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02-16-2009, 09:21 AM
| | | | Bassballs vs Q-tron?
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So..this may make me look stupid and uneducated in the ways of the bass pedal..but that's fine..because I am! Anywho, I was just wondering which you would recommend more for somebody who plays a lot of funk music..the bassballs or Q-tron? And, what's the difference (if there is one). I've used a Q-tron, and I loved the sound, but I dont know the difference between the Q-tron and bassballs besides the pricetag. Thanks =D |
02-16-2009, 09:41 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Birmingham, England | | | EHX are releasing a pedal later this year called the Q-Balls, Im hoping it's somewhere between the 2. |
02-16-2009, 09:44 AM
|  | prefers electric miles davis | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA | | | get both.
the qtron is the classic envelope filter sound and tone with many quack noises. think bootsy
the bassballs is a vowel like (think voice) filter. with the fuzz turned on, it does some really great funky vowel filter tones that are way cool.
get both. |
02-16-2009, 09:49 AM
|  | @Crawfication
Endorsing Artist: Gravity Picks | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ohio/West Virginia | | Quote:
Originally Posted by katri  EHX are releasing a pedal later this year called the Q-Balls, Im hoping it's somewhere between the 2. | IS this for real?
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02-16-2009, 09:58 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: between Scranton and NJ | | | yes, all we know is the name though, from what i can remember from the thread they are also releasing a bass booster called the mole. |
02-16-2009, 10:01 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Diego, California | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Jordasch IS this for real? | Yes! There will be a version for guitar and another for bass. |
02-16-2009, 10:21 AM
| | Registered User
Endorsing Artist: Lakland Basses | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Charleston, South Carolina | | Quote:
Originally Posted by RCCollins Yes! There will be a version for guitar and another for bass. | Damn, I just bought a micro-q...
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02-16-2009, 10:21 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Orlando, FL | | | A pedal that could be adjustable between Bassballs and Q-Tron and everything in between would be godly. Many times I've wanted something with a little more kick than the Bassballs, but not exactly that Q-tron sound either. Just Bassballs on steriods. Really hoping Q-Balls will do that.
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02-16-2009, 11:06 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Denver | | | Simply as an envelope filter on your board, a Bassballs isn't a great solution. It's got its own thing happening, and it is not very tweakable. Super cool, though, especially with the fuzz effect turned on. Although people have argued for years about what effect Flea really used on the track "Sir Psycho Sexy", it sounds a lot like a Bassballs to me. "The Kids", a track from the Jamiroquai album "Return of The Space Cowboy", also features a bass tone that sounds like a 'Balls to me.
The Q-Tron, on the other hand, is among the industry standard envelope filters, like Mark said. Very tweakable, very flexible. Some would say too much so, but its prevalence reinforces it as a solid choice. |
02-16-2009, 01:15 PM
|  | OVNIFX
EXAR pedals rep for North & Central America | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: PDX, OR | | | To reiterate and simplify:
Bassballs = one trick pony, but it's great if you like that one trick.
QTron = very versatile, but can't get the same one sound as the Bassballs.
IOW they sound different enough that you could have both and not be wasting board space. Personally I'd go with the more versatile option, but that's not to diss the sound of the Bassballs. |
02-16-2009, 01:26 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Diego, California | | Quote:
Originally Posted by dakpluto A pedal that could be adjustable between Bassballs and Q-Tron and everything in between would be godly. Many times I've wanted something with a little more kick than the Bassballs, but not exactly that Q-tron sound either. Just Bassballs on steriods. Really hoping Q-Balls will do that. | Well that would take a pretty darn sophisticated multi-filter. They're really two different beasts.
What I'm hoping for is a BBM-sized Q-Tron+ without BP and HP modes.
What I expect is a micro-Q with a dirt switch |
02-16-2009, 01:28 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Chicago, IL | | | I agree that the Bassballs is not very versatile. It really does only do one thing; create a funky, voice-like filtering with the option of some fuzz distortion. However, I have yet to find another effect that can match the Bassballs unique sound, so I would highly recommend picking one up. I have not had much experience with the QTron, so I won't speak as to the quality/tone of that.
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02-16-2009, 01:29 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: self banned from talkbass.... | | Quote:
Originally Posted by bongomania Bassballs = one trick pony, but it's great if you like that one trick. | No, it has two tricks, fuzzy or unfuzzy. |
02-16-2009, 01:31 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: College Station, Texas | | Quote:
Originally Posted by bongomania To reiterate and simplify:
Bassballs = one trick pony, but it's great if you like that one trick.
QTron = very versatile, but can't get the same one sound as the Bassballs.
IOW they sound different enough that you could have both and not be wasting board space. Personally I'd go with the more versatile option, but that's not to diss the sound of the Bassballs. | I agree totally! And I recently got a Micro Q-Tron and ditched my Bassballs a year ago  |
02-16-2009, 01:35 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: self banned from talkbass.... | | | You can do a lot more with a bassballs then most people think, you just have to REALLY play around with it, and play with the internal trim pots.
I had my bassballs on my board for years and had a lot of fun with it. You would be amazed what you can do with a Bigmuff a bassballs and a smallstone for synth sounds, really. Now that being said a Q-tron is very versatile, and can do some neat sounds, and is very funky, but mine never lasted long on my board long as it didn't like my main live bass. |
02-16-2009, 01:37 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Diego, California | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Mudfuzz You can do a lot more with a bassballs then most people think, you just have to REALLY play around with it, and play with the internal trim pots.
I had my bassballs on my board for years and had a lot of fun with it. You would be amazed what you can do with a Bigmuff a bassballs and a smallstone for synth sounds, really. Now that being said a Q-tron is very versatile, and can do some neat sounds, and is very funky, but mine never lasted long on my board long as it didn't like my main live bass. | got some tips on what to do with those trimpots for us? the conventional wisdoms holds that bassballs sounds best at factory settings, but i've never been a huge fan of the conventional wisdom |
02-16-2009, 01:39 PM
| | Registered User
Endorsing Artist: Lakland Basses | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Charleston, South Carolina | | | Speaking of internal stuff... is there anything you can do tinkering with the guts to make a Micro-Q do a downsweep?
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02-16-2009, 01:45 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: self banned from talkbass.... | | Quote:
Originally Posted by RCCollins got some tips on what to do with those trimpots for us? the conventional wisdoms holds that bassballs sounds best at factory settings, but i've never been a huge fan of the conventional wisdom |
The factory settings can be  You see because we all play different and use different basses and amps and strings the factory settings on how a filter responds is iffy. You MUST adjust them by ear.
Take it apart
Get screwdriver
Get marker and mark out where factory settings are
Plug in favorite bass into pedal then into favorite amp
Turn on pedal!
Play and tweak
Really explore the entirity of the sweep of each pot and how they interact with each other as well as the sensitivity control
Have fun! 
Last edited by Mudfuzz : 02-16-2009 at 01:47 PM.
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