Do I need effects pedals?

[IamGroot]

I use zero effcts pedals on most jobs -country, rock,blues, jazz, etc, No thrash metal, emo, Bjork. I own a Artisan Guitar amp with reverb and echo (used sparingly) for small jazz club gigs (lots of bass solos).
I own a Sans Amp Tech21 NYC, but use it only when I bring a Fender Japan Precision with wimpy pups.

Do I need to make some changes?s - To get Down And Boogie And Become Risque



There'll Be A Change In The Weather And A Change In The Scene
How Is That?
I'm Gonna Start Wearin' Leather And Change My Routine
I'll Wear Dark Glasses Maybe A Toupee
I'll Get Down And Boogie And Become Risque
I'll Start Wearin' Make-Up Like Jackson And Prince
You'll See Me Ridin' In My Mercedes Benz
Nobody Wants You When You Just Play Guitar
There'll Be Some Changes Made Tomorrow
There'll Be Some Changes Made
Y'know Chet, You're Never Gonna Get To Play That Rock & Roll
Why Is That?
You're Kinda Country, A Little Bit Old
That Hurts
But Your Money For Nothin' And Your Chicks For Free
Well, Them Groupie Girls Ain't What They're Cracked Up To Be
Well Not All Of Them Anyway
Well I'd Really Like To Find Out For Myself, Don't You Know
I've Had A Kind Of Quiet Life Down Here On Music Row
Oh I Know
Well Uh... Like A Man, What Do You Think?
Man, I Don't Know
I Really Think That I Can Make The Grade
Daddy-O Daddy-O
There'll Be Some Changes Made
I Think I Was Sharp There
Just Play One - Just Play
Yeah
You've Played Before
Watch It, Watch It
Stand Back Boy
Well I'd Really Like... To Find Out For Myself,
Don't You Know. 'Cause
Like I Said I've Had A Sheltered Life
Down Here On Music Row
I Don't Believe So
Well What... What Do You Think Mark?
I Dunno
I Really Think That I Can Make The Grade
There'll Be Some Changes Made
Now Listen To This I'm Gonna Play Some Rock And Roll
There'll Be Some Changes Made... Yeah
There'll Be Some Changes Made
Now Let's All Play
Anybody Hurt?
I Learned This At... At Summer Bible School
Well, I Never Could Trust A Saint
I'm Only A Part-Time Saint
Pretty Good But You're No Mark Knopfler
What About That One There?
Not All That Bad
I Like That
I Like That
Don't Make Me Look Bad Now, Don't Make Me Look Bad
Respect For Your Elders
There'll Be Some Changes Made

 

[lokikallas]

I find I use chorus on a few songs, one auto filter, and a few times I pop on some dirt. I did add a tremolo just to help cover the guitar effect for a Green Day intro. Otherwise, I have yet to play a song that “required” an octave, synth, delay reverb, flanger or phaser. I just play what I hear on the recording and try to match effects. I suppose a few songs could use a synth, because the recording was synth bass, but even those, nobody cares.
I cover all of these with my zoom b3n.

 

[Alien8]

You are in the effects forum so the obvious answer is yes. If I said no, you'd be in a different forum .

Why do you need effects? For fun, for new sounds, for getting you out of a rut, to learn and to help your ear grow.

Why don't you need effects? They can be addictive and if you don't need any of the things listed above then great! Keep having fun with your G roots .

 

[bassbrad]

Ok @IamGroot I shall play your troll game before you are shut down. I have always played bass with effects because I like effects and because they are fun. Effects make my funk more funky, rock more rocking, blues more blue, C&W either more weepy or beer drinking angry. Some songs I may not use effects at all, others I change effects on every section. Many songs I add effects for my bass solos and [gasp] I get bass solos in all my bands at the request of my bandmates and the audience, not just jazz. I use effects to make my bass more bass or to make my bass sound nothing like a bass or to make my bass sound like a bass and another instrument in unison or to add an orchestra, choir or horns to a power trio.
You may not need or want any of those things and that is fine, truly it is. But don't come meddling in my kitchen as though my cooking ain't right, my knives are very sharp indeed.

 

[4Mal]

Plenty of folks get by in Country, Blues, and some rock styles with a very straight, simple signal chain. So no, you don't need effects to get by on bass. I do plenty of folk rock dates where the board comes long for the ride and acts as a home for my switcher, DI and tuner. If you own them, you don't actually have to use them all the time ...

On the other hand... if you are trying to step things up texturally... working in a power trio feeling it thin when the guitarist solos and wanting to find the beef... then maybe some effects apply. I have 8 to 10 patches in an HX StompXL that bring something to the party for me. For you ? That's between you and ?

I will tell you there is a whole lot more to using effects well than the smell of burning CC plastic and stomping a switch. Depending on what you want to accomplish there is a lot to learn.

If you're just bored, ignoring the sticky and trolling... go tell it to Bootsy...

 

[IamGroot]

Plenty of folks get by in Country, Blues, and some rock styles with a very straight, simple signal chain. So no, you don't need effects to get by on bass. I do plenty of folk rock dates where the board comes long for the ride and acts as a home for my switcher, DI and tuner. If you own them, you don't actually have to use them all the time ...

