M80 or Metaphors?

fetfet · #1 08-01-2008, 08:50 AM

I've been looking at these two pedals for a while, and I can't decide which one to get. User experience with the Metaphors will probably be light, but anything helps. So help me decide. If you have any other suggestions, feel free, but try to keep it within the price range of these pedals.

Thanks.

EDIT: When you post in the poll, give a reasom for your dhoice in your post.

RCCollins · #2 08-01-2008, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fetfet

I've been looking at these two pedals for a while, and I can't decide which one to get. User experience with the Metaphors will probably be light, but anything helps. So help me decide. If you have any other suggestions, feel free, but try to keep it within the price range of these pedals.

Thanks.

EDIT: When you post in the poll, give a reasom for your dhoice in your post.

I don't know how many people have actually tried out the Metaphors, seeing as it just came out...

bassman1185 · #3 08-01-2008, 09:40 AM

So far I've only seen one person with the Metaphors here on TB. I'm interested in this comparison as well, because I'm sort of in the market for a DI.

bongomania · #4 08-01-2008, 09:41 AM

What exactly do you want it to "sound like" or "do" aside from being a DI?

fetfet · #5 08-01-2008, 09:47 AM

I'd like it to do the distorty-overdrive thing that is closer in tone to Geddy Lee or Robert Trujillo, but i want that to be switchable. And based on these products and reviews, that's what they do.

bassman1185 · #6 08-01-2008, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fetfet

I'd like it to do the distorty-overdrive thing that is closer in tone to Geddy Lee or Robert Trujillo, but i want that to be switchable. And based on these products and reviews, that's what they do.

I think that RT "officially" uses the M-80. There are sample settings from him in the booklet, but if I remember right, they sounded like absolute trash when I tried them out. That was a while ago, though. If you're looking for Geddy Lee tone, though, you probably want a SansAmp.

fetfet · #7 08-01-2008, 12:06 PM

Quote:

I think that RT "officially" uses the M-80. There are sample settings from him in the booklet, but if I remember right, they sounded like absolute trash when I tried them out. That was a while ago, though. If you're looking for Geddy Lee tone, though, you probably want a SansAmp.

I'm not going to buy a Sansamp, unless I find one on the cheap. I'm not looking for a spot on rendition of their tone, but a mix between.

Real sharp, with plenty of bass, somewhat distorted.

bassman1185 · #8 08-01-2008, 12:13 PM

Based on that description, the M-80 will probably work really well for you, but I haven't tried out the Metaphors yet.

cheapbasslovin · #9 08-01-2008, 12:56 PM

I own the Metaphors, and have only played through the M80, so my opinion is not 100% complete. My opinion is that the metaphors is a very transparent DI that shapes the tone of your bass (If you love your bass, the BM [

]may be a good DI for you). IIRC the m80 made a noticeable change to the tone of the instrument being played, but in the case of the bass I was playing at the time, it was for the better. IMO the distortion of both of them are no good. But if you want to use the distortion channel of the BM, there are only specific ways that you can use it where it wont spike the volume. Oh, and the BM is $20 cheaper if that is any consideration. YMMV.

I don't know that one is better than the other, just depends on personal taste (/copout)

fetfet · #10 08-01-2008, 01:00 PM

Where did you get you bass metaphors pedal, cheapbasslovin?

Also, what rig are you playing it through?

I'll be playing a Lakland JO4 in a prog-rock/hard-rock setting, and that is the tone i'm looking for.

cheapbasslovin · #11 08-01-2008, 01:09 PM

I got it from 8th street music, via Amazon.com.

It goes from a SX fretless jazz to a bunch'o'junk to the Metaphors into a Carvin R600 into an Avatar 410 neo. Here are some soundclips of the SX into the BM into a craptastic Behringer interface. Here is the thread explaining the clips.

fetfet · #12 08-01-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheapbasslovin

I got it from 8th street music, via Amazon.com.

