Dirt Pedals For Tube Snobs

[sumeursault]

I'm relatively inexperienced when it comes to effects, so there's a high likelihood of this being a terrible suggestion. But most guitar players just use boost pedals to get more overdrive from their tube amps. If you're already running your B-15 at light clipping for warmth, then couldn't you just get a boost pedal so it'd hit the tubes a little harder when needed?

 

[andrew]

I used to have a Budda. I thought it was a very subtle effect..hardly noticed it in a mix even if it was cranked...I could never get it to get that tube grind...thought it neded some more high end or somethng... It sure looked cool though

Putting a pair of 12ax7's in it would have changed that for you significantly.

 

[warwick.hoy]

"Dummy Load"

 

[JimmyM]

I'm relatively inexperienced when it comes to effects, so there's a high likelihood of this being a terrible suggestion. But most guitar players just use boost pedals to get more overdrive from their tube amps. If you're already running your B-15 at light clipping for warmth, then couldn't you just get a boost pedal so it'd hit the tubes a little harder when needed?

Nope, because I'm going through the REDDI now and (gulp!) using the B-15 as a monitor now. And using a boost on the REDDI doesn't work since it only does clean B-15 sound. Good suggestion, though...I never thought to try that when I was micing, but I should have. Then again I'd probably get yelled at for being too loud...meet the only guy who can use a B-15 at an arena and still have clean headroom.

 

[jetofuj]

Booster is good suggestion, but it's "always on" solution. If you want to use booster and have clean and dirty sounds, you would have to use volume pot on your bass - just like guitar players do.

Butler Tube thing is great, but I don't know it works with bass.

Mesa Boogie V-Twin preamp is another option - it's for guitar, but many bass players use it with great results (Ben Shepherd from Soundgarden uses it live).

 

[LiamCohl]

for the last couple months, I have been using a reddi and markbass tube compressor pedal, found it sounded better than the distortion one for those amp just starting to break up sounds, with a low ratio and high gain and you get a bit more hair on it when digging in. I was in a similar situation in not playing in many really high volume situations but couldn't quite justify using a b15, turn up the output volume on the pedal with a cleaner sound and you can hit the reddi hard enough it will break up a bit too, so I dont see why it wouldnt with a booster, any tube gain stage will distort if hit hot enough, but with my p's I leave the reddi knob all the way up and and throw a pad in the line if it is too hot for the soundguy, it is like a magic red bass box with one knob that should be labelled awesome. The markbass comp and the reddi combo has me totally satisfied for now... A studio I worked at had an old b15 head rack mounted with a reamper into the b15 into a Palmer speaker simulator and wired into the patchbay, it got used on every bass track that went through that room

 

[JimmyM]

I'll bet it did! Sounds awesome to me.

Going to try that with the REDDI. Maybe it's because I didn't have the volume up very loudly that it didn't work for me to get it to break up. Only had it a week and a half.

 

[jcburn]

So I poked around on the net trying to see if I could find what I was talking it, and I had no luck at all. But I know I remember seeing something a few years ago when I was letting all the bringdowns around me make me think that great tone didn't matter It was a preamp with overdrive, but instead of just a preamp, it had a small single tube power amp, and an output transformer with a dummy load on it.

Hey Jimmy - I know this isn't what you're talking about but it has 2 EL84 power tubes - different sound than tube preamps.
Discontinued obviously but all the reviews I've read seem to say how good these "preamps" are, or if they do a clean sound. Just my 2c...
SWR Interstellar Overdrive (about a 1/3 way down page)
Invalid Link Removed

Jake.

 

[JimmyM]

You know, maybe I ought to give one of those SWR things a try. So far the ValveDrive is the one I'm hearing that's most getting it done for me in recordings I've heard, but the IO was pretty deluxe. Works backward, though...the power amp feeds the preamp. Weird.

