Let's make a list: Magic tone sweetener pedals.

[Killing Floor]

Chase Tone Secret Pre
Durham Electric Sex Drive
MXR Delay

Posting in haiku
Saves much space and requires
Just a little time

I love the Sex Drive. It’s not really dirt, just a really magic boost than can push your amp or other stuff into a sweat point. And the very subtle compression is nice too. It’s as good for bass as guitar. My opinion.

for a Thursday bonus, here’s Charlie Sexton from a few weeks ago, the namesake of the pedal.

 

[cusar5]

Broughton Omnicomp and ME Super 800, always on for me.

Same for me, except with the ME Super 300. I don't know if I can list the S300 as a "magic tone sweetener," since it's basically a SVT preamp, but I definitely would put the Omni in the "magic" category. It can be dialed in as a pretty heavy compressor, but at subtler Thresh/Ratio settings, combined with the clean blend, it just seems to make everything else in my signal chain sound bigger and better.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

My Aphex Big Bottom.*
Don’t use the Exciter much;
Can’t really hear it.

*In either Acoustic Xciter pedal or Aphex Project Channel. Here’s the beef.

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

Agree with that @cusar5

I want one of everything Sensei Tim makes. Love Master Effects.

 

[jaibeau]

Chase Tone Secret preamp:
Secret Preamp

What do these cost? I looked at a link and sounds really cool but didn’t see a price.

 

[johnk_10]

What do these cost? I looked at a link and sounds really cool but didn’t see a price.

it's on the drop down menus on theor website:
Secret Preamp

 

[jaibeau]

Chase Tone gotta be wondering what’s with the surge in business.

Was thinking the same thing @johnk_10 needs a commission

 

[corvette_br]

Cool Gate

Thanks for the heads up! Their pedals look nice.

 

[Dr Thump]

View attachment 4970155
I had never heard of either prior to this thread. Do you use both together? I'll need to sell a few pedals before ordering a Secret Preamp, but have a EH-2 arriving tomorrow. I am going to try pairing it with a LMB-3.

Sorry for the slow reply.

Yes, I do use them together; they do different things to the signal. The best way I can describe the sound of the EH-2 is that it sharpens the attack, but it’s not the same as simply boosting the high frequencies all the time. It does this via a VCA. Posts 8 and 13 in this thread explain it:
Boss EH-2

The Chase Tone “fattens” the sound by creating a phase shift that varies by frequency. It’s a version of the Echoplex preamp. There are other pedals out there that claim to be the same thing, but not all of them are. Some are more “inspired by”.

The LMB-3 has an enhance function as well, though I’m not sure if it uses a VCA or if it’s a simple EQ boost to the highs. You may want to turn the Enhance function off on the LMB-3 while you experiment with the EH-2.

Your playing style, settings, compressor settings, and EQ are all going to interact with these pedals. Your first reaction may range from “I don’t hear anything” to “That sounds terrible” to thinking you just heard angels singing. It will probably take some experimentation. Rock on!

 

[CatOnTheBass]

What do these cost? I looked at a link and sounds really cool but didn’t see a price.

$119-149 depending on options.

(A little less if you are a veteran.)

 

[CatOnTheBass]

The Chase Tone “fattens” the sound by creating a phase shift that varies by frequency.

Phase shift is how most analog EQ works (like how Ampeg vs Fender "tone stack" sound different, for example--different phase shift across the frequency spectrum). "Phase shift that varies by frequency" is a fancy way of saying "analog EQ."

The Chase Tone's use of phase shift helps give an "analog" or "old school" or "console" sound that you can't get from digital EQ. Basically it's the sound of going through an analog effect unit (the Echoplex) with the effects knobs set to zero. It's the sound of an old Echoplex unit "not doing anything" (except it kind of is).

 

[Vlad5]

Electronix Submarine Designer - many options for many tones
EWS BMC - a few options for many tones (just purchased another, my third)
Sushi Box More (maybe, still gotta plug it in... )

I LOVE tone enhancers, always on type effects.
If I could only have one, it'd be the Sub D.

johnk_10, I remember from years back you always gave good advice.
Nice to see nothings changed.
Bookmarked the Chase Tone page, with much interest.

 

[labeledbass]

Just looking at my board and what I've had -

The ones that have had one use and are used for another (to sweeten tone) -
Any of Broughton's Studio series with it's Neve 1073 gain stage adds an unexplainably good tone.
Running envelopes intentionally wide open, only changing the lighter dynamics of the low end for fun (IE XD and 3leaf Chromatron, but really any flexible filter will work)
I get a real punchy vintage sound out of a Broughton bit crusher set lightly (but who's to say what they're supposed to do in the first place..)

