I have the M80 as the last stop in my chain. The more pedals I get, the more I appreciate my clean tone. If you run the M80 clean, you get that same tone. You can engage the color to get a tight little scooped sound, but I like running the pedal flat and uncolored for the most part. I used to use the distortion channel with more distortion, but now I have dialed it way back. As many have said before, blend is the key. I have been running the blend and gain just a hair above 9 o'clock. Used in the right spot it adds a bit of a warm edge to your tone. Keep in mind, the color is set as "Always On" for the distortion channel. Some don't use the distortion at all but use the second channel as a sort of volume boost with gain and blend zeroed out.
For the money, especially if you have a little patience and pick one up used, it is a nice pedal/DI. Oddly, I have not had a chance to use the DI, so I can not speak to that. I would say, buy used, if you don't like it, flip it.
Good luck.
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Don't run, we are your friends.
The distortion on the M80 doesn't seem very... dynamic. That is, it doesn't seem like you can play softly with no breakup and then dig in to get some breakup. It just seems like "always on" if you turn it on, no matter what level the Drive is set at. True?
__________________ Endless Blue
Ibanez Soundgear SR505, DR Hi-Beams
MXR M87 Bass Compressor & M80 Bass DI+
Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion & Envelope Filter
Gallien-Krueger MB500, Neo 212-II
I think it is a great pedal, but there are some things I dont like.
It is indespensable if you dont have or cant get a back line for a gig. Good useable EQ and quiet DI. I have used it a number of times straight into a PA and it sounds good.
My 2 gripes, and honestly they are small...I found the distortion a little too intense/metalesque (and I'm a metal guy!) even at low settings with heaps of dry tone dialed in but I think that is because of my second gripe....
The color function for me has too much of a mid scoop. For quiet/acoustic type gigs it's OK and solo sound awesome, but in a band setting gets lost. When you engage the distortion circuit the color is engaged by default, whether the button is in or out.
You are right - the OD isn't dynamic, well not for me anyway.
Having said that I use mine as a DI/EQ and for that it sounds great, and with some EQing I'm sure the mids could be replaced if you intend to use the OD circuit in recording.
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Fender Frank Bello/Dimarzio/Warmoth P/J. Warwick Quad VI.
Ashdown ABM 410 cabs. Metal Bassist #65. B & M #452.
M80 can do that "dig in breakup", the trick is to lower the volume on your bass itself and then mess with gain knob on the pedal, since it's fairly hot even with gain knob completely down. This way you can get some very smooth, vintage overdrive sounds, despite the fact that M80 is a downright filthy distortion on its own. +1 on the whole "sounds too harsh on it's own, pretty good in a band mix" thing.
One other thing I haven't seen mentioned on talkbass at all - it's incredibly sensitive to different cabs. At home with my 15" I basically set blend to 3 o'clock, anything below is too much. I also usually boost highs on my bass to "open" it up a bit. Yet at my rehearsal place that has 10"s I have to back down blend knob to 10 o'clock because it's too much. The difference is insane, I had a ODB-3 before and that thing sounded the same no matter what amp/cab.
Also, M80 really, really doesn't play nice with tweeters.
I personally like the color button, while it's a simple slap contour it also adds a bit of growly character. And that way you have three channels - bypassed, clean channel with color on if you choose it and distortion channel.
I have a BTB with emg DCs, I can record some clips if anybody is interested.
Hm. Just some fngerstyle and maybe a bit of slap? And if you could show what it sounds like when the distortion is on low and/or blended low, and then also when it's higher, like Butterfly does on this track
Not to get off subject, but have you considered other overdrive/di pedals. I use a sansamp on occasion and it works fantastic. Allot of people gripe about the built in mid-scoop but with proper eq and "blend" allot of warm tube tones are available. The Tone Hammer is great too for a more transparent tone.
Anyways I tried the M80 and didn't care for the dist. In my opinion of course. Good hunting!
1) The amount of drive and/or blend you'll need to set depends on whatever rig you're using. Obviously, if you have hot active pickups and an SVT stack, then you'll have to adjust accordingly as compared to when you're playing, say, an passive jazz through a 1x15 combo.
FWIW, I play in a punk cover band with a Squier P-bass with a Bill Lawrence pickup (1Meg volume), so I set the M80 to give me that classic "cranked SVT sound at reasonable volume in a small club" tone, with the blend and drive at 9:00, just for that tubey-breakup.