 

[JimmyM]

Went through all the suggestions once again this morning in case I missed a couple (and I did)...thank you all for the input! So far the leaders for me based on recordings I've heard are the ValveDrive, Thunder Machine and IO. The IO is quite versatile, but the ValveDrive has what I'm looking for more than it, I think. But those recordings with the Thunder Machine sound quite thick and rich as well, so I'm just not sure.

Sucks I can only buy one!

 

[sumeursault]

Nope, because I'm going through the REDDI now and (gulp!) using the B-15 as a monitor now. And using a boost on the REDDI doesn't work since it only does clean B-15 sound. Good suggestion, though...I never thought to try that when I was micing, but I should have. Then again I'd probably get yelled at for being too loud...meet the only guy who can use a B-15 at an arena and still have clean headroom.

Gotchya, the REDDI thing does make it tricky. If you were still micing though, I've found that a little boost into tubes that are already clipping just slightly doesn't really increase the apparent volume because of the natural compression going on with the tube circuit.

 

[caeman]

Sucks I can only buy one at a time before I flip it for the next one!

Fixt.

 

[kringle77]

The swell pedals are as close to a real overdriven tube amp as I have heard. Im really excited to hear some samples of the new B-peg pedal. They seem to give you that cool sound you get after you turn the power off on your old svt but continue playing as the volume trails off. It gets so distorted and crazy, I love that sound!

 

[Psybass]

Another soundclip of the EBS ValveDrive in my sig below...Though my setup is completly different compared to the topicstarter

It's on the verses, Vintage setting gain at 12', volume at 10', eq to personal taste....

 

[JimmyM]

Damn Psybass, that's certainly piling up more evidence of awesomeness with that ValveDrive! Great track!

Tried to find clips of the B-peg and couldn't. Then again I didn't search here yet...maybe I should

 

[Psybass]

Hey JimmyM! Thankx! Good luck with making your choice...

 

[bongomania]

To clear something up, the Swell B-Peg only exists as HYPE from the maker at this time, who is taking pre-orders. There are no clips and nobody here has used it. All we have is some grandiose claims from the manufacturer about how ultra perfect it is.

 

[JimmyM]

Well I think I'm ruling out the SWR Interstellar Overdrive. It's really good, but I've heard two clips and to me it sounds like "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam, and that's not the vibe I'm going for. Hardly easy to find one, either.

So ValveDrive or Thunder Machine I believe. The tubes of the EBS are attractive and I love the sound, but I was totally into the sound of the Thunder Machine even without a tube, and it's cool that the EQ compensates for adding dirt and sounds right in line with the clean sound EQ. Really nice because I have a hard time getting the lows set right with dirt.

 

[scotch]

I have to agree with Paganjack that nothing really ever nails a cranked tube amp sound and feel.

I have a pedal made by Glenn Wyllie called a Thunder Machine...it's a beautiful overdrive that he designed to cop a cranked tube amp...it's pretty amazing and when dialed in just right it can get close to Jameson's direct sound(from what I've heard of his soloed trax). It also does a super creamy tube overdriven tone when cranked. It's also similar in size to a boss pedal

View attachment 262492



The bass on these trax are a blend of a reddi di and a slight overdrive from the thunder machine. It just makes em sound fat an rich- Easy Tells

PM me with an email and I'd be happy to provide some soloed samples...-b

That tone is awesome in the track! More details on this pedal (google yielded little) please!

 

[warwick.hoy]

Well I think I'm ruling out the SWR Interstellar Overdrive. It's really good, but I've heard two clips and to me it sounds like "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam, and that's not the vibe I'm going for. Hardly easy to find one, either.

So ValveDrive or Thunder Machine I believe. The tubes of the EBS are attractive and I love the sound, but I was totally into the sound of the Thunder Machine even without a tube, and it's cool that the EQ compensates for adding dirt and sounds right in line with the clean sound EQ. Really nice because I have a hard time getting the lows set right with dirt.

I love Jeff Ament's tone on the intro to that song.

Now I'm curious.