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Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

#19,301
steubig said:
funny, just got a vector. like it pretty well so far. the microtuning and offsetting of beats really work for me so far.

have i read that the hapax has some bugs, maybe it was feature complaints, right now? ? dunno. remember reading something.
Click to expand...

I think Jim is quite brilliant, and designs from musical ideas, which I love. I bought the Vector because I love Numerology.

Hapax does have bugs still, though I haven’t run into them. But I can tell it’s one of the first batch.

Tons of feature requests are coming in. I sent in a couple myself already around MPE.

I put away the Eurorack tonight. I’m taking a break from hardware modular for a bit to focus on the Hapax-Linnstrument-Super 6-Typhon setup. I’ve got iPad for additional sounds.

We will see where it goes—I have been really enjoying the Super 6 jams and people seem to be liking them, so that’ll be the core of the process for now. Time to try out some concepts and them move toward making a record.

I’ll post tomorrow about distortion, a topic dear to my heart.
 
#19,302
Heh I kinda finished off my drive section…
I have
Cog mini 66 - ocd clone with blend, grey for a low mid overdrive / boost to blend in with my bass tone - mostly always on
Mbd1 - set with blend and a bit of grind so it’s still articulate yet low and heavy - gear for down tuned c songs my band does
B3k clone - don’t like it at all… *shrug* but ive never gotten on with the darkglass pedals I’ve tried (duality and also alpha omicron)
Eqd life clone pedal - I just use the rat part of it set as asymmetrical led… beats the mxr bass distortion rat I had… loses a tiny bit of Low end but when dialed in just works so well for thick grinding distortion
Green muff reissue - it’s a muff,… but a nice thick creamy fuzz.
Kangra fuzz/filter - mainly using the filter part with expression for lpf sweeps but the octave fuzz works well with it to get lots of rich harmonics in the sound… it’s only octave up though, no blend so have to pick the times to use it… but they are one two different foot switches which works well.

I have a few off the board but that’s the keepers… I was always a “oh I don’t need that many dirt tones” guy yet once I find a modulation etc I stick with it so somehow have been a hoarder of different dirt tones! Whoops? :)

side note for modulation though - thinking of replacing the B3k clone with a flanger… I’ve had the bf3 before which was decent and did all I wanted but thinking is it worth it looking for a bf2? I had a rv3 and a PS3 years ago which I probably shouldn’t have got rid of as I loved their cold cutting sound. The demos on YouTube doesn’t really tell me if bf2 is cold/ sterile like the other older pedals or if anyone else knows of something cheap ish yet Similar? Don’t want to break the bank for a flanger I’ll barely use!
 
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#19,303
theunknowndude said:
Heh I kinda finished off my drive section…
I have
Cog mini 66 - ocd clone with blend, grey for a low mid overdrive / boost to blend in with my bass tone - mostly always on
Mbd1 - set with blend and a bit of grind so it’s still articulate yet low and heavy - gear for down tuned c songs my band does
B3k clone - don’t like it at all… *shrug* but ive never gotten on with the darkglass pedals I’ve tried (duality and also alpha omicron)
Eqd life clone pedal - I just use the rat part of it set as asymmetrical led… beats the mxr bass distortion rat I had… loses a tiny bit of Low end but when dialed in just works so well for thick grinding distortion
Green muff reissue - it’s a muff,… but a nice thick creamy fuzz.
Kangra fuzz/filter - mainly using the filter part with expression for lpf sweeps but the octave fuzz works well with it to get lots of rich harmonics in the sound… it’s only octave up though, no blend so have to pick the times to use it… but they are one two different foot switches which works well.

I have a few off the board but that’s the keepers… I was always a “oh I don’t need that many dirt tones” guy yet once I find a modulation etc I stick with it so somehow have been a hoarder of different dirt tones! Whoops? :)

side note for modulation though - thinking of replacing the B3k clone with a flanger… I’ve had the bf3 before which was decent and did all I wanted but thinking is it worth it looking for a bf2? I had a rv3 and a PS3 years ago which I probably shouldn’t have got rid of as I loved their cold cutting sound. The demos on YouTube doesn’t really tell me if bf2 is cold/ sterile like the other older pedals or if anyone else knows of something cheap ish yet Similar? Don’t want to break the bank for a flanger I’ll barely use!
Click to expand...
I got this flanger and like it a whole lot:

 
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#19,304
I love distortion. I am not a snob but I talk about it the way some people talk about wine. "Subtle hints of moss with an overtone of horse poop."

