Let's talk about effects...

[NHLfan2010]

Alright, so I wanted to get some opinions on how you guys go about effects. I'd like to step into this realm I think and could use some advice. Do most of you guys have pedalboards with several individual pedals, or floor multi-effects units (i.e. Boss GT-10B, Digitech BP355), or rackmount multi-effect units (i.e. Vamp-PRO Bass), or something else?

[Koa Konstrictor]

Pedaboard(s) - all analog signal path, stereo left/right.

 

PedalPad split level pedalboard:

TopLevel:

Morley a/b/y splitterbox> Left: a channel; EBS MicroBass II 2 channel preamp (effectsloop has delay pedal, envelope goes into front end after Morley a channel split) Right: b channel Sansamp BassDriver programmable DI/preAmp 3 channel; clean channel. I can run either independent or both together at same time.

 

Lower Level:

old DOD a/b splitter box>BBE OpticalStomp compressor>BBE SonicStomp sonicmaximizer

MXR bass evelope filter. there is also an MXR carboncopy analog delay

 

SignalPath:

bass>DOD a/b BBE comp & sonic stomp>Morley a/b/y (a:ebs/effects b: sansamp/clean) > out via xlr mic cables to mackie power amp & two (Left/Right) Peavey 2/10 cabs running at 4ohms. This is mostly my studio rig.

 

For a smaller more manageable rig i remove the SansAmp and run that into the effects return on the back of an older GK 800rb (bypass the preamp of 800rb, and use only the power section into an Eden Nemesis 4/10 cab or one of the 2/10 cabs listed above, again at 4 ohm) for this set up I have a smaller board with an a/b box(one side tuner, other side signal path out), EBS compressor> sometimes adding the MXR envelope filter for spice.

 

Or (I have gone back to this recently, depends on my mood more than anything) a/b box>EBS compressor>front end of GK 800rb>Eden 4/10:love:

 

KK

[oldivor]

when I use effects it's:

p-bass -> boss chorus -> boss blues driver -> EH big muff -> amp

 

I hate chorus after the distortion, it sounds too clean and processed. I like everything sounding dirty and raunchy.

 

As a general rule, multi-effects so a lot of things ok/good but nothing great. Personally, I'm a fan of just getting a couple of good pedals. I know what I want though.

[Muddslide]

I used to use a ton of pedals with guitar, but I never really went with them much on bass. In fact, the most I ever remember using is a bit of fuzz occasionally.

[One Bad Monkey]

I started into effects by getting a used Line6 Bass Pod XT Live! floor board. I liked it, but ultimately sold it to buy standalone pedals. Much easier to customize a board to what particular show I'm playing at the time.

 

Currently, my "church board" signal path is:

 

Bass --> Radial ToneBone BassBone -- (effects loop) --> EH Freeze --> DigiTech DigiDelay --> Visual Sound H20 --> Black Cat Pedals Mini Trem

 

I have a handful of fuzzes and envelope filters that work their way into things, depending on how I'm feeling and what is being called for.

[perrydabassman]

I use a flanger, envelope filter and chorus. Been thinking of adding a delay. I have used multi-effects pedals before (Line 6 XT live, and ART nightbass), and although they have some pretty wierd (some cool) tones they can produce, they didn't do anything really well. I do use a pedal board. It houses my wireless, tuner and the aforementioned pedals.

[ThudMaker]

For guitar I use a pedalboard. For bass, I use a multi. I need Chorus, OD and Slow Gear. That's it. I use a Boss VF-1.

[Mytola]

At one point, I had a pretty huge and expensive "real pedalboard" for bass. It just didn't work for me, and took up a lot of my available funds back then. I've also tried several of the Line6 Multieffects, but they weren't flexible enough for me.

 

I got hold of a Boss GT-10B a couple of months ago, and I'm really happy with it. In order to get the tone I want, I'm splitting the signal, running different EQ's for each channel, along with an overdrive on the treble/high-mid channel. This effectively allows me to "biamp", and I add some FX after the channel merge from time to time. The GT-10B is easy to use, the channel path is fully flexible (you can put any FX in any order, unlike with the Line6-stuff where you are rather limited on this) and the FX sounds quite good to me. I use it in front of my TC BG500 combo, and it really does sound amazing.

