BOSS Bass Limiter Enhancer LMB-3

[stoob]

Hi guys, what do you think about the BOSS Bass Limiter Enhancer LMB-3 pedal? Any opinions?

And what does it actually do for your sound?

Cheers

[DWBass]

It's a basic compressor. Basically it will boost low levels and squash high levels keeping your sound pretty even. Very useful.

[DosiYanarchy]

now i know im gonna come across as a dick, but theres an awesome SEARCH function, that will tell you everything you need to know (i hope).

fellow TB'er Bongomania has a comprehensive Compressor mega-review knocking about (should be linked in the WIKI).

as far as i can tell, not many people seem that keen on the LBM3, for what reasons im not sure (possibly noise, its all there in the SEARCH)

however alot of people seem to like the BBE OPTOSTOMP, i own one and it gets some very transparent soft compression, infact its so transparent, i cant actually tell its doing anything unless you max it, but maybe thats the idea. i think its True Bypass as well so wont contribute to tone suck-age.

also the Aphex Punch Factory seems to be quite popular too.

hope this helps

[Stampy]

Don't the CS-3 and the LBM-3 pretty much do the same thing? Would it be pointless to have both pedals in board?

[stoob]

yes you are a little Dos
but thanks guys, thats made my decision easier

[DosiYanarchy]

i think the CS3 is genrally just geared for guitar, altho i know Juan from the Mars Volta uses 2 CS2s, he says they give him grit, but then again when you're bi-amping low end loss isnt so much of an issue. the LBM 3 is just for bass and will cap/limit volume peaks above a set volume, while a the CS3 will compress the signal so there isnt as much dynamic range,

this could just be the same thing and i could be talking out my arse tho, but thats how i understand it.

[bongomania]

They are both compressors, but they each have different parameters that are "predetermined" versus parameters that have control knobs.

The LMB-3 is much more flexible, having both threshold and ratio controls. and it has much better low end. But the CS-3, when properly modded for bass, has a more "musical" quality, so I actually like the modded CS-3 better- even though it is harder to work with, lacking ratio or threshold controls. Since the stock CS-3 loses a lot of the low end, it's not even worth considering for bass IMO.

[Stampy]

Originally Posted by bongomania

They are both compressors, but they each have different parameters that are "predetermined" versus parameters that have control knobs.

The LMB-3 is much more flexible, having both threshold and ratio controls. and it has much better low end. But the CS-3, when properly modded for bass, has a more "musical" quality, so I actually like the modded CS-3 better- even though it is harder to work with, lacking ratio or threshold controls. Since the stock CS-3 loses a lot of the low end, it's not even worth considering for bass IMO.

How do you mod it for bass or are there good presets for it. I have my gain at the 12 o clock position, tone at the 2 o clock, attack at 2 o clock and sustain at 10 o clock. I know it is robbing my low end sound but I run a GEB-7 equalizer after it so I just lifted the low on that a little higher.

[bongomania]

There are instructions for the modding here: http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/cs3modding.shtml but you have to be comfortable with soldering on a tightly-spaced circuitboard.

The settings you posted should be fine.

Putting an EQ after a circuit that cuts off the low end cannot actually put the low end back. All you're doing is boosting the low mids that actually passed through the CS3. If that sounds good to you, great, nothing wrong with that- but it's important to know what is actually happening.

[Stampy]

I can solder ok but I have never done it in such a tight space before. Maybe ill trade pedals in the classified section. I never thought that I was boosting what already went through the compressor, silly me lol. Thanks for the help.