I dig this too. I may end up going this way with my board eventually. The more I’m playing with my newer projects, the less effects I use. Even dirt. I still use OD a ton. But it would be awesome to have a 3 pedal board!! Maybe someday.
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I dig this too. I may end up going this way with my board eventually. The more I’m playing with my newer projects, the less effects I use. Even dirt. I still use OD a ton. But it would be awesome to have a 3 pedal board!! Maybe someday.
father of fires
Commercial User
Thanks everyone for the recent posts. I wanted to clarify that the Mammoth Tamer mod does not de-buffer your whole chain. It just removes the buffer on the send of the Bloop.
Also the GMP is a unique animal. Not quite an MBD but not distinct enough to be a whole ass product.
I built 25 I think and they were a pain to move. I'd love to revisit it but it would come at the cost of other design folks keep messaging me about.
Also the GMP is a unique animal. Not quite an MBD but not distinct enough to be a whole ass product.
I built 25 I think and they were a pain to move. I'd love to revisit it but it would come at the cost of other design folks keep messaging me about.
Thanks for clarifying that. I wasn’t trying to make it sound like mine was faulty or something like that. Mine still works great with most my stuff.
Simple answer…
If you desire clean low end in your signal than yes, no other pedal I know of does it as nicely and easily. It’s not magic, it’s just the best at what it does IMO.
father of fires
Commercial User
A bass fuzz that has become my albatross.
I'm certainly digging my MBD2. Running a Bug Caster, Broughton Azure Drive, and a Hizumitas into it is nuts in the best possible way.
A crossover is where the signal is split into two different signals at a given frequency. The common application most people are familiar with is when you have a sub. Only frequencies below say 100 Hz are sent to the sub and only frequencies over 100 Hz are sent to the main speakers.
Something like the Darkglass X is a crossover. The low frequencies are clean and the high ones distort.
The bloop runs two signals in parallel. One is a full range signal which has the effects in it. The second signal is low-pass-filtered to only play frequencies below a selected cutoff. The filtered signal is a copy of the dry signal coming into the pedal.
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So crossover is usefull in biamping situations where I want my signal to go to an head and cab that do the subs, and the other head/cab do the highs right?
Im not gonna go for that quite yet, but the bloop should be an awesome utility pedal nonetheless ithout the crossover...? I just want some OD/Fuzzes be more thumpy, and have some low end into them.
I also heard the bloop can split the signal into two different amps.
Sorry Im a noob when it comes to this!!
What the Bloop is best at, is allowing you put a different pedal in it's switchable effect loop, and then mix that with your clean signal.
Then when you turn on the Bloop, you get a mix of uneffected Low Passed clean signal. (Basically it cuts off some of the highs, and just keeps your clean lows) and the pedal you have in the Bloop's Effect Loop, that you can adjust with the Level knob.
Think of it as adding a Blend knob to whatever pedal you put in the loop.
You put a Fuzz pedal in the loop for instance.
Now you can blend the clean lows with the fuzz pedal.
This really helps thicken up a pedal that may cut too much bass on it's own, by letting you add the cleans back in, and tightens up the sound so it doesn't get too muddy, as some pedals tend to do.
It's possible to run to split your signal from the Bloop to separate amps, but it's a little different than how the pedal normally operates.
Then when you turn on the Bloop, you get a mix of uneffected Low Passed clean signal. (Basically it cuts off some of the highs, and just keeps your clean lows) and the pedal you have in the Bloop's Effect Loop, that you can adjust with the Level knob.
Think of it as adding a Blend knob to whatever pedal you put in the loop.
You put a Fuzz pedal in the loop for instance.
Now you can blend the clean lows with the fuzz pedal.
This really helps thicken up a pedal that may cut too much bass on it's own, by letting you add the cleans back in, and tightens up the sound so it doesn't get too muddy, as some pedals tend to do.
It's possible to run to split your signal from the Bloop to separate amps, but it's a little different than how the pedal normally operates.
Picture this.
Crossover
One signal goes in a crossover and two come out:
1. Only frequencies above the crossover cutoff
2. Only frequencies below the crossover cutoff
Each signal routes to a different output (like the bi-amp arrangement mentioned), or routes to a different signal process and gets mixed back together at the end (like a Darkglass X).
Bloop
The Bloop is a blender of two signals. One signal goes in and one* signal comes out.
1. Full frequency signal which passes through effects in the loop (with a crossover only the upper or lower frequencies will pass through).
2. A dry copy of the signal with only frequencies below the filter cutoff.
*As noted above, you could probably rig it so that when the pedal is active the FX Send is not plugged back into the Return. Instead, the Output and the Send each go to separate destinations. This is an off-label use, but could still be done.
EDIT:
For use with a dirt pedal.
Crossover = bottom clean + top dirty
Bloop = bottom clean + all dirty
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Thunderdome
Two signals go in and one comes out.
I put the Contour Pre back onboard. I'd forgotten how simple and effective it is. Placing it before the Curmudgeon creates a little extra attack when running it heavy. And, the Contour Pre w/ the Volt Thrower sounds juicy while adding some Damnation punch to the ratty tones.
Btw, a little off topic but I'm happy about this. I recently picked up a G&L CLF L-2000. I'm new to G&L but the way the MFD's wake up the MBD crushes!
Btw, a little off topic but I'm happy about this. I recently picked up a G&L CLF L-2000. I'm new to G&L but the way the MFD's wake up the MBD crushes!
father of fires
Commercial User
If everyone played a 2k then this pedal would be an easier sell.
contour and curmudgeon definitely sound great together. Glad you found that combo.
contour and curmudgeon definitely sound great together. Glad you found that combo.
Just got my MBD-2 today, liking it so far. Only thing what bothers me is that I dont seem to get alot of distortion out of it, even when I put the gain and tone on full, it just barely gets into the distortion territory. Naturally if I use the 20db boost then there is plenty of drive. Is that normal, considering that I was using Dingwall, so the output of the bass shouldnt be the issue, or can it be a faulty unit?
That's pretty standard with my basses. With the +20dB switch off and the gain maxed out, it's like moderate/heavy overdrive - not full distortion. Plus, if your tone knob is on the lower side and the shift switch is up, that seems to have less emphasized breakup. Then your clean volume will kind of eat into that once you start blending that in. So it sounds normal to me...
I can’t comment on the faulty or not, but when I was watching YouTube reviews, everything sounded almost too distorted for what I wanted. After talking to others, I was told it could do subtle OD well and they were right. Without the 20db boost engaged it is more OD than Distortion. This may also depend on what else is in your chain.
This is why I love the MBD so much. The wonderful lower gain OD/distortion.
