So I'm day 3 with my new MXR Synth pedal... First day the whole thing seemed underwhelming. 2nd day I realize, after going through the video manual, that this thing has a lot of capabilities and I should spend more time with it. Day 3 and I'm playing along with 'Thriller'... The tracking is not good, it does not respond well to a fast sequence of notes. The video manual tells me I can adjust the tracking because the default is for a 5 string and I play a 4 string. The adjustment did not help...tried it twice...tried a factory reset then tried it again... still the same problem. You can't play the 'Thriller' riff without a tracking problem. I played other songs that have synth keys in them, I jammed...still the same tracking problem. Is anyone else having this problem? Any tips or discoveries? I really want to like this pedal and I could really use it but not the way it sounds right now.
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Mess with both the Gate and Compressor settings. It is monophonic so any noise from unused strings can trigger the synth and cause it to glitch, but the Comp and Gate can help clean this up depending on your playing style. Still you will probably have to mess with technique and bass settings to get the best response.
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I’ve had mine for couple of months no problems at all after I learned what it likes and doesn’t like.
How to you have it hooked up? Bass to what to what etc.
How to you have it hooked up? Bass to what to what etc.
I've heard a lot of reviews, good and bad. I want to buy this thing but I'll wait for a few revisions before I do. I play a lot of music that uses synth bass sounds but with my envelope and octave pedals, I'm covered for the time being. I contemplated buying a keyboard but I ain't got no time for that!
I’ve had the pedal since August and I feel it tracks well for a digital synth pedal. But like most effects pedals you do have to play to it, or cater your technique to it.
You are correct it can’t handle super fast 1/16th notes, but it can definitely handle and track licks that are faster than the Thriller bass line, so it should easily track Thriller. Mine does.
Your tracking issues could be caused by a faulty pedal, needing to adjust pedal settings (like tracking and sensitivity), a louder or quieter than average signal level coming from your bass, or something else in your signal chain, or by your technique (you definitely have to play tight/clean and not let any extra open string or finger noise type sounds come through).
Hope you figure it out or get your money back!
Here are a couple of things to try first:
1) Use the power supply that came with it. This is digital pedal and it doesn’t work on a pedalboard with a I-Spot power supply that is powering more than two pedals.
It needs the full 9v and 330Ma of current. Anything less will cause problems including tracking.
2) Make sure this is first item you plug into from you bass guitar. It requires the full, uncolored signal from your bass. I had mine down the line a bit in my pedalboard. When I made it my first pedal the problems went away.
3) Last but not least you’ll need to get used to it and how it responds to your touch. You need to be clean a deliberate with your playing. It will reward you with awesome tones and great performance. Sloppy play and very soft notes will do the opposite.
1) Use the power supply that came with it. This is digital pedal and it doesn’t work on a pedalboard with a I-Spot power supply that is powering more than two pedals.
It needs the full 9v and 330Ma of current. Anything less will cause problems including tracking.
2) Make sure this is first item you plug into from you bass guitar. It requires the full, uncolored signal from your bass. I had mine down the line a bit in my pedalboard. When I made it my first pedal the problems went away.
3) Last but not least you’ll need to get used to it and how it responds to your touch. You need to be clean a deliberate with your playing. It will reward you with awesome tones and great performance. Sloppy play and very soft notes will do the opposite.
I really wanted to like this and replace my big 61 key synth…but it just didn’t sound like the videos. I know so many people use these and other “synth substitutes” but it wasn’t for me.
First week of owning the pedal myself. Also found it a bit hard to track Material Girl by Madonna during the chorus. Still learning but that’s my only complaint so far lol
I had a similar issue with the Bass Octave Deluxe I got recently. I found the tracking to be underwhelming with my new Spector Ethos, it would fluctuate in intensity and "wobble" in and out. I don't know to explain it better. Ended up returning it. If I get another it'll probably be an OC-5.
Maybe it's the fact that mine was an active bass. Maybe it prefers single or split-coil pickups and not humbuckers. I'm not sure but that'd be my guess.
If the Synth is anything like that, I somewhat relate to your woes.
Maybe it's the fact that mine was an active bass. Maybe it prefers single or split-coil pickups and not humbuckers. I'm not sure but that'd be my guess.
If the Synth is anything like that, I somewhat relate to your woes.
I got mine about a week ago and have tested it a bit - mostly with a passive Jazz bass with DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pickups. I've tried it on its own with the included power supply and I've also tried it on a small pedal board with a daisy chained power supply coming from a 1A wall wart.
