Have you used a Aphex Bass Exciter?

[ODDBALL]

Hello All,


Do you use a Aphex Bass Exciter? How do you use it? Why do you use it? Or is this something you do not need in your signal chain? I would really like to hear your experience with this foot pedal.

Thanks

Shaun

[BigOldHarry]

back in the '80s, I briefly used the other big "Exciter" out there -

I got rid of it - it seemed like a fad, did nothing good for my tone. Maybe it's useful in post, but live???

[fivestringgecko]

I agree with Harry. I picked up a Bass Xciter in a recent trade deal, always wanted to try one. I've had it on my board for a couple weeks now and I kind of feel like it would be more handy in a recording situation than it is (for me) in live use.

I've tried it with a few different basses, both passive and active, and it just seems to muddy things up with my live rig at volume. The low end gets boomy IMO, and tends to be a little overbearing. I have the highs on the Xciter dialed back a good amount because it adds quite a bit more zing than I've wanted in my tone lately. Also, I feel like the Bass Xciter is an "always on or always off" pedal. I don't feel like I could turn it on for one song and off for another, because with the way it handles the low end, there's a perceived volume jump when I turn it on. (That may be my imagination though, I'm still trying to decide.)

I tried it with my Jazz V yesterday morning at church... I put Basslines Quarter Pounders in a couple months ago and they have a wider/warmer low end than stock and sound pretty awesome on their own. But when I turned on the Xciter it became way too much low end, and not in a good way. Mushy, bloated and lacking note definition.

I know it's a little apples-to-oranges, but I much prefer my Sansamp BDDI to the Aphex if I'm looking to change up my tone.

$.02

5sg.

[IncX]

i have one, and i dont use it... i just keep it around as a DI box.

not worth it IMO

[Implosion]

Wikipedia actually has a pretty good description of what it actually does.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

The Aural Exciter is said to enhance clarity and intelligibility by adding phase shift and musically related synthesized harmonics to audio signals. The Big Bottom circuit combines a low-pass filter and dynamics processor to compress and delay incoming low-frequency information. The process is reverse amplitude dependent, meaning that more is applied as the input level drops and less as the signal gets hotter. Together the dynamics processor and time delay create sustained bass frequencies that are perceived as being louder yet do not noticeably increase peak output.

With live volumes, increasing the perceived volume is a lot harder and can pretty much only be achieved by adding more speakers and power. So therefore the effect of the Xciter will be a lot less noticeable and the result can also be heard as "muddying things up".

I've never actually owned one, but what I've understood it's most useful when working with a DI signal in a studio/recording environment.

[ODDBALL]

I have one in my setup now. I feel like it does nothing much for my tone. It does have a real big boomey sound to it. I will take it out and see how it goes.

Thanks for the replies.

Shaun

[ryansalmond]

Yes, it is awesome, I wouldn't be without it.

[fivestringgecko]

Originally Posted by Implosion

With live volumes, increasing the perceived volume is a lot harder and can pretty much only be achieved by adding more speakers and power.

That's why I said "perceived." I know there really isn't an actual volume jump, but the expanded low frequencies make it seem like it (it's the sound gremlins I tell ya!). The soundguy at church even complained about it. lol Right now I'm the same as IncX, just using it as a DI. I should probably take it off my Pedaltrain Mini and put something more fun/useful on there.

5sg.

[BassBrass]

I use the acoustic version exciter-the green one- in the effect loop of my amp after an alesus micro limiter. I have the bass one at home and it's kind of muddy, but I bought it used...maybe it's defective. The green one is valuable as to what high/high mid freq is prominent and adds some lows too, Between a VT on the floor and my amp it's just one source of low end EQing and I don't over do it...anymore...but this is at very loud volume. The aphex just seems to widen the whole sound and make everything clearer, including dirt.

[Bassmike62]

I tried one in a shop last year and really liked what it did to the sound, but was weary of its quality. So I spent a few minutes reading about it here and on Harmony Central and found out about jacks falling off, vicious hissing on some units and poor general built. Went for the BBE Sonic maximizer.

[warwick.hoy]

I had one to liven up the tone out of an SWR LA 8 practice amp. It helped but you can't make chicken soup out of chicken ****. I no longer have it and don't miss it.

[fivestringgecko]

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

It helped but you can't make chicken soup out of chicken ****. I no longer have it and don't miss it.

So eloquently stated! lol But so true!

5sg.

[danomite64]

Originally Posted by fivestringgecko

I know it's a little apples-to-oranges, but I much prefer my Sansamp BDDI to the Aphex if I'm looking to change up my tone.

$.02

5sg.

I had an Xciter on my 2nd pedalboard, figured it'd be nice to have something different than the BDDI on my the pedalboard I leave at church. I tried it out for about a month, then put it on the church board to see how it worked live, and finally sold it and got another BDDI. It's a good pedal, but just not my thing.

[fivestringgecko]

Originally Posted by danomite64

I had an Xciter on my 2nd pedalboard, figured it'd be nice to have something different than the BDDI on my the pedalboard I leave at church. I tried it out for about a month, then put it on the church board to see how it worked live, and finally sold it and got another BDDI. It's a good pedal, but just not my thing.

Eerie! Mine's on my 2nd board as well, which is also my board to leave at church!

That's probably what I'm going to end up doing with my Xciter. Just not so sold on it, especially after Sunday. My Jazz V has become my go to bass, so what's the point of having the Xciter on there?

5sg.

[ODDBALL]

So this unit is not great for live situations?

Thanks

Shaun

[My name is Mudd]

I had one a year or so ago...meh. The most notable thing I remember about it is that it was a BIG volume sucker; when kicked on, my volume dropped by almost half, literally.

The effect itself was nice but not enough to override the loss of that much volume.

[b_carville]

I've been using one for the last six years,

I love it! I usually use a Sansamp as a preamp/DI and put it front of that.I use in front stage of my combo amp as well.It's also helps when I have to use rental or other players rigs.It adds more bottom without making the speakers flap out and makes the high end sweeter without being brittle sounding.It really shines through a good PA system.You do have to use different settings depending on the rig or room.

It's the one thing I hate doing without. It sounds like I took a blanket off the front of the amp.Once it's on I never turn it off.

The build quality could be a little better.The jacks,push switches,AC adaptor in & XLR out are all on the same side.Also if you want to use a battery you have to take the entire plate off the bottom.My unit doesn't add any extra hiss or noise and is holding up fine after six years of constant use.

[ODDBALL]

I have also noticed a volume drop when this is connected. Why is that?

Shaun

[quadrogong]

it's a VERY subtle effect, while recording, I used it on mix-down to add a shiny.shimmer to the overall sound..
It was very,very subtle..kind of like compression or EQ, it's icing on the cake stuff.

Using it in a live bass format? I dunno,
I think it's for really detailed, hifi kind of stuff, like recording,on mixes..

[warwick.hoy]

I can't ever recall a volume drop (I used the pedal version),...in fact the exact opposite. But again I was in a home practice setting trying to get a more hi-fi tone out of my Bass played through a glorified practice amp.