Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: glocke on June 05, 2010, 05:19:47 AM
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I pretty much like the sound of bass without any effects. Ive tried some pedals in the past, (qtron, some chorus), but Ive always come back to the clean, dry sound I enjoy.
Lately Ive been getting the urge to experiment with effects again, and wouldnt mind some suggestions.
Also, anyone use one of the multieffect floor boards such as this?
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Boss-ME50B-Bass-Multiple-Effects-with-COSM?sku=151433&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26018543 (http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Boss-ME50B-Bass-Multiple-Effects-with-COSM?sku=151433&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26018543)
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communist pig = best. distortion. ever. never leave home without it.
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Me, I play around with lots of different fx. I have been into creating annoying sounds since I started in High School. If you are interested in experimenting with a multi-fx device, I can highly recommend the Digitech BP-8. It is discontinued, but shows up regularly on ebay, at very reasonable prices.
The thing I like about this unit is that it uses a 12ax7 tube for some of it's preamp settings. Like any multi-fx unit, some of it is pretty useless but there are lots of useful fx too. It makes a great headphone amp too. Anyway, for less than $100, it's worth a look, IMHO.
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For me the only effect I can tolerate using is MAYBE a touch of reverb and very little of that if any. I enjoy a nice rich low mid THUMP of a high powered amp and 4 or 8 ten inch speakers and my fingers.
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A phaser is the coolest bass effect ever. An old DOD fx20-b is my fave. That said, I still don't use effects much.
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OK I agree with a little phase or chorus on a fretless for added mwaaa
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I wrote a huge long post, and then never posted it!
Basically, I love effects. I use compression, I love distortion in all its varieties, and I like time-based effects like delay and phasers and flangers. And filters of course!
Multi-effects are definitely convenient, but personally I prefer individual pedals. I'm not a huge fan of modeling effects - I always wonder what part of my actual bass-sound is being preserved, or is it just a very clever facsimile? Boutique effects can be fun - expensive of course, but the rareness factor can be appealing. but there are basic effects that are amazing too, like the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser.
The thing that I found with my Stanley Clarke is that it just sounded so clear and present, that I didn't miss my effects at all! But it's been fun using effects on it too - here's an example with the new MXR M-82 Bass Envelope Filter (http://hieronymous.us/music/gotantables2_rough2_M.mp3 target=_blank). (It may not be a very good sample of what the pedal can do - I needed to tweak it a bit more but never got the chance!)
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I mostly play without effects, but sometimes I enjoy an occasional funk moment, and turn to 3 Leaf Audio's Groove Regulator.
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Hey, Guys!
I play with just a drummer, and I sing and play bass (a S2 Six String to be exact). I use Electroharmonix Pedals. I run 2 1200 watt Kustom Groove Bass Heads & one 4x10 Kustom Groove Bass Cabinet (one each side).
On the Treble side- A Micro POG (Polyphonic Octave Generator- the best around, man, for sure), the Enigma Q-Balls Bass pedal (envelope/distortion pedal extraordinaire- i just replaced the Q-Tron after about 4 or 5 years of using that pedal- the Q-Balls just has cooler effects).
On the Bass Side- the EH Bassballs & Hum Debugger.
The POG is pretty much always on- it sounds like we have someone playing a Hammond B3 with us.
I kick on the Q-Balls and Bassballs at certain points in the songs depending on the part.
Check out some of our stuff @ www.myspace.com/otiserie (http://www.myspace.com/otiserie)
The tracks that say Live were recorded in June 2008 at a local venue with a videographer friend of mine.
Here's the link to that- I was playing my Epic with the Ebony Lams (sigh) that I lovingly referred to as Thunderstick.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=39137519 (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=39137519)
Peace All;)
Frank
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Glocke..I have the Boss ME50B so here is my take on it.
It has rotary controls so we can relate to settings as opposed to pressing buttons to adjust the parameters.
The left side is filtering, the most useful setting(and this is my personal opinion) is the de fret..it gives the bass that nice lazy yawn sound.
The octave parameters are both octave down and up, the down is the best, adjusting the effect gives a nice fat low sound.
The mid and bass selections are good for changing tone without altering your filter settings.
The envelope(wah) are pretty good for the 'bootsy sound'
The synth/drive section has all types of distortion, the overdrive is really good for that grungy sound, I don't use the big muff or metal as they can be pretty severe but if that floats your boat then go for it.
