• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Bass Synth Pedals and Making Them Not Suck

#41
JimmyM said:
Why didn't you guys tell me that you could make bass synth pedals not suck just by adding other effects??!! Seems so obvious now :D
Click to expand...

Another tactic that can improve the usefulness of some pedals is to run them in a parallel effects loop. There are also pedals that are designed to split and combine signals. I tried this recently and was blown away by running EQ, compression, and light reverb in the effects loop at a level significantly below the dry signal. On the EQ (MXR KFK 10 band) I left the high frequencies flat, boosted 125, 250, and 500 hz, and rolled everything below 125 hz off. The result was an incredibly smooth and fat sound with a lot of note definition and resonance. Running a parallel loop is also a good way to keep the attack and lows intact when using OD pedals.
 
  • Like
Reactions: packhowitzer and JimmyM
#42
I never really found synth pedals or filter pedals to "need" anything else to sound good. But like anything else it's all about context. Sometimes a little something extra makes it just right. Delay is always good, especially for those Bootsy moments. Phaser is great of course. Most bass synths already have octaves built in, so using an octave pedal too seems excessive and pointless.

I would love a microsynth or something and eventually I'll get one. For now I have a Pearl Octaver that I sometimes use with a Q Tron which gives me some pretty cool synth sounds. Adding a Ross comp gives me a nice 70s squashed studio vibe.

But I also have to say, having actual bass pedals and a MIDI synth in addition to bass is awesome. I'm finally using them more regularly in my main band since we finally have a good PA to practice with. So I have a Roland PK5 set MIDI'd to a Roland JX3P synth, which also has a programmer (but it's ancient so I have to switch between the programmer and the pedals). That runs through an old rack multi-effects unit typically with phaser, delay, and reverb. I usually just go for Taurus kind of sounds or maybe a little spacier than that. Adds a lot of depth to the mix, even with a 5 string. You hit a low C or D (especially while playing them on the bass like you would on a 4 string) and it's just got this nice girth that sits nicely underneath the rest of the band. Kind of gives a hybrid synth/8 string sort of sound. They're addictive though and I'll probably have to figure out where I can and can't add them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JimmyM
#44
gumtown said:
I have used the Boss GT-6B, GT-10B + GR-20, GR-55,
now my current synth is the new Boss SY-300, so far it's great !!
polyphonic with just a regular jack cable (no 13 pin GK), as 3 Oscillators with selectable wave forms, 6 LFO's, 3 filters, effects, and loads of assignable control.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but that's cheating! :D

Actually I'd like to give that one a shot. Looks really great.
 
#46
Must be bass synth week... I have one of those boss synth pedals cept its the guitar version. Finally got it dialed into that one setting that I like, sounds cool and definitely want to use for something.
5 minutes later I drew a blank on what I want to play.
 
#47
another synth bassists should consider -- the discontinued Pigtronix Mothership. it's a super-slick, bass-friendly pedal that's easy to use. and yes, it's VERY musical, despite a couple of ridiculous YouTube videos featuring bassists showcasing some "not-so-useful" tones. sure, it's got your NIN and Muse tones ready to go, but there's sooooooooooo much more to the Mothership. yes, it will get wacky if you engage everything all at once... but you can also dial it back to where you get something practical out of it.

plus, it's got true bypass... a sub-octave output... and for those who wanna drift off Ganymede, it's got a separate input for an expression pedal (ex. a Digitech Whammy).

i recently picked up a used Mothership and i just love it. it sounds outstanding, it's fun to operate and it's built like a tank. again, it's been discontinued but there are lots of them flying around in the used markets right now.

Pigtronix makes KILLER stuff.
 
#48
honestly I've tried a lot of bass synth pedals. almost all. The only one that isn't a waste of time imo is the EHX bass micro synth. If you haven't used one, try it. Then you will see what all the other synth pedals have been trying (and failing) at for all these years. I have found several uses for it in love and recording situations. It can coin an insane number of classic analog synth tones from moog to roland.

There really is no other synth pedal worth its salt except maybe the chunk systems ones. But honestly I've never spent that kind of coin on a pedal and I don't plan to.
 
#49
roller said:
another synth bassists should consider -- the discontinued Pigtronix Mothership. it's a super-slick, bass-friendly pedal that's easy to use. and yes, it's VERY musical, despite a couple of ridiculous YouTube videos featuring bassists showcasing some "not-so-useful" tones. sure, it's got your NIN and Muse tones ready to go, but there's sooooooooooo much more to the Mothership. yes, it will get wacky if you engage everything all at once... but you can also dial it back to where you get something practical out of it.

plus, it's got true bypass... a sub-octave output... and for those who wanna drift off Ganymede, it's got a separate input for an expression pedal (ex. a Digitech Whammy).

i recently picked up a used Mothership and i just love it. it sounds outstanding, it's fun to operate and it's built like a tank. again, it's been discontinued but there are lots of them flying around in the used markets right now.

Pigtronix makes KILLER stuff.
Click to expand...

To each his own, I think. I owned Mothership and for all intents and purposes, I couldn't get anything similar to synth sounds that SYB-3/5 or Subterranea can produce. IMO it's useful as guitar synth, but it wasn't even remotely close to sound I wanted (fat bass synth).
 
#50
johnp352 said:
MICROBRUTE..cheapest, easiest, portable and sounds like a good analog should. Almost every sound I have heard in this thread is easily doable on it, without glitches. You can also play it and your bass at the same time. I started doing that trick in 1973, as one of my favorite bass players is Joe Zawinul.

Ohh..and there's no rule about not plugging it into all your fancy pedals either. I've modded mine to get the raw osc's out too. Lottza Big Time Fun.
Click to expand...

Yep, the Minibrute has been on my radar for a while. I probably would have already gotten it if my band didn't have a keyboard player. I use a Bassbone on my pedalboard, so I could easily plug both my bass and a synth into my bass rig and use the pedals for both.
 
#51
Right on. I like to add some delay to my synth chain. I usually use a short delay time, but I find that you can get a lot of cool, varying, sounds when you change the feedback reps from very low to eh... about 1:00 on my Flashback. The IE Polytope is a great addition to the chain, too. All in all, I'd say that about half of my pedals are--at least in part--used to get different synth sounds. And I really dig that.
 
#54
In our band I play 2 songs, working on a few more with a midi pedal controller through an access virus synth while playing bass, Incredible sound. Just as I'm getting the hang of it, the guys toss around the idea of a midi pickup. Seems logical and easier at first, but then realized sometimes I don't play the same thing on both. A lot of times it's just quarter notes or the root. Anyway, with a midi pickup, I'd be gassing for a roland guitar synth to go with it.
 
#56
FilterFunk said:
I'd love to hear clips of the SYB-3 nailing this tone.
Click to expand...
If I had the means I'd surely do it for you. It does take a little time and tweaking but with the right settings and attention to technique (as in feeling the dynamics of the pedal in your notes with your finger pressure especially with the cut offs) it's a walk in the park. Make sure you bring your flashlight after dark.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FilterFunk
#57
10cc said:
If I had the means I'd surely do it for you. It does take a little time and tweaking but with the right settings and attention to technique (as in feeling the dynamics of the pedal in your notes with your finger pressure especially with the cut offs) it's a walk in the park. Make sure you bring your flashlight after dark.
Click to expand...
Apparently you've got a little light - under the sun!:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 10cc

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back