I didn't buy it. I tried it at Sweetwaters gearfest. They don't have any around here to try again. It was a Jazz that I tried it with.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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 free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
EHX Bass Mono Synth
- Thread starter ChubbyJerk
- Start date
I don't know but mine tracks pretty good with the Jazz so I haven't tried it on all my basses.You really need to mess around with the settings and I also think your bass action might matter,I have a good time getting wild sounds from it.Thing is I'm an old bastard and my heavy gigging days are behind me, but back when I would have tried to work it into the mix.Life can be cruel, now that I can afford most of the cool stuff I like i no longer have the outlet t o use it all.lol.y
The Mono Synth is not perfect, just like any effect that samples your bass input to generate a simultaneous and completely new and separate signal.
You have to make your technique and perhaps even your bass' tone or preamp settings focused as much as possible on the fundamental note. Playing multiple notes or chords or slurring your notes is not an option.
If you play legato where the notes ring completely until the next note is played, it will sometimes not release the tracked signal from the previous note. Playing staccato with a distinct space between the notes works best.
Also keep other processors after this unit in the signal chain... plug your bass straight in with only maybe a tuner in front of it.
It's a bit of a pain but the payoff is rich.
You have to make your technique and perhaps even your bass' tone or preamp settings focused as much as possible on the fundamental note. Playing multiple notes or chords or slurring your notes is not an option.
If you play legato where the notes ring completely until the next note is played, it will sometimes not release the tracked signal from the previous note. Playing staccato with a distinct space between the notes works best.
Also keep other processors after this unit in the signal chain... plug your bass straight in with only maybe a tuner in front of it.
It's a bit of a pain but the payoff is rich.
I couldn’t really get funky with this pedal, I’ll just stick with my Digitech Bass Synth Wah pedal. I was really hoping the Mono Synth would be a gem for 2019.
I got mine a few weeks ago. I have to say: The tracking is very good! I use passive basses.
Don't know how so many experience so much "glinch" or not so exact tracking, I really think it is a very solid pedal with a few useable sounds - at least for me
.
Here is a link to a recording I did last week with an old Pearl E-Drum-Set from the 80s and the EHX Mono Synth Bass:
Cheers
Karli
Don't know how so many experience so much "glinch" or not so exact tracking, I really think it is a very solid pedal with a few useable sounds - at least for me
. Here is a link to a recording I did last week with an old Pearl E-Drum-Set from the 80s and the EHX Mono Synth Bass:
Cheers
Karli
So I just picked one of these up. This is not a pedal that you just plug and play. Each synth setting requires very specific settings of the control and sensitivity knobs to avoid being glitchy. The glitchy-ness reminds me a lot of how the Memory Boy glitched, it’s erratic at times. But if you take the time to tell really set this up I see some great possibilities, especially using the setting that do some great sub sounds. I’ve used it both on an active Mockingbird with Moser circuit and an active BC Rich Eagle from 1983. I tried an Ovation passive bass too, definitely gets more clarity from the actives. As the manual notes is absolutely recommend placing it at the START of your chain and definitely don’t put it after any dirt. However feeding into an EHX Glove makes from some interesting sounds. I’m not finding the DRY knob to be too effective at blending although maybe thats not what It's supposed to do???
The Dry is simply a volume control for how much bass guitar you want mixed in with the synth.
It's whatever its set at on the factory settings, but it's position is remembered on the user patches.
Yeah that’s sort of what I figured but it doesn’t seem to blend in too much actual dry even on an active bass. I’m wondering if placing a bass booster like an EHX Mole ahead of it might push more bass through. I think I’ll try that.
The dry control on mine works as expected.
If you turn the synth all the way down and your dry all the way up, does the pedal seemingly just pass through your unaffected signal?
If you turn the synth all the way down and your dry all the way up, does the pedal seemingly just pass through your unaffected signal?
I know this is an old post, but its performance at gigs was why I sold mine. The volume drop was massive when I engaged it. That's with hot Bartolinis that never lack for punch, also I turned the effect volume almost all the way up after noticing it the first time I turned it on. The sounds were pretty good, but nothing I couldn't get out of the Markbass SuperSynth (which has the opposite volume issue, but is tameable with compression), and then I got the SA C4 a couple months back. But, as most of you pointed out, for $125, I had to at least try it. The tracking was pretty good, better than the Synth9 for sure, but that would only go to an open A on most settings, and it got wonky when playing quickly. It's a decent pedal at a fantastic price point, and a great entry level synth pedal. It was definitely sturdier than the Behringer BSY600, which crapped out on me after a week or two.
Last edited:
As you pointed out,a great introduction to synth bass.It got me hooked and now I own 5.It created a monster.
Since that post, I saw a Rig Rundown and found out the bassist for String Cheese Incident has apparently switched out his Deep Impact for the EHX Mono Bass Synth. And Ryan Stasik from Umphrey's McGee is also using one. Guess they found good levels. Glad to hear you've made a deep journey down the rabbit hole!
Wondering if anyone has experience playing the Bass Mono Synth into an auto-wah/envelope pedal? I have the MXR Bass Envelope and think playing the synth into it could create some really funky and interesting sounds. Or maybe it would be overkill.
Anyway, interested to know if anyone has experience or thoughts on the matter.
Anyway, interested to know if anyone has experience or thoughts on the matter.
Last edited:
I owned this pedal and I have a wah and envelope filter but honestly can't remember doing this.That said it would probably sound cool.I own a few different synth pedals and many have this sound or something quite like this built in.There's no sound that won't work in the right circumstance or if you like it, so try it.
Is anyone finding these really troublesome with compression? I have mine in the chain just after the tuner, then a Synth9 (not attempting to use the two together simultaneously btw), then Micro Pog, then Battalion, which provides all the compression (and distortion) that I use on my board. However, I've been finding the volume level coming from the Mono Synth is all over the place, usually dropping in overall volume. I've tried messing around with the direct signal level coming in and dialing the synth volume up and down, but it seems chaotic and is not blending well at all. I can upload a video if needs be. When I bypass the compression on the Battalion, everything appears to be level. But I want to have compression running at all times - strangely, I never appeared to have this issue when I first got the pedal a few months ago. It got on fine with the compression setting being at halfway. I'm not particularly sure what variables have even changed. Its really stressing me out to be honest, I'm being filmed for something next week and I really need this to be behaving...
Any thoughts as to what could be wrong here?
Any thoughts as to what could be wrong here?
Synth > Envelope filter isn't overkill at all, it's awesome! Now, I had issues with this particular combination, because I couldn't get an even volume, which sometimes the envelope filter helped push it harder, which I find with the C4 and MarkBass SuperSynth > a filter as well. Try all sorts of filter combinations, like an up filter instead of down or vice versa. Some sounds work incredibly well, others clash terribly. You just have to experiment, but the sounds that work are immense!
Volume issues were why I got rid of it. I would set a preset to a decent level, or what I thought it was, and at both gigs I used it on, the sound dropped a ton, and I raised it manually, but still wasn't ever enough. I don't think the compressor had anything to do with it, just the Mono Synth. Get a C4, much more sonic options for not much more money.
