's what the sound engineer is getting paid for.
I love the compact bass on 9V , it feels warm because of the less headroom... combined with the DCX bass you can adjust the EQ anyway of bottom and high end sizzle ... for more headroom I would go for the UA 1176 digital studio compressor ...
The downside of the UA is that you don’t have the HPF nor the dry control, though. Just something to keep in mind
@@IvanBassist yes I agree, it's meant to be a guitar pedal not specificaly for bass like the Cali , it's totally different concept ...
Thanks for this great comparison, Ivan. Now I have to get the newer version, dang it!
Thanks for watching, Mark! :)
The Cali 76 are the best COMP/LIMITERS. If I ever slapped mostly, I'd get one.
I rarely slap and I still use them 😁
First version just add that little bit of sauce that the new version just doesn't have, if you want want a transparent sound, the empress it's much better.
Seems like you made the newer version a bit quieter in those clips?
You might be hearing the extra mids/saturation that the v1 has
@@IvanBassist I definitely hear mids and saturation (which I like), but I think I'm also hearing loudness. If you matched the sounds for peak value then that might explain it. If there is saturation on the original then the RMS loudness for a given peak loudness will be louder. So better to match them for RMS loudness or another measeure (not peak), then the comparison will be more useful.
@@CrayonFarmer i matched the signal as closely as possible.
Im keeping my older one
@@CrayonFarmerwhen you say “loudness” are you talking about dB? If so, it actually reinforces what @IvanBassist was saying - it sounds louder because of the midrange and additional harmonic distortion and would likely measure higher in LUFS at a given dB.
Needed this video
Glad to hear it was helpful!
Both sound amazing! Got a bit of GAS on the new one due to the form factor and whatnot though 😂
Yes 🙌🏽
On my iPhone speaker! the new version sounds a lot better.
I have the old model and run it at 18 volts. The newer model sounded better, but not $350 better. Sticking with the OG.
Happy to hear it’s working for you!
Thank you so much man!!!
Cali 76 best
🫶🏽
I don't really understand why you have to change something if previous pedal /version/amp /strings works perfec for you??? Because you want make any musical company more rich??😅😅
Cali compressor is on every bass channel during the last few weeks. Very aggressive promotion.
This is not a sponsored video and Origin Effects did not request me to make this.
Just making the content to share information with the bass community 👍🏽
If they have been, that's news to us. We only handed out 3 bass units for demos.
well, people seem to care about these units, thats why reviewers talk about them.
@@IvanBassist I know my friend. Im not doubting in Your words but I see this piece of gear everywhere nowadays.
@@raytar84 Maybe thats because it is actually a great quality pedal that many people enjoy?