[Darkstorm]

I like the higher end multi effect units like Zoom B9.1ut. As good as seperates for most things and less cost and gives great signal to mixer and recorder unloike seperate pedals. Main effects I use are comp, overdrive, 8band eq, a little bit of ring modulator, and little bit of room reverb for room ambieance. Occasional echo effect or chourus

[BATCAT]

Aside from a stompbox tuner, I use a compressor (Guyatone ST2), overdrive (Digitech Bad Monkey), and (just occasionally) a Digitech Digiverb. The compressor is always on; I really like what it does to my sound.

[Rezrover]

I just use a Yamaha SPX-90II.

[Longhair]

ADA MB-1

 

The pop up on ebay once in a while for around $300 to $350.

[AlvarHanso]

My signature has my effects in it, and it's getting to be quite a haul to carry. I've got a multi-effect in the BP80, and it's good for a nice starting point as far as basic sounds. I mainly use it for the drum machine (very helpful in composing) and for delay, reverb, and for some presets I made including a fretless chorus with tons of reverb and delay through an Interstellar Overdrive at 7; one extremely loud phaser; a "clean" sound that's slightly different than my direct in to amp tone, the octaver (which I'll prob not use with the Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro handling that for me now), a Big Muff Pi emulator (also going into disuse b/c of MWB Pro), and a pitch shifter. But these are effects I don't see myself buying stand alone, as opposed to an envelope filter, which I'm about to have 3 of soon if you count the MuRF when the BEF Pro comes in. The BP80 also has a built-in compressor, but where it is in my chain, it doesn't limit or compress much, and there's not much I can do to change those settings, if anything. It helps if you have an idea of what sound it is you want to be making, the sound in your mind's ear. If you know what that sound is, a stand alone effect may be perfect, or a combo of two effects, or three, or perhaps it's the multi-effect that allows for the perfect sound, like with the Chorus setting I'll probably end up keeping the BP80 to make. Also, my compressor is always on, and I highly recommend at least that, but I hardly even think of it as an effect. It's more like my overall EQ, or master volume in my head.

[tabdog]

I got an older BP8 off eBay for $20 plus $10 shipping.

It's more powerful than the BP80, but it doesn't have

a drum machine.

 

I use it to really liven up my Peavey practice amp,

 

 

I use a Hartke Bass Attack as a preamp for a 700 watt

Crown amp and GinzBenz 4X10 cap. Bass Attack cost

about $80. This setup is simple and sounds great.

 

Crown amps are awesome,

 

 

Another good petal is the MXR M-80 and the Eden WTDI.

I think those are both about $150,

 

Tabdog

[sunburstbasser]

I'm currently running an MXR Bass envelope filter, MXR Bass DI+distortion, and a Rocktron chorus pedal. Each of these sits on a powered pedal board. I use all analog pedals and greatly prefer them over digital pedals.

[guitargod0dmw]

 

As a general rule, multi-effects do a lot of things ok/good but nothing great. Personally, I'm a fan of just getting a couple of good pedals. I know what I want though.

 

 

My thoughts exactly. Multi's can be more appealing since they is less stuff, but I've never been completely happy with all of the effects they have that I wanted to use. I do single pedals...

[NHLfan2010]

Anyone ever use the Bass Vamp-PRO? Was looking at this with a power amp (or even my Hartke 3500) for a rackmount rig.

[AnalogKid]

My board is primarily for synth-oriented sounds and it does pretty good for that.

 

Bass->Korg PitchBlack(not really an effect, though)-->Boss OC-2-->EHX Enigma-->EHX Bass Big Muff-->EHX Small Stone-->Boss CE-2-->Boss LMB-3-->amp

[McSuckage]

I use two pedals... a compressor and occasionally a Big Muff.

[WRGKMC]

The only pedals I use are a limiter voiced for bass, a bass modeler unit and a chorus.

I use the same effects recording or live and get stellar results. you get too far away from the kick drum

in tone then the whole mix falls appart. occasionally you can get away with sticking some stuff in there

but thats truely a musical arrangement thing that has to be there to allow it.

[ba2rymusic]

I bought a cheap multi-effect unit to see what I really wanted from my effects as they have way more than what I'd consider useable. What I ended up buying were these types of pedals: Compressor, Octaver (octave down), Fuzz/Wah combined pedal. We play a variety of tunes, from hip hop to funk to rock to metal, and these pedals suit those genres well.

[samson3382]

I use a tuner and my hands.

[polytonality]

I use a lot of pedals for guitar but I'm fairly new to using pedals for bass. Right now I'm using a: Korg Pitchblack, Boss LM-2B, MXR Jimi Hendrix System Fuzz and a 3Leaf Audio GR2. I'm going to slowly add more pedals but it works for right now. It also works well for a 2nd guitar board with very little tweaking.