The synth sounds are diverse enough, combine them with the octivider and you can get some nice Oberhiem/ARP bass synth sounds.
Delay/Modulation has tap delay and reverb, the flanger/phaser and chorus all work very well, I particulary like the flanger as it gives 'roundness' to the notes..a bit like the defret but with more intensity.
The compressor section is excellent if you like to use them, you can sustain a note for infinity!.
Pedal assignment is good for alteration and effect on the fly.
The EQ section is comprehensive especially the mid frequency control which I think maybe like the filter/CVQ on S2 basses.
Of course you write your own patches as well but there are presets in there to try out.
The tuner is very accurate.
All in all it is a great unit, years ago when multi effect units like this came out they were good at only doing one or two things and not good at other and people went back to individual pedals, with this unit BOSS have got it well sorted as it does everything well.
It dosn't come with the power supply but I don't use one anyway, I use high quality rechargable AA batteries(it takes 6), the reason is I got sick of loads of cables on the floor, I also use a wireless system.
The batteries last two gigs but I charge them up prior to a gig.
If you buy it also buy one of those aluminium tool cases with the foam in as it sits in nicely for transportation.
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Boss OC-3 (octaver/fuzz) and a Dunlop Bass Wha trough a Boss LS-2 (a/b line selector) to keep the Wha out of chain whenever not in use (it really changes tone even when bypassed). And a Eletro-Harmonix Q-Tron (envelope filter) at chain's end...
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T.C. Electronic Stereo Chorus + . Also; various compression units & EQ's I have been trying my hand at being a Looper with a Boss RC-2
and a Digitech JamMan . Wah WAh& Envelope Follower/ Mu -Tron like & Other effects that I fancy from time to time but for the most part I do not use them that often.
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my fu&%ing tone knob dude!
Yeeeeeeeehaw and get down!
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Bass side- Intelliphase-true bypass
Treble side- Electro Harmonics POG 2, also true bypasss.
And of course the on board filter knobs are my favs!
Later
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I use the Sansamp bass DI (only pedal I've ever had on ALL THE TIME) and I use a Marshall Guv'nor II and a Prescription Yardbox for other distortion/fuzz tones...a modified Ibanez AD-9 in a wah casing w/repeats on the treadle(instant dub!) completes my current pedals...I've tried the POG and it is awesome(I want), but as I currently play in a three-piece sludgy punk band(think KILLDOZER) too many effects would be a problem...mind you, if I went stereo with the POG I could finally get rid of my guitar player...but he'd probably like that so no, I'll continue his torture...Tony
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SANS AMP Bass Driver preamp, SWR Workingman 700, SWR 4x10 cab, Ampeg 8x10 cab, Boss Limiter/Enhancer, Digitech BassChorus, BOSS Chromatic tuner, BOSS Digital Delay, Alembic '98 Orion 5 string custom, Lakland Skyline 55-02 5 string, Spector Rebop 5 string....etc!
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I don't use my effects board these days, but when I do: SansAmp Bass Driver DI, EH BassBalls, Yamaha Nathan East EQ (very handy for scooping mids), Boss Bass Synthesizer (a very sick pedal, indeed).
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I use: Boss ODB-3 Distortion, CEB-3 Chorus, BF-2B Flanger, DD-3 Delay, Zoom B2.1u Multi-Effects unit, and a Dunlop Bass Wah(in that order). With these pedals, i can get any sound from crazy sounding synthesizer to trippy bass lines to just straight up rock n' roll. I highly recommend everyone of these pedals.
~Taylor
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Could anyone offer any insight into the questions revolving around bypass/true bypass/buffered?
I've discovered that using even true bypass pedals can degrade signal quality, even when turned off. And this has something to do with resistance, capacitance, you know, physics?
Someone told me that you should put a buffered pedal in front of a true bypass pedal to preserve the signal. Thoughts?
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big briar moogerfooger
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When I use pedals for my passive guitars I first plug into a Boss EQ, which is always left on; even if I don't need to EQ the sound I do it for the impedance match and a very slight signal boost. Boss pedals have a high input impedance which is good for passive electronics. Don't know if this helps, hb3, just thought I'd throw it out there.
