Suggestions for subtle overdrive

Scubapig · #1 01-10-2011, 08:26 AM

I'm looking for ideas on a pedal or unit that will give a kind of boosted/saturated amp sound, but not fuzzy/distorted (or one that does both possibly). I'm thinking 1960's/70's funk recordings where there's a kind of over-driven amp boost with a soft saturation, but like I say, I'm not looking for an obviously distorted effect. One with a low pass filter or strong EQ would be even better. Any ideas gratefully received. Thanks.

scotch · #2 01-10-2011, 08:57 AM

I would suggest searching "subtle overdrive". This question gets asked about twice a week. There are all kinds of recommendations already posted. :-)

Crabby · #3 01-10-2011, 09:00 AM

Or just skip years of searching and buy the Xotic BB Bass Preamp!

rockstarbassist · #4 01-10-2011, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crabby

Or just skip years of searching and buy the Xotic BB Bass Preamp!

Yup. Best I've found for the "subtle" to "Medium" dirt.

P-oddz · #5 01-10-2011, 09:27 AM

Some preamp-type tone shaping pedal may be what you are looking for. There are many pedals that can give you a little bit of tone shaping and added gain/dirt.

I use the Aguilar Tone Hammer to give my Jazz a little shaping/extra grit to go directly into the front of the amp, and I like it very much. Other choices that I know get love around here are the VT Bass/VT Bass Deluxe (or pretty much any of the other Tech 21 Character Series pedals), or the Xotic Bass BB Preamp. (There are many other options, you can probably do search on pedal preamps).

If you look in to the Character Series of pedals, be wary or mindful of how they are meant to emulate a certain amp tone, and ultimately will color/alter your tone. For better or worse is your decision. The Aggie Tone Hammer to me, lets me shape my tone, and doesn't take it over or make it something it isn't. That being said, the EQ is pretty strong on it, and the AGS function is really nice in dialing a little bit of (tube-like) saturation to a full-out saturation (similar to a fuzz) if you wanted.

Scubapig · #6 01-10-2011, 09:45 AM

Thanks everyone. Great answers, just what I was looking for.

Lowbrow · #7 01-10-2011, 11:33 AM

I've sought this sort of OD too. I've been using a VT Bass practically since its release, and find it a great tube amp simulator - but I don't like its OD settings much. Rather, I treat it as an always-on preamp/tone shaper, a function at which it excels.

Seeking low-gain OD (which I believe is what you're looking for) I sought help here at TB and recently added the Xotic BB Bass preamp and a Boss LS2 Line selector. The LS2 allows me to mix the BB's OD with my clean signal. This mix then runs into the VT Bass, then into the amp. The VT has bass/mid/treble controls, the BB has bass & treble - enough tone control overall that my amp can run flat with minor adjustments.

The result sounds great - and I'd venture to say it would sound great through just about any decent amp. We are talking about three boxes, but the outcome is worth it. This chain sounds great for DI recording as well.

crapusername · #8 01-10-2011, 01:39 PM

Pork loin
Hardwire valve overdrive

Job done

Qvist · #9 01-10-2011, 02:22 PM

@Lowbrow, how much clean compared to OD do you have in your signal for your tone? I'm interested in the same approach as well, and very intriqued of yours

rockstarbassist · #10 01-10-2011, 02:37 PM

THe best thing (aside from overall badassery toane) with the Bass BB is that it has independent Treble and Bass knobs, so you can still retain all the beef you want without needing to run a simultaneous "blend" with clean sounds to keep your low end. If I were to mix it with a clean sound like in the LS-2 I really wouldn't be able to tell it's much on at all!

NortyFiner · #11 01-10-2011, 02:37 PM

Danelectro Cool Cat Tranparent Overdrive. Inexpensive and lives up to its name.

Eric! · #12 01-10-2011, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotch

I would suggest searching "subtle overdrive". This question gets asked about twice a week. There are all kinds of recommendations already posted. :-)

A great suggestion. Except it's more like twice a day.

Eublet · #13 01-10-2011, 03:19 PM

I've used:

Sansamp BDDI
Sansamp Para DI
VT Bass
Pork Loin
Agro Pedal
Tone Hammer

For me, the Tone Hammer easily wins over the others. The Agro is a close runner-up. It's a little more gritty, even at lower settings, and it gets extremely snarly if you want. The VT Bass to me was useless in the end. The BDDI can be okay with some instruments. I didn't care for the Para much at all. The Pork Loin also was pretty useless for my needs. I want to try the Bass BB at some point because everyone raves over it (just like the Pork Loin which drove me frickin' crazy), but honestly the clips I've heard of the Bass BB don't really impress me at all.

You should also check out the Catalinbread SFT. It's also on my bucket list, and the reviews around here suggest that mild OD is exactly what it excels at. The clips I've heard sound fantastic also.

Lowbrow · #14 01-10-2011, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qvist

@Lowbrow, how much clean compared to OD do you have in your signal for your tone? I'm interested in the same approach as well, and very intriqued of yours

About 2:1 clean to overdrive ratio.

SeanSaliSE · #15 01-10-2011, 04:06 PM

I've only had experience with a SansAmp RBI and PBDDI when it came to variable OD. When I used to use one the Drive knob was at about 10 o'clock (presence at 11). This gave me a relatively clean sound that was nice and gritty in the mids and highs while being relatively punchy on the attack. The harder I hit the strings, the more noticable the OD was. Tweaking higher in the drive from there the OD became more and more noticable throughout.

One of the good things I can say about the SansAmps is that their overdrive sound definately has a character of its own, which could be exactly what you're looking for. Every music store I've ever been to carries Tech 21 so it'd be easy to go out and demo a few. I've never tried but also have heard that (like the other posters in this thread), the VT Bass pedal is stellar for that kind of sound as well.

The MXR Bass blowtorch is another I havent tried, alond with the boss ODB-3... there's craploads of ODs with tweakable gain levels, youtube is an excellent place to listen to demos of all these.

Lowbrow · #16 01-10-2011, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstarbassist

THe best thing (aside from overall badassery toane) with the Bass BB is that it has independent Treble and Bass knobs, so you can still retain all the beef you want without needing to run a simultaneous "blend" with clean sounds to keep your low end. If I were to mix it with a clean sound like in the LS-2 I really wouldn't be able to tell it's much on at all!

The BB does indeed pass through plenty of beef. I've found it strips midrange complexity. Mixing clean and BB signals solves this.

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oav6ZGxqNgk