On the other hand... if you are trying to step things up texturally... working in a power trio feeling it thin when the guitarist solos and wanting to find the beef... then maybe some effects apply. I have 8 to 10 patches in an HX StompXL that bring something to the party for me. For you ? That's between you and ?

I will tell you there is a whole lot more to using effects well than the smell of burning CC plastic and stomping a switch. Depending on what you want to accomplish there is a lot to learn.

If you're just bored, ignoring the sticky and trolling... go tell it to Bootsy...

I stood behind Bootsy in the Detroit Airport. at least a decade ago. We both got selsected to go through the sniff-o-rama. I was too shy to strike up a conversation.

Not trolling. I asked a simple question and you and a few ithers gave a good answers for "why".

 

[4Mal]

I stood behind Bootsy in the Detroit Airport. at least a decade ago. We both got selsected to go through the sniff-o-rama. I was too shy to strike up a conversation.

Not trolling. I asked a simple question and you and a few ithers gave a good answers for "why".

So... something I do is to utilize the crossover in the HX Stomp. I'll put a little grit on the low's. Maybe 120 and down. I mean a little, sort of like a pushed 15. That leave me the clean clear uppers for a little chorus. Which doesn't mess with the lows. I'll also put an octave down on the highs. So I can switch in either the chorus or the octave or not... Most octaves really sound awful down low. Mine is set to just richen things up when I go up the neck.


I have some patches that do the inverse. Clean, Clear, gK like Punchy lows. and a few effects to switch in or out on top. So the punch is always there. I'm really giving up nothing... Took me a few months and some inspiration from a few users here to decide on my application for it.

The HX StompXL is simply addictive and it can be subtle, not gimmicky...

 

[JonathanPDX]

Have you ever turned any of the knobs on your bass? How about your amp? Do you twist any knobs on your SansAmp DI?

Congrats, you used effects!

Everything you already do manipulates your tone. Just because some of those adjustments are housed in a purple box with a green light and a big shiny footswitch doesn't make them somehow taboo.

A live gig is all about filling sonic space. Effects pedals are one way to do that. Playing 4+ hours with the same tone can also get old for both the band and the audience, every other instrument on stage has various ways to adjust their dynamics and sonic profile. We should have those tools as well. It doesn't mean you need to string 8 pedals together to sound like a spaceship, but in the right context that might be totally appropriate, not to mention damn fun to do.

 

[Topkat13]

Oh definitely.

 

[triode6L6a]

No.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Need? Probably not.

Can use? Almost certainly.

The big down side of using effects is there can be a steep learning curve to getting them right for your situation. The big up side is the sweet/fun tones that will enhance your sound for the masses.

 

[HelpImaRock]

If you have to ask, then no.

Effects solve specific things plugging straight in can't. If you have something you're looking for, that you can't get from your rig, then effects might be right for you. Otherwise, leave well enough alone.

 

[ComeHomeShane]

"...I never use a pedal just because it's in front of me... the only time I use a pedal is when it would be musically inappropriate to not use that pedal."

~ Micheal League, bass player of Snarky Puppy.

 

[Matty Koff]

I use zero effcts pedals on most jobs -country, rock,blues, jazz, etc, No thrash metal, emo, Bjork. I own a Artisan Guitar amp with reverb and echo (used sparingly) for small jazz club gigs (lots of bass solos).
I own a Sans Amp Tech21 NYC, but use it only when I bring a Fender Japan Precision with wimpy pups.

Do I need to make some changes?s - To get Down And Boogie And Become Risque

Need? Nah. 99% of the time we're playing clean tone or in other genres maybe some overdrive/distortion. Maybe a little compression, which I've found can help clear up the space between notes. But effects can be real fun and allow you to add dynamics to your music that you couldn't before.

Look into a used Pod Go.. I've seen them for about $350. There are individual pedals that cost that much or more new. It'll be the best headphone amp you've ever used. It doubles as an audio interface. You could play ampless if FoH were provided. It functions similar to a physical pedalboard expect it's easier to rearrange effects in your signal path.. like way easier. Turn off the amp/cab sims if you intend to play through your amp.. use them with headphones, or while recording, or while running straight into a mixer/FoH setup.

It's got more guitar effects and amps/cabs than anything but the bass amp cab sims are decent. I particularly love using the SVT810 cab sim into my headphones or into my DAW. You can load custom cab impulse responses into it as well. There are plenty of effects with a mix/blend (something I've deemed a necessity for using effects with bass, personally) and it allows for 32x4 user presets with 6 footswitches for engaging/disengaging blocks. Each preset has multiple snapshots which is basically allowing you to engage or disengage multiple effects at once.

It's limited compared to the HX Stomp XL, which i would skip the Stomp and get the XL if ultimately I wasn't drooling so hard over the Helix LT or Floor.. The Helix LT has been on my mind since acquiring the Pod Go, because they essentially use the same effects, you can just use more of them.. and like the Stomp and Stomp XL you can route different signals to different outputs.. like you can run one signal to your amp..send FoH a signal that includes an amp/cab sim.