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That's pretty much what someone else told me. Right now I'm satisfied -- I have a true bypass effects loop that I'm hooking my two EBS true bypass pedals into along with a couple moogerfoogers. Strangely, it's true, coupled with the moogerfooger, they sound good...
Here's a problem...trying to create a pedalboard setup that I can plug both my passive jazz bass AND my alembic into...mission impossible?
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My setup that I mentioned above works amazingly with my alembic, Gibson victory artist bass, ibanez iceman and all my other basses passive and active
~Taylor
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Oh yeah? How do you like the DD-3? Do you think Boss gets a bit of a bad rap?
I have the moog delay and while it sounds absolutely amazing, it's very analog. I was wondering if the Boss has more of that pristine, extremely defined, digital (not in a bad way) quality...
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I love my DD-3, its sounds fantastic, I love BOSS pedals because they are built like tanks and sous amazing, I don't have experience with any analog delays so I can't really compare it to that
~Taylor
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I have a Morley Emerald Echo analog delay, which I like but there is a very noticeable volume drop when it is switched on.
Also I use a Radial Loopbone switcher for true bypass loops. This is a high quality, versatile product.
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Absolutely love my Carl Martin Bass Chorus - very clean sounding dual chorus - play through with no effect or pick one of two independant chorus' with variable delay and depth - the best!
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I have joined a band which does a massive variety of songs, we have a female singer and we have decided to do 'Groove Is In The Heart'.
The Auto Wah on my ME50B just didn't sound right so I brought my Mini Q tron out of retirement.
The reason for it's storage was that I dropped it some years ago and it made an awful whistling sound so I decided last week to open it up and two of the Drive control pot prongs had popped out of the circuit board, two blobs of solder later and it is working.
After reading the history of the Mu-Tron and it's inventor being involved with EHX to produce the Q Tron this pedal is a far better envelope filter than the digital one on the ME50B.
It gives that lovely classic fat 'Bootsy' sound which is perfect for the aforementioned song.
I have a EHX Bass Balls as well in the attic so I may dig that out as well.
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Terry. Where do you have the controls set on your Q-tron? I seem to get a different sound every time I switch it on and have to spend ages faffing around. I've also found that unless I keep the mode switched to HP it loses all volume and doesn't work properly at all
graeme
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jacko here is my settings as far as I can remember.
Drive is at 10 o'clock
Q is at 1 o'clock
Mode is set at LP
Strange 'cos the BP & HP selections don't seem to work as good as the LP setting.
When I did the repair I did notice that the PC board was under some tension and that is maybe why the tangs popped off the board.
If you are deft with a soldering iron I would check the inside to see if any of the pot tangs have come off like in the case of mine.
There is a huge difference if you use a passive bass as well, our Alembics have more boost especially when using the Q switches/controls.
I will take a pic and send you the settings just to make sure
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I just built a Zvex Woolly Mammoth clone for our Bass Player. He plays a passive Spector though.
(Message edited by hydrargyrum on July 14, 2010)
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Sorry for the number of posts, but I wanted to show off my pedal, and the first photo I uploaded was gigantic.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/82678.jpg)
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It should be noted that I use a pedalboard to get closer to the original recorded bass sounds on all the songs my cover bands play. When playing original material I rarely screw around with effects. That said...
Currently sitting on my pedalboard:
EBS Octabass
Akai Deep Impact
Chunk Systems Octavius Squeezer
TC Electronics Chorus
DOD bass flanger
All connected through a true bypass 4 loop pedal to isolate certain effects and/or to make it easy to switch multiple effects at a time. The DOD bass flanger is a total POS - but I use it because it sounds exactly right for the god awful tone Rudy Sarzo had on Metal Health. As far as bass synth pedals go you really can't beat the Akai Deep Impact or the Octavius Squeezer. Both are ridiculously cool and track insanely well.
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Terry, my mistake, the pics of the q-tron on the internet are wrong, they have the mode settings reversed. I have mine set to LP (right hand of the three settings - it doesn't work anywhere else), 'Q' at 3 o-clock and Drive at 1 o-clock so roughly the same relationship as yours, just 'more' :-)
T answer the thread, I also have an EBS multidrive and EBS Unichorus. In addition, I'm bi-amping so the Fender TBP1 footswitch covers tube overdrive, 'Vari-Q' and the effects loop while I'm using the ampeg footswitch to bring the graphic eq settings into play. (When we play Hysteria, I turn the ampeg drive up to 3 o-clock to get a very good representation of Chris Wolstenholme's distorted sound).
graeme
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I suppose the only effect that I use at this point is my Yamaha Nathan East Parametric EQ. Boy do I love this thing. Even with roundwounds I can get a nice thumping flatwound sound with the Deep Setting on. And even with flatwounds I get a bottom end Fat Bastard would be proud of.
