How do you use Overdrive?

[Sub-Frequency]

Been recently enlightened on overdrive. Curious how other players use it.

School me on how you use it!

 

[Eric Cioe]

Maybe 1/4-1/3 of the set. Sometimes it's for drive. Sometimes it's for some upper order harmonics for a filter to grab onto. Sometimes I kick it on because I like it. Some nights it's off almost all the time. I like to be flexible.

 

[Dave W]

I depends on what bass and rig I’m playing through. Some need it and some don’t. When I do use overdrive it’s on for the whole gig.

 

[Jebberz]

Cover band situation here, I use only a touch of OD, (low drive, but il will bring up some mids) to when it fits the song we play and will also depends of the guitar my guitarist is using. When he uses is Tele, I never use OD as a clean sounds blesd better, when he uses is SG, I almost always use my OD, and with the strat, it really depends on the song.

I try to have the clean and OD level to be the same, so it alters the tone without alttering my output volume.

 

[Steve88]

I have three overdrives set up right next to each other. The Genzler 4 on the floor is first and almost always on. It is set to break up just a bit when I dig in. It gives some nice harmonics the rest of the time making the bass sit nicely in the mix. I got compliments the first time I used it outside of practice how well the bass and guitars blended in the mix.

The SGfX Beta is next. I like to keep that set up for a warmer overdrive. Something like Duck Dunn's sound on "She Caught the Katy".

The Tech21 YYZ is set up for a heavier overdrive when I want more clang and bang. I kick it on once in a while.

So I almost always have some kind of overdrive on. Probably 95% one of those three pedals is on, and sometimes more than one to layer the effects.

 

[bassbrad]

I use overdrive whenever I need to boost my signal or add some grunt or growl. Also will add overdrive on top of a fuzz or distortion to push it into feedback.

 

[WestyBassBob]

Bedroom Bassist/aspiring songwriter. I use it somewhere between 15-25% of the time. I find it a great way to develop The tune on bass as it rings out with so many more over tones and harmonics than clean. But for a lot of the music I play it just isn’t the right sound.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Tech 21 YYZ...

Always on. All settings remain constant except the "drive". I adjust that according to what a particular song requires.

Love this pedal!!!

 

[HelpImaRock]

HOW I use it: I turn the knobs so they get the sound I want. Then I use the footswitch to engage and disengage the circuit as needed.

WHEN I use it: Appropriately for the song. Sometimes that's the whole song, sometimes that's just the solo. I mostly play clean with an always on compressor. Dirt is there for specific effect.

 

[Isaac_James]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "always on". I have a Sansamp pedal with a preamp and drive, with the ability to switch between channels that have different drive level settings. I have this set up as a clean/dirty switch, but even my "clean" tone has a little grit to it when I play hard (which I usually do). I think of it as "dusty" and then the second channel is "dirty". On a few songs I also turn on the fuzz and that's "filthy". I use dirty/filthy on slightly over half our set, dusty on the rest. I just don't really have a use at the moment for 100% clean tone, but I like being able to vary the amount of dirt I use depending on the song.

 

[ZedLepp]

I only use it when we play Sabotage and Seven Nation Army.

 

[HolmeBass]

I click it on for a whole song or a portion of a song for the following:

- a bit of crunch
- some sparkle/higher harmonics
- a bit of gain

 

[MCS4]

Even I rock/metal settings, I only use overdrive (or any other dirt) sporadically. Typically, when playing in a band with two overdriven guitars, I find that the overall band mix tends to be thicker and fuller when I play a fairly clean and full-range tone. I therefore tend to rely upon dirt pedals mainly in situations where my bass tone is more exposed -- song intros, playing behind guitar solos, bass breaks, etc. -- where it can make things more interesting.

 

[Eric Cioe]

Typically, when playing in a band with two overdriven guitars, I find that the overall band mix tends to be thicker and fuller when I play a fairly clean and full-range tone.

This is a good point. I tend to use dirt way less often with two guitarists than with one.

 

[noahw1]

Carrots because it's always changing. My last gig I had it on the entire time but it was light and the first time I had ever done that. It was especially strange to have it on the entire time for a guitar bass duo gig but it worked
Usually I bounce between B and C.

 

[Katoosie]

Song dependant but for my tone I have it always on. I actually have 2 pedals that make the overdriven/dist sounds. One is always always always on, the other when I want that over the top agression.

 

[Sonoma Bass]

Not mentioned is using overdrive or boost to saturate a tube preamplifier. The combined effect makes the tone and feel more like a classic clean tube amp without being too bass-ey. I do this with a TI Electronics Spark boost pedal and Noble tube preamp/DI. The boost knob is usually between 9:00 and 12:00 to create this effect. Another benefit is ditching the need to carry another 100 pounds of gear!!

 

[jdjk7]

Been recently enlightened on overdrive. Curious how other players use it.

School me on how you use it!

I don't feel like any of the options really explain my position, so carrots.
It depends largely on musical context, but if the music allows for it, I will tend to choose to use drive or some other dirt. In my rock and blues covers/originals band, the drives come on and off, but in my other band which is entirely original and heavier grunge rock, it's more often than not for my tone to be driven to some degree.

The overdrive is on for many songs, but sometimes what I do is make use of a compressor either before or after the drive to allow me to turn my bass volume down and clean up the drive. The compressor just softens the dynamic impact of turning down, because otherwise if I turn down the signal becomes too quiet to hear without bumping a master volume up somewhere. I can turn down about a third on the volume and still be audible but not have any drive on the sound.

Sometimes with this arrangement I will play with the "clean" sound for quieter parts and then turn up for loud parts, much like guitarists would. Occasionally I like playing with the overdrive on in this "clean" configuration because it's just a nice, warm sound.

For pedals, I use the Broughton Audio Azure Drive, which is a clone of the Blueberry Bass Overdrive. It's very mid-forward, sounds a lot like amp distortion. I also use the Broughton Locust Star, which is a clone of the RAT distortion. It can get very gnarly as it is a distortion, but the LS's case is a little special in that A) it runs at double the incoming voltage up to something like 33V, so if you give it 9 it runs at 18. This affords it the dynamic range to work as an overdrive. B) it has the option to use LED clipping, which to my ear can sometimes work a little better for overdrive sounds (think grindy amp distortion). The EQ is also powerful when it comes to getting your tone to sit the way you want it to in the mix.

The rest of my dirt pedals mostly fall into "fuzz", which I feel probably is outside of the scope of this discussion.

 

[coy garcia]

I just add it from the gain knob on my amp to taste.

 

[micguy]

I use it in different ways - sometimes it' son for a tune or two, sometimes it's on the whole set. Either way, it's set somewhere between very subtle and subtle - you don't hear it as obvious overdrive, but when it's off, you notice something isn't there. OK.... I notice it, the audience probably doesn't.