4 cable method allows you to try placing different effects into the effects loop of your amp. Which a delay can be pretty awesome there. If your amp's effects loop bypasses the preamp, you can use a preamp sim within pod go, and set it up to be very similar to a 2 channel amp that disengages the effects loop and the preamp sim with the tap of a footswitch. This is where the PG starts to show limitations vs the more expensive options due to limited I/O and routing options.

My PG has made me want a Helix like real bad. A decade ago I would've never told anybody to get a multi effects unit over analogue effects..

But anyway, sorry for getting wordy. I just think that even if you end up wanting to go a different route for effects down the road.. Line 6's least expensive option in the Helix lineup will help you figure out what you do and don't like and where you want it in your signal chain before you spend way more on the analogue route or even something like a Kemper or Helix Floor. You might even decide it's all you'll ever need. I thought I'd only be using this with a guitar I'd just bought and didn't have an amp for but.. it's all I use at home anymore for either instrument. And if you end up disagreeing.. you should be able to get your money back since you bought it used. I personally was getting back into guitar when I got my Pod Go, and that increases the value of the Helix line up by a lot.. at the same time my pedalboard dedicated to bass required a much bigger overall investment than the Pod Go did and the PG covers most of it while offering some insight I'd otherwise have not explored.

The presets will need tweaking. The amp sims will need to be EQ'd for your bass. But the amp sims behave pretty realistically afaic.

Barring that the C4 synth from source audio is a real treat. The smartphone and personal computer editing app can look a little intimidating at first but once you start playing around.. it's a plethora of fun effects in one pedal. Caveat being it will make you desire a midi controller for changing presets.

 

[themickster]

You don't need any but bring some in if you want

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

I don't know if you need effects. I know that I do need effects.

 

[Nev375]

I think it's a good idea to have a collection of tools in your garage.

Whather you want to pack them around all the time is up to you.


My philosophy is use as few as possible, but not fewer.
(There's a couple I just can't do without)

 

[vlsndgrdn]

A pedal tuner, a good compressor (get a good one), EQ and boost are nice tools to own even if you are not an effects guy.

Then the funny ones like fuzzes, octavers, filters and yadda yadda are a matter of choice either for fun or creativity.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I use zero effcts pedals on most jobs -country, rock,blues, jazz, etc, No thrash metal, emo, Bjork. I own a Artisan Guitar amp with reverb and echo (used sparingly) for small jazz club gigs (lots of bass solos).
I own a Sans Amp Tech21 NYC, but use it only when I bring a Fender Japan Precision with wimpy pups.

Do I need to make some changes?s - To get Down And Boogie And Become Risque



There'll Be A Change In The Weather And A Change In The Scene
How Is That?
I'm Gonna Start Wearin' Leather And Change My Routine
I'll Wear Dark Glasses Maybe A Toupee
I'll Get Down And Boogie And Become Risque
I'll Start Wearin' Make-Up Like Jackson And Prince
You'll See Me Ridin' In My Mercedes Benz
Nobody Wants You When You Just Play Guitar
There'll Be Some Changes Made Tomorrow
There'll Be Some Changes Made
Y'know Chet, You're Never Gonna Get To Play That Rock & Roll
Why Is That?
You're Kinda Country, A Little Bit Old
That Hurts
But Your Money For Nothin' And Your Chicks For Free
Well, Them Groupie Girls Ain't What They're Cracked Up To Be
Well Not All Of Them Anyway
Well I'd Really Like To Find Out For Myself, Don't You Know
I've Had A Kind Of Quiet Life Down Here On Music Row
Oh I Know
Well Uh... Like A Man, What Do You Think?
Man, I Don't Know
I Really Think That I Can Make The Grade
Daddy-O Daddy-O
There'll Be Some Changes Made
I Think I Was Sharp There
Just Play One - Just Play
Yeah
You've Played Before
Watch It, Watch It
Stand Back Boy
Well I'd Really Like... To Find Out For Myself,
Don't You Know. 'Cause
Like I Said I've Had A Sheltered Life
Down Here On Music Row
I Don't Believe So
Well What... What Do You Think Mark?
I Dunno
I Really Think That I Can Make The Grade
There'll Be Some Changes Made
Now Listen To This I'm Gonna Play Some Rock And Roll
There'll Be Some Changes Made... Yeah
There'll Be Some Changes Made
Now Let's All Play
Anybody Hurt?
I Learned This At... At Summer Bible School
Well, I Never Could Trust A Saint
I'm Only A Part-Time Saint
Pretty Good But You're No Mark Knopfler
What About That One There?
Not All That Bad
I Like That
I Like That
Don't Make Me Look Bad Now, Don't Make Me Look Bad
Respect For Your Elders
There'll Be Some Changes Made

No. Nobody needs pedals. Do you want some? Will you use them? Are they going to be worth plugging in and setting up everyday?

Those are the questions.

 

[lfmn16]

Only you know if you need effects pedals. Some people do, some don’t. If you don’t know what you are trying to accomplish, you’re just throwing your money around and unlikely to get any benefit. Sounding different isn’t the same as sounding better.