Best bass effects for 3-piece

[JTE]

Trio stuff like The Police where everything pretty sparse so the difference between lead and solo parts isn't do stark, or trio lime Cream which is more like a jazz trio where everyone is really focus on what each other is doing all the time so "filling space" isn't so much the issue.as is hearing everything, or a trio where the rhythm section is expected to be a turgid and static background that never intrudes or challenges the guitar player's pentatonic wanking? Those considerations affect how to approach this.

I find that using my EBS OctaBass is useful for riff based songs like "Superstition", "Sunshine Of Your Love", etc. When the solo starts I play the riff an octave higher and the pedal provides the bottom. Other things are changing tone (both with my hands and with EQ) so there's a difference during the solo. Without the guitar chords my EQ can have different frequencies that don't allow the bass to sit in the mix during chordal parts.

Speaking of chords, adding octaves, fifths, and tenths double stops can fill out the sound.

 

[elshunko]

I don't count an overdrive because that's often on a preamp, but I really like using a hint of Octabass and Reverb.

 

[bass.slinger]

For my trio, I use the following effects:
Peterson StrobeHD
3 Leaf Doom 2
3 Leaf Octabre 3
Keeley Neutrino
Broughton Apex

I get overdrive from my amp (always on) - Mesa WD-800.

I normally would use a bigger board with some synth stuff and a whammy, but not worth it for this band. Also, the above pedal board fits on a Pedaltrain Nano and is powered by a battery, making setup easier.

I also second the option of using a KMI 12 Step with a hardware or software synth (iPad or phone works) to add drones / chords / trigger samples / etc.

 

[OldSchoolFlats]

I don't gig, but listening to my Boss GT-1B through headphones, I can say that stereo effects sound pretty cool.

Of course, that requires 2 amps, or the PA...

 

[SoCal80s]

Bunch of recomendations for compressor here. No doubt it's a usefull tool for some (less for others) but what it has to do with playing in a trio? If anything, you need more dynamic range...
Right thing is to adopt your playing to more space, just like you adopt when there is less space (big band, or another instrument in your range, like synth).
If you still prefer to add something to your sound, simple solution is OD or octaver ...

A properly set compressor actually allows you to play with MORE perceived dynamic range! I otherwise agree with the rest.

 

[mrperkolator]

TC electronics brainwaves would be on my list for a 3 piece. (or similar). The harmonizer adding extra fullness to sound would be helpful. Sounds good clean on videos of guitars. unsure of it's sound on bass

 

[SoCal80s]

Listen to Geezer Butler playing on Paranoid and play like him. Also note that the bass tracks are doubled, which is exactly what a chorus pedal can do for you. So, my suggestions are:

1. Make full use of the fretboard to add some counterpoint that will fill in the "missing" guitar parts
2. Use a compressor and distortion to fill out your tone
3. Use a chorus pedal to "double" your bass lines

 

[drumvsbass]

Pitch shifted Octaver ~ EHX POG is my choice for 90% of everything, octavers that are synth triggered octaves (like the Boss Oc2 or 3) are great for electronic music as the tone is large and subby (and when coupled with a filter and a fuzz can be super fun*), but to me it isn't the most natural sound in just a 'rock band' setting, some will disagree. The POG sounds like a 12 string bass, but the secret with the POG is run the dry at full and not to run the octaves too high, a little chubb in the bass and a little sparkle on top, just enough to give a slight boost. Like you won't notice it being on, but you'll notice when you turn it off.

An angry bass overdrive ~ You know the sound, something that makes it sound like you kicked your amp 15 feet closer to the audience and it's now it's pissed. These days the Dark Glass thing seems to reign supreme here. I still use my SansAmp BDDI as a distortion boost pedal. It sounds like RATM Bulls on Parade to me... For more apokalpse a Bass Big muff (Dry Switch, Sustain ~ 10, tone ~ 0, Volume ~ Loud enough to be heard in a mix, don't worry about where the knob is, go by feel, it will be boosty, but glorious, your guitarist might hate you)

A Chorus ~ Literally any chorus that doesn't rob you of signal and maybe a little bit of boost. I use the EHX Small Clone (not the bass one) but literally any chorus will do. Something that makes your bass sound WIDE. Also good for covering up bad fretless intonation.

~These first three sounds are the gigging 'essentials' before getting into synths* and large size power supplies and pedal boards with structural bracing...~

Maybe a delay... delay... dela..