My current drive setup for the practice space:

Overdrive is Xotic BB Bass Overdrive. This was TB flavour of the month and fell off at some point, but I really like like it and it just works.
Distortion is Idiot Box Blower box. Basically a Rat with more EQ and tuned for bass. I've also tried a bunch of others but it keeps coming back.
Fuzz is VFE Wood Chipper. Tempermental as hell but sounds like nothing else. I didn't think I wanted a gated fuzz but it turns out I wanted a gated fuzz. It doesn't sound as good as some other by itself but in a band mix it makes my bandmates smile.
I also have an Eventide H9 on the board which I use mostly for other stuff, but I use the pitch fuzz algorithm with expression control for one particularly wild solo and it's a lot of fun. I keep meaning to get more into it.
For gigs I bring my VT bass as my DI, but mostly it lives at home.

At home it's the Dr Scientist The Elements for pretty much everything, and if I need weird, the LAL Super Oscillo Fuzz comes out. That one does not "preserve the low end" but it does some pretty wild stuff. Those go into a Tech21 VT Bass, which just sounds good at every setting.

I realized I had options to experiment with for stereo overdrive, both digital, but I have them, so what the hell. I'm starting with an Eventide H9 in series* after the Super 6, which should give me a lot of different choices on overdrive and fuzz, as well as distorted delay, reverb, and tremolo. Finally I have a use for the Harmadillo Algo. And it takes MIDI automation well, and the Hapax does MIDI automation well, so that should be fun.

Other is the HX Stomp (see below)

Honourable mentions:
The drive on my Moog MF-101. It's just so damn big!
Source Audio Aftershock. Had it and sold it. Very versatile but I do not get along with their software interface.
sFX micro red dragon: great bass overdrive, small size. I just like the Xotic ever so slightly better, and at home The Elements / VT combo can cover that.
Broughton PLL: absolute and total ***, even more nuts than the Super Oscillo Fuzz, but sometimes that's what's called for.
Awhile back, I also bought a Line6 HX Stomp which I keep putting on my board and removing. I don't like the interface but it's utility. I have gigged with it in the dad rock band where my drive needs are simpler. I know the cab sims are supposed to be amazing but I have never gotten along with them. Much prefer "analog" cab sims, like the VT Bass, which are probably less accurate, but maybe that's why I like them. That said, I love some of the pedal sims on it through a simple low pass. Sometimes I wonder about getting a Helix where you can edit it with your feet, or Fractal audio modeler, which I might like even more for tweaking.

I am a lurker on the fuzz thread and the Stoner/Doom thread.
 
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#19,305
JES said:
26268251[/URL], member: 37282"]I love distortion. I am not a snob but I talk about it the way some people talk about wine. "Subtle hints of moss with an overtone of horse poop."

My current drive setup for the practice space:

Overdrive is Xotic BB Bass Overdrive. This was TB flavour of the month and fell off at some point, but I really like like it and it just works.
Distortion is Idiot Box Blower box. Basically a Rat with more EQ and tuned for bass. I've also tried a bunch of others but it keeps coming back.
Fuzz is VFE Wood Chipper. Tempermental as hell but sounds like nothing else. I didn't think I wanted a gated fuzz but it turns out I wanted a gated fuzz. It doesn't sound as good as some other by itself but in a band mix it makes my bandmates smile.
I also have an Eventide H9 on the board which I use mostly for other stuff, but I use the pitch fuzz algorithm with expression control for one particularly wild solo and it's a lot of fun. I keep meaning to get more into it.
For gigs I bring my VT bass as my DI, but mostly it lives at home.

At home it's the Dr Scientist The Elements for pretty much everything, and if I need weird, the LAL Super Oscillo Fuzz comes out. That one does not "preserve the low end" but it does some pretty wild stuff. Those go into a Tech21 VT Bass, which just sounds good at every setting.

I realized I had options to experiment with for stereo overdrive, both digital, but I have them, so what the hell. I'm starting with an Eventide H9 in series* after the Super 6, which should give me a lot of different choices on overdrive and fuzz, as well as distorted delay, reverb, and tremolo. Finally I have a use for the Harmadillo Algo. And it takes MIDI automation well, and the Hapax does MIDI automation well, so that should be fun.

