Advice wanted: warm drive and pedal board rethink

landwomble · #1 05-26-2008, 04:38 PM

Hi All,
I'm not happy with my effects, and I could do with some advice.
Currently running ancient Zoom 506 MFX for compression/tuner only, with an EHX Mini Q-Tron, venerable boss bass chorus and a cheap Behringer overdrive/distortion.

What I'm after is:
* Some decent compression - from mild to almost bass sustain
* Some decent drive - nothing over the top, just a bit of "grind" when I dig in. A bit of sunshine-of-your-love might be nice on occasion but mainly it's just the ability to turn on a little *edge* when I dig in - warm, fat, and a little angry on occasion, just like me <grin>.
* A stage tuner
* Quite like a bit of envelope stuff going on to add emphasis to the odd bit of slapping I do
* Messing about with synth stuff might be interesting as our keys and drummer have a d&b side project
* Robust, gigable and reliable stuff powered off 9V

What I'm not happy about with current setup:
* Mini Qtron output very "hot" - generally, turning it on pisses off the soundman as the levels shoot. Bit unpredictable, too. Plus, I don't use it all that much so could live without, and ebay resale value not too shabby.
* Current drive pretty crappy through the Behringer - just sounds a bit artificial.

I'm pushing a Jazz bass with J-Retro active preamp through an Ashdown Mag 300.

Anyone got any suggestions to feed my GAS?
Zoom B2.1u?
Decent separate compressor and a Behringer BSY600 boss SYB-3/5 synth clone to play with?
Basic Boss compressor and a drive pedal?
Something else?

Anyone any suggestions? I don't want to spend a fortune, but I also don't want to end up with another set of ok-but-average pedals.

OptimusPrime · #2 05-26-2008, 04:53 PM

Aphex Punch Factory
Fulltone Bass-Drive
Korg PitchBlack
Electro-Harmonix Nano Bassballs or DOD FX25?
Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synth

bongomania · #3 05-26-2008, 05:00 PM

Check the reviews linked in my sig for compressors. As a general rule of thumb, anytime you're curious to find suggestions and commentary on any given subject like "drive" or "warm" or "tuner" etc. it's best to search on those terms and do some reading so you have an idea what all is out there. That way you can research specific brands and models within your price range.

landwomble · #4 05-26-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Check the reviews linked in my sig for compressors. As a general rule of thumb, anytime you're curious to find suggestions and commentary on any given subject like "drive" or "warm" or "tuner" etc. it's best to search on those terms and do some reading so you have an idea what all is out there. That way you can research specific brands and models within your price range.

Cheers man. I've kind of done that a *lot* and my head's gone with all the options - bar having a load of possibles in front of me, I'd really like some hands on insights. I've tried a russian big muff, and whilst it did some interesting stuff it was just a bit rough and unpredictable for my tastes... will have a look on the link though. thanks!

Nyarlathotep · #5 05-26-2008, 09:40 PM

My knee jerk advice is to go/stick with singles. My thoughtful responce is to try out the Zoom 2.1u and see how you like it.

That said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by landwomble

* Some decent drive - nothing over the top, just a bit of "grind" when I dig in. A bit of sunshine-of-your-love might be nice on occasion but mainly it's just the ability to turn on a little *edge* when I dig in - warm, fat, and a little angry on occasion, just like me <grin>.
* Robust, gigable and reliable stuff powered off 9V

Sounds very much like my Hematoma. Just my 2 cents

LowBSix · #6 05-26-2008, 09:42 PM

Check this out....

FS/Pedal Board & Effects

grace & groove · #7 05-27-2008, 04:18 AM

^Man, you do that way too much.

It's sucks that you have to sell all of that stuff though.

RickenBoogie · #8 05-27-2008, 06:01 PM

+1 for individual pedals. So much more detail and control over that one thing it does.

GeneralElectric · #9 05-27-2008, 06:27 PM

For an overdrive pedal, I really like the Fulltone BassDriver (MOSFET version) though I've also really been digging my friends EBS valve driver.

landwomble · #10 05-28-2008, 04:52 PM

I went to try out the Zoom B2 and was really pretty impressed. Enough to buy the thing anyway - first rehearsal tonight using it and within an hour I'd got a few patches nailed:
* Nice, mild compression - planning to leave it on most of the time
* Ampeg SVT model - sounds great, and you can tweak a rotary pot to dial in the amount of melting amp-on-fire you want, towards the more hot end of the scale this sounds amazing and gives a lovely warm sustained mild drive
* Tube Pre model - similar to above but a little warmer and fuzzier
* Sansamp - more of a grind-kind of drive
* Some really weird but promising step synth stuff

Programming the patches means refering to the manual, but the sounds the thing makes are pretty impressing - I'm pushing a Fender Jazz with J-Retro through it into an Ashdown MAG300 and a 4ohm Marshall 2x10 1x15 cab and it sounded great tonight.

I'm keeping my Q-Tron (with the Zoom afterwards so I can use the compressor to control the levels), my trusty Boss chorus and the cheapo Behringer overdrive (...meh)...

ksandvik · #11 05-28-2008, 04:57 PM

Zoom B2s are indeed really nice. Takes a while to figure out the tweaking (at live situations with no manual around...). One of the few drawbacks with such combo pedals versus individual ones. But you get tons of features for the money, not to speak of a drum machine for practice purposes, headphone out and a chromatic tuner. I leave compression on all the time with my Zoom (G2 actually, got the unit for a steal some time ago). Best money I ever spent for an effect box. --Kent