The pedal I suppose I get the most "tone enhancement" from, would be 3leafs PWNZOR compressor. I genuinely dislike what compressors do to your dynamics, and lean on the limiter side of leveling, but the PWNZOR doesn't squash, raise, lower, it just does - the only time this pedal isn't on, is when I forget to engage it when playing (it auto shuts off when powering down). I really wish there were more of those for people to use, they are something else entirely.

As far as pedals that do add that special something, I would have to say anything that is heavily influenced by transformer saturation, and tube. I've also noticed that most valve "heaters" are too dark, so I do try to buy designs with a higher plate voltage. The less the tube circuit leans on the EQ for tone control (I know that sounds weird), the more character you get from the actual tube, you'll see this in designs where it sounds the best when flat, not voiced like on purpose as well.

Someone could write up an entire school project on how all of this is relative to each individual though, and how we all describe something we can't even see, into words differently - the vocab for describing how something sounds always amazes me.

 

[Remguy]

I've crossed a number of pedals in the past that had a reputation of sweetening the sound, even if not used for their intended purposes.

Example:
Many a player uses the Effectrode LA-1A compressor pedal not for compressor duties, but to give their tone that certain je-ne-sais-croix that it adds.

Another:
Lower gain overdrive pedals that are used at minimal settings, where they do not overdrive per se, but rather .... you guessed it, adding that certain bit.

Then there are pedals that seem to be made specifically for that purpose.
The Noble comes to mind, or the Sushi Box FX Space Heater or the More. Eden has the Glowplug.

I have owned and/or used the following pedals that I would stuff into that category:

-The Noble Preamp DI. The venerable one. The endgame in the 'adds tube magic sparkle mojo to your tone' category.

-The Hudson Broadcast. An OD that drives a Transformer, which can do pleasant, yet subtle things to your tone at minimal drive settings.

-The Fairfield Barbershop: Low gain OD - so popular as an always on device that Fairfield built a mini version without the stomp switch

-JPTR FX Jive: A low to medium gain drive pedal that mimics tape saturation. You can switch off the clipping diodes.

-Spaceman Saturn VI: Harmonic Booster / low gain OD. Introduces smooth harmonics into the signal at low settings, can bring dead flats back to life

-Sushi Box FX pedals. I've had Particle and Underground Accelerators, but many others will fit this category just as well.

What's your secret sauce pedal that you run as an always on to sweeten up your sound?

Do you mind if I make a VERY small correction to your French? You can tell me to f**k off if you want (added bonus: I'll tell you how to say that in French, too). So if you're okay with it, here goes:

Where you say, "...to give their tone that certain je-ne-sais-croix that it adds..."

The 'croix' (cross) should be 'quoi' (what). That's it, that's all, didn't hurt too much, did it?

Your use is 100% correct, perfect. What's confusing is that they sound almost exactly the same, i.e. "zhun say kwah" vs. "zhun say k(r)wah" but the 'r' is pretty much dead silent (FYI: the ''zh' = the 's' in treasure) Saying one instead of the other out loud and you'll get away with it 99.5 times out of 100, so I totally get the confusion.

Things you just taught me (thank you!):

1. You can either use or not use the hyphens (dashes)
2. You can either put it in italics, or not - it's a foreign word/phrase that most people know

If you are one of those people who don't know (cringe, look over one shoulder, then the other...), or you kinda know, but you're not 100% sure:

• It's for when you mean something, usually pleasant, that can't be described, there is no word for.

Think of a women (or a man, we're not judging!) who's not great looking, doesn't have a great body, or wear designer clothes, but there's just SOMETHING about them... You drop things when they're around, and you think about them when they're not. Then you'd say they have a certain je ne sais quoi -or- je-ne-sais-quoi.

Okay, I promised you something else: How to say "F off" in French. (My wife would so kill me for putting this on a website!) Remember I'm in Québec, they might say it differently in France, but I don't think so. You say, "Va chier!" and it's pronounced "VAH-SHE-AY!" You can also think of it as "VASH-YAY!" if it sticks in your head better like that.

Either way, I guarantee you will get a reaction when you say this to a French (or Quebecois) person. Be warned, if you're joking, you'd better know them very well. And if you're not, well... you'd better be ready to fight. Lesson over. Ciao, as we say up here in La Belle Province...

 

[cusar5]

Do you mind if I make a VERY small correction to your French? You can tell me to f**k off if you want (added bonus: I'll tell you how to say that in French, too). So if you're okay with it, here goes:

Where you say, "...to give their tone that certain je-ne-sais-croix that it adds..."

The 'croix' (cross) should be 'quoi' (what). That's it, that's all, didn't hurt too much, did it?

