boss syb-3 settings

bassplayerbob · #1 05-12-2011, 10:03 PM

I just picked this up today and was hoping to get some setting suggestions and what sounds good in a song context. Where do you place it in your signal chain and why? Any song clips would be cool too. Most videos on youtube are just the effect solo or a drum machine. Thanks.

CHILDISHGAMBINO · #2 05-12-2011, 10:37 PM

I have an syb-5 so I can't suggest settings really but I can suggest that you place it first or at least very early in your chain so it can track properly. I mostly use it to make silly noises.

Marshbass · #3 05-12-2011, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHILDISHGAMBINO

I have an syb-5 so I can't suggest settings really but I can suggest that you place it first or at least very early in your chain so it can track properly. I mostly use it to make silly noises.

I used to have an SYB-5. The best setting that I could find for it, was "OFF".

CHILDISHGAMBINO · #4 05-12-2011, 11:25 PM

Yeah, I bought kinda spur of the moment. I've been using it to make turntableish sounds. I like making it glitch out through reverse delay. It's a silly pedal.

JimmyM · #5 05-12-2011, 11:42 PM

the best thing to do is play with it and have fun. i had hours of fun with mine when i first got it. and then i eventually settled on using it as an envelope filter for live work

i'm not using it regularly anymore, but it's a fun and (sometimes) useful pedal that's worth having in your bag of tricks.

and i always kept it as close in the chain to the bass as possible so it would track as well as it can.

bassplayerbob · #6 05-13-2011, 05:27 AM

I put it 1st in my chain then to my mxr m82, boss oc2, digitech hardwire distortion and end it with a boss ph3. I never use more than 1 fx at a time. I did get it cheap to have some fun with it.

CHILDISHGAMBINO · #7 05-13-2011, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayerbob

. I did get it cheap to have some fun with it.

Me too.

bassplayerbob · #8 05-13-2011, 07:13 AM

I figure if my band wants to whip out a Rihanna or gaga tune off the cuff, I might be able to slip a synthy tone there. We do crazy things like that, like a polka version of don't cha by the pussycat dolls! Gotta have some fun too!

bigchiefbc · #9 05-13-2011, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshbass

I used to have an SYB-5. The best setting that I could find for it, was "OFF".

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHILDISHGAMBINO

It's a silly pedal.

Oy.

It can actually be a decent, useable bass synth if you take the time to actually tweak the knobs and figure out how to use it. I find it a hell of a lot less toy-sounding than the Digitech, by the way. Yes, if you crank the resonance and frequency knobs and have the decay knob set low, all you're going to get is laser-beam, space-invader sounds.

Most of my experience is with the SYB-5, but the SYB-3 is largely the same circuit, and I have played on a 3 before.

Modes 1-7 are just different waveforms, just choose whichever one you like most. I like mode 6 personally, but that's just preference.

I would recommend that you lower the resonance, probably down to about 9:00 or so. Turn the decay knob all the way up. then play around with the freq knob until you find the sweet spot for the tone you want. I like it down around 12:00 or 1:00.

3toes · #10 05-13-2011, 08:42 AM

I recently sold my SYB-3, just because I don't really use a synth sound anymore. Here was my basic, go-to setting for it.

Dry/Wet levels to taste.

Resonance: About 10-11'oclock
Frequency: Noon-1'oclock
Sens/Decay: 10-11'oclock
Mode: 1

It would produce this:

Those same settings but in mode 2 would produce this:

CHILDISHGAMBINO · #11 05-13-2011, 08:23 PM

I actually really like it. Don't get me wrong. I bought it because I had to see if tracked as badly as some people claim. It tracks really well for me. Just as well as my OC-2. It does make some silly noises when you purposefully make it glitch out though. That's what I mean by silly. I do silly things with it. I like the laser beam sounds too. I didn't mean to come off as a dick. The 3 looks fun. Sorry for the derail.

bigchiefbc · #12 05-13-2011, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHILDISHGAMBINO

I actually really like it. Don't get me wrong. I bought it because I had to see if tracked as badly as some people claim. It tracks really well for me. Just as well as my OC-2. It does make some silly noises when you purposefully make it glitch out though. That's what I mean by silly. I do silly things with it. I like the laser beam sounds too. I didn't mean to come off as a dick. The 3 looks fun. Sorry for the derail.

My bad, the SYB gets slagged so badly around here that I do get all white knight about it sometimes. And I think my SYB (and my Behringer BSY, for that matter) both track a good deal BETTER than my OC-2. My OC-2 glitches incessantly.

Bish42 · #13 05-14-2011, 05:12 AM

I really like my SYB-3 - it can make some really cool sounds. Only problem is, it seems to do weird things to my X-Blender looper. Somehow it disables the sound in full-bypass mode... but oddly still works with some clean signal blended in. It blows my mind!

RickenBoogie · #14 05-14-2011, 08:10 AM

For best results, use an expression pedal with it. Opens up alot of great sounds.

bassplayerbob · #15 05-15-2011, 07:07 PM

Thanks for all the tips. I placed it before my M82 and got some cool useable sounds like Cameo's Word Up, Lakeside's Fantastic Voyage and EWF's Let's Groove. Just gotta get my band to play them now!!