Pedal Decisions

iriegnome · #1 12-03-2012, 12:34 PM

I am working on setting up a basic pedal board.
I just bought a Boss CEB3 Chorus, I have a Digitech Bass Synth, and a Danelectro FAB Flange and just a cheap pedal tuner that works well, but no real brand name.
I realize that I want a better flange pedal, but the Boss Chorus and Digitech Synth are pretty good. A good tuner and I think for the most part I should be set. However,
Do I need a true bypass switch? If so, what kind? Any suggestions as to a decent flange without costing more than my bass?
I play jam music, Modulus Quantum 5 string bass, SWR Bass 750 amp, Schroeder Cabinets and use George L's cables. I have a 1 spot for power as well.
Any suggestions for a newbie (32 years without any pedals)

Mattbass97 · #2 12-03-2012, 12:45 PM

A pedal that is true bypass will retain your original signal better when the pedal is off than a non bypass pedal generally true bypass pedals are the way to go! Also flanger wise a boss bf-3 is what i used to have and it was great also mxr are coming out with a chorus/flanger pedal for bass maybe look into that

iriegnome · #3 12-03-2012, 01:10 PM

Are the Boss pedals noisy?

iriegnome · #4 12-03-2012, 01:25 PM

Does anyone have any experience with both the CEB3 Boss and the Digitech Bass Multi Chorus?

Ubersheist · #5 12-03-2012, 03:27 PM

True bypass are better, but usually the difference is only noticeable in studio recordings, and not at all noticeable in live situations. Unless you're running a massive pedal board where all the added noise can become irksome, you'll never really know the difference, and you'd have more noise issues related to power supply issues. Usually, live rooms are terrible for tone anyway, especially if the room has highly reflective surfaces or if it's packed with people. My experience with chorus on bass is that in live situations, it mostly just muddies things up, and it has to be CRANKED and extreme for the audience to hear the slightest bit of difference. Mind you, it can can get accentuation by fuzz, filters or pedals like your bass synth, but in general, choruses have to be either extreme or not used at all on bass.

The thing I don't see on your board is a fuzz/OD. That, coupled with an envelope filter after it can get you a ton of funky sounds. The Bassballs does this really well, but doesn't really work as a stand alone fuzz or envelope very well. Also, an EQ pedal can be good for switching sounds mid-song, although I personally have an active bass that nullifies my need for an EQ pedal.

There's a ton of info out there both on this board and elsewhere. I'd suggest trying to gauge the reliability of the info presented, though. Often on this board (and I can't think of anything in particular at the moment), you can get advice from guys who don't really leave the basement, don't really have an ear for music or what works practically, or haven't got any real experience, etc. Take a second or two to investigate who posted a video or who made a comment on a thread, etc., to see if you can gauge as to what sort of player and musician they are.

HolmeBass · #6 12-03-2012, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriegnome

Are the Boss pedals noisy?

While not true bypass, I have found the BF-3 to not be noisy. It has a decent buffered bypass in it. I think if you lined up >~6 boss buffered bypass pedals in a row you might start to hear some signal degradation when they were all bypassed.

I think for your few number of pedals you don't have to worry. Or maybe, worry about that no-name tuner first before the boss/digitech/mxr pedals causing problems.

Bassmike62 · #7 12-03-2012, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriegnome

Does anyone have any experience with both the CEB3 Boss and the Digitech Bass Multi Chorus?

I had the Boss CEB3 for a couple of years. It worked very well for me, decent tone and no noise. Sold it out of desire to explore other chorus pedals and after a few pedals, settled on what I have now. But I believe its a fine chorus, a little on the subtle side and of a darker shade (IMO). Never tried the Digitech MC, but I have a few Digitech pedals: JamMan, BassDriver and Bass Synth Wah and I am satisfied with them sound wise, although I'm not sure the switching system is very sturdy.

As for the BSW, this is a little gem for me: it can filter, filter+octave, fuzz, and octave effects. Nice little jack-of-all-trades pedal for someone like me who carries a smaller pedalboard.

iriegnome · #8 12-03-2012, 04:57 PM

What would the BassBalls envelope filter give me as for the sound? My bass is active and I have a parametric EQ in my rig as well, so i would not need another eq..

Bassmike62 · #9 12-03-2012, 05:02 PM

I also had the Bassballs for about a year. Found it very interesting after having it modded to have the internal trimpots accessible from the outside, so it added 2 knobs and a lot of tweakability. The Bassballs has its own filter sound (I hated its distortion and never used it) and its very good IMO. But as with all filters, I got bored with and went with something else.... which I don't have anymore, of course. Before buying it, check the Youtube demos and try it before buying it.

Bakkster_Man · #10 12-04-2012, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HolmeBass

While not true bypass, I have found the BF-3 to not be noisy. It has a decent buffered bypass in it. I think if you lined up >~6 boss buffered bypass pedals in a row you might start to hear some signal degradation when they were all bypassed.

