• 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.

gated fuzz interfering with freqbox

P

Punkybasil

Oct 18, 2011
13
0
#1
Hi

Another synth noob question, sorry.

I sucked it up and got a moog freqbox. its sounds great, now i understand why people go on about analogue! I read it was a good idea to feed it a compressed signal and/or gated fuzz to improve tracking and control.

I have a brown dog, which does both of those things. So i feed it into the freqbox. The problem is, when the drive on the freqbox or signal from the BD is increased to the point that the LED turns red, the freqbox produces a single delay-like murmur after a note is played and the string muted. It can really kill a break in a snappy bassline. I think it might have something to do with the gate but i'm not sure.

Its a shame, because the sound is incredible whilst the string is vibrating, and the freqbox really behaves itself on less hot signals, but I cant combine the two.

Does anyone run a gated fuzz into their mf107?
 
#3
I wouldn't use a gated fuzz infront of it.

The best results i had with a Freqbox is to run an EQ infront of it with most of the spectrum taken out and one or two bands boosted super high so it is getting a clean signal with out harmoic content. The more sine wave like you can make the input the better the Freqbox can track the signal. I used the Boss GEB.

The right compressor will help for sustain.
 
#4
Agreed.
I have a tuner and Rat Tail in front of my Freqbox. I like the way the RT drives it. Lower octave pedals sound killer in front of the FB too. Never fuzz or pedals that lose that harmonic nature of the instrument though, otherwise it gets unusable. Also, turn the FM on the FB to zero.
 
#5
I use my freqbox weird, but I run mine first in the chain, and then a Rat and a Fuzz after it, I like the tone of the FB going into those better than a gain-y signal into the FB. Then again I use mine solely as a synthy frequency sweep. Kinda like the cliff burton power wah sound on steroids coupled with something to split ear drums.

However reading this thread makes me want to experiment with it for other crazy tones.
 
#8
I love the sound too, Shep. My bass is active, but the problem happens when i run it on passive too. I think the problem is specific to the brown dog, either that or i have a problem with it.

But I will have more of an experiment with chain order. I am running an OC-2 first in my chain and it tracks pretty well (bart pups + preamp compressing the signal presumably), so hopefully the FB will respond well to it.

Thanks to all your suggestions people! much appreciated
 
#9
I run OC2 into Mastotron into Freqbox. Both the OC2 and Freqbox respond better to the passive (my active I also Bart Pre and pups 18v). It could well be the brown dog... I tried the same thing with other fuzz pedals with less desirable results.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back