Your use is 100% correct, perfect. What's confusing is that they sound almost exactly the same, i.e. "zhun say kwah" vs. "zhun say k(r)wah" but the 'r' is pretty much dead silent (FYI: the ''zh' = the 's' in treasure) Saying one instead of the other out loud and you'll get away with it 99.5 times out of 100, so I totally get the confusion.

Things you just taught me (thank you!):

1. You can either use or not use the hyphens (dashes)
2. You can either put it in italics, or not - it's a foreign word/phrase that most people know

If you are one of those people who don't know (cringe, look over one shoulder, then the other...), or you kinda know, but you're not 100% sure:

• It's for when you mean something, usually pleasant, that can't be described, there is no word for.

Think of a women (or a man, we're not judging!) who's not great looking, doesn't have a great body, or wear designer clothes, but there's just SOMETHING about them... You drop things when they're around, and you think about them when they're not. Then you'd say they have a certain je ne sais quoi -or- je-ne-sais-quoi.

Okay, I promised you something else: How to say "F off" in French. (My wife would so kill me for putting this on a website!) Remember I'm in Québec, they might say it differently in France, but I don't think so. You say, "Va chier!" and it's pronounced "VAH-SHE-AY!" You can also think of it as "VASH-YAY!" if it sticks in your head better like that.

Either way, I guarantee you will get a reaction when you say this to a French (or Quebecois) person. Be warned, if you're joking, you'd better know them very well. And if you're not, well... you'd better be ready to fight. Lesson over. Ciao, as we say up here in La Belle Province...

Is "F off" different from all the other blasphemous stuff in Quebecois profanity? "Maudit sacrement" etc.? Pardon me if this is offensive, but I find offensive language very interesting (I wonder if TB censors Quebecois swear words...)

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

Is "F off" different from all the other blasphemous stuff in Quebecois profanity? "Maudit sacrement" etc.? Pardon me if this is offensive, but I find offensive language very interesting (I wonder if TB censors Quebecois swear words...)

It’s the first thing we learn when attempting to speak another language. A rich cultural exchange.

 

[JeffTCS]

SLO

 

[jdthaddeus]

Subd

 

[el murdoque]

Do you mind if I make a VERY small correction to your French? You can tell me to f**k off if you want (added bonus: I'll tell you how to say that in French, too). So if you're okay with it, here goes:

Where you say, "...to give their tone that certain je-ne-sais-croix that it adds..."

The 'croix' (cross) should be 'quoi' (what). That's it, that's all, didn't hurt too much, did it?

Your use is 100% correct, perfect. What's confusing is that they sound almost exactly the same, i.e. "zhun say kwah" vs. "zhun say k(r)wah" but the 'r' is pretty much dead silent (FYI: the ''zh' = the 's' in treasure) Saying one instead of the other out loud and you'll get away with it 99.5 times out of 100, so I totally get the confusion.

Things you just taught me (thank you!):

1. You can either use or not use the hyphens (dashes)
2. You can either put it in italics, or not - it's a foreign word/phrase that most people know

If you are one of those people who don't know (cringe, look over one shoulder, then the other...), or you kinda know, but you're not 100% sure:

• It's for when you mean something, usually pleasant, that can't be described, there is no word for.

Think of a women (or a man, we're not judging!) who's not great looking, doesn't have a great body, or wear designer clothes, but there's just SOMETHING about them... You drop things when they're around, and you think about them when they're not. Then you'd say they have a certain je ne sais quoi -or- je-ne-sais-quoi.

Okay, I promised you something else: How to say "F off" in French. (My wife would so kill me for putting this on a website!) Remember I'm in Québec, they might say it differently in France, but I don't think so. You say, "Va chier!" and it's pronounced "VAH-SHE-AY!" You can also think of it as "VASH-YAY!" if it sticks in your head better like that.

Either way, I guarantee you will get a reaction when you say this to a French (or Quebecois) person. Be warned, if you're joking, you'd better know them very well. And if you're not, well... you'd better be ready to fight. Lesson over. Ciao, as we say up here in La Belle Province...

Merci beaucoup, Monsier!

Actually, I do know that it is quoi and I did have the intention to write quoi, and I even thought I had written quoi, until @Bass Boy corrected the mistake in post #4.
How my fingers screwed up to write croix is way past me.
It could be that I used the English bit of my German brain to try my hand in French with an English accent?

I'll try to va chier the next Frenchy I meet, but --- you know, after that minor incident in the forties, we Germans kind of tread softly around our neighbors, so I might have to try it on a friend, as suggested.

 

[CPplaysBASS]

So ... my Fender Precision straight into a Traynor YBA300 or YBA100 is glorious. I don't need anything else to be very happy from a pure tone perspective. However, the tilt EQ on the Diamond Bass Comp is a beautiful thing. It's the perfect sauce on the most tender steak in my opinion. Not mandatory to enjoy the steak, but adds to the experience all the same