Do You Use a Boost on Bass?

[2saddleslab]

Yep, the Edison. Plug it in & set the volume [about 70%].

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Bought a little box called "All Things Equal" on Jimmy M.'s recommendation. Very nice clean boost. These days I boost using my fingers (pinky on the volume control, a (ahem) recently aquired skill..

 

[ebo]

I bought a TC Spark boost pedal recently. Still playing around with it. Hasn’t been Velcro’d to the board yet. Sound guy needs to be in on the plan or they can work against you.

 

[lbbc]

I use boost/Preamp on my passive basses

 

[dbsfgyd1]

If so, how?

I do run the turbo boost on my Eden Navigator full time as it does add a certain presence, but it’s not used as a volume boost. For a volume boost I use my fingers.

 

[groovaholic]

I have a clone of an Xotic RC Booster, placed second in line on my pedalboard (after my HPF).

The boost functions as a clean boost with EQ, so I can boost my level and highs when I'm doing something busier.
It also comes before my overdrive pedals; using the boost with the drives gives each of them another tonality.

 

[G On Bass]

I have a Spark at the beginning of my chain, but only to balance a lower output bass/pickup selection with my default levels going into the rest of the pedal chain. Other than that, dynamics are controlled via technique/style and that boost is not turned on or off mid-song.

 

[Uncle Ernie]

I just got a RC Booster and put it behind my SansAmp, which I use as a DI box. I’m adding a bit of grit with it, so high gain and low volume. I’m liking it.

Being my 1st booster, I found that you can spend a lot of time playing with gains along the chain.

 

[dave64o]

Yes. I always bring two basses to a gig and, because I brought two, I almost always play both just for the fun of playing them both (I never switch between songs, I play a bass for a full set unless I have a malfunction with the one I'm playing at the time). I have a bunch of utility pedals on my board and my only real "effect" is a few different ODs. Since my basses have a range of output levels, I set my ODs for the basic level I'll use on my hotter bass and then use the boost at the beginning of the signal chain to boost the signal of the lower output bass up to about the level of the hotter bass. When I'm playing the hotter bass, I turn the boost off.

IOW, I don't use a boost as an effect. I use it more as a utility pedal.

Bought a little box called "All Things Equal" on Jimmy M.'s recommendation. Very nice clean boost. These days I boost using my fingers (pinky on the volume control).
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I've read about the All Things Equal here but never really thought about getting one until now. It seems made to do exactly what I use a boost for.

 

[Zbysek]

I just got a RC Booster and put it behind my SansAmp, which I use as a DI box. I’m adding a bit of grit with it, so high gain and low volume. I’m liking it.

If you put it behind your DI box, it will not affect the signal which is sent to FOH...just sayin'

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

I've got a Spark Mini Boost at the end of my signal chain. I activate it when our guitarist takes a solo in our power trio.

 

[BassBrass]

There's a little bit of boost in every pedal I use, like-- just past noon (if that's supposed to be unity gain)
an overdrive, EH Attack decay, a tone shaping EQ, compressor and the next fuzz and envelope all give a small boost. I would say most of it comes from the compressor output level. Next comes some delay type pedals and the high line level helps them. Less work for the amp too.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

JHS Haunting Mids as an always on boost. Helps me play the amp more.

 

[Planespotter]

Not a dedicated boost, but I bump the output on my vintage ultra sometimes to make my lower output basses hit the front of my amp hard enough.

 

[Slade N]

I use the EWS parametric to boost around 1k for melodic lines/solos

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

If so, how?

I don't tend to use boost on bass. But now I'm thinking maybe I should

Shakes fist at Talkbass

 

[Dr McBalders]

Just like 2Saddleslab, I use the Edison preamp as an always on boost. Mine is at the beginning of my pedal chain. Rounds and sweetens every note I play, including when I have other preamps (Slampegg Bee Pre or SGT-DI) active.
B.

 

[Lava]

Yes. TC mini spark at the end of my chain for a slight volume boost at the beginning of songs that are bass intro’d. We do some medleys that are usually led for a couple of bars by me (bass)

 

[acid bass]

As makeup gain for EQ cuts, mostly.

Yup. I have the TC Spark mini. I run a Mooer Wahter for a couple songs and it really cuts my overall EQ in the mix. I add the boost to bring me back up to my original volumne.

 

[guitarflinger]

I have a Gretsch semi-hollow body which has a much lower output than my other basses. I use the TC Mini Spark to boost this up to the same volume (clean boost only)