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LIST: nintendo, 8-bit, squarewave, gated fuzz, pinched, squelchy FX

Discussion in 'Effects [BG]' started by psi, Nov 24, 2005.

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  1. Nov 24, 2005 #1
    psi

    psi

    Mar 11, 2005
    New Jersey
    I've noticed that a bunch of bassists are interested in effects that make you sound like an Atari console. Here's my list of effects that I've tried to achieve this effect:

    • Alesis Bitrman: I got my hands on this effect primarily to test out the bit reduction feature. When engaged, there was too little sustain to do anything useful with it.

    • MXR Blue Box: Frickin crazy atari sounds with bass but low notes will be garble pretty much and tracking is not terrific. High on the neck it was very effective at achieving the 8-bit effect.

    • Korg G5: Excellent tracking; has a few settings that resemble retro-ish sounds, but sounds a bit too analog to sound like real 8-bit sound.

    • Chunk Systems Brown Dog: This fuzz pedal has gate and pinch controls that when both turned up sound like a nice and tight saw waveform. Very convincing but not too good at producing a squarewave sound.

    Can anyone review the following pedals in terms of producing Nintendo-like effects on bass?
    • Akai Deep Impact
    • LAL Green Monster Septic Fuzz
    • ZVex Woolly Mammoth
    • ZVex Fuzz Factory
    • Univox Squarefuzz
    • Boss synth pedals
    • Digitech BSW
    • ...anything else you've discovered

    C'mon Generation Y! :D
     
  2. Nov 24, 2005 #2
    bongomania

    bongomania Supporting Member Commercial User

    Oct 17, 2005
    PDX, OR
    owner, OVNIFX and OVNILabs
    Well, of your list I've only used the Wooly Mammoth. If you turn the "pinch" knob all the way up, you definitely get an artificial-sounding tone and a sharp gating effect. If you learn how to interact with the gate (in terms of your playing articulation) you can create a very DEVO-like sample-and-hold type pattern.

    Frostwave also makes a bit cruncher pedal you should definitely check out, but I haven't used it. Also ring modulators are a classic way to get video game-type sounds.
     
  3. Nov 24, 2005 #3
    Jazz Ad

    Jazz Ad Mi la ré sol

    Mar 16, 2002
    Langueux, Brittany, France
    The Akai isn't good at all at this game.
    Anyway, here's your winner :
    [​IMG]
     
  4. Nov 24, 2005 #4
    psi

    psi

    Mar 11, 2005
    New Jersey

    LOL I knew I was forgetting something. Looks don't count, JazzAd, lol. I spoke with the guy who makes those things and he said it's not really made for bass but he plans on making one-- that was like last year so I don't know if that ever happened... should follow up
     
  5. Nov 24, 2005 #5
    TaySte_2000

    TaySte_2000

    Jun 23, 2001
    Houston, TX
    Danelectro French Toast
    Catalinbread Teaser Stallion
    Pretty much any fuzz run into any distortion with loads and loads and loads of gain :D

    I have a SIB Nick Nitro coming so I'll let you know how that works, but I find any fuzz and octave up tends to get close especially if you distort the signal again
     
  6. Nov 24, 2005 #6
    psi

    psi

    Mar 11, 2005
    New Jersey
    Ah, I was looking at the Teaser Stallion earlier today -- seems cool.

    Fuzz into Distortion with lots of gain? The problem I've found with this is that regular distortion and fuzzboxes modulate your signal using a noise channel. The "clean" 8-bit sound that I'm talking about has a very constant waveform. When you play high on the neck with high-gain distortion it starts to sound 8-bit because the frequency is fast enough so that even the noise-modulated signal sounds like square-modulated signal. When you're playing low frequencies though, the period of the wave is longer, so that noise between each period is a lot more noticeable.

    I think Zachary Vex with the Woolly Mammoth was onto something with the Pinch knob... I don't know any other pedal that has something like that. It's sort of like a noise gate but it also modulates the waveform in a very regular manner.

