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EWS BMC (Bass Mid Control) Pedal
- Thread starter Volume4
- Start date
Hey i've got one of these coming this week and really looking forward to trying it with my outboard Aguilar DB924.
I'm thinking its gonna be really useful for dialing in that sweet spot with the band (one acoustic and one electric guitar.)
I run an A/B loop with Channel A my Clean channel with the DB924 and channel B has a BB pre amp - neither has a mid control - and everything runs through a Effectrode PC-2A compressor. I'm not sure if I should have the BMC first in the chain or last before the comp so both channels can have the mids engaged if needed.
Any advice? but I'll try both options any ways
Cheers!
I'm thinking its gonna be really useful for dialing in that sweet spot with the band (one acoustic and one electric guitar.)
I run an A/B loop with Channel A my Clean channel with the DB924 and channel B has a BB pre amp - neither has a mid control - and everything runs through a Effectrode PC-2A compressor. I'm not sure if I should have the BMC first in the chain or last before the comp so both channels can have the mids engaged if needed.
Any advice? but I'll try both options any ways
Cheers!
Yeah part of me thinks it should be >bass>BMC>comp and then split into the two channels. It's kinda cool as I should be able to active it independently regardless of which sound I'm using- either clean or with some drive!
Should have it tomorrow ready to experiment upon my return from work.
Should have it tomorrow ready to experiment upon my return from work.
Early verdict is good! I know many people will think this is a redundant pedal as amps have eq already but it's so nice being able to boost a freq to come up a bit more in the mix depending on a particular part without just boosting overall volume!
I've already found some settings which sound good at bedroom levels albeit though a practice amp! Nothing too boosted but it really adds some 'body' without overpowering the tone. Looking forward to trying it with a drive pedal (BB Bass Pre) and boosting some of the higher mids and digging in with a pick!
Will be playing it on Saturday through my amp at volume with the band and I'll have a much clearer opportunity to discern how it pays in the overall live mix.
I've already found some settings which sound good at bedroom levels albeit though a practice amp! Nothing too boosted but it really adds some 'body' without overpowering the tone. Looking forward to trying it with a drive pedal (BB Bass Pre) and boosting some of the higher mids and digging in with a pick!
Will be playing it on Saturday through my amp at volume with the band and I'll have a much clearer opportunity to discern how it pays in the overall live mix.
Good to know you're liking it, it's a handy tool to have around, even if you're using no other effects.
As far as redundancy goes...
I currently have mine at the end of the dirt channel, to accentuate the low-mids, which makes the distortion effects sound super heavy. It would be redundant if it was after everything on the board, pre-amp; since that is where the Submarine Designer is.
I could conceivable use it first in the entire chain, since my bass has no mid control; but many of the dirt effects on the board adjust the mid-frequencies a lot, and having the BMC after those pedals helps tremendously in controlling their effect on the overall tone.
I almost want one for each channel, then I it would be like having 4 tones to choose from. Hmmm....decadent tone control.
It is my 'desert island' or 'if I could use only one' effect; just after the Submarine Designer.
As far as redundancy goes...
I currently have mine at the end of the dirt channel, to accentuate the low-mids, which makes the distortion effects sound super heavy. It would be redundant if it was after everything on the board, pre-amp; since that is where the Submarine Designer is.
I could conceivable use it first in the entire chain, since my bass has no mid control; but many of the dirt effects on the board adjust the mid-frequencies a lot, and having the BMC after those pedals helps tremendously in controlling their effect on the overall tone.
I almost want one for each channel, then I it would be like having 4 tones to choose from. Hmmm....decadent tone control.
It is my 'desert island' or 'if I could use only one' effect; just after the Submarine Designer.
I've added a picture of my pedal board My main gigging bass is a Matt Freeman Squier P bass with a Dimarzio Will Power (f'ing great pick up) and a Badass II bridge running into a TC BG500. For gig share having the pedal board is great as I have a pretty good sound regardless of the amp, which I usually bypass and go straight into the power amp section when I can.