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None. Naked as a J-Bird.
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I don't like effects on bass. In my opinion, they all sound aweful. Its more self indulgent than anything. I have tried several just out of curiosity and don't see the point of using them.
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Jacko, you should verify if all pots are properly set up. I use a Q-Tron and sometimes it behaves erratic if range and mode knobs are half turned.
Mine Q-Tron is always set like:
- Drive Up ^
- Boost on > (I don't use my Rogue's trim pots full gain)
- Low Pass (LP) Mode
- Low (Lo) Range
- 7 o'clock Gain
- 10 o'clock Peak
To use Mode in Band Pass (BP) or High Pass (HP), I prefer to keep Drive button Down and demands chenges in Gain knob (but confess that I almost always use it in LP Mode).
Gain Knob is the sensible setting because it changes if the battery life is near end. I've always have to adjust it slightly to keep the tone I want.
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Rockbassist, even if you don't like to funk, you should hear some Larry Grahamm and Bootsy Collins. Then you will hear how some tones that you simply can't get without effects. Both of this (amazing) players defined their voices using effects. If you like to rock, remember some greats like Cliff Burton, Geezer Butler and all guys who crancked up their amps to reach distortion.
The point is always about Tone and being able to express your inner voice with any tools it needs. Remember that Bass or any Effect are just tools and a tool can't be bad it self (although we can misuse them badly).
If we were in the 50's we all would hear from acoustic bassists that they didn't get our point using eletric basses. Well, we play them because we have to, because it gives us the tone we seek and because we're drawn to its tone, at first time. But we may be just self-indulgent or frustrated guitarrists because we do prefer to play it electric...
You simply can't be purist about changing natural sound if you're using eletric devices to distort and change strings pure motion tone. It is just a matter of taste if you don't like it, but pointless is to be conservative about art, self-expression and music.
If someone hears it that way, how can it be pointless?
Others point-of-view doesn't need to be wrong to make your point right, right?
Best Regards...
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I got yer shameless self-indulgence....
http://www.box.net/shared/ivkbjxgkys (http://www.box.net/shared/ivkbjxgkys)
Performed on piccolo bass.
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I LIKE IT! I like clean bass too, why limit yourself. What did you use for the step filtering?
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That is a Prometheus Subdecay.
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Or a Subdecay Prometheus. ;)
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[oops!]
(Message edited by hb3 on August 11, 2010)
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I'm still happy with the clean, naked sound of my Alembics so from a personal preference and due to the fact I've never been asked to use them on a session. I would prefer not to distort that with effects.
Jazzyvee
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Has anybody had much luck with the Boss SYB5 Bass Synth pedal? The sounds I get out of mine are pretty gnarly, and I am thinking of selling it. Maybe I am doing something wrong.
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I've tried it and didn't like at all... Too weird sounds and most of them not much useful. Then I bought that Digitech's Bass Synth Wha just to find it was also uncool (they both got all this nasty digital artifacts that I hate). So I sold it after a month and gave up using effects for sometime.
Now I go with a Boss Octaver (OC3) trough a Dunlop Bass Wha and a EH Envelope Filter (Q-Tron) and they fit me all the Synth Bass sound I need, although I'm still in the quest for the perfect Bass Fuzz to complete my ideal pedalboard.
Don't think you're using it wrong, they simply don't deliver what they should.
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Has anybody had much luck with the Boss SYB5 Bass Synth pedal? The sounds I get out of mine are pretty gnarly, and I am thinking of selling it. Maybe I am doing something wrong.
I've played nearly every bass synth effect on the market. I kept searching for something that was comparable to the synth effect that is built into the SWR Mini Mo' preamp. No one makes a synth pedal that sounds as good, tracks as well, and is dirt simple to get good sounds out of.
I was not impressed by the Boss SYB5. I found it tracked poorly and overall the sounds left something to be desired.
