Markbass Super Synth: My review and experience.

[parsons]

I play in a 3 piece rock/punk band. Being a 3 piece, its tough to sound "thick" at times, especially during the blistering guitar solos and the like. My guitarist suggested that I use an octave pedal. So it drove me to look into getting one. I always liked the idea of an oct/synth so on the journey went.

First I grabbed a Boss OC-3 from work since I can get them discounted at cost. Total waste of time. Didnt realize it only went octave below and 2 below. Tracked horribly and honestly just sucks at life in general.

Then I decided to get use the Black Friday GC coupon for the Super Synth. Got it out the door for $250 bucks.

I get the pedal home and notice that there is no software?! Ok, well I can DL it from their site. I never downloaded the software because... youll see.

It comes with a chincy power supply- Id be scared to plug and unplug it alot and the power wires arent very long. In case you dont know, this pedal doesnt run on batteries so youd better have power front of the stage unless you bring your own.

I wasnt impressed with the quality of the switches on the pedal. I was hoping for a nice positive click when hit. instead they just go in and out. I dunno, just like the way the switches I've used to do true bypass mods feel. That loud pop is a good way to know its switched for me. Its just a personal thing. I suppose this doesnt mean these switches are actually bad, just not what I wouldve used. Ill note the true bypass works perfectly. Not a single bit of tone sucking when its off.

The pedal tracks really well. The octaves below are definitely loud and audible. Has a nice synth tone to them. The upper octaves are very synthy sounding if that is your thing. There is a million different settings you can use to get what you want synth wise. The octave settings will most likely work for you if you want a octave down. This is where I began to dislike it.

I didnt need an octave down, I wanted an octave up. My idea is to run it through my 2nd Sansamp RPM which is set for distortion. This would give a little more of a second guitar effect in the mix during the guitar leads. The octave up wasnt very audible for me. Even with EQ boosts on the pre amp and the onboard pre in my bass, it still wasnt cutting it.

I ended up returning the pedal. I think I probably blew my cab using that octave down setting. I dont care because the cab was free but it might live. Ill check it out next practice. Just remember if you're using the octave down the level on it may not be as much as your dry signal, but itll still make your speaker play that low frequency which could cause issues if your cab doesnt like it.

[aledeville]

What's your point?
You're not using the pedal to it's full extent (software), you do not like the knobs because they weren't the ones your mother always used and you don't like the idea that you can't use the pedal (that needs at least 500mA!) with batteries?

You should rename the thread - this is not a review, this is only your experience.

Anybody could have told you that when you want an octave up you have to go for one of the POG's or the Akai Unibass. Which are great pedals btw.

[BigOldHarry]

While I agree this isn't much of a review, it sounds a lot like my buddy's experience with this pedal - - bought, dorked around with it, found it wanting, took it back.

[JBass1]

Using the software I'm pretty sure you can adjust the volume of the octave

[jbybj]

Like many things that are worthwhile, the Super Synth, IME, requires a little effort, investigation, and experimentation to yield the fruits. I've found that it does what it was designed to do, extraordinarily well. It took three or four rounds of software tweak to arrive at this opinion.

[Explorer]

I'm always grateful when someone like this buys something I'm considering and then resells it for a loss. I can't count the number of bargains I've picked up with just such stories.

It's funny to read other topics (not necessarily here) complaining about the loud physical click/pop produced by certain effects just because of the mechanical switch, and to read of the exact opposite on this thread.

----

Incidentally, there are many threads devoted to the POG and POG2 which complain that the POG line is only good for organ sounds. Since I know that it's capable of so much more, and use it in so many ways, I recognize that it's a good suggestion.

However, given the cursory use given the amazing Super Synth, I suspect that suggesting any POG use will just evoke the familiar "only does organ sounds!" battle cry of the casual tester.

[savinggrace]

Originally Posted by Explorer

I'm always grateful when someone like this buys something I'm considering and then resells it for a loss. I can't count the number of bargains I've picked up with just such stories.

+ 1!

This reminds me, I finally found a used Super Synth at Guitar Center online.

So I am currently running both the G5 and the Super Synth on my board!

[Grimoire]

Originally Posted by jbybj

Like many things that are worthwhile, the Super Synth, IME, requires a little effort, investigation, and experimentation to yield the fruits. I've found that it does what it was designed to do, extraordinarily well. It took three or four rounds of software tweak to arrive at this opinion.

Couldn't agree more. The SS requires time, and a little effort to get great tones and wacky sounds. But the payoff is there, it's a brilliant pedal.

[Swift713]

I was surprised to read that someone was looking for a synth pedal for a punk band. Decent synth pedals are generally pretty deep. If you want a plug and play synth pedal maybe the Boss or Digitech offerings are more appropriate. I think the Micro Pog's octave up is fine with some dirt or filter of some sort after it.

[parsons]

Originally Posted by aledeville

What's your point?
You're not using the pedal to it's full extent (software), you do not like the knobs because they weren't the ones your mother always used and you don't like the idea that you can't use the pedal (that needs at least 500mA!) with batteries?

You should rename the thread - this is not a review, this is only your experience.

Anybody could have told you that when you want an octave up you have to go for one of the POG's or the Akai Unibass. Which are great pedals btw.

Of course! Because the info about the POG and the Unibass is readily available on the wall of any McDonald's bathroom stall!

Re read my post. I never said I didn't like the knobs, they actually feel great. It was foot switches that I didn't care for. I would hope that people would realize that's a personal opinion. If you dont care about feeling a click below your foot as you stomp your effect then it wouldn't matter now would it?
I also never said I didn't like the idea of using the unit without batteries. I stated that it doesn't use batteries for those who didn't know. I said I would want to keep plugging and unplugging the cheap feeling AC adapter that it comes with. It would probably be fine if you had a power strip on a pedal board and never messed with it but trip over it once on stage and it'd be shorted instantly.