I'm gonna experiment more with placement of the BMC but it's currently sitting right after the input so it bass>BMC>compressor>amp with the A/B in the middle.
Channel A has the Aguilar DB924 and channel B the BB Pre amp. Neither of these has a mid control hence why I think the BMC would work well and so far it has! I'm able to active it on either channel as its not in the loop. That's one reason why I got an A/B pedal -saves tap dancing on stage.
So With the BMC I'm hearing it add nice body to my drive sound but im still not sure if I want to bump the low mids or add a little more in the upper mids. Once I hear it with the band in context I'll have a idea of which works better. Either way they are both great sounds On the clean channel it's a similar thing. Low mid adds a really nice body and the Will Power is already voiced a little more in the low mids anyways. Adding the upper mids just gives another colour to try for different songs/parts. All very useable!
My main gigging bass is a Matt Freeman Squier P bass with a Dimarzio Will Power (f'ing great pick up) and a Badass II bridge running into a TC BG500. For gig share having the pedal board is great as I have a pretty good sound regardless of the amp, which I usually bypass and go straight into the power amp section when I can.I'm gonna experiment more with placement of the BMC but it's currently sitting right after the input so it bass>BMC>compressor>amp with the A/B in the middle.
Channel A has the Aguilar DB924 and channel B the BB Pre amp. Neither of these has a mid control hence why I think the BMC would work well and so far it has! I'm able to active it on either channel as its not in the loop. That's one reason why I got an A/B pedal -saves tap dancing on stage.
So With the BMC I'm hearing it add nice body to my drive sound but im still not sure if I want to bump the low mids or add a little more in the upper mids. Once I hear it with the band in context I'll have a idea of which works better. Either way they are both great sounds
On the clean channel it's a similar thing. Low mid adds a really nice body and the Will Power is already voiced a little more in the low mids anyways. Adding the upper mids just gives another colour to try for different songs/parts. All very useable!Attachments
Nice!
Here is my latest BMC setup. (also posted in the PYPB thread).
After reading your posts above, and since I haven't done it in a while, I put the BMC first in the chain. The BMC before the B3K and TFR offers the most variety of tone/character. Set to a slight low-mid boost, it makes the B3K sound gritty and warm (its usually very grindy and midrangy) and the TFR scream with over the top harmonics. It already produces a lot of harmonic content, but the BMC before it makes it actually scream when I pinch the strings even slightly (so metal), especially with a little extra boost.
I'm running the BMC with a Dunlop 18v wall wart and everything else with a 9v Power All daisy chain adapter.
The Submarine Designer (top right) is last in the chain and has a 600Hz boost switch that I use a lot. This basically does what I was using the BMC for when it was at the end of the dirt channel; enhancing low-mid content. Although I'm not wanting for low-mid content at all with the effects I'm using here.
Here is my latest BMC setup. (also posted in the PYPB thread).
After reading your posts above, and since I haven't done it in a while, I put the BMC first in the chain. The BMC before the B3K and TFR offers the most variety of tone/character. Set to a slight low-mid boost, it makes the B3K sound gritty and warm (its usually very grindy and midrangy) and the TFR scream with over the top harmonics. It already produces a lot of harmonic content, but the BMC before it makes it actually scream when I pinch the strings even slightly (so metal), especially with a little extra boost.
I'm running the BMC with a Dunlop 18v wall wart and everything else with a 9v Power All daisy chain adapter.
The Submarine Designer (top right) is last in the chain and has a 600Hz boost switch that I use a lot. This basically does what I was using the BMC for when it was at the end of the dirt channel; enhancing low-mid content. Although I'm not wanting for low-mid content at all with the effects I'm using here.
I like the size/ simplicity of this design, but if you can spare a little more pedal-board real estate and a little more cash and are into uber-tweakability (as I am) then I highly recommend the WMD Utility Parametric EQ- http://www.wmdevices.com/utility.php
3 bands with selectable frequency, boost/cut, and Q (with a very large range) for each band.
(one of my new favorite toys)
3 bands with selectable frequency, boost/cut, and Q (with a very large range) for each band.
(one of my new favorite toys)