I've got two synth pedals and I'm pleased with both of them:
Akai Deep Impact (http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/akai/deepimpact) - Sadly no longer made this synth pedal is fabulous. Tracks very well and has a lot of useful tones at its disposal. The learning curve for programming/editting sounds isn't terribly steep. I was able to get the primary sounds I use out of it in an afternoon of playing around. The manual is pretty worthless but it doesn't really matter terribly. I'm sure some of you are probably familiar with Phish's cover of Boogie On Reggae Woman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-dwVuFOWEg) - this is the pedal Mike Gordon uses to replicate Stevie's left hand. Funky. They currently go for ~$400USD on the ebays. There are two up there right now which is pretty amazing. I searched for over 6 months before I found mine.
Chunk Systems Octavius Squeezer (http://www.chunksystems.com/os.htm) - This thing is nothing short of amazing. It is also expensive at $600. It also requires a degree in electrical engineering to program. Maybe not that last bit - but it does have a steep ass learning curve. I have spent hours screwing around with it and still wouldn't consider myself good at programming it. From what I understand it's a lot like programming an old Moog synth. It's capable of a massive array of sounds. It tracks better than any other synth or octaver pedal I've ever heard/owned/used. It's insanely accurate and fast.
Back to the SWR Mini Mo'. I would wipe out a small country for a pedal version of the synth section of that preamp. It's impossible to get a bad sound out of it and the learning curve is non-existent. It's so simple to dial in a sound. SWR (Bryan Beller primarily) really did a bang up job when they designed this preamp. If only I liked the rest of the preamp as much as the synth section.
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I've played a Squeezer. It's the only synth pedal I've ever tried that I thought could sound good. It does seem to be some sort of a combination of effects pedal and IQ test. My friend sold his because he was so confused by it.
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So I recently picked up a Gio, which is just a USB guitar/bass interface for Mac. I use it through GarageBand, but it works with ableton live and other editing software. Anyway, I'm pretty much just using it to turn my laptop into any effect pedal I need. With the effects in GarageBand, you can 'build' literally hundreds of different effects, not to mention the hundred or so that are already on there. It's pretty effing cool, not cheap, though. Been playing my Distillate that I recently turned tenor to record and make some new sounds, and honestly I've never had an alembic that sounds as good.
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I find the Octavius Squeezer MUCH more difficult to program than a Moog! A Moog has the knobs all laid out, the Octavius you have to dig in to various menus. Even having worked with several Moog synths and pedals, I haven't had much luck with the Octavius. In fact, I got it so that I wouldn't have to hook up so many pedals, but for the time being it sits on a shelf while my MoogerFoogers continue to be used...
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Apparently all agree that the Boss SYB5 sucks. Anybody want to buy mine? Heh heh. Craigslist here I come.
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I have grave reservations about trying to imitate keyboard bass or Moog bass on bass guitar anyway...it's just not going to sound as good. Part of what makes keyboard bass sound the way it does is it's so clean and even. Fingers plucking strings is just a different idea.
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My question is: are bass players emulating keyboards or was them who tried to sound as Larry Grahamm and Bootsy did?
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Yeah, I think that's a good question, and the real difference. I wouldn't include the Mutron/Qtron etc. in with the wannabe synths like the Boss SYB5. Maybe it's a fine line. A low pass filter with an envelope seems different than an entire synth in a box where there really isn't any of the original characteristics of the bass guitar coming through anymore. YMMV.
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Mario...I'm still in the quest for the perfect Bass Fuzz to complete my ideal pedalboard.
I searched for ages to find a decent bass distortion even though I only use it for one song (Muse .. Hysteria). I tried the EH bass big muff pi, danelectro cool cat, EH Bass Blogger, Ashdown bass drive and a couple of others including BOSS and Behringer. I never yet found a pedal that really worked for the full range of the bass so I ended up buying an ampeg SVP preamp and split the signal between that and my fender TBP1. Now when I want a really nice overdrive I can turn it up on the ampeg and get exactly what I want - (note: it's not fuzz).
One of the main benefits has been the ampeg adding a bit of colour to the overall sound - the Fender gives a really nice thump but takes a bit of work to get it rocking.
Graeme
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Great idea spliting it, Graeme!
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In my case the idea of using a bass synth pedal is not to imitate anything in particular, just to get an interesting, pleasing synthesized sound. I don't play keyboards anyway... so getting it that way is not an option. I have my hands full with a plank of wood and 4 strings!