Digitech Bad Monkey questions. Please help.

Flipper43 · #1 12-05-2009, 10:59 PM

Hey guys, i have a few questions about this pedal. I've been looking to buy a good sounding overdrive for a while without ripping apart my wallet, and i've heard good things about the BM. Now, first of all, how much low end does this thing retain when the lows are all the way up on it? And how much overdrive can this thing get at full? I'm looking for a tone similar to this track. (I'm talking about the bass of course) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3uZHf09bNM

If you could suggest anything else to fulfill that kind of sound, go for it. My price range is basically under $200. Thanks a whole lot.

BassBrass · #2 12-07-2009, 10:46 AM

I have the Humphries Modified "Badder" Monkey and it's pretty close to that sound. (he lowers the bass and the high knob centers, bass is bassier and high is more like high mid, about where bass' attack tone is). I also have a regular Badmonkey, and for me it would be unacceptable on bass without a blender. Low is mush and high is just hiss, not a tone that cuts through a band. But the mod dropped off my board because it's kind of dull in a multi pedal board, it's much better by itself. I use it at home. Probably a buffer issue. Right now I'm using a blended Barber Dirty Bomb for something like that...more mids, but a natural grind with more usable highs. So it's either a guitar pedal with blend or a bass overdrive of some kind. I bet a Hematoma would work.

varunkapahi · #3 12-07-2009, 10:54 AM

on the stock BM you dont need the lows even way to keep your bass or even add more i felt when i tried it.
edit: but it does change the tone a lot. so the lows basically sound different. there is no flat center on the eq.

stingray69 · #4 12-07-2009, 11:35 AM

To my ears, the Bad Monkey keeps the low end better than a lot of other overdrives I've tried. Although the LOW knob can & does bring back in a lot of lows, it seems to bring the lows back in around 100Hz to my ears. Frequencies below that seem to roll off pretty quickly, so it doesn't have a ton of low rumble/feel it kind of thing going on, but a lot of rooms you play in might take care of that thing for you.

And of course going through a PA w/15's and 18's and/or extra EQ from your amp in the lowest regions while using it may help if that is what you're looking for. The overdrive voicing of the BM itself is outstanding - very growly, not fizzy or fuzzy. It's also very touch-sensitive in that you can lighten up your playing & it follows or lay into it harder for more overdrive. I've not felt the need to use a blend pedal on a gig with my BM, but your setup & YMMV. Whether or not the low end retention is quite what you had in mind might be better judged by the old reliable, try it first (if you can) method or order from a place that allows returns if it's not quite what you were looking for.

ocoaibass · #5 01-09-2010, 03:10 PM

What about the badder BASS monkey mod? Anyone have one of these? I just got a stock BM & the indyguitarist.com book on their mod. Is it similar to the Humohrey Audio? Which one, badder or badder bass?

LaklandBass · #6 01-09-2010, 03:16 PM

I owned one and used it with a Lakland 44-02, Ampeg SVT4Pro and a Bagend 4x10. it was a good pedal. Probably a couple of better ones out there but this was absolutely good enough that I didnt care to keep looking.

ocoaibass · #7 01-09-2010, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaklandBass

I owned one and used it with a Lakland 44-02, Ampeg SVT4Pro and a Bagend 4x10. it was a good pedal. Probably a couple of better ones out there but this was absolutely good enough that I didnt care to keep looking.

was yours modded? if so, which mod? badder or badder BASS? sorry to harp on specifics, but I got the bug to mod and I don't want to waste time

Silent Fly · #8 01-11-2010, 02:13 AM

I really like the BM - great pedal.

With a little bit of tweaking it sounds great but even without mods it is not bad at all.

tomhanzo · #9 01-11-2010, 05:28 AM

my bad monkey always did good, but i always felt like it coloured your sound when it was on or off.

Koeda · #10 01-11-2010, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ocoaibass

was yours modded? if so, which mod? badder or badder BASS? sorry to harp on specifics, but I got the bug to mod and I don't want to waste time

Mine is the modded Badder Bass version by HA - worth the extra bass on the3 mods imho.
David

ocoaibass · #11 01-11-2010, 05:42 PM

do you know the difference between the HA mod and the indyguitarist one? circuit wise. I'm set up to do the indyguitarist mod and was gonna start tomorrow...

I'm not trying to steal HA's thunder or cut out the middle man. I'd just prefer to do my own modding, just like I do my own stringing, tubing, biasing, intonation, etc...