It goes from a SX fretless jazz to a bunch'o'junk to the Metaphors into a Carvin R600 into an Avatar 410 neo. Here are some soundclips of the SX into the BM into a craptastic Behringer interface. Here is the thread explaining the clips.

Those aren't the best clips, but the Metaphors sounds good.

Ampeg SVT · #13 08-01-2008, 03:03 PM

Some guy on youtube got a pretty good tone out of his M80+ playing a rush song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Ag3vfH-Pc

zipflint · #14 08-01-2008, 03:05 PM

I was mainly interested in the Metaphors as a compressor, but with some added features. I could definitely use a good DI but would like to avoid blowing any more cash than necessary. I've got distortion covered in other areas.

So I guess I'm asking, Mr. Cheapbasslovin, Sir, is this: what are your overall feelings regarding just the compression on the Metaphors? Care to upload any other clips? I'd be interested to hear everything from light to extreme compression.

Otherwise, (and I know this is one of those well-tenderized horsies) anyone got any other compressor suggestions that would be in the same ballpark, price-wise? Also, is there any consensus on what the most well-rounded compressor might be? What model would be the most "extreme"? I'm interested in all kinds of sounds.

fetfet · #15 08-01-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ampeg SVT

Some guy on youtube got a pretty good tone out of his M80+ playing a rush song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Ag3vfH-Pc

I've seen that video, that is what made me consider the M80 in the first place.

It looks like the M80 is winning, which is kind of a good thing, considering I can actually buy that one without leaving the country.

cheapbasslovin · #16 08-01-2008, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zipflint

I was mainly interested in the Metaphors as a compressor, but with some added features. I could definitely use a good DI but would like to avoid blowing any more cash than necessary. I've got distortion covered in other areas.

So I guess I'm asking, Mr. Cheapbasslovin, Sir, is this: what are your overall feelings regarding just the compression on the Metaphors? Care to upload any other clips? I'd be interested to hear everything from light to extreme compression.

Otherwise, (and I know this is one of those well-tenderized horsies) anyone got any other compressor suggestions that would be in the same ballpark, price-wise? Also, is there any consensus on what the most well-rounded compressor might be? What model would be the most "extreme"? I'm interested in all kinds of sounds.

And such is the problem with the Metaphors. That is the compression. No knob out of 6 on that pedal controls any compression parameter. The difference you heard in the clip is all you will hear.

There are trimpots, and I would guess that at least one trimpot controls some aspect of the compression, but I have not verified that and I will not until I get it set up with my rig by myself for at least a few minutes. So far I have used it to rehearse with the band and record the sound clips, and neither are a good setting for tweaking trimpots. Soon though, soon.

cheapbasslovin · #17 08-01-2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fetfet

Those aren't the best clips, but the Metaphors sounds good.

No those clips suck, but I am also a crappy engineer with crappy recording gear and crappy skills

.

I swear my bass sounds better through my rig than on that recording. I hope?

RickenBoogie · #18 08-01-2008, 06:06 PM

I'll weigh in on the M-80. First, it's a good pedal, has decent eq control, and does double duty as a good DI. The distortion chanel, otoh, is love/hate all the way. I personally don't like it, but I've kept the pedal if for nothing else than the DI, which as I said is a good one. If it were me, and the distortion is the main thing, I'd pass.

mattygbass · #19 08-01-2008, 06:40 PM

love my m80 its a perm. fixture in my chain.

zipflint · #20 08-01-2008, 08:05 PM

Ahhh....that's a little disappointing. I still like the way the pedal seems to sound. Your clips aren't that bad, heh. But I would definitely want a comp with more tweakability. Looks like the hunt is still on. Out of the clips posted in this thread, I think I'm starting to lean more towards the M80.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheapbasslovin

And such is the problem with the Metaphors. That is the compression. No knob out of 6 on that pedal controls any compression parameter. The difference you heard in the clip is all you will hear.