Other is the HX Stomp (see below)

Honourable mentions:
The drive on my Moog MF-101. It's just so damn big!
Source Audio Aftershock. Had it and sold it. Very versatile but I do not get along with their software interface.
sFX micro red dragon: great bass overdrive, small size. I just like the Xotic ever so slightly better, and at home The Elements / VT combo can cover that.
Broughton PLL: absolute and total ***, even more nuts than the Super Oscillo Fuzz, but sometimes that's what's called for.
Awhile back, I also bought a Line6 HX Stomp which I keep putting on my board and removing. I don't like the interface but it's utility. I have gigged with it in the dad rock band where my drive needs are simpler. I know the cab sims are supposed to be amazing but I have never gotten along with them. Much prefer "analog" cab sims, like the VT Bass, which are probably less accurate, but maybe that's why I like them. That said, I love some of the pedal sims on it through a simple low pass. Sometimes I wonder about getting a Helix where you can edit it with your feet, or Fractal audio modeler, which I might like even more for tweaking.

I am a lurker on the fuzz thread and the Stoner/Doom thread.
Click to expand...
How does the BB work as a stand alone preamp??
I fear the lack of mid control a bit of a turn off.
How does it pair with the VT bass??
By that I mean BB running into the VT.
I really like the tones of that pedal.

i also like rat type distortion, but damn do those compress hard even at low gain, but hey it’s the nature of the circuit

still haven’t found a good bass version of the ocd circuit, one of my favs

Elements is awesome but has to many knobs and variable for quick punk diy gigs.
 
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#19,306
ugly_bassplayer said:
How does the BB work as a stand alone preamp??
I fear the lack of mid control a bit of a turn off.
How does it pair with the VT bass??
By that I mean BB running into the VT.
I really like the tones of that pedal.

i also like rat type distortion, but damn do those compress hard even at low gain, but hey it’s the nature of the circuit

still haven’t found a good bass version of the ocd circuit, one of my favs

Elements is awesome but has to many knobs and variable for quick punk diy gigs.
Click to expand...

Think of the BB as a tube screamer for bass. It’s not exactly, but I think of it as a way to “goose” my amp, with a bit of extra hair. It works great with the VT bass if I’m using it as a low-drive amp sim. It just gives me a bit of “more”. Obviously you can get a sort of a mid boost with cuts to high and low but it’s not the same.

as a stand-alone preamp, the BB can get very bright, and as with all distortion, it can be a bit fizzy without a cab sim or low pass. Another option is their RC, which can get a bit dirty as a “clean” boost.

I have a semi-broken Joyo Ultimate drive, which I think is an OCD clone, and to me it sounds good on bass. Happy to send it over next time I ship something if you want to try it out. But gig it at your own risk.
 
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#19,307
JES said:
26268518[/URL], member: 37282"]Think of the BB as a tube screamer for bass. It’s not exactly, but I think of it as a way to “goose” my amp, with a bit of extra hair. It works great with the VT bass if I’m using it as a low-drive amp sim. It just gives me a bit of “more”. Obviously you can get a sort of a mid boost with cuts to high and low but it’s not the same.

as a stand-alone preamp, the BB can get very bright, and as with all distortion, it can be a bit fizzy without a cab sim or low pass. Another option is their RC, which can get a bit dirty as a “clean” boost.

I have a semi-broken Joyo Ultimate drive, which I think is an OCD clone, and to me it sounds good on bass. Happy to send it over next time I ship something if you want to try it out. But gig it at your own risk.
Click to expand...
I used a Joyo UD drive for years with one my previous bands.
UD drive into old v1 vt bass.
Never had an issue and was gigged hard.
I really like that pedal, the build is surprisingly good when I opened it up.
It now resides on the synth noise rig of my band Sedmi.
I may buy another one, compared it once to a Oh see Demon and the Joyo won.
Full tone one sucks too many lows imo
 
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#19,312
@JES good to hear that the hapax folks are on it.



btw, i think fulltone is still in biz. the shop is less that a mile from where i live.

and mssr fuller is a thorny character for sure. i met him at one of his shops maybe 20-25 years ago. i said, it would be great if he did a chorus. he said he didn’t use one, so he wouldn’t make one. about a year or so later he came out with the choralflange. i saw him after that and reminded him of his comment. he got mad and said he never said that. pretty funny.

i think the og ultimate octave is a damned good fuzz box. i still have an orange “alien head” fd2, an early bass fd2 (black sticker label, not white silkscreen) and an early supa-trem. haven’t used them in forever. keep thinking of selling them, but not sure what i should ask (looking at reverb and ebay, i see *stupid* prices).
 
