Moog Mf-101 + ? for electronica

JBass1 · #1 12-02-2010, 11:22 AM

Hi everyone,

I am wondering about which pedals I could combo my MF-101 with to achieve a good electronica sound. I don't have a lot of money but don't mind saving up. I am thinking that most important would be an octave or synth (or compression?). I am trying to play music along the lines of The New Deal, STS9, Disco Biscuits, etc...

I would appreciate any suggestions, especailly from people that have used the MF-101. For an octave I would definitely need something that can do +1 octave, not just -1/-2. What should I be looking for? Is compression something I should get before any of this?

Sorry for all the posts lately, I'm still trying to learn as much as I can about pedals.

Proton Lenny · #2 12-02-2010, 11:34 AM

The basic electronic/synth bass sound is octaver+fuzz+filter. You already have a great filter, so get a good analog octaver (Boss OC-2, MXR Bass Octave Deluxe), and an aggressive, possibly gated, fuzz (Zvex Wooly Mammoth, Zvex Mastotron, and a ton of other ones).

If you check out this thread:

Proton's Trek Through The Wide World Of Effects

You'll find a back log of everything I did to get my current sound, which includes a lot of electronica/synth/dubstep sounds. If you jump to the last page you'll see my current board as well. And finally, if you want to go to my bands website (in my sig) and download some free music, you can ask me to break down what I'm doing effects wise if you like what you here. That's my 2 cents. Good luck.

Ciao,

Proton

beggar98 · #3 12-02-2010, 11:35 AM

It is expensive, but for my money the POG2 is well ahead of most of the other octaves on the market. Flawless polyphonic tracking, great sounds that are flexible, -2, -1, +1 and +2 octaves, LP filter, attack decay and most important of all: its programmable. Especially for the type of music you're talking about, presets are key, otherwise you'll be on your knees between every song (or maybe in the middle of songs) trying to change settings.

Kobaia · #4 12-02-2010, 12:03 PM

If you're sporting a LPF you're going to lose that +1 octave real quick. But if you're looking for a +1/-1 versatility go with the POG.

The basic sound is an octave pedal that sounds synthy. The OC-2 is almost untouched in that sense. The mxr bod does a decent imitation of that.

A fuzz will make it more aggressive. And the LPF will cut the higher frequencies isolating the fundamental making it sound more synthesized.

Some other great effects are chorus, Expression pedal for the LPF cutoff, and an LFO unto the cutoff of the LPF

This video shows the building of dub step bass parts. You can hear many different types of electronica bass parts as he builds them:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcMtxpUAKcQ

khabalah · #5 12-02-2010, 12:11 PM

i`ll echo the above post..
DEFINATELY get an expression pedal, an OC-2 and a (gated) fuzz..
if you should be lucky enough to find a used moogerfooger CP251 : buy it!!! it turns the 101 into a waaaaaaaay more versatile beast!!

JBass1 · #6 12-02-2010, 12:33 PM

thanks so much everyone for the info - I am buying an EP2 tomorrow for the cutoff which was already part of the plan. I read the OC-2 didn't have a +1 octave but I was originally interested in that. I will be sure to check all the links when I get home from work.

Why would the LPF render the +1 octave basically un-usable?

Kobaia · #7 12-02-2010, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBass1

Why would the LPF render the +1 octave basically un-usable?

from what i'm thinking, the synth sound comes from a fake or synthesized note. and since you're a bass player i'd imagine that you'd want the lowest note to sound synth. so to do an octave down you'd have to play an octave up, then +1 octave would be another octave above that.
the low pass filter will cutoff any notes and harmonics(part of why it sounds synthy) below what you set the cutoff to. so unless you're setting the LPF high enough to hear the 3rd octave up then you wont be isolating the bottom octave.

the science behind it:
our lowest A is 55hz, the 12th fret is 110, the 14th fret of G would be 220 that octave that could be generated via +1 would be 440. the LPF sweet spot is on either side of 250hz, and in the 4 pole setting you hear almost nothing over maybe 300 hz. so unless you're sweeping way past that you're probably not going to get the full effect of the +1. unless you're playing down an octave in the lower registers of the instrument then the -1 octave probably wont generate

JBass1 · #8 12-02-2010, 08:23 PM

I have been reading that the boss oc-2 doesn't work too well with bass?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/msg/2084129714.html

Kobaia · #9 12-02-2010, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBass1

I have been reading that the boss oc-2 doesn't work too well with bass?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/msg/2084129714.html

...hahaha ya right ok.

it totally works with bass. IDK why anyone would want an octave down from low B or even E. as long as you're not trying to play those low notes you should be fine

Lindsay · #10 12-03-2010, 04:25 AM

In my view, OC-2 > Chunk Systems Brown Dog > MF101 is a great combo.