*Envelope le phonque ~ If your band does some disco... The MXR envelope filter is the most accessible and easy to use, dial in the phonk on top of your clean signal. If you are feeling nerdy, the Source Audio Spectrum (it really is everything), if you're feeling bougie, the Mu-Tron Micro Tron is the bomb. *Add a gated Fuzz and a Boss Oc2 and you're Bernie Worrell*.

Of course a tuner and a volume ~ I probably only ever used a volume pedal on corporate gigs to put my foot somewhere and to mute for tuning. Tuners I'd say these days any tuner will do, though if you can get the entire band on to Peterson's with the sweetened tuning, that really is something.

Then the 2 Eventide H9 Pedals, A Pigtronix looper, A pedal switcher, and you're all set to play Summer of 69.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Maybe something like the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]? Does a lot of stuff.

Yeah, I think you could fill out your 3-piece with the sound from 6:00

 

[gustobassman]

I play in a reggae trio and a rock/punk 3pc + vocalist band. I've ditched the big board (10 pedals) and found I can get just about all I ever need with the setup below. The C4 has so many options to add to your sound BESIDES the synth stuff. Fuzz, overdrive, octave up/down, phaser.. just get a midi controller to use the 128 patches. Easier than it looks once you understand the workflow. Cheat sheet to organize patches for live use. For trippy dub stuff, the delay has the Mash setting so I can get all into oscillation without tweaking a knob with my hands.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Lots of interesting suggestions! I get the idea of reverb to fill space and chorus etc for a bigger sound but as the guitarist is already using a lot of effects I reckon the Pog / Quint type ideas are most in the zone, fill out the bass when needed but still keep it in the realm of bass...

You and I seem to be playing in similar situations thousands of miles away from each other. We're playing original material and my guitarist has a packed Pedaltrain Metro Max full of pedals.

The board I posted earlier is really my first try at "what would fill out the sound?" If the Super Fuzz, which is a massive sounding octave up fuzz, doesn't sound right once we rehearse again, I have a ZOOM MS70CDR. I'm not thrilled with the pitch shifters on the ZOOM, but the guitarist also uses one for pitch shifting and it really works for him. The one pitch effect it does well for me is the BOSS OC-2 model. I'm not sure why it's better than even the other octavers on the pedal, but it is, and the difference is significant. If none of this works, I'll revisit either the BOSS OC-5 or Foxrox Octron.

I'm not a fan of chorus pedals. But the ZOOM does that well also and the suggestion earlier in this thread to try it as a doubler is a good one. The Bass Chorus model with the pre-delay on and the mix and depth under 25% gets me there.

I like the synth ideas people suggested, especially the Source Audio Ultra Wave. It's not my sound but it may be yours and it's worth exploring. Another pedal you may consider is the EHX Freeze (or it's more expensive SuperEgo variants).

Personally, I tend to stay away from time based effects set too wet. They're either good in small doses or set to full craziness, which is how I'll use the DE7 delay. It's set for full oscillation. I'm sure I could use it more subtly, but we're not that kinda band.

Hope this gives you some ideas that aren't just "JPJ/Geezer/back in my day/play more!"

 

[ga_edwards]

Whilst I’m in the “it ain’t what’cha do it’s the way that you do it” camp, i.e. it’s more about filling those by choosing the right songs in the first place and via playing and arrangements, I do also believe that “gimmicky” effects can help you out.

overdrive can make your tone more harmonically rich, that has the effect over adding overtones that help fill the frequency spectrum and make your bass sound “bigger”. Chorus can add girth to your tone in a different way that can also be useful, but it can get rather tiring on the ears after a while.

Recently, I’ve been playing around with my helix trying to build a patch for the odd occasion my band goes out with only a single guitarist, via using split paths, pitch shifting and guitar amp models. I stumbled upon this patch below that I’ve heavily modified to suit my own needs. Used sparingly, and dialled back in the mix, it worked quite well for 2 or 3 songs at our last gig when when of the guitarists couldn’t make it.

and here

I’ve also built a couple song specific patches that I can trigger synth like notes and chord with the helix foot switches. It just fills out the mix with a pad like tone. Think Eliminator era ZZ Top. You could do the same sort of thing with a midi trigger pedalboard such as the Keith McMillan 12 step and a midi sound source such as tablet device.