I think for your few number of pedals you don't have to worry. Or maybe, worry about that no-name tuner first before the boss/digitech/mxr pedals causing problems.

Personally, I consider true bypass to be any pedal where the input and ouput both completely disconnect from any tone circuitry inside. I prefer a good buffer in a pedal to straight wire, without a buffer the impedance changes. That said, if the choice was between a mediocre buffer and none, I would go with none.

Iriegnome: do you have a compressor? With all these short delay effects, a compressor could go a long way to balancing out any volume dips or swings.

iriegnome · #11 12-04-2012, 06:44 AM

No compressor. Had a Triple C rack compressor, but ditched it years ago. Never used one since.

cheapbasslovin · #12 12-04-2012, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriegnome

What would the BassBalls envelope filter give me as for the sound? My bass is active and I have a parametric EQ in my rig as well, so i would not need another eq..

Here's what my Bassballs (with the external trimpots) sounds like on a wankery demo cut.

iriegnome · #13 12-04-2012, 01:11 PM

Ok. So out with my Danelectro and in with a Boss BF3 Flange. Now I have a Digitech Bass Synth, Boss CEB-3 Chorus, Boss BF-3 Flange and my tuner. Looking into a Bassballs, but not sure I either want nor need it, but it is a thought.
Line up would then be -
Bass-Tuner-Chorus-Flange-Synth-Amp?? Correct?

iriegnome · #14 12-05-2012, 09:21 PM

I am thinking about adding in my Dan-Echo into this as well. It is a really cool pedal (If used rarely) and I all ready have it.. But like many many people - - Bass, Tuner, Chorus, Flange, Echo, Synth, Amp??

scottfeldstein · #15 12-06-2012, 12:42 AM

Upgrade the Bass Synth Wah to a Boss SYB-5, an MXR envelope filter and, depending on how you used the BSW, an MXR Octave Deluxe.

Get a good tuner, like the TC Electronic PolyTune.

Ditch the flanger entirely and get some overdrive/distortion/dirt. If you want retro, get a VT Bass. If you want digital wackiness, get a Source Audio Mutliwave.

You'll be happy as a pig in slop.

Most important: get out your good headphones, go to youtube and listen to the demos of all these pedals and more. It's an invaluable resource.

willbassyeah · #16 12-06-2012, 04:05 AM

I would say don't ditch your pedal but get an overdrive instead

iriegnome · #17 12-17-2012, 01:56 PM

So on my continuation of setting up this little board, I am now at a Tuner, Synth Wah, Flange, and Chorus. Now, I have seen these signal patch bays, true bypass switches, power modules and on and on and on.. ***!!! How does anyone learn any of this stuff? I want to keep this simple. My next question as everyone doesn't know, what order should they go in? Also, should I run a different set of cables and run my pedals through the effect loop on my SWR Bass 750? Oh, I have a One Shot power supply for the pedals as well.

scottfeldstein · #18 12-17-2012, 01:59 PM

Pedals are typically meant to be run into the instrument input, but you can try running them in the fx loop if you want.

I don't have an opinion on the order of those particular pedals. Just put your tuner first.

Got2SadowskyNYC · #19 12-17-2012, 02:11 PM

The facts on True Bypass can be found here. Ture Bypass does NOT "retain your signal".

http://www.petecornish.co.uk/case_ag...ue_bypass.html

Even TB pedals have tone lose propertise, because it has to do with resistance of a cable, switch, circuit etc. If you want to TRUELY eliminate tone lose you HAVE to have a high quality impedance buffer (sometimes called a line driver).

Although Boss and other common non TB pedals have a buffer it does effect your tone. This is what gives buffers a bad name. Some pedals companies have very high quality, tonally flat buffers. They include Visual Sound, Bob Bradshaw at Custom Audio Electronics (CAE), MXR in the CAE designed pedals.

Here is a link to Bob Bardshaws FAQ page. See question #3.

http://www.customaudioelectronics.com/faq

Here is an interesting video that Visual Sound did in Nashville TN. This is at a known recording studio and in front of working Nashville guitarists. The "Zach" playing the guitar in the clip is Brad Paisley's former tech and Vintage Guitar Magazine's "Ask Zach".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOBn75-WN30

Got2SadowskyNYC · #20 12-17-2012, 02:23 PM

All pedals are designed to run BEFORE the amp although you can run some in a loop.

In the bass world, where we use a clean signal from the amp, there isn't really a reason to run in a loop.

In the guitar world, where you get drives from the amp, you need a loop because "time based effects like Chorus, Delay, Reverd etc. sound better after Drives and Distortions.

Running in a loop can case unwanted noise, volume drops or jumps when an effect is on, groud loops etc. Of course, you may not have any problems. You won't know untill youtry it.