I LOVED the Cali76 on my passive basses....recently tried it with my active Spectors and it sounds terrible.
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Cali76 Compact Bass
- Thread starter IvanBassist
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Cool, subbed! Although nothing will ever make me part with my Wampler Ego
Nothing except switching to an active bass lol. The Ego doesn't handle that so well. I use my Darkglass X Ultra compressor now and it works better with my Stingray.
Every time I brought the CaliCB on a gig, I was missing punch, and was constantly finding myself lost in the mix; thus turning up, and then being told I was too loud by my bandmates. The pedal was just too eager to convert my low frequencies to upper mids…I tried every way I could to get it less reactive and more headroom, but something about how it does gain reduction is far more fragile than other compressors in this price range.
The pedal sounds so interesting and vibey, when at home. On a gig / in a mix, I just disappear.
The pedal sounds so interesting and vibey, when at home. On a gig / in a mix, I just disappear.
I've had the opposite experience by setting the HPF high, the ratio low, and blending in plenty of dry signal. Keeps the low end authoritative while pushing more depth higher up the neck.
Speaking of HPF, I found during practice yesterday that I prefer the sound I get with the HPF all the way off, and Dry at 12. I used to play with the HPF between 12 and 2, but it made my lows a bit overpowering. I felt like the E string was too loud compared to my other strings.
With the HPF off, all frequencies get compressed, but having the Dry at 12 means I keep some clean, uncompressed sound in the chain.
It worked better for me during practice.
Am I the only one not using the HPF on the Cali76 CB?
to be fair, the original Cali didn’t have the HPF and worked wonders on bass…
With the HPF off, all frequencies get compressed, but having the Dry at 12 means I keep some clean, uncompressed sound in the chain.
It worked better for me during practice.
Am I the only one not using the HPF on the Cali76 CB?
to be fair, the original Cali didn’t have the HPF and worked wonders on bass…
Nope. Judicious use of the HPF is the way to go.
Does anyone of you who totally dig this pedal play into an all-tube amp?
Well I do. Plus, I'm basically a no-pedals guy. The Chet Baker of pedals ("It takes a very good pedal to be better than no pedal at all"). I'll only use a drive pedal because fiddling with gain and master to achieve more drive in mid-flight is fault-proof, bi-amping with two full setups and a split box is ridiculously overkill, and stomping a box (DCX bass) is way easier.
However, I'm a total teenager when it comes to FOMO- so when I read all the raves about the Cali76 (your car goes more miles per litre, your pets live a longer and happier life, everybody calls you for jobs just because of your compressed sound, yada) I had to try it as well. Oh, and that's the newer version with the LED row instead of the jewel.
I'll give you this. It's an amazing compressor. Probably the amazingest compressor pedal I've ever tried, and the fact that the compressor klutz that I am I can get vey usable and nice sounds out of it - a first for me, as all the classic comp pedals I've tried did through the years not work for me at all - warrants all the Cali76's laurels.
But, does it improve the pure bass-into-amp sound in a 350€-way (that's the price tag where I live)- especially in a live situation? After a thorough workout with it, trying a variety of indeed cool and great and good and occasionally fantastic sounds, I'll have to say No. Obviously it makes it harder to have the amp react to playing nuances, and the dynamic treatment of a signal that happens in the amplifier is completely enough for me. So in my case, back it goes.
Best
Sidecar
Well I do. Plus, I'm basically a no-pedals guy. The Chet Baker of pedals ("It takes a very good pedal to be better than no pedal at all"). I'll only use a drive pedal because fiddling with gain and master to achieve more drive in mid-flight is fault-proof, bi-amping with two full setups and a split box is ridiculously overkill, and stomping a box (DCX bass) is way easier.
However, I'm a total teenager when it comes to FOMO- so when I read all the raves about the Cali76 (your car goes more miles per litre, your pets live a longer and happier life, everybody calls you for jobs just because of your compressed sound, yada) I had to try it as well. Oh, and that's the newer version with the LED row instead of the jewel.
I'll give you this. It's an amazing compressor. Probably the amazingest compressor pedal I've ever tried, and the fact that the compressor klutz that I am I can get vey usable and nice sounds out of it - a first for me, as all the classic comp pedals I've tried did through the years not work for me at all - warrants all the Cali76's laurels.
But, does it improve the pure bass-into-amp sound in a 350€-way (that's the price tag where I live)- especially in a live situation? After a thorough workout with it, trying a variety of indeed cool and great and good and occasionally fantastic sounds, I'll have to say No. Obviously it makes it harder to have the amp react to playing nuances, and the dynamic treatment of a signal that happens in the amplifier is completely enough for me. So in my case, back it goes.
Best
Sidecar
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Don't mean to be rude, but here it's a "you" problem. You said it yourself, you're a "bass into amp" kinda guy. At least you acknowledged it's a great comp, it's just that you don't need it 
As for me, I owned it for a while but sold it to get an MXR M76. For what I do, the MXR works fine, the Cali is almost too refined, too "boutique". Yeah that's also a "me" problem here
As for me, I owned it for a while but sold it to get an MXR M76. For what I do, the MXR works fine, the Cali is almost too refined, too "boutique". Yeah that's also a "me" problem here
I’ll be the first to admit this
no offense taken. It is indeed.At least you acknowledged it's a great comp, it's just that you don't need it
However - could be interesting to hear about my initial question- any all tube players amongst those who think the cali76 is indispensable? Just curious.
Best
Sidecar
I thought it was just me as well. With parallel compression I prefer it off.
