Two-channel distortion pedal?

[fourstringbliss]

I'm looking for a distortion pedal that will allow me to layer a distorted signal over a clean signal. It's my understanding that some professional bassists split their signal to a clean amp and a dirty amp - is there a pedal that does this?

I'm looking for a sound like the one in the attached clip.

[Bassenstien]

There are quite a few OD, fuzz, dist with a clean blend.
The new MusicElectronix GeminiDrive gets good reviews and so does the Bass BigMuff (more of a fuzz though). Both have clean blend.

[katri]

The Tentacle Love Super Fuzz has two channels of fuzz

[Gubna]

When I first started playing I used a set up with a chorus pedal that had two out signals. One went to a distortion pedal to one amp, and the other to a clean amp.
I've also done this with a small DOD line mixer.

[DosiYanarchy]

yeah, infact most bass OD's/Fuzzes/Dists tend to have a clean blend, as it seems to be such a hassle to actually design a bass fuzz that keeps a strong low end.

You could get a sound like the one in the clip with a Sansamp or some type of tube OD maybe, or if you use a tube amp, experiment with the gain/EQ and see what you can get,

your other (possibly more expensive) option is using a guitar pedal and adding your own clean blend to it - as im doing at the moment using a Boss Line Selector to add CLEAN bass underneath a Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Classic Fuzz

just off the top of my head here are some OD/FUZZ/DISTS that offer clean blends:

Boss Bass Overdrive
Tech 21 Sansamp Bass Driver DI
EHX Bass Big Muff
Wren & Cuff Pickle Pie B
Malekko B:Assmaster
MXR Bass Blowtorch

[fourstringbliss]

Would the MXR M-80 do what I want to do here?

Is the 1/4" out a line-level signal?

[EricF]

Originally Posted by DosiYanarchy

just off the top of my head here are some OD/FUZZ/DISTS that offer clean blends:

Boss Bass Overdrive
Tech 21 Sansamp Bass Driver DI
EHX Bass Big Muff
Wren & Cuff Pickle Pie B
Malekko B:Assmaster
MXR Bass Blowtorch

Prescription Electronics Depth Charge

[Dave Hill]

Are there any pedals that offer vol/vol control over the clean/od channels instead of a vol/blend?

[totalimmortal08]

you might also want to check out some of the DHA stuff

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by Dave Hill

Are there any pedals that offer vol/vol control over the clean/od channels instead of a vol/blend?

Yup. GeminiDrive.

[fourstringbliss]

Originally Posted by joeinsprings

Yup. GeminiDrive.

I can't find a geminidrive. Where can I get one?

[FreaqyFrequency]

Also, you might consider the Xotic X-Blender, which is an effects loop, a clean blend, and true bypass you switch it off (saving your tone from being sucked by the pedals in the loop)

http://www.xotic.us/effects/x_blender/

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by fourstringbliss

I can't find a geminidrive. Where can I get one?

There made by Musicelectronix (he's a member here btw). They're fairly new, and only a limited number have been made so far, but I do belive he plans to put them into production.

[fourstringbliss]

Originally Posted by joeinsprings

There made by Musicelectronix (he's a member here btw). They're fairly new, and only a limited number have been made so far, but I do belive he plans to put them into production.

Gotcha! I couldn't tell if it was something he made and isn't making or if it wasn't in full production. People seemed to know about it and I couldn't find anything. Thanks!

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by fourstringbliss

Gotcha! I couldn't tell if it was something he made and isn't making or if it wasn't in full production. People seemed to know about it and I couldn't find anything. Thanks!

They're awesome sounding too.

[fourstringbliss]

Originally Posted by joeinsprings

They're awesome sounding too.

I'd love to hear some sound clips!

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by fourstringbliss

I'd love to hear some sound clips!

From this thread.

Originally Posted by joeinsprings

... and here's some clips! Please excuse the sloppy playing, out of tempo, etc. My first time recording with my BR-1, and, well, at least theres sound from them. The clips were all recorded Bass>SABDDI>GeminiDrive>BR-1. There was no editing after that. The bass is a Squire MB-1 with Dean Markley Blue Steels; the strings are pretty mellowed. The SABDDI was set to flat with the blend at 9, I pretty much used it only because the bass is fairly quiet. In all of the clips the GeminiDrive is set to unity volume (same volume bypassed or not) with the overdrive volume and clean volume at 9. The mod switches are always both up. Gemini switch (this one is the middle switch. I think thats what Os is talking about) is either up or down depending on the clip.


