I've got a Donner Alpha FX. Modulation (chorus, flanger or phaser) feeds into delay (digital, analog or reverse) which feeds into reverb (room, hall or plate). It has separate tap tempo for both mod and delay. How can I max out this economy model on bass?
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How to use delay on bass without sounding like mud?
- Thread starter JackyOranges
- Start date
Not quite sure what you are asking... if you use all three yeah it could sound like mud... especially if you had dirt before...
What would sound “cleaner/ more hi fi” a Digital delay will sound cleaner, as will subtle modulation and room reverb it those choices?
What would sound “cleaner/ more hi fi” a Digital delay will sound cleaner, as will subtle modulation and room reverb it those choices?
The clarity in effects is where the money is spent. People buy Stymon and Eventide for good reasons.
- Apr 19, 2001
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- Beta tester Source Audio, demos/reviews of many others
Play less notes.
Turn the effect mix down.
Use the tone/shape/whatever control the delay may have to cut the low end on the repeats. Same with the reverb.
Turn the effect mix down.
Use the tone/shape/whatever control the delay may have to cut the low end on the repeats. Same with the reverb.
Take this advice - this man knows his stuff! Check out his demo of the Avalanche Run... It's what convinced me to shell out for the pedal. He also sold me on the Manta. And on the Meatbox. And the OmniCabSim.
Come to think of it, I think we need to have a talk, sir. My bank account (and my GF) are mad at you.
- Apr 19, 2001
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- Beta tester Source Audio, demos/reviews of many others
But have you tried the Strymon Blue Sky????
I actually just bought some budget gear for a new video. I realize my expensive taste is getting to be out of reach for some, so going to demonstrate some reverb/delay basics with some super low end gear.
damn yoooouuuuu! why'd you make me look that up?!
Looking forward to the budget gear demos... maybe i'll be able to redistribute my budget and add more of it back into meals that aren't of the "instant" variety.
I have a Donner Tap delay and it's anything but mud. Analogue delay is definitely darker usually, so if you want to stay away from mud stay with the digi delay and add slight modulation to taste (if you need it).
I've also found some reverb's can get quite muddy (particularly if they don't have a tone control), but found i don't usually need one on bass if i have a delay on (use short tempo delay at lower level and it sounds like a decent reverb).
The suggestions for strymon etc are what you expect from talkbass...anyone buying Donner pedals is probably looking at budget FX though and not something 10x the price
- Apr 19, 2001
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- Beta tester Source Audio, demos/reviews of many others
TBH, the BlueSky is my favorite, with the Slo being a close second. The Boss RV-6 sounds great as well, only sold it to start my reverb binge, but it was always a great sounding and quiet reverb.
I've unloaded both MXR Carbon Copy and Reverb in the last year (or less) and am taking the new Boss DD-8 for it's first public test-drive tonight. It does the things I want in a solo setting. Tonight will be seeing if sonic issues are the fault of the pedal or of the user.
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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- I suck, but nobody really notices
Like this
That's how I do it. Use the delay high parts. If you want it on low parts, hate to say it but its just not going to happen.
Hard to say without hearing what/how you're playing. Can you post a clip? You can absolutely use delay on low parts.
I’ve never been a huge fan of multis like this, pretty much because of the OPs issue. If you want a good delay without breaking the bank, get a Boss DD-3. If you want a flanger to go with it, buy a Boss BF-2. Those 2 pedals have never let me down. There’s a million of them out there used for relatively cheap.
The best budget multi in this category, ime, is the zoom ms-70cdr. It's wheelhouse is chorus, delay, and reverb but it also has various other pitch shifting and EQ options, allowing for a whole lot of versatility and options. You can stack three effects simultaneously, so there is a lot of options in that little box. I've seen them go used for 75 USD... I bought mine for about 90 USD.
Digital delay will give you a cleaner sound. Using a Boss DD 3 at the moment. Very happy with it. Not a fan of analog delay on bass, mostly because I use a lot overdrive and analog delay doesn't sound right to my ears. But I know other bass players use analog delay and seem to be happy with.
I honestly can't do it. I've tried and tried, and the only times I can use it are when I need slapback on a pick-with-flats sound. So I don't even bother anymore since I rarely if ever need it.
"Slapback on pick-with-flats" was exactly the reason I held onto my old Carbon Copy as long as I did. Like you, it was rare. I picked up the DD-8, but I did so knowing that it wasn't going to be for normal band/covers use. I knew it was for:
a.) solo noodling
b.) original stuff where I pretend like I'm Paul Hinklin from Sadhappy for 90 seconds before giving up because the drummer is drunk and can't adjust to the timing of the repeats.
c.) the surprise win - "Mod" setting with repeats and time turn all the way down = awesome chorus effect I didn't even know I wanted. I used it for half of Sunday morning's church service.
Having a tonally bright bass helps, as well as playing less and letting the echoes/slapbacks do more of the talking.
The very first thing I recorded with my Ric and a drum track(Alesis SR16) and synth was really sloppy but it wasn’t because of the delay. I was out of time and was just starting to learn. But I still like it, and if I made it again it would be a lot neater. I even forgot to turn the delay on for the first 17 seconds, but it kinda worked out that way. I was using a Tech21 Tri-Ac on the British setting(why it was missing so much lows). Think of the bass here as more of a “lead” role:
cerulean exp_bass - Output - Stereo Out by Centaurus A
What I really liked was the sustained smooth notes I got on the long sections. (Ignore the disconnected bridge ground hum that it only took me two years to discover)
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Here's a corresponding question: I also have a Canyon. Other delay settings don't do this to me, but I have an incredibly hard time having decent timing if I use the octave mode that doesn't happen to me if I use other settings that sound more like the original signal. Does anyone have a remedy for this?