    Can anyone say anything about any multi-FX units or the Roland V-Bass system regarding square wave?
     
  7. Nov 24, 2005 #7
    xan

    xan Guest

    Sep 10, 2004
    Perth, Australia
    yeah the teaser can be good at achieving that sound but you have to find the right setting. i found that a little tricky. one of the samples at catalinbread.com displays that type of sound pretty well from memory - its not a bass sample but you get the idea. however, if you plan on using a lofi type effect a lot, i wouldnt recommend the teaser. some other pedal makers that make lofi effects are effector13 and J. Everman Effects.
     
  8. Nov 24, 2005 #8
    Skit1

    Skit1 Guest

    Jul 2, 2004
    England

    Well I've just found my xmas present :hyper:

    I have no idea how that gonna sound on bass but with a case like that I just cant refuse :bassist:
     
  9. Nov 24, 2005 #9
    superbassman2000

    superbassman2000

    Dec 20, 2000
    Minnesota
    i always wanted to try out a bitrman...they look cool :)
     
  10. Nov 24, 2005 #10
    superbassman2000

    superbassman2000

    Dec 20, 2000
    Minnesota
  11. Nov 25, 2005 #11
    dirtgroove

    dirtgroove

    Jan 10, 2003
    Taipei, Taiwan
    the boss octave pedal nails a clean sound perfectly. Play up the neck with clean sound rolled all the way up. 8 bit heaven.
     
  12. Nov 25, 2005 #12
    skunkrawk

    skunkrawk Guest

    Apr 25, 2003
    DC
    the infamous dod buzz box, i have to play on g and d strings above 12th frets because its octave drops so insanely low. really cool synthy destructive sound (the box says 'its not broke its supposed to sound like that.) they do run pretty high used now though since they were only made for a year or two around '95 and are much desired among guitarists. i was lucky and snatched mine new old stock for 40 bucks over summer, it was the deal of the century. -d
     
  13. Nov 25, 2005 #13
    phxlbrmpf

    phxlbrmpf Guest

    Dec 27, 2002
    Germany
    That settles it, this is officially the coolest-looking pedal I've ever seen.

    The Digitech BSW has some nice fuzzy sounds but they tend to have lots of overtones so I'm not entirely sure if they could be qualified as retro-sounding.
     
  14. Nov 25, 2005 #14
    dreamer69

    dreamer69

    Aug 30, 2005
    Spain
    Somebody has got the schematic of the fxdoctor 8-bit fuzz?
     
  15. Nov 25, 2005 #15
    superbassman2000

    superbassman2000

    Dec 20, 2000
    Minnesota
    i'd be interested in how the 8-bit fuzz sounds on bass...
     
  16. Nov 26, 2005 #16
    bassman314

    bassman314 I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process...

    Mar 13, 2005
    Bay Area, CA
    uhm...

    Doesn't the EHX Bass MicroSynth have a square wave function on it?
     
  17. Nov 27, 2005 #17
    psi

    psi

    Mar 11, 2005
    New Jersey
    Yeah but when I tried it, it sounded too analog-ish. Not as exact or uniform as the 8-bit square wave.
     
  18. Dec 28, 2005 #18
    TaySte_2000

    TaySte_2000

    Jun 23, 2001
    Houston, TX
    I know you are constantly searching so how about this

    nintendomufftop.jpg

    No idea how it sounds but looks cool :p
     
  19. Dec 28, 2005 #19
    Snarf

    Snarf Suspended

    Jan 23, 2005
    Tri-state
    One of my old projects, the Sweatshop Boys, had a Nintendo DS player. We ran the headphone out on the DS to my guitar multieffects and put wah, distortion, and vibrato-y chorus on it. That was fun.
     
  20. Dec 28, 2005 #20
    psi

    psi

    Mar 11, 2005
    New Jersey
    Haha sounds cool. I actually wound up just buying a cheap synth.
     
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