One of the more recently released octavers, like the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, will give you more fretboard range - with regards to glitch-free tracking - than the OC-2, but won't have the same old-school synth character. It's a trade-off.

Lindsay · #11 12-03-2010, 04:30 AM

PS: OC-2 tips (often repeated on these pages): Oct-2 off, Oct-1 12-2 o'clock, direct to taste (in my case, off). Play F# (D string, fourth fret) and up only, any lower and you'll experience glitching.

JBass1 · #12 12-03-2010, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lindsay

PS: OC-2 tips (often repeated on these pages): Oct-2 off, Oct-1 12-2 o'clock, direct to taste (in my case, off). Play F# (D string, fourth fret) and up only, any lower and you'll experience glitching.

If it only works from F# and up I think I would need something better no?

I don't mean to keep dragging it out after you guys say it should be fine but I just want to be sure. I have no experience with this stuff

JohnDavisNYC · #13 12-03-2010, 07:42 AM

i can play down to a C or B on the E string no problem with my OC2... and THE settings (as far as I'm concerned) are OCT2 off OCT1 full and DIRECT off...

only thing i can think to watch out for is how hot your output is from those Warwicks... the OC2 can sometimes get a bit 'burpy' if you feed it a super hot signal. it shouldn't be a huge problem, just something to watch out for... i trimmed the preamp on my fodera down to about the volume of my vintage jazz bass so that the tracking and levels are consistent across the two instruments.

john

JBass1 · #14 12-03-2010, 08:23 AM

i have an active/passive switch so that should help in that case right?

JBass1 · #15 12-03-2010, 08:29 AM

what about the Boss OC-3...it has an OC-2 mode and I'm wodnering if it will be better for my purposes?

JBass1 · #16 12-03-2010, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proton Lenny

The basic electronic/synth bass sound is octaver+fuzz+filter. You already have a great filter, so get a good analog octaver (Boss OC-2, MXR Bass Octave Deluxe), and an aggressive, possibly gated, fuzz (Zvex Wooly Mammoth, Zvex Mastotron, and a ton of other ones).

If you check out this thread:

Proton's Trek Through The Wide World Of Effects

You'll find a back log of everything I did to get my current sound, which includes a lot of electronica/synth/dubstep sounds. If you jump to the last page you'll see my current board as well. And finally, if you want to go to my bands website (in my sig) and download some free music, you can ask me to break down what I'm doing effects wise if you like what you here. That's my 2 cents. Good luck.

Ciao,

Proton

I just read through a good portion of that thread and while I only understand about 5% of what was going on, I am becoming slightly more addicted to knowledge. I thought of just selling my LPF and starting from scratch but I don't want to be hasty.

JBass1 · #17 12-03-2010, 11:11 AM

I found a mastotron for $90 and I think I'm gunna pull the trigger...then I'll grab either an OC-2 or an OC-3 and this should do it right?

Is there anything else recommended to get a good techno DnB sound? I dont think I understand LFO's just yet but is that where I would get a wobble-effect? I don't really understand how adjusting inaudible parts of sound effects the sound..

bigblondeafro87 · #18 12-03-2010, 12:28 PM

^^^ An LFO (low frequency oscillator) is a carrier signal. This means you can send the waveform generated by the LFO to control say, the cutoff freq for the filter. Thats the wob-wob-wob-wob sound, for the most part.

FunkyBassline · #19 12-03-2010, 01:13 PM

I'm using the MF-101/CopilotFX Orbit/OC-2 combo and love it... the orbit is a great gated fuzz for active basses (I use it with a stingray)

PS: You may want to pick up a chorus pedal too, the analogman mini chorus is nasty with the above combo... it gives it a good wobble and thickens up the sound quite a bit without really getting muddy

JBass1 · #20 12-03-2010, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FunkyBassline

I'm using the MF-101/CopilotFX Orbit/OC-2 combo and love it... the orbit is a great gated fuzz for active basses (I use it with a stingray)

PS: You may want to pick up a chorus pedal too, the analogman mini chorus is nasty with the above combo... it gives it a good wobble and thickens up the sound quite a bit without really getting muddy

how would you say the orbit stands up to the mastatron?