If I remember correctly the Crate has a DSP engine thingy.
This stuff is time delay, echo reverb chorus flange phase etc. They are basically echoes and swooshy stuff.
Try
http://www.lovetone.com and check the sound files, this will give you a rough idea.
Apart from chorus which can be used to thicken up a bassline most of this stuff is for 'effect' ie use it sparingly for a phrase, intro outro etc. nothing pees me off more than overly effected bass.
The cheapest effect for bass? Your hands. You have fingers thunmbs nails and your palm.
Cheap effects are cheap. If you must get an effect then get a good one and somthing that is versatile. On that Lovetone site try listening to the Meatball, Stateside versions are the Mutron III+ and the EH Q-tron. The cheap alternative EH Bassballs. I buy pedals for guitar and bass because they are easy to combine and discard (apart from the Lovetone ones)
While I think of it try
http://www.musictoyz.com Theres loads of effects and soundfiles.
Last thing IMHO the order is this 1 good bass 2 good amp 10 good effects happy hunting
[Edited by CS on 12-30-2000 at 08:03 AM]
bass fx 