 

[arepa_funk]

I play in a duo, exclusively recording for now. Other than drum programming, I don't overdub my parts with one exception: making my bass sound like a keyboard. Like others have said above, combination of octave, fuzz, and filter will get you there. Adding a tremolo at the end will get you even more into synth territory. With a TC Ditto or EHX 360/720/etc you can loop your "keyboard lines" and then play on top with a overdriven tone to push thru the mix.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Yeah, I think you could fill out your 3-piece with the sound from 6:00

See what you did there...

 

[Boomhowertx]

This is what I do in my power trio, and it works pretty well. Lately, I've been using the guitar simulation on all the time.

If youre not playing with the record there, and thats some kind of pedal, YOU sound like the power trio, yourself.
Never saw such a pedal, but you wouldnt have to split the gig money, I guess.
Wouldnt entertain me, if I were in the audience.
I did know a music professor, who sang and played leads with a Rolland Strat and Rolland amp. He could play a lead verse on guitar, step on the switch, and play excellent alto sax leads, slurring the notes. No sax player onstage, it looked funny, but sounded great.

It's original material...

 

[Wasnex]

my,...2c
sorry to disagree with you sweet and low
i think the bass has to cover the spaces the guitar solo makes
sure normally you want to play in the octave below the guitar
what if hes soloing the 12th fret E on the high string
bass is in the 3rd/4th octave down

i think solos work out better when there is movement in the bass too

if you use an octiveizer that woud fill up the hole in the middle
and you fuzz would sound a lot bigger as well

If your doing a cover, the idea is to play in a way that implies the original artistic intent.

What you are describing, IMHO, is more of what I would call experimental, as you are going off on your own tangent and creating something new, rather that staying as true as possible to the original.

Totally cool if you can pull it off and your audience digs it . But IMHO it's unlikely to sound good if the guitarist is trying to play an authentic cover (and only cover the lead part), and the bass is taking an extremely experimental approach to try and fill in for the rhythm guitar.

It's really up to each of us to decide if a bunch of effects on bass sounds good or not. I suspect some people have the creativity, skill, and experience to create a nice sound scape. It still requires discretion to play with taste and nuance. Someone who lacks the necessary skill and discretion will simply ladle on a thick coating of crap, that gets in the way more than improving the sound. IMHO it's far easier for effects on bass to make things worse than better, especially if you are ladling a thick coating of crap onto every song. IMHO it can sound really cool when infrequently applied, but I think it can becomes tiresome for the audience if you spread the crap coating on everything.

Keep in mind, you don't want to fill every nook and cranny. Space is actually an essential element of good music; so try not to use effects in a way that completely fills in space necessary for the song to actually work.

No matter what you do on bass, if the guitarist is not adapting to the situation and modifying how he/she plays, it is probably going to sound like crap in many situations. Essentially using a bunch of effects on bass can come across like you have a huge ego and are sucking all of the air out of the room.

IMHO, the bassist should not try to fill the space left by absence of a harmonic rhythm player by him/herself. The entire band needs to modify their musical approach to produce the desired gestalt. This is why I suggested earlier that the best idea IMHO is to work with a guitarist who has the skill to pull off power trio gigs.

Even with a great trio guitar player, the bass will need to modify how he/she plays. Maybe some bass effects will make things better, or maybe the won't. It really depends on the players and music they are performing.

 

[Boomhowertx]

I agree with Wasnex.
Roughly a third of any set list is originals for is, and what he uses, I guess I do as,well. A boss TU-2, boss octave OC-2, boss chorus CEB-2, boss limiter LMB -3, Nathan Easy NE-1, Radial Tonebone active D.I.. Then on to tje digital board.
I never use the octave or chorus, too busy playing so that I dont need to use them.
I do rely on the rest though. My hands are the sound, but these thinhs certainly help!

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Well I've scored a Pog2 on fleabay so we'll see how that works out...

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Nathan East NE-1

I used to have one of them, kinda regret selling it.

 

[ga_edwards]

IMHO, the bassist should not try to fill the space left by absence of a harmonic rhythm player by him/herself. The entire band needs to modify their musical approach to produce the desired gestalt.

Even with a great trio guitar player, the bass will need to modify how he/she plays. Maybe some bass effects will make things better, or maybe the won't. It really depends on the players and music they are performing.

It’s worth mentioning that the drummer can help out quite a bit here too. It’s amazing how well a ride cymbal can replace a rhythm guitarist!