UFO vs Bassmaster vs Disnortion

tycobb73 · #1 05-23-2010, 09:21 PM

I play in a 80s to now coverband. Looking for something to thicken up the sound a bit. Had a board built around a unibass that worked good but looking for something less complicated. If you know of others that have fuzz or distortion combined with octave up I'd hear it too. Why did you suggest what you did?

faceinbass · #2 05-23-2010, 09:27 PM

the b:assmaster is Aggressive with a capital "A".
I don't think that is what you need to "thicken up the sound a bit".
Melt faces off? Yes.

VTBass
OB3
SFT

These would be excellent (cover band) tone thickeners.

bongomania · #3 05-23-2010, 09:32 PM

Also, all analog octave-ups are inherently distortions--they use distortion to create the octave-up.

tycobb73 · #4 05-23-2010, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faceinbass

the b:assmaster is Aggressive with a capital "A".
I don't think that is what you need to "thicken up the sound a bit".
Melt faces off? Yes.

VTBass
OB3
SFT

These would be excellent (cover band) tone thickeners.

I don't think any of those are octave ups. I could be wrong though.

KarateKid25 · #5 05-23-2010, 10:31 PM

I own a germ assmaster. The pedal is decent, but I wouldn't really say that it 'thickens' your tone up as such. If anything, I would say it thins it out slightly.

faceinbass · #6 05-24-2010, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tycobb73

I don't think any of those are octave ups. I could be wrong though.

You are correct.
BUT Why are you stuck on needing an octave up to thicken tone?

tycobb73 · #7 05-24-2010, 08:30 AM

I used the wrong termonology. I don't want to thicken my tone. I want to make it so the mids don't drop out during solos. Even bands like Pantera, ZZ Top, SRV without the organ, etc I'm not a fan when the solo hits and the mids drop. Was hoping to get the octave up and a usable distortion in 1 box. My setup befoe was

Unibass - low signal to mixer
high signal to fulltone distortion to small clone chorus to mixer
blend mixer
to punch factory

It worked decent but I thought I could make things easier.

bongomania · #8 05-24-2010, 09:43 AM

You sure can!!! I'm not sure why you made it so complicated in the first place. It's supposed to go like:

bass --> Unibass
Unibass dry out --> bass amp
Unibass effect out --> small cranked-up tube guitar amp

Simple as can be! And really, no other octave-up will do that job any better than what you've already got. But I "get it" that you wanted all of it through your bass amp. That's understandable, but then you have to tweak that octave-up to sound good. So if I've understood you correctly your real question is:

"Is there a single pedal that combines both octave up and distortion in a way that sounds really good and guitarlike without any further processing?"

AFAIK the answer is no. There are pedals that are just as good as the Unibass--the Pigtronix Disnortion is one--but none I know of that do the whole octave, guitar tone, and amp tone thing well in one package.

If it was me, I'd just get the little guitar amp.

tycobb73 · #9 05-24-2010, 01:54 PM

Since I sold the unibass and they're kinda hard to find, will a ring thing do the same thing? I realize it goes 2 octaves up, but will it go original, octave, fifith, 2 octave at the same time? Or even just do both octaves at once? Will the pitchfactor? More than I want to spend but I'd be willing.

bassman1185 · #10 05-24-2010, 06:04 PM

I'm a big fan of my Disnortion, but it definitely doesn't do what you are describing. It can sound pretty thick with the fuzz and OD running together, but it doesn't sound at all like another guitar.

newbold · #11 05-24-2010, 07:02 PM

I tend to run my OFO's fuzz on very low gain settings (off or at 9 o'clock) to be like a gritty pre (the mid-scoop setting sounds great with my bass) and thicken up my tone with the OD channel.

the fuzzy boost parallel to the OD negates the tubeyness of the OD, but overall, my tone thickens nicely...maybe not what the OP wants, but an awesome tool...

...especially with the ring mod distortion - which I use a lot - with or without my OC-2 and bassballs before.

If you get an OFO you'll have a lot of useful tones and texturized distortion (treble fuzz parallel to fat low gain OD, after octave synthesis...shape your spectrum with distortion)

if you *just* want to be a bit fatter with some grit?

Way huge pork loin?

faceinbass · #12 05-24-2010, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tycobb73

will a ring thing do the same thing? I realize it goes 2 octaves up, but will it go original, octave, fifith, 2 octave at the same time? Or even just do both octaves at once?

I don't think so.. no.
you get the effect and the blended original signal.

bassman1185 · #13 05-24-2010, 08:45 PM

I think the Pitchfactor would do something like that, and the POG or POG2 will do one and two octaves up.

Have you tried a typical analog sub-octave? Those have been the best thing that I have run across for what you are describing.

bongomania · #14 05-24-2010, 09:25 PM

I'm almost certain what he's asking for is a box that can do a 1-5-8 chord, in a register higher than his bass, like the Unibass can do.

Laurent · #15 05-24-2010, 09:44 PM

Electro Harmonix Bass Microsynth might be able to do what you are looking for.
Getting the right sound require quite a bit of tweaking but this pedal has a terrific tone.
I own one and I have been very impressed by it.