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Always-On vs. Selective Use

How Do You Use Pedals?

  • To Enhance Tone

    Votes: 69 26.0%

  • For More Obvious Effects

    Votes: 62 23.4%

  • I Consistently Do All Of The Above

    Votes: 134 50.6%
  • Total voters
    265
#42
Think of effects processors as the equivalent of seasoning for your food. You wouldn't make a meal of black pepper and mustard, would you? So don't try to define "your sound" by what you can obtain from those little metal gizmos on the floor.

MM
 
#44
MysticMichael said:
Think of effects processors as the equivalent of seasoning for your food. You wouldn't make a meal of black pepper and mustard, would you? So don't try to define "your sound" by what you can obtain from those little metal gizmos on the floor.

MM
Click to expand...

I'm more of the school of doing whatever the hell I have to do to get the sound in my head to come out of my speakers.
 
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#45
MysticMichael said:
Think of effects processors as the equivalent of seasoning for your food. You wouldn't make a meal of black pepper and mustard, would you? So don't try to define "your sound" by what you can obtain from those little metal gizmos on the floor.

MM
Click to expand...

I would extend the analogy to point out that for some dishes those spices are ESSENTIAL. And there exist certain things, like salt, that need to be included in almost every dish.
 
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#47
MysticMichael said:
Think of effects processors as the equivalent of seasoning for your food. You wouldn't make a meal of black pepper and mustard, would you? So don't try to define "your sound" by what you can obtain from those little metal gizmos on the floor.

MM
Click to expand...

I disagree with this analogy. Or, more accurately, I disagree with the conclusion you draw from it. If the bass is the meat, it's impossible to literally "make a meal" out of just the seasoning (unless you've got an oscillator generator pedal...but even then you're really closer to a synth player than a bass player). And there are plenty of meals that (while, yes, they don't consist solely of seasoning) are DEFINED by their seasoning. Curry for one. Most serious BBQers will tell you the secret is in the rub or the sauce.

So go ahead and define your sound by the metal gizmos, the only thing that matters is if it's tasty.

Myself, I'm currently running a split signal with always on compression on the bass (MarkBass Compressore), always on expander on the treble (EHX Steel Leather) with shades of dirt and modulation coming in and out as necessary.
 
#48
callofcthulhu said:
I disagree with this analogy. Or, more accurately, I disagree with the conclusion you draw from it. If the bass is the meat, it's impossible to literally "make a meal" out of just the seasoning (unless you've got an oscillator generator pedal...but even then you're really closer to a synth player than a bass player). And there are plenty of meals that (while, yes, they don't consist solely of seasoning) are DEFINED by their seasoning. Curry for one, most serious BBQers will tell you the secret is in the rub or the sauce.

So go ahead and define your sound by the metal gizmos, the only thing that matters is if it's tasty.
Click to expand...

I think this does a better job of saying what I was trying to say earlier.
 
#49
I've always had to borrow effects, so I don't always have them when I play live. If I can, I have an MXR Bass DI+ on the entire time, usually clean. That said, I used to use a Marshall Vibratrem and a Boss Mega Distortion occasionally. In my current phase of trying not to rely on amps for my sound I find that having a little pedal you can take anywhere to be very convenient if I'm using an unfamiliar amp.
 
#52
I have 3 pedals that I have as always on...sort of.
My Tech 21 VT bass pedal is always on. And I have a Zoom MS60b into the VT and a ZoomB2.1u after the VT. The MS60b is used as a compressor, eq, and whatever effects that I may run for the song. The B2 is used as an eq for the room, volume pedal, and xlr. Sometimes I also use it's tube pre-amp model for additional tone shaping. Both multi-effects are always on, but used differently depending on the situation. The VT is always on and it's eq is set flat-only the character dial gets adjusted depending on the situation, but it isn't changed once set at the sound check.
 
#58
What is it with giving a damn how many pedals on someone else's board are always on?

There are "tone" pedals, like overdrive, or eq.

and "effect" pedals like envelopes, phaser, delay.

Many are using tone pedals always on to get their basic tone. Not many use effects pedals like that.
 
#59
No always on pedals. Rarely an "on during an entire song" pedal.
I use my amp for shaping my tone, if I can't shape it there I figure I need a different amp. I don't like being dependent on pedals.

I slightly amazed at how many people use compression all the time since I have never found much use for it myself. As always, different strokes for different folks.:bassist:
 
#60
Only my vintage micro tubes was on almost the whole day today. Everything else was on and off as needed. And then when I turned off the darkglass, it was so killer and sweet sounding that I played clean for a while.
 

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