2) I PERSONALLY do not find the mid scoop to be so severe as people make it out to be. For starters, that region is where your guitar player, the snare drum, and the lead vocal live - you might find that you blend in more with a little mid dip (I do, in my particular situation....of course, YMMV).
My aformentioned cheapo P-bass has a VERY strong mid range presence, so the scoop actually helps. My other bass is an active Ibanez EDB600 Ergodyne, with a mid control, so it's a moot point.
Want more mid even with the color button engaged? Simply turn up the mid control! Cranking it brings it roughly to unity.
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New York Bassists club member #9
Not to get off subject, but have you considered other overdrive/di pedals. I use a sansamp on occasion and it works fantastic. Allot of people gripe about the built in mid-scoop but with proper eq and "blend" allot of warm tube tones are available. The Tone Hammer is great too for a more transparent tone.
Anyways I tried the M80 and didn't care for the dist. In my opinion of course. Good hunting!
I like some of the Tone Hammer demos. I think it might actually do that just-breaking-up threshold better than the M80. But if you push it any further it starts to sound like flatulence to me. The distortion on the M80 is much tighter and zingier.
I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I have another distortion unit: the Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion. And I really love it. However, even its tamest, single band, non-octave, non-foldback, "plain old distortion" sounds...very digital. When you let a note decay you can start to hear those synthy overtones. Which in the right context, I love! It's why I bought the unit. But it's that plain, analog grit sound...plus having a good DI...that make another purchase appealing to me at this time. And I've owned two SansAmp BDDIs. I liked them, but I also struggled with them, too, leading me to look in other directions.
__________________ Endless Blue
Ibanez Soundgear SR505, DR Hi-Beams
MXR M87 Bass Compressor & M80 Bass DI+
Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion & Envelope Filter
Gallien-Krueger MB500, Neo 212-II
Last edited by scottfeldstein : 11-22-2012 at 10:23 PM.
This, by the way, is what the Source Audio Multiwave sounds like on its tamest type of distortion. It's about 2 o'clock on the distortion and about 50/50 for blend. Also, at one point I briefly put on the "clean boost" setting on the unit, which I have set up with just a scooped EQ for slap. (Also pardon my infernal noodling.)
The M-80 has become somewhat of an industry standard - and for good reason.
It works really well in the mix - it may seem a bit "over the top" og zingy but it translates to a very defined and sharp bass sound that pops out.
I won't compare it to the Sansamp Bass Driver or VT because they are two different animals.
My opinion is that the MXR M80 is a very nice tool for any bassplayer to have in his/her arsenal.
Speaking of Bryan Beller - he only uses his Xotic BB Preamp for live use.
For recording he primarily uses a MXR M-80 and a Darkglass B3K.
It certainly a step up from a BDDI, but the distortion isn't fantastic. It does however blend well with other gain pedals, probably partially because the color switch curve automatically engages when you turn on the distortion side. I think the EQ is pretty useful, and I also use it as a boost. For the money, it's worth having. You'll find more than one reason to use it.
Remember , when the dis channel is engaged , the color switch is automatically engaged.
I have this pre also , when combined/cascaded with real or emulated tubes it sounds better/smoother. Which is just fine for any rock band tones. I only use it un-engaged for much softer / quieter passages.
My soundcloud has demos of it combined with TC electronic tube sim ,fender sublime [fuzz]
Great pedal for the money as said already.
Good luck Scott!
Alright, here is a quick sample I recorded. Flat EQ on the pedal at all times, played with fingers, bridge pickup except the slap at the end of the clip, that's with the neck pup.
Here is a list of settings, they are divided by short pauses on the recording. Also, my bass is tuned 1 full step down, sorry about that.
Bypassed
Clean channel, colour on
Distortion channel, blend and gain at 12 o'clock
Distortion channel, blend at 12 o'clock, gain all the way down
Distortion channel, blend at 9 o'clock, gain all the way down
Distortion channel, blend at 3 o'clock, gain all the way down
Distortion channel, blend 100% wet, gain all the way down
Distortion channel, blend at 12 o'clock, gain all the way down, volume knob on my bass at 50%
Distortion channel, blend at 12 o'clock, gain at 9 o'clock, volume knob on my bass at 50%
Slap, bypassed m80
Slap, clean channel with colour on
that's my always on setting
