Does anybody just plug and play anymore?

[electracoyote]

Does anybody just plug and play anymore?

Every chance I get.

Interestingly, it's the funk/dance/R&B gigs that allow me to do this most often. I'm blessed with a great bass to combo pairing that just sounds perfect in this environment. To use the cliche, it's in the fingers at that point.

It's my classic rock and pop gigs where I'm tempted to use processing. I can't imagine "Fly Away" without the envelope filter or the intro to "Sweet Emotion" without a phaser/flanger. Once the band (and audience) hears it they would have serious withdrawal issues if I stopped using them.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Been playing 52 years. Never even considered a pedal until last year when I needed a DI because we couldn't use amps in our rehearsal space. I got a Line 6 Basspod. It is useful for a DI situation, but I like the natural sound of my amp the best.

 

[Duder]

Does anybody just plug and play anymore?

Every chance I get.

Interestingly, it's the funk/dance/R&B gigs that allow me to do this most often. I'm blessed with a great bass to combo pairing that just sounds perfect in this environment. To use the cliche, it's in the fingers at that point.

It's my classic rock and pop gigs where I'm tempted to use processing. I can't imagine "Fly Away" without the envelope filter or the intro to "Sweet Emotion" without a phaser/flanger. Once the band (and audience) hears it they would have serious withdrawal issues if I stopped using them.

I think that's the real story: I have an overdrive pedal, but I only use it on songs that call for some dirt. Otherwise, it stays off.

 

[Biggbass]

When I use the V4b rig it's bass>cable>amp and for a tuner I use an iphone app.
when I use my SVT7 rig I have a rack tuner but still go straight into the amp.

 

[hintz]

Yes at times and also no at times. Just depends on situation.

Same here!! It all depends for me, sometimes I lack space, other times its outdoors without cover! I love my pedals but I'm not gonna use them outdoors with no cover with the way it rains here!

 

[B-string]

That is how I play, very few exceptions in over 40 years.

 

[basslust]

I always did until recently. Tried a few pedals but none of them stuck. That was until I got my TLC compressor... Now I go straight into the compressor and then straight into the amp.

 

[staurosjohn]

 

[Joebone]

Plug and play is my only way! My stuff is latin/folkorical/jazz, and using effects would be like bringing a priest to a whorehouse.

That said, I'm very attentive to tone settings and hand technique to get the sound that I want, and am lucky to have a great cabinets (Audiokinesis thunderchild), great power amps (thunderfunk, eden WT 405), and excellent basses that just plain sound good.

 

[radioface]

Yes, I just plug in and play.

 

[Milo Spleen]

I used to until I joined Talkbass. All of that GAS for pedals did me in.

 

[preside]

Bass to sans amp BDDI to power amp to cab does that count? I'm using the BDDI as a preamp.

 

[Muttleybass]

The B3 is a tank. I've never heard of one breaking, but I can't vouch for any of their other pedals.

I had the BFX 708. Sounded great, but the expression pedal hinge broke. If they made that pedal out of metal it would have been the shiznit. Tried other pedals that seemed more rugged, but they all sounded cheezy. Nobody ever seemed to even notice, so I just never bothered with effects again.

 

[jwilson67]

I was plug n play up until about 5 years ago when I started playing in a covers band. I suddenly found the need to cop a lot of different bass sounds to make it authentic. I started with a Boss ME-20B then got a Hartke VXL Bass Attack. After trying individual pedals for a while I went to a Zoom B3 and now I'm a happy camper. There is nothing wrong with plug & play at all.

 

[Quilbert]

I usually go in dry. A good bass and head is all I need. The odd effect is nice sometimes but I find I can't be bothered with pedals, power supplies patch leads etc. I often don't have the floor space. (I play very small venues )

 

[bassliner50]

No bells and whistles for me.

 

[jwilson67]

If I did go plug and play again though I'd at least use a Rane rack compressor into the effects loop.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Not anymore. I did for almost 20 years and then realized I'm never going to get rich playing music so I might as well have fun with it.

 

[nostatic]

Almost never straight in - only when I'm really trying to travel light in/out of a gig (e.g. when I used to do a lot of nursing home shows).

Nano board is always in my car and goes out on most of the gigs. Sonic tuner, delay, env, ditto. Depending on what band I'm playing with, none of those will get touched (other than the tuner/mute), other times delay will probably get used on a few songs. For gigs like last night, my larger board goes out which has chorus, delay, octave, dirt, pog, tuner. Last night I used chorus and delay on one tune, delay on another.

The beauty of a small pedal board is you have them if you want/need them, but no one says you have to click on them . It really depends on the gig you're doing though. For Steely Jam I'm not using any effects. For some nostatic shows, I'm making a lot of weird noises. Ymmv.

 

[rugrat]

Just an amp and my REDDI.