Light Overdrives (with Sound Clip)

[Smallmouth_Bass]

So, after having accumulated some popular overdrive pedals even though I rarely use any overdrive, I decided to hook them all up and try to match the amount of distortion and levels as best I could and compare them.

Before revealing the candidates and my findings, I thought it would be fun to post a sound clip for you guys to listen to and see what you think.

The bass is a Dingwall Super J5 (P/J) with the P pickup selected only. I think I had it in passive, but I am not sure. Either way, nothing boosted and the tone control was all the way up. It is strung with nickel D'Addario XL's that are used, but still have life in them. It was recorded direct into GarageBand via a PreSonus Studio 24C interface. I then exported the file into Audacity where I tried to level each clip as to try and not give a pedal a volume advantage.

The first line in the clip is the bass alone.

And, just to be fair, one of the pedals is not a light overdrive pedal so shouldn't really be included in this comparison, but what the hay!



I won't keep people waiting too long for the reveal. I'll post on page 2 or when I get back home from a family visit. If you don't want to have the results spoiled, check out the audio first before checking out the results.

And of course, these are apples and orange comparisons. I could have spent longer trying to get the clips to match better. The only constant is the bass, so listen with that in mind.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

71 views and no comments yet? It's going to take a while to get to a page 2 reveal! Is everyone out Boxing Day shopping?

 

[droberts444]

With a dry tone like that, I can understand why you would only use overdrive sparingly. Granted I’m a fan of P pickups and XLs so that tone always sounds nice to me. I voted #2 because it seemed a little more transparent so I could still hear that sweet Dingwall tone!

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

With a dry tone like that, I can understand why you would only use overdrive sparingly. Granted I’m a fan of P pickups and XLs so that tone always sounds nice to me. I voted #2 because it seemed a little more transparent so I could still hear that sweet Dingwall tone!

Yes, when the overdrive is that subtle, it makes me wonder if it makes it worth it. Can you really even hear it in the full band mix? (See my other recent thread on the subject).

 

[StayLow]

Being a light OD accumulator myself, and using few if any, to me it comes down to baked-in tone, ease of use, and noise.

For me noise includes the peaking/kazoo sound you got a lot of with the first two - to me that’s a non-starter; one man’s touch sensitivity is another’s dust collector box added to the pile - so for me only 4 and 5 are listenable, but 4 has massive EQ boost going on so with 5 being the only one that sound close to natural and not peaking out… I voted for 5.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Being a light OD accumulator myself, and using few if any, to me it comes down to baked-in tone, ease of use, and noise.

For me noise includes the peaking/kazoo sound you got a lot of with the first few - to me that’s a non-starter; one man’s touch sensitivity is another’s dust collector box added to the pile - so for me only 4 and 5 are listenable, but 4 has massive EQ boost going on so with 5 being the only one that sound close to natural and not peaking out… I voted for 5.

Interesting. I have heard of the kazoo phenomenon before but didn't think I was getting it with the drive levels in this range. I have heard people mention this on Drive #1 before.

 

[svarietus]

I voted 5 but it was close between that and 1. 2 was good. Didn’t like 3 or 4.

 

[StayLow]

Interesting. I have heard of the kazoo phenomenon before but didn't think I was getting it with the drive levels in this range. I have heard people mention this on Drive #1 before.

Possibly I’m using the wrong term for that sound characteristic most heard when you’re smacking the …ugh… the note between C# and D#.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Possibly I’m using the wrong term for that sound characteristic most heard when you’re smacking the …ugh… the note between C# and D#.

Yes, I was certainly digging in more on the higher notes and certain drives respond more to that.

 

[mouthmw]

I voted #3. Sounds closest to how my VMT would sound, and it's been my favorite OD since 2013.

 

[Freightshaker]

I lean towards 3,4 or 5. But to me it would be highly dependant on band context, mix and type of music.

 

[groovaholic]

I voted #3. Sounds closest to how my VMT would sound, and it's been my favorite OD since 2013.

