Bass FX Hot Takes

[SunByrne]

My hot (OK, admittedly lukewarm at best) take is that when the pedal shows up at your doorstep, it might sound like it does in the YouTube videos and be exactly what you wanted—and it might totally not. The way pedals interact with different basses/amps/other pedals means you never really know exactly how it'll sound until you put it in your rig.

I've had pedals arrive that really exceeded my expectations (Damnation MBD2) and other pedals that I just cannot get to sound like I was hoping they would (Malekko Diabolik). If someone really likes a pedal you don't (or vice versa), it might not actually be the pedal, but instead how the pedal sounds in your rig.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Use it in the A+B mix loop of a BOSS LS-2 and you'll probably like it better.

It's ok to have an empty space on your board. Really.

Yes, strobe tuners really are better.

 

[Timmah]

1. Menu diving sucks and I hate it. Either it’s dumb or I am, and I can’t say I know which it is.

2. Effects are largely for our own gratification and are often unnoticed by everyone except the bassist

3. Darkglass has made every metal bassist in the last decade sound exactly the same (I’m exaggerating here but their stuff is so pervasive in heavy music that I have an aversion to it now)

 

[2112]

All knobs on pedals shall be of the push-lock variety such that when they're in the locked-down position, their tops are flush with primary surface of pedal body. Switches shall also be inset.

Manufacturers of pedals and pedalboards shall also get together on developing a powered locking rail system that allows locking pedals to a pedalboard without the use of other fasteners and also provides power to the pedal. Pedal manufacturers shall standardize on size, voltage, polarity to accommodate this system. (Oh, the horror...)

All pedal jacks shall be top-mounted. The exact placement of the top jacks shall also be standardized such that molded pedal patches, when installed, are tightly bound to the pedals.

Finally... the installation of aircraft landing lights into pedals as indicators shall cease.

 

[JimmyM]

I got nuthin’.

 

[RobD_BritBass]

Catalinbread pedals, all of the ones I've owned have developed noise issues when no other of my pedals have. I want to love them but they just play up for me.

 

[soundsupport1]

Amen to the end of runway landing lights used as indicators.

If Eden stopped using that stupid 15v power supply, they might actually shift some stock.

I hate the idea of a pedal where you can't see at a glance where it's set.
So that's no Alexander, Source Audio, Eventide, or Line 6 for me.

Pedals should be a reasonable size. It's not 1974, a fuzz doesn't need to be the size of a paving slab.

Peace,
SoundSupport

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

All knobs on pedals shall be of the push-lock variety such that when they're in the locked-down position, their tops are flush with primary surface of pedal body. Switches shall also be inset.

Manufacturers of pedals and pedalboards shall also get together on developing a powered locking rail system that allows locking pedals to a pedalboard without the use of other fasteners and also provides power to the pedal. Pedal manufacturers shall standardize on size, voltage, polarity to accommodate this system. (Oh, the horror...)

All pedal jacks shall be top-mounted. The exact placement of the top jacks shall also be standardized such that molded pedal patches, when installed, are tightly bound to the pedals.

Finally... the installation of aircraft landing lights into pedals as indicators shall cease.

This has moved beyond hot take, and has gone into writing fx pedal code. The 2021 International BFX code states…

 

[MynameisMe]

Aguilar’s pedals are great, but huge. I think they finally figured that out. There is a new one smaller.
Everytime I use a sub octave pedal it seems I'm calling something from the underworld...
The darkglass HL compressor is the best I've used.
Sansamp (Tech 21) makes awesome preamps but which genius came up with their useless compressor? The Compactor. More like trash compactor.

 

[MynameisMe]

Who the heck is Timmy?
The prettier the pedal the more it costs. As if a graphic makes it sound better.

 

[Hypocrite]

3. Darkglass has made every metal bassist in the last decade sound exactly the same (I’m exaggerating here but their stuff is so pervasive in heavy music that I have an aversion to it now)

My hot take: Darkglass has made every metal bassist in the last decade sound exactly the same, because Darkglass actually makes the metal bassist audible.
I would rather people complain about all bassists sounding the same, than not even being able to hear the bassist.
And why rip on bassists for sounding the same? All guitarists, drummers, and growlers sound pretty much the same too!

 

[CMallett]

Decimal voltages needed for pedals. Design pedals to work with pedalboard power supplies, not non-standard ones.

Laziness masked as efficency, or "tHe aUdIeNcE dOeSn'T nOtIcE tHe dIfFeReNcE" - To paraphrase Phil Mcknight, the customers don't know what knives the chef is using, but it's his prerogative to choose the expensive ones if he wishes.

 

[onda'bass]

Darkglass is garbage, I know blasphemous.

 

[tpaul]

If it's got more knobs than the mixer, I'm not using it. My limit is about seven. Preferably fewer.

 

[tpaul]

And that includes internal controls, which shouldn't be.

Internal dip switches and trimpots are stupid. Put the controls where they're accessible.

Yep.

 

[revd]

Can't believe some of you folks are criticizing bright lights on pedals. Bring on the brightness! Proper rock n roll.

 

[cosmicevan]

Pedal people be thinking it's all cool to upcharge other pedal people and then be thinking that other pedal people gonna hook them up w fair prices or hot tips on a pedal drop

That $20 - $50 profit makes you look like a clown and a beggar. We sitting on the pedals you are asking for not hooking you up cause you are a clown.

 

[socialleper]

CARCASS!

 

[lbbc]

The ONLY pedals I have and use are:
1. Radial Tonebone Bassbone
2. Shure GLDX 16 Wireless w/Tuner

I've tried compressors, envelope filters, chorus and multi effects pedals. They've not "done it" for me so, I stick with what works...a clean sound with a volume boost and ability to be wireless.

 

[tpaul]

Also, that $350 hand-wired boutique box with the ironic graphics and that $35 Chinese mini-FX import are both just rehashes of the DOD 250 circuit (or the Tubescreamer, Big Muff or Fuzz Face) and everyone knows it.