Best Synth and Octave Pedals?

BassOverdrive · #1 06-12-2008, 11:35 PM

I have a Boss ME-50B. Its great and all, but the synth and octaves on this thing suck more than anything (not good wah i think). I was wondering whats the best pedals for synth effects, Saw, Mild all that and Octave pedals for the bass were. Plus I like to play two to-three notes at once, chords if you like, and it wont let me basically without sounding even worse. Feel free to add some low note defined wah pedals to ;D thanks for the help

The Burrigible · #2 06-12-2008, 11:39 PM

I have to say, I've really been diggin' the EHX Bass Micro Synth.

That is, until mine broke.

But other than that, I'd recommend it. Sounds great.

cheapbasslovin · #3 06-12-2008, 11:54 PM

Here's your problem (was mine, too).

Once you get an octave, you'll put that at the front of your chain. Then you'll get a wah, and you'll want to jam that between your distortion and your modulation. But then the wah will cut most of the freq's from your octave so you'll want to do something else with it, but you wont be able to because you can't jam effects in between each other and you have to haul this big blue monolith around. Then you'll throw in the towel and start fresh with individual pedals. Good luck. Start saving.

That said, Micro Pog is a popular octave. Polyphonic (chords) and crazy fast tracking. Little spendy though.

BassOverdrive · #4 06-13-2008, 12:57 AM

sry to hear that and yea that happened about 6 months ago with my multi effect and learned multi effects will never be anything but convenience. i have heard about that Micro Synth, unfortunetly local guitar stores carry things guitar related cause apparently thats the only thing people play around here. So no testing them, as for that pog thing, does it sound realistic to the note played or sound like a horn? thats what mine sounds like and it... its just awful

Ely · #5 06-13-2008, 01:41 AM

My current* favorite synth tone is my POG with only the +2 octave, running into an MXR Blue Box with the -2 octave on full. Have to adjust the low pass filter on the POG so the upper harmonics don't confuse the Blue Box, but it's such an awesome synth sound.

*Subject to change once my Moogerfooger MuRF and Ring Mod show up next week.

astralis · #6 06-13-2008, 01:44 AM

Bass Micro Synth is one of my favorite synths. It even has an octave in it!
Really, it's tons of fun. You will waste hours and hours of your life just playing around with it

.

sengamc · #7 06-13-2008, 02:02 AM

My two pence worth:
The EHX micro bass synth is the one.
great sounds and noises, sharp tracking, lots of adjustability.
had mine made true bypass by analogueman.
Only problem is it is so adjustable, it can be a pain to move from patch to patch accurately.
Now, if they made it with a patch memory......dreams

Mofo-Kang · #8 06-13-2008, 02:03 AM

That EHX Bass Micro Synth can get a pretty fair approximation of the Rush Tom Sawyer "Bwaaaaaaaoooooowww" effect.

cheapbasslovin · #9 06-13-2008, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassOverdrive

sry to hear that and yea that happened about 6 months ago with my multi effect and learned multi effects will never be anything but convenience. i have heard about that Micro Synth, unfortunetly local guitar stores carry things guitar related cause apparently thats the only thing people play around here. So no testing them, as for that pog thing, does it sound realistic to the note played or sound like a horn? thats what mine sounds like and it... its just awful

To me, the sub octave sound is pretty good, but the octave up is an unnatural sound. That can be good or bad depending on what you want, and it can be made more natural sounding with some distortion. Here is a clip courtesy of grygrx and the wiki. The first 5 seconds or so is with sub octave, natural, and octave up all on with little other effect (based on my ears). It is better sounding octave than my ME-50b was but I don't know if it is what you are after.

RaszBasz · #10 06-13-2008, 06:49 AM

yo, I use octave bass from EBS, just love it, its sideaffect is that you cannot take more notes than one at the time, but i normally just use i to spice up my soloes, or make a groove more "dirty".

Furthermore, what goes for the wah-pedals for bass, you should try the dunlop bass wah out!

KarateKid25 · #11 06-13-2008, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Burrigible

I have to say, I've really been diggin' the EHX Bass Micro Synth.

That is, until mine broke.

But other than that, I'd recommend it. Sounds great.

Mines broken for the third time

rustynuts · #12 06-13-2008, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarateKid25

Mines broken for the third time

Posts like that just make me want to run right out and buy one.....

BassOverdrive · #13 06-13-2008, 02:16 PM

I hope those Micro Synths arent fragile cause ive been known to be pretty rough sometimes with my pedal. Will the octave up always have an unnatural sound? My octave down is just as bad, but yea i mask it with the Distortion/Overdrive and it sounds ok then.

JanusZarate · #14 06-13-2008, 02:20 PM

There is a NEW version which just came out.

The "fragile" one with the not-so-great bypass is the old Bass Micro Synthesizer. The new Bass Micro Synth is built to be durable.

I haven't yet compared it to the original... but as soon as I see a shop with one, I'll be able to give a better opinion. AFAIK, it's supposed to be just like the original. Controls are identical... I'm just curious about whether it sounds or behaves any differently. If anything, it'll likely be minor.

tomvelsor · #15 06-13-2008, 06:15 PM

boss oc-2

korg g5 / akai deep impact

the end.

kevteop · #16 06-13-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassOverdrive

I hope those Micro Synths arent fragile cause ive been known to be pretty rough sometimes with my pedal.

I think that's why they gave it such an awful-sounding bypass - so you wouldn't put your feet anywhere near it! I have literally never stepped on my BMS, because it's always been bypass-looped, so it's been on my board for about 18 months or so but it's always been switched on - I just bypass it why I'm not using it.

I also keep it in a rear corner of my pedalboard where I don't have to step over it to turn other stuff on, so I'm less likely to snap the sliders off.

WarriorJoe7 · #17 06-13-2008, 07:47 PM

Ummm my peavey midibass with any number of hardware or software synths... or with an octave up plus 2 octaves up plus an octave down plus 2 octaves down plus all intervals between 2 octaves up and 2 octaves down.

/thread

lbanks · #18 06-13-2008, 07:49 PM

I can't say which is best, they all have their sound, but I liked...
Deep Impact
Digitech Bass Synth wah
Mu-tron (the old one)
Digitech RPx400 (yeah, I know, but hook it to computer and learn how program it, You can get some nice bass sets.)

idoru · #19 06-13-2008, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ely

My current* favorite synth tone is my POG with only the +2 octave, running into an MXR Blue Box with the -2 octave on full. Have to adjust the low pass filter on the POG so the upper harmonics don't confuse the Blue Box, but it's such an awesome synth sound.

Should be total filth - samples please!

c-

BassOverdrive · #20 06-13-2008, 08:27 PM

yea isnt that Akai Deep Impact the discontinued octave pedal that Chris Wolstenhome uses? He makes it sound great and all but I dont know if i want to go on ebay and spend 500-600 on the pedal. I remember looking at it before when i first started to listen to muse, thats actually how I ended up with my ME-B50, Muff Fuzzzzzzzzzz. As for this midi thing someone mentioned, can someone explain to me what midi basses/guitars <--- notice how i make the guitar come second

anyways, what are they. I know Muse's guitarist uses custom midi pickups for his effects, I <3 my effects so this Midi thing interests me. Heard Hoag instruments made a Midi bass about 2 years ago