I voted for #3 also.
When I stomp a light drive, what I want it to do is make the bass sound a bit more "amp-like" in the mix.

Sample #3 just seemed to have the added texture and complexity in the mids that feel realistic to me.

 

[mouthmw]

I voted for #3 also.
When I stomp a light drive, what I want it to do is make the bass sound a bit more "amp-like" in the mix.

Sample #3 just seemed to have the added texture and complexity in the mids that feel realistic to me.

Yup, I like my overdrive on the "crunchy" side rather than wooly and "clippy".

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I lean towards 3,4 or 5. But to me it would be highly dependant on band context, mix and type of music.

Those 3 definitely have a baked-in sound to them. It will make sense when you see the reveal.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I voted straight bass. I have never been a fan of overdrive or fuzz on a bass, only on guitars.

 

[micguy]

The format of the clip doesn't allow you to hear (for example) OD #3 easily, without starting at the beginning, and counting. It's a tough format to hear things in, as your attention is spent keeping track of where you are (listeing tests are very hard to do right). AllI can tell from this is:

1) I can count to 5 (or was it 6?), and...

2) The tone changes a bit here and there. One of the drives near the end was too buzzy, the rest you could probably have gotten 90 percent there with simple EQ changes. And....

3) I certainly would want to have my hands on my bass to make any decisions involving things this subtle, even though subtle is what I look for in an overdrive. I have heard many times, on overdrive demos, something close to the tone I'm looking for....and......then they kick on the pedal, and it's another damn box of bees.

 

[HolmeBass]

Yes, when the overdrive is that subtle, it makes me wonder if it makes it worth it. Can you really even hear it in the full band mix? (See my other recent thread on the subject).

I think you can feel it as much as hear it. It is supposed to be subtle. I voted for #3 as it had the sparkly clear highs I like from light OD.

 

[HolmeBass]

But going along with the “feel” - my selection would actually depend on how using any of these drives would feel to me on my rig in a band mix. So if #3 say, for example, added too much compression, I might not actually like it for myself.

The sound quality can depend a lot on what the guitar and keyboard are doing too.

 

[groovaholic]

But going along with the “feel” - my selection would actually depend on how using any of these drives would feel to me on my rig in a band mix. So if #3 say, for example, added too much compression, I might not actually like it for myself.

The sound quality can depend a lot on what the guitar and keyboard are doing too.

Exactly! Drive pedals are such a subjective thing; how and when they clip is a function of everything that's upstream from them - other pedals in the chain, sure, but even more so all of the unique variables between players:

• How hard are the calluses on your fingertips (or are you using a pick)?
• What's your right-hand attack like?
• What kind of strings are you using?
• How close are your pickups to the strings?
• Where are your bass' controls set?
• How long is your cable, and does it have high capacitance?

That's why you can watch 2 demos with a bassist playing seemingly VERY similar gear, and hear radically different tones.

Then, the context of that tone will play a huge part in how it's perceived - how many of us have been shocked to hear an isolated bass track and realize the tone was very very different from how we perceived it?

Online demos can get you in the ballpark, but nothing replaces actually getting the thing in your hands or in your signal chain.

All of these variables are inter-related...

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Exactly! Drive pedals are such a subjective thing; how and when they clip is a function of everything that's upstream from them - other pedals in the chain, sure, but even more so all of the unique variables between players:

• How hard are the calluses on your fingertips (or are you using a pick)?
• What's your right-hand attack like?
• What kind of strings are you using?
• How close are your pickups to the strings?
• Where are your bass' controls set?
• How long is your cable, and does it have high capacitance?

That's why you can watch 2 demos with a bassist playing seemingly VERY similar gear, and hear radically different tones.

Then, the context of that tone will play a huge part in how it's perceived - how many of us have been shocked to hear an isolated bass track and realize the tone was very very different from how we perceived it?

Online demos can get you in the ballpark, but nothing replaces actually getting the thing in your hands or in your signal chain.

All of these variables are inter-related...

It's true. Same with basses. Online demos will get you in the ballpark, but you never know until you try it out and even better when you can get it in a band context.