As I see it, V2 has the frequency shift options built in. V1 has the three band fixed at 120, 1k and 10k, V2 lets you select the frequencies yourself, plus it has that hi/lo switch.
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Let's make a list: Magic tone sweetener pedals.
- Thread starter el murdoque
- Start date
As I see it, V2 has the frequency shift options built in. V1 has the three band fixed at 120, 1k and 10k, V2 lets you select the frequencies yourself, plus it has that hi/lo switch.
Depending on how you use those 'magic boxes', you should be able to identify them in a blind test. If not, you can select another pedal for that spot - or carry a smaller, lighter board with you.
Another interesting question is how multiple magic boxes stack.
If you take a couple of the low gain drive pedals and set them all to their 'magic' setting, you'll end up with solid grind going on.
I myself have tried the Effectrode LA-1A in a simple chain of effects where it gave me a certain warmth and fatness that would justify owning one. However, playing that pedal into the Noble Preamp DI does not do so much any more. You don't need both of them, they seem to fill the same bucket (and one of them is enough to fill it up).
WINNER! WINNER! WINNER!
@el murdoque for creating the most GAS inducing thread of 2023!
What could be more enticing than buying one affordable, small, innocent pedal that lifts your tone to the next level?!
Scuba has to be the winner for 2022 for his thread on compressors.
@el murdoque for creating the most GAS inducing thread of 2023!
What could be more enticing than buying one affordable, small, innocent pedal that lifts your tone to the next level?!
Scuba has to be the winner for 2022 for his thread on compressors.
I’m pretty much always on set and forget, so I use my fingers to change the tone. Which one depends on the music. Almost all are set up for clean when playing lightly or rolling the volume off and somewhat overdriven when digging in. Then I have full control at the bass strings.
Depending on music need I use
1. Underground accelerator
2. Dsm Humboldt simplifier preamp running OD and parallel signal through a Dsm compressor/boost (or the aforementioned UA)
3. Cali76 into the origin bassrig.
4. Ashdown lb30.2N. (As an amp in small gigs and at home and as a preamp to the board and/or split to a cab for live).
5. Always packing a Sansamp DI as an emergency backup.
Depending on music need I use
1. Underground accelerator
2. Dsm Humboldt simplifier preamp running OD and parallel signal through a Dsm compressor/boost (or the aforementioned UA)
3. Cali76 into the origin bassrig.
4. Ashdown lb30.2N. (As an amp in small gigs and at home and as a preamp to the board and/or split to a cab for live).
5. Always packing a Sansamp DI as an emergency backup.
The LA-1A feeding into the Noble isn’t all the spectacular. On the other hand, have a listen to the Cali76 CB feeding into the Noble. Hear the difference here: Tube Preamp/DI Sound Samples — Noble, Oracle, P-15, Super Stack, REDDI, Tonecraft, Jule...
Thanks! And the shootout continues. we’ll keep it going in 2023.
Testing Compressors: Cali, Smoothie, Empress, Diamond, Keeley, FEA, Darkglass, Doc Lloyd, JHS & more
- Sep 26, 2005
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- endorsing artist: Dean guitars, Marshall , Rotosound strings
I forgot to mention the full sized tc spark. A real one stop sweetener for bass players. Imo everyone should have one - it does so much from simple sweetening to light drive to a bit more spiky
The tube boost section of my LA-1a is my tone sweetener. My “base” tone consists of Empress Bass into LA-1A into Super Vintage
For me, my main "secret sauce" tool is a good compressor. I personally prefer colored over sterile transparent compressors. My preferences are the likes of: FEA Optifet, Diamond Bass Comp, EBS Multicomp, Lusithand Alma, Effectrode LA-1A, Drybell Module 4, Cornerstone Zefiro Optical Comp, Vox Snake Charmer, etc.), but then there are two transparent ones that I use which are absolute champs and still sound amazing for what they do: Boss BC-1X and Empress Bass Compressor. I previously owned the Becos Twain, which is in a league of its own, but it was TOO transparent for my taste.
