Effects? What's the point on Bass?

[oldprussians]

Provocative title I know, but....

Let me try to defend my self...

The nature of the bass was to contain sonically volatile charged partials of the treble instruments. In one sense produce fence around them.

Technically all instruments have a fundamental frequency and and a whole lot of harmonics that are released every time one makes a note! With bass instruments these harmonics are closer to the fundamental giving the timbre of the instrument that bassy sound. Infact the guitar is a bass instrument and played through bass amp or directly through PA sounds bassy. But with the guitar amps tuned the way they are the guitar sounds higher that it actually is.

Most effects accentuate these higher frequencies, which on guitar is great, due its position in the sonic landscape.

But for a bass to do its job properly it has to only have effects the embellish its bassy features such as and octave. An Auto-wah is OK as long as it keeps a dry signal underneath for example.

Putting a Phaser of a flanger on a Bass, will only sound effective if it is the only instrument playing. If you put a midrange instrument playing at the same time it will sound like 2 midrange instruments playing rather that a Bass and a Mid-Range instrument. At which point you might as well have 2 Mid_range instruments, that will do the job better!

This might explain my minimalist pedal board of:

Auto_Wah -> Amp -> Effects Loop -> Stage Tuner -> Ocatver -> Chorus(Although I'm doubtful of that...maybe Delay is better. since its just repeats the Dry signal).

LETS THE RAGING RESPONSE....

[nad]

There is no spork.

[tpmiller08]

I agree!

It all comes down to personal opinion and taste. Everything in music has rules, but its more like guidelines more than anything.

I don't use effects. Any of them. When I'm playing by myself, I'll pour the effects on like I'm Cliff Burton. But when I'm with the band, if I put effects on, it takes away from the song.

In the end, like I said, its your taste. Depends on the music your playing, and what your looking to do with bass. I've never been a fan of bass effects though in a band situation. Even when I solo I don't use any. Nothing, for me, beats that deep, rich tone that basses make all by they lonesomes!

-Troy

[dannybuoy]

I see your point, but it totally depends on what music you're playing - go tell John Davis or anyone else making electronic music that effects are pointless on bass! Also, fuzz and modulation are pretty much a requirement for doom, but then the purpose of that is to blend in with the guitars and create a wall of sound.

But even with straight down the line rock'n'roll, there's always a place for some effects, especially overdrive.

Originally Posted by oldprussians

Putting a Phaser of a flanger on a Bass, will only sound effective if it is the only instrument playing. If you put a midrange instrument playing at the same time it will sound like 2 midrange instruments playing rather that a Bass and a Mid-Range instrument. At which point you might as well have 2 Mid_range instruments, that will do the job better!

I don't agree with this - putting effects on a bass doesn't necessarily turn it into midrange instrument, replacing my bass with a guitar becuase I want to use a phaser on it would just be silly - there would be no BASS.


But I do find myself playing less and less with effects and am trying to concentrate more on my general tone and chops these days. I could happilly gig with just an overdrive, VT Bass and tuner so I might pick up a pedaltrain mini!

[icarussmicarus]

I like how the only valid effects are the ones you use.

[Swift713]

really?
With all due respect, I think maybe you've got your theory out in front of your ears. Your definition of the role or purpose of the bass is kind of limited. I have a hard time with people telling me what my role is. I tend to rebel.

[Lindsay]

Bass players have voted with their feet. At the end of the day, practicalities win out.

If musicians, producers and the listening public didn't rate the sounds created by playing bass through effects they wouldn't be used as prolifically as they are.

[optikhog]

Originally Posted by Lindsay

If musicians, producers and the listening public didn't rate the sounds created by playing bass through effects they wouldn't be used as prolifically as they are.

+1. That said, the best bass effects, IMHO, are the ones with a blend built in so that at least some of the dry signal remains intact.

[DonnyDanger]

I agree on the above.
Depending on the genre it will be "better or worse" to use effects but keep in mind that even that is a question of taste and not a musical obligation.
To those who use effects, Congrats and to those who don't, Congrats as well !

[tnscot60]

This is an easy thing to answer. It isnt on my pedalboard unless it has a very real reson to be there.

*My compressor tightens up my tone, gives it a nice punch and helps it cut through the music.
*My chorus is dialed into a very subtle setting, making it almost invisible. But you really notice if I turn it off. It adds a lush richness to the tone.
*My EQ allows me to accentuate certain frequencies, again making it cut through the music better.
*My filter allows me the greasiness of a funky wah sound when appropriate.
*Lastly, my fuzz and distortion pedals allow me to crunch nicely on occasion, and can be especially useful during guitar leads, in environments where there is only one guitar, keeping the sound fat while the guitar drops the rythym.