The first clip is the clean signal.
http://media.putfile.com/BR_001

The rest are the GeminiDrive.

GAIN 9 TONE cut GEMINI up
http://media.putfile.com/BR_002

GAIN 9 TONE cut GEMINI down
http://media.putfile.com/0R_003

GAIN 12 TONE cut GEMINI up
http://media.putfile.com/BR_003

GAIN 12 TONE cut GEMINI down
http://media.putfile.com/BR_004

GAIN 12 TONE 12 GEMINI up --- The gain is all the way up at the beginning on this one. I turn it down real quick.
http://media.putfile.com/BR_005

GAIN 12 TONE 12 GEMINI down
http://media.putfile.com/BR_006

GAIN full TONE 12 GEMINI up
http://media.putfile.com/BR_007

GAIN full TONE 12 GEMINI down
http://media.putfile.com/BR_008

GAIN full TONE full GEMINI up
http://media.putfile.com/BR_009

GAIN full TONE full GEMINI down
http://media.putfile.com/BR_010

GAIN full TONE cut GEMINI up
http://media.putfile.com/BR_011

GAIN full TONE cut GEMINI down
http://media.putfile.com/BR_012

Theres also a few pictures in there. Cybercynders clips don't seem to be working right now though.

[CliftonBonney]

Originally Posted by Dave Hill

Are there any pedals that offer vol/vol control over the clean/od channels instead of a vol/blend?

I've got an Uncle Ernie's BassDriver on the way. http://www.uncleernieseffects.com/bassdriver.html.

I think it may have what you are looking for. I had an e-mail exchange with the maker of the pedal - nice guy!!! Here is his explanation of the pedal which I think will do what you are asking.

Simply put, the pedal is a clean boost channel in parallel with a distortion channel. The volume of the clean side is labeled Boost because it is more than capable providing about 15db of clean boost. In fact it's enough to overdrive the front of a tube amp which would certainly be a useful mild distortion.

The Distortion channel has a Volume, how much distorted signal mixes with the clean, and Gain, how distorted this channel is. There's a switch on the side that changes the type of clipping from asymmetrical to symmetrical. This is mostly heard as a slight difference in volume and how hard the clipping is. The distortion should be considered mild if compared to a Big Muff. About like a Tube Screamer.

The switching may look confusing but it's really not. The Bypass puts the pedal in the signal chain like any other pedal. The Distortion switch turns the distortion on and off. This means that the clean is always on if the pedal is on. The amount of clean is decided with the Boost control.

The Intention of the design was to provide players with an Ampeg SVT sound that can be as dirty as say old Grand Funk Railroad where the bass is actually more overdriven than the guitar. It's not as dirty a Pulling Teeth by Cliff Burton, I think this is a Big Muff, but more like say old Deep Purple live, when amps were just run flat out. It will broaden your sound but still sound like a bass.

Some key design features which set this pedal well above the Boss ODB3 which has about the same level of distortion but tonally is inferior is that the two effects are on their own volume and not on a blend pot which doesn't allow you to get the full punch out of that design. The other advantage is that the ODB3 has a clear and obvious tonal curve if not flat
out damped. Simply put they roll low end off right from the start. There are good reasons for this but not on the clean bass signal. The BassDriver passes full range bass below low B on the clean side and rolls off lows on the distortion channel at about low G. What this means audibly is that when playing in your lower registers you get a nice mild distortion and as you work up the register the distortion becomes more noticeable and with the right settings dominant over the clean. The end result is a Full range bass signal that is articulate thru out the entire neck and can be dialed into heavy sustain. It's really our best design that has seen more improvements than any other pedal in the line. It has the unique advantage that a guitar player will also be able to appreciate the advantage of having the clean attack and the distorted sustain all in one. It's like using a clean amp in parallel with a dirty one. It's great fun.

I'm excited to get it. I'll try to put some clips up after I have a while to mess with it, and if I can figure out how to do clips.

[gillento]

Originally Posted by EricF

Prescription Electronics Depth Charge

TC Electronics Vintage Bass Distortion
aka: T-Rex Bass Juice

[ihateusernames]

That description of the uncleernie's bassdriver is one of the best I've read for a drive pedal. Growing up on classic rock I have a great idea what that pedal will sound like. I really don't need another pedal, but damn.