• 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 freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Digitech Whammy and a blendpedal?

Seeing that it is impossible to find a Bass Whammy anywhere I was wondering if a "standard" Whammy and a blendpedal (Barge Concepts) will do the same trick? I'm just looking for the pitch/octave-effects since I have a Dunlop 105Q.
 
Seeing that it is impossible to find a Bass Whammy anywhere I was wondering if a "standard" Whammy and a blendpedal (Barge Concepts) will do the same trick? I'm just looking for the pitch/octave-effects since I have a Dunlop 105Q.

Yep totally impossible to find one... Especially if you disregard the ones that pop up on ebay all the time... Not to mention the one thats for sale in the classifieds of this very forum... Linky poo

Also, to answer your original question, all a blend pedal does is blend in some of your original tone. In other words, you will have the Whammy 4 sound with a clean tone under it. The bass whammy is sought after because it tracks the low notes better. Also it has a certain setting that Tool fans are after. The blend won't make it track any better as such
 
Moosapotamus makes a Bass Paralooper with Low pass & a High pass switches & knobs - with it you can keep your low end on the original signal using the Low pass and then use any Whammy pedal in the effect loop (and possibly use the High pass switch to only send the highs to the effects in the loop).

Here is a thread with a picture & description of the Bass Paralooper:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411865&highlight=moosapotamus
 
Personally I think the tracking issues on the Whammy IV are a bit overblown. Although I've never had the opportunity to demo a bass whammy, I've never had problems with the Whammy IV.

And yes, there are Bass Whammy's available, but for a very steep price.

To answer the original question, I doubt that the blend pedal would work because it would keep your original note, so it would act more like the harmonizing function.
 
IMO, the Whammy is the kind of effect that you DON'T want a blend pedal for.

The Harmony modes naturally feature a 50/50 blend of your unaffected clean signal and the harmony shift. Blending would not only be redundant, but it would make the effect less audible. And using a blender for the Whammy modes defeats the purpose of said modes, since it would just turn them into extra harmony modes. It's even pointless with the Detune modes, IMO, especially since you can adjust depth on the fly.

Long story short... a blend loop pedal is of no benefit to a Whammy, IMHO. It sounds great on bass without blending.

If you're concerned about low end loss... there is none. If you're concerned about tracking... blending won't do anything for it. If you're concerned about modes like 5th up / 1 octave up... a blend pedal can't do that.
 
on a different note, i use my xp-100 whammy with the barge fx blender to keep it out of the chain when not in use, BUT, with the barges feedback feature all hell breaks loose when you feed that sucker back into itself! its like circuit bending, very crazy!