As for EQ pedals, I like: Sadowsky preamp (for a refined 2-band eq), Aguilar Tone Hammer, EBS Microbass (either II or III), Whirlwind Bass Ten, and I especially like the API TranZformer LLX. That pedal is just top-notch studio quality!
An overall super-secret tool for me is my tried and true Zoom b1on. This thing hands down is my all-time go-to. If I could only keep one pedal for life, this is it.
As for DI pedals, I have not tried enough of them to yet form a solid opinion, although the EBS Microbass series is a safe bet for me every time. I would love to try any of what I call the "big boy" tube DI boxes: Arkham Oracle, Noble, Caveman Audio, etc.
Oh, and before I forget: Mad Professor Electric Blue Chorus (first version). Although this is a chorus pedal, this little thing adds a really cool stereo/doubler type of effect to the tone. Some people don't care for that but it's part of that tone that I constantly have in my head.
As for EQ pedals, I like: Sadowsky preamp (for a refined 2-band eq), Aguilar Tone Hammer, EBS Microbass (either II or III), Whirlwind Bass Ten, and I especially like the API TranZformer LLX. That pedal is just top-notch studio quality!
An overall super-secret tool for me is my tried and true Zoom b1on. This thing hands down is my all-time go-to. If I could only keep one pedal for life, this is it.
As for DI pedals, I have not tried enough of them to yet form a solid opinion, although the EBS Microbass series is a safe bet for me every time. I would love to try any of what I call the "big boy" tube DI boxes: Arkham Oracle, Noble, Caveman Audio, etc.
Oh, and before I forget: Mad Professor Electric Blue Chorus (first version). Although this is a chorus pedal, this little thing adds a really cool stereo/doubler type of effect to the tone. Some people don't care for that but it's part of that tone that I constantly have in my head.
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To listen to the Cali feeding the Noble, I don't need to click a link.
That is my favorite combo in the world and I got that setup at home.
je ne sais rien
10 band EQ pedal
Sansamp
Really I'll beat this horse until we all die - an EQ pedal solves so many problems, it should be utilized in everybody's tone-shaping arsenal before spending hundreds/thousands on preamps and other "sweeteners". Magic can happen by isolating and pulling out problem frequencies, or boosting good ones.
Sansamp
Really I'll beat this horse until we all die - an EQ pedal solves so many problems, it should be utilized in everybody's tone-shaping arsenal before spending hundreds/thousands on preamps and other "sweeteners". Magic can happen by isolating and pulling out problem frequencies, or boosting good ones.
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Spoken like a true engineer.
If everyone got a capable EQ and proper education of its use, half the pedal and amp market would collapse overnight.
Everybody would be happy with their tone and resort to the EQ when they are not.
Tone would be in the fingers.
That secret knowledge is therefore forbidden.
You are certainly not wrong; EQ is so overlooked for these kinds of solutions! But personally I find a 10-band (especially if they are at fixed notches) to be insufficiently flexible. Perhaps it's because I'm used to a 31-band in my DAW, and I don't know of a decently sized pedal that offers something along those lines
I feel that way about the Analogman Juicer. Yeah it's a compressor, and I use it for compression. But also cause it just sounds... warm and cozy
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For me, it would be Origin Cali76CB into a Hudson Broadcast (lightly driven) into a Jensen or ACME DI.
Probably in the minority but I'd be fine with the pedal market collapsing. There's a lot of redundant products out there with different names and different housings. An EQ pedal should be a required prerequisite for anybody buying pedals. Useful for literally every player of every amplified instrument in every style. Can't say the same for all of your Aguilars and Walruses and Sansamps and whatever else.
Yeah anything above 10 bands seems to be a rack unit. But even those can be inexpensive and slim enough to easily pack into your gear bags, just set it on your cab and you're good to go!
