Help! Need to find a stompbox effect!

necrobot · #1 01-20-2011, 12:11 AM

Clean bass isn't enough, and overdriven/distorted bass sounds too pronounced/obvious. I play hardcore/screamo but i can't seem to find a pedal that suits me... A small amount of distortion would be good but i play A LOT of chords and it ends up sounding really crap on the overdrives/distortions i've used..

What the hell do you guys use to give your bass oomph/grit without it sounding heaps muddy/digital.

Excuse all my forward slashes. Also, if it helps...

I use a tube head and nice ampeg box so there aren't any issues in the amplification stage in terms of BOOM.

If anybody is confused about the sound i'm after.. i'll post a video/audio clip or something.

Thanks for reading that t-rex of a new thread post

Swimming Bird · #2 01-20-2011, 07:56 AM

A lot of people have different ideas of hardcore -- mind posting some clips?

Also, what ODs and distortions have you tried that you weren't happy with?

insomniac2295 · #3 01-20-2011, 07:59 AM

My suggestion for muddy chords is an EQ adjustment/pedal. IMO there are a lot of bass frequencies that can muddy up chords in a mix and it can be hard to find the sweet spot.

chokeslam512 · #4 01-20-2011, 08:01 AM

You have a tube head? Crank the pre-amp gain and adjust the master to taste, also midrange.

FromTheBassMent · #5 01-20-2011, 08:06 AM

Durham Sex Drive. I don't like fuzz or distortion on bass, but for some tunes I do like a bit of overdriven sparkle... but it's got to be VERY warm and organic or it's a no-go for me. I can dial that in with the Sex Drive. Plus it has a very sweet, natural sounding switchable compression circuit. I primarily use this when the band gets folkadelic, and yeah, in those instances I am typically playing chords.

Down sides: it's expensive, and it's blue LED will blind you if you make the mistake of looking down directly into it.

bassman1185 · #6 01-20-2011, 08:06 AM

Boost your mids. I play similar music to you, and midrange is your friend, especially if your guitarists have scooped mids.

necrobot · #7 01-20-2011, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

A lot of people have different ideas of hardcore -- mind posting some clips?

Also, what ODs and distortions have you tried that you weren't happy with?

http://www.myspace.com/capsulefl

you can hear it in this bands music [particularly cobalt connection/flowerpower] i just don't understand if it's overdriven or not? I'm pretty sure it is but.. i don't know.

I have a boss odb-3 and that's always satisfied me, but it doesn't do well with a small amount of overdrive.

NortyFiner · #8 01-21-2011, 05:18 AM

Danelectro Cool Cat Transparent Overdrive does a job for small amounts of clean overdrive. A maximizer like the BBE Sonic Stomp might be helpful too.

bassman1185 · #9 01-21-2011, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NortyFiner

Danelectro Cool Cat Transparent Overdrive does a job for small amounts of clean overdrive. A maximizer like the BBE Sonic Stomp might be helpful too.

I used to use a Sonic Maximizer, but I realized that I was FAR less present in the mix when it was engaged than when it was bypassed. I don't think that the OP will benefit from a Sonic Maximizer.

P-oddz · #10 01-21-2011, 10:17 AM

If you are looking for a some extra dirt/grit/grind and some EQ possibilities, have you looked into any of the outboard preamps?

My Aguilar Tone Hammer lets me shape my tone, and add some extra dirt behind it to further push my amps natural gain stage. I use it to give my passive Jazz some teeth before my amp takes over, and as mentioned in an earlier reply, you've got full coverage over adjusting mid range frequencies to find YOUR spot. I love it, personally.

I'd maybe look into that, or I know the Xotic Bass BB Preamp also gets a lot of love around here.

Swimming Bird · #11 01-21-2011, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by necrobot

http://www.myspace.com/capsulefl

you can hear it in this bands music [particularly cobalt connection/flowerpower] i just don't understand if it's overdriven or not? I'm pretty sure it is but.. i don't know.

I have a boss odb-3 and that's always satisfied me, but it doesn't do well with a small amount of overdrive.

Cool, I really enjoyed both of those songs. The mix is quite dense, so I'm also having a hard time telling whether there's OD or not. What I hear from the bass is a strong fundamental and a lot of trebley pick attack.

And EQ pedal may well get you there -- my instinct would be to set it as a boost to give yourself a touch of dirt on the amp and boost the low mids and highs. Give it a shot, and if that doesn't get you what you want, think about an Aggy Agro.