Personally, I have no use for a flanger, or phaser, and have no particular interest in an octaver. But for me to discount the validity of those effects for that reason would be arrogant.

[Rickett Customs]

And all this time, I thought there were Bass specific effects. Well, back to the old drawing board

[scotch]

This thread is troll-erific!

[Mutant Corn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVzQHIw_6B4

Skip to 1:55. Now try and tell me you could do that without effects.

[oldprussians]

Heck I did open a can of worms........

Never mind...

To Mutant Corn..... I dn't think that sound actually added to the song.... I think the song would still be it without the effect..... But it's guess its personal taste.

[Ric5]

Effects? What's the point on Bass?

Ya don't all basses sound the same anyway ... as do all bass amps ... and all strings sound the same ... in fact we don't need basses let's all get a synth to produce a pure sine wave bass note that is just the pure fundamental note with no personality at all.

[theunknowndude]

I find that some effects are harder to add to a band mix than others unless there is an open sonic spot for sure,... that's all part and parcel of it though,...

but effects can lead to some terribly good innovative parts,... almost any number of tool songs where its actually the bass playing the 'lead/melodic' part was hidden from my eyes and hears for quite some time mistaking it for guitar!

name any effect and I think you will find that someone has used it in a band setting,... sure I can't replicate it myself (some people use the subdecay noisebox in a band setting, I haven't found a time nor place in mine to be able to use it...)

you can always go the minimalist approach and just use overdrive, touch of chorus/delay etc, but then there is always the far out approach, crazy fills, lead parts etc,... I try to keep a fine line in my band but to the point of your thread, yes in some genres minimalist approach works better,...

don't think you can ever say that there is 'no' point to effects on bass though!

Originally Posted by oldprussians

Provocative title I know, but....

Let me try to defend my self...

The nature of the bass was to contain sonically volatile charged partials of the treble instruments. In one sense produce fence around them.

Technically all instruments have a fundamental frequency and and a whole lot of harmonics that are released every time one makes a note! With bass instruments these harmonics are closer to the fundamental giving the timbre of the instrument that bassy sound. Infact the guitar is a bass instrument and played through bass amp or directly through PA sounds bassy. But with the guitar amps tuned the way they are the guitar sounds higher that it actually is.

Most effects accentuate these higher frequencies, which on guitar is great, due its position in the sonic landscape.

But for a bass to do its job properly it has to only have effects the embellish its bassy features such as and octave. An Auto-wah is OK as long as it keeps a dry signal underneath for example.

Putting a Phaser of a flanger on a Bass, will only sound effective if it is the only instrument playing. If you put a midrange instrument playing at the same time it will sound like 2 midrange instruments playing rather that a Bass and a Mid-Range instrument. At which point you might as well have 2 Mid_range instruments, that will do the job better!

This might explain my minimalist pedal board of:

Auto_Wah -> Amp -> Effects Loop -> Stage Tuner -> Ocatver -> Chorus(Although I'm doubtful of that...maybe Delay is better. since its just repeats the Dry signal).

LETS THE RAGING RESPONSE....

Hee hee that's quite funny. You've said your pedal board is minimalist! I wouldn't call that minimalist - I'd say you're using about as many effects as a bass player could expect to get away with!

If you're set up is minimalist, then what's mine? I only use a sansamp to colour the sound.

I think that bass effects need to be selected differently to guitar effects it's true. But I don't think you're arguing a very good case for not using effects when you're using an octaver, an auto-wah and a chorus.

Distortion can sound great on bass too - for example 'Sabotage' by the Beastie Boys.

I think there's infinite possibilities for effects usage on bass, but as ever the difficult thing is selecting the right ones at the right time. Flea is particularly good at this - if you listen to Blood Sugar Sex Magik, there's effects on a lot of the bass tracks. You might not notice it much because it's quite subtle and he's not relying on the effects. At the same time, the songs wouldn't sound as good without it. For example, Mellowship Slinky in B major.

[jdieh1]

I find that effects are fun to mess around with when you play by yourself but in a band situation they are hard to use so I keep them to a very bare minimum. But that's just me

[stflbn]

I keep wanting effects. I keep trying effects. Then I keep not using effects other than slight overdrive and end up selling said effects.

I don't think people who use them are wrong... and I don't insult them for it. But I also don't think people who prefer effects should be insulted if others don't like them.

[dmusic148]

Ha ha....Carrots.
I use an Octave once in a while, and I generally agree with your position. But others quite obviously feel that the bass can/should occupy roles other than the 'traditional' ones, and some players can pull it off, very effectively. Not my 'bag,' but that's fine.