I know I never used the software. Maybe using it one can get a better octave up effect than out of the box, maybe you cant. You can tweak the pedal without the software. Are there anymore settings that can be tweaked further through the software? I don't know, I didn't get that far with it until I realized I should probably seek something else since the octave portion of the pedal I needed didn't even come close to what kind of sound I was looking for out of the box. It sounded very artificial.

What exactly do you think a review is? It is a collection of persons experiences with the item in question. Sure, mine is not an in depth how to but neither are half the comments posted on this forum.

Originally Posted by JBass1

Using the software I'm pretty sure you can adjust the volume of the octave

As I said, I never bothered to deal with the software but you can also adjust the upper octave parameters with the onboard knob as well and with it dimed, it wasn't loud enough. The software could possibly yield better results so if someone can chime in, please do.

[stu1965]

I love mine. That said, I play in a cover band, where there are at least a half dozen silly dance songs that require that nice synth sound. I utilize the software tweaking all the time.

I liked mine enough that I sold my Deep Impact.

diff strokes.

[kevteop]

Originally Posted by aledeville

What's your point?
Anybody could have told you that when you want an octave up you have to go for one of the POG's or the Akai Unibass. Which are great pedals btw.

The Micro POG is really weak-sounding. I suppose you could put the octave up through something else to cover up how weak it sounds, but then you're talking about adding a mixer too, and a dirt pedal or whatever to improve the octave sound.

I wouldn't recommend a POG to anyone who wants to thicken up their sound.

[Chronicle]

Crappy buttons? Son, your buttons that click are crappier. chincy power supply? It looks like every other power supply...not a very experienced review imo.

[Explorer]

Originally Posted by parsons

What exactly do you think a review is? It is a collection of persons experiences with the item in question. Sure, mine is not an in depth how to but neither are half the comments posted on this forum.

I'll agree that at least half the comments on this board are not an in-depth how-to, or a complete review.

However, of the ones which claim to actually be reviews, I'd say that the percentage of them which are actually more complete reviews to be higher than that 50% mark.

----

I guess the thing which stood out for me in your experiences was this: Because a louder octave-up wasn't in the presets, you didn't use or even download the software which would have allowed you to program a louder octave-up.

It's a truism among synth players that one can't really judge a synth by the presets, but I can understand that knowledge not being common outside of that group. That's changing, though. As modelers become more familiar technology among bass and guitar players, more of those players understand that the presets may define a lowest common denominator (sounds likely to appeal to someone just giving something a cursory test in a store), but the gear is capable of so much more.

So, to be fair, I'm sorry there wasn't more information out there which might have encouraged you to look beyond the presets. Hopefully you'll find something which fits your needs.

Good luck!

[Jared Lash]

I can understand that you had a bad experience with the Super Synth, but to me it sounds like choosing the wrong tool for the job and then being upset that it doesn't do exactly what you want.

The absolute best single pedal solution for what you want to do is the Unibass. Here's one for sale on eBay now. That's significantly more than I paid for mine, but I suppose prices have gone up in the last couple years.

In any event you wouldn't even need your Sansamp. While not perfect, the built in distortion works great in a mix. Simple and effective.

[jgroh]

I dont have a SS, but I just got a Distosore and I happen to agree with the OP about the power supply. I imagine its the same cord or at least similar. The cord is not very long and looks (IMO) on the cheap side. I take good care of my stuff but that cord worries me for gigs. YMMV though.

[Chronicle]

Btw, the software NEVER comes with the pedal. it's a download only. it's what? 50 mb? That's a waste of a CD...

[parsons]

Originally Posted by Chronicle

Crappy buttons? Son, your buttons that click are crappier. chincy power supply? It looks like every other power supply...not a very experienced review imo.

Thousands upon thousands of smashes on my crappy $12 switches on my green EHX Big Muff and Small Stone would prove you wrong. Your standard Boss PSA power supply feels like a tank compared to the MB.

Experienced? I own plenty of effects from many makers. Im not Ed Friedland, but I can tell you what feels bulletproof and what might be a little suspect.

[Explorer]

Originally Posted by parsons

Thousands upon thousands of smashes on my crappy $12 switches on my green EHX Big Muff and Small Stone would prove you wrong. Your standard Boss PSA power supply feels like a tank compared to the MB.

Experienced? I own plenty of effects from many makers. Im not Ed Friedland, but I can tell you what feels bulletproof and what might be a little suspect.

Err...

Let's just acknowledge that there are different expectations regarding gear. For example, I have pedals which I've owned since the late '70s/early '80s which have been in use, and they look really good.

However, I would never characterize the way I turn them on as "smashes."

There was a recent ad on another forum for a POG2, and the description stated that it is all scratched up, but that all those EHX pedals get completely wrecked in that way, as everyone knows.

What? *laugh*

My HOG and POG2 don't have scratches or paint chips beaten down to the metal. None of the pedals I've gotten without that kind of damage have accumulated such damage while in my hands.

----

I'll agree with the OP that in his hands, the switches on the Super Synth might not have have held up with his expectations of how to treat working gear. I'll go further and say that I don't think I'd ever loan him gear for a gig....

[BassMan99]

I think you are being a bit hard on this guy. I have to agree about cheap power supplies coming with expensive pedals. I recently bought a source audio Multi wave distortion pro. The PS has very thin wires. I truly think I should buy a spare. In the manual it says you MUST use this power supply. When you pay $200-$300. for a pedal they should give you a decent power supply. I bet this crap they ship costs them a buck or two tops.