The signal chain is: bass > MXR Synth > Boss Wazacraft Chorus > Keely Chorus (that beach boys 12 string dealie) > N-UX reverb/delay > Amp.
Yeah I know that's a bunch of weird pedals, but it's what I primarily use with a Squier Bass VI I've been fooling with.
Anyway - it works fine off of the shared power supply and I agree with others about placing it first in the signal path (closest to the bass).
So far I've mainly been using the presets and I like them in general. I haven't really dug into the manual yet, but that's next on my list of to-dos. I also have an old-school EHX Bass Microsynth (the big 24V version), and a few multi-effect synths (like a Zoom B3). I haven't had a chance to do an A/B comparison with the EHX, but I would say that the MXR is better at tracking and probably a little crisper sounding if that makes sense. I've always liked that EHX but it's not very convenient due to size and the slider adjustment configuration.
I'm going to keep the MXR on the board and use it a bit over the next couple of weeks - with an active 5 string, passive 4 string and the bass VI. I'll report back here with anything worth sharing.
The signal chain is: bass > MXR Synth > Boss Wazacraft Chorus > Keely Chorus (that beach boys 12 string dealie) > N-UX reverb/delay > Amp.
Yeah I know that's a bunch of weird pedals, but it's what I primarily use with a Squier Bass VI I've been fooling with.
Anyway - it works fine off of the shared power supply and I agree with others about placing it first in the signal path (closest to the bass).
So far I've mainly been using the presets and I like them in general. I haven't really dug into the manual yet, but that's next on my list of to-dos. I also have an old-school EHX Bass Microsynth (the big 24V version), and a few multi-effect synths (like a Zoom B3). I haven't had a chance to do an A/B comparison with the EHX, but I would say that the MXR is better at tracking and probably a little crisper sounding if that makes sense. I've always liked that EHX but it's not very convenient due to size and the slider adjustment configuration.
I'm going to keep the MXR on the board and use it a bit over the next couple of weeks - with an active 5 string, passive 4 string and the bass VI. I'll report back here with anything worth sharing.
I don't have any experience with the MXR bass synth but I do have a fair bit of experience in getting bass synth tones with a bass guitar. Like others have said there are a few factors that come into play before you even hit the pedal. The most important is your playing technique and really making sure you're on top of your muting. Another big factor is what bass you're using. I've always had trouble with tracking when using an active bass, switching to a jazz with the tone rolled off cleans it up considerably but my Tbird tracks the best by far. It's worth noting that IMA's sig Mike Lull has Tbird style pickups in it and that's the bass he uses in every product demo I've seen.
I'll lurk in the bushes of Reverb for someone who tried it for 5 minutes and moved on.
I got the MXR pedal and A/B’d it against my Future Impact V3. I returned the MXR the next day. It sounds great in demo’s but the tracking isn't nearly as quick as the Panda Midi. And the Panda offers all the sounds ( and then some) of the MXR.
IMO.
There is definitely a learning curve when using any synth pedal if you’ve not used one much. Technique and placement in pedalboard chain are big factors. I use it in front of any other modulation pedals. I’ve mainly stuck with the presets so far and, for me, the MXR performs amazingly well both in sounds and ease of use (tracking). It’s been a blast using it.
There is definitely a learning curve when using any synth pedal if you’ve not used one much. Technique and placement in pedalboard chain are big factors. I use it in front of any other modulation pedals. I’ve mainly stuck with the presets so far and, for me, the MXR performs amazingly well both in sounds and ease of use (tracking). It’s been a blast using it.
Ian Allison has talked about this pedal quite a bit.
He often says you have to do your part. Clean playing etc.
He often says you have to do your part. Clean playing etc.
I think this is going to be the issue for most people. Muting and touch are crucial
Future Impact V3 it works very well with a passive bass and turning off my MXR compressor.
I was seriously thinking about picking one of these up at some point (if i can find one) but...is some of the "issues" normal to octave/synth pedals? i.e. muting, clean playing, etc? I have a Digitech Synth Bass Wah but the BSW doesnt have presets so I was looking at this or a C4.
I feel every effects pedal requires a certain touch (i.e. muting, clean playing, etc) to some degree. For instance; every octave pedal I’ve ever tried.
I don’t see cleaning up your technique to work with a pedal as an “issue,” but others might. And that’s fine too.