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#19,313
steubig said:
looking at reverb and ebay, i see *stupid* prices
Click to expand...

Thread Drift: Speaking of "*stupid* prices"... Someone elsewhere on TB just alerted me that a brand new [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] goes for [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] nowadays.

~20 years ago I bought one second-hand from Guitar Center...for $99.

I'm torn: On the one hand, an SF-2 genuinely is a unique gizmo, unlike any other equalizer available anywhere, and it really does some pretty freakin' amazing things to a bass guitar.

otoh, I never use mine! It's easily been 3 or 4 years since I even plugged it in. All those pretty freakin' amazing things it does to a bass guitar? Clearly I don't need those, at least not regularly.

I need to check Reverb and eBay to see what kind of stupid prices a used SF-2 is getting these days. And then I need to look at myself in the mirror and say "what kind of idiotic packrat are you?!?!"



Okay, sorry, back to fuzzboxes...
 
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#19,316
Bob_Ross said:
Thread Drift: Speaking of "*stupid* prices"... Someone elsewhere on TB just alerted me that a brand new [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] goes for [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] nowadays.

~20 years ago I bought one second-hand from Guitar Center...for $99.

I'm torn: On the one hand, an SF-2 genuinely is a unique gizmo, unlike any other equalizer available anywhere, and it really does some pretty freakin' amazing things to a bass guitar.

otoh, I never use mine! It's easily been 3 or 4 years since I even plugged it in. All those pretty freakin' amazing things it does to a bass guitar? Clearly I don't need those, at least not regularly.

I need to check Reverb and eBay to see what kind of stupid prices a used SF-2 is getting these days. And then I need to look at myself in the mirror and say "what kind of idiotic packrat are you?!?!"



Okay, sorry, back to fuzzboxes...
Click to expand...

Ok you dragged me out of my retirement! Main thing that happened was my 22-year old cat passed away 4 about a month ago, then it was hard to re-engage. But I feel like I can comment on this one.

Wasn't aware of the recent direct price - I'll believe it though for a new, given everything that's going on. I have one - haven't used it much but as you say it's a pretty amazing audio tool - not just for bass, but if you want an analog low- or high- pass filter it . But if you don't use it, then let it go! It's cool in that it also works as a kind of mixer of the various filters, but it's still a specialized tool and if you haven't needed it then it's fine to turn it over to someone who would (try and) use it more.
 
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#19,317
Feedback was brought up briefly recently...I did some experimenting with it tonight so I figure I'll bring it up again. I found that with the GCA Light Pedal I could pretty reasonably control the amount of feedback if I rode the gain knob. There's a sweet spot of tiny adjustments that allows for maintaining an even feedback level. Then, when I got bored, even turning up the gain slightly from that sweet spot would allow it to go screeching into the red. I'm currently working on what will be an EP or full length, and I'm definitely going to find a way to incorporate this sound into it. (I ran the light pedal into the Mercury7 and the slight oscillation of the feedback made for some nice texture with the reverb.)

feedback.jpg
 
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#19,318
Bob_Ross said:
Thread Drift: Speaking of "*stupid* prices"... Someone elsewhere on TB just alerted me that a brand new [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] goes for [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] nowadays.

~20 years ago I bought one second-hand from Guitar Center...for $99.

I'm torn: On the one hand, an SF-2 genuinely is a unique gizmo, unlike any other equalizer available anywhere, and it really does some pretty freakin' amazing things to a bass guitar.

otoh, I never use mine! It's easily been 3 or 4 years since I even plugged it in. All those pretty freakin' amazing things it does to a bass guitar? Clearly I don't need those, at least not regularly.

I need to check Reverb and eBay to see what kind of stupid prices a used SF-2 is getting these days. And then I need to look at myself in the mirror and say "what kind of idiotic packrat are you?!?!"



Okay, sorry, back to fuzzboxes...
Click to expand...
Sell it

/
 
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