Make me a pedal junkie

[factory presets]

I've been playing bass from the mid 70s to the early naughties. Im not opposed to the idea of effects and have acquired a Boss TW-1 and Trace Elliot SMX over the years. But the types of music I played is usually played straight into the amp. This century I've been playing around with DAWs and VSTs and such. Having a lot of fun with sound design while my basses gathered dust.

Just before the virus hit, I was coerced into doing a gig with a couple of old bands I was in. Which is currently slipping, like time, into the future. But I'm having a great time getting the chops back up. Which is now a done deal as far as the 80s punk-funk-skunk of those bands goes. So I'm thinking about what else I could do with a bass. I could work on getting mad speed or monster slapping skills. Or I could combine my bass with my interest in sound design and some retail therapy.

I'm interested in how others use fx. What their goals are for their pedals and how well they achieve them. I'm thinking about a multi-fx type of unit to get more of a feel for what's possible. Any ideas about that would be helpful. I've been doing some research on these issues. And finding some answers in a general sort of way. But of course, I don't know what else I don't know. Answers to questions I haven't thought to ask might be what I need to know the most. Any advice the members can give would be very appreciated, thanks.

 

[Jakeman]

Folks will advise you to pick up a cheap(er) multi-effect pedal. This is solid advice. It'll help you define your effects goals. I didn't start that way - I started with an octaver, a fuzz, an envelope filter and a delay, all borrowed. That sent me on a very expensive quest to explore each of those types of effects. I could have saved some serious money starting with a multi. My other bit of advice would be to utilize this forum as much as you can. Lots of very knowledgeable and helpful people on this board. I made most of my pedal decisions based on reviews gathered through the search function.

 

[Sloppy Hack]

I’m just going to throw out there that I don’t like multi effects pedals. I just can’t enjoy digging through endless menus but ymmv. I would rather research individual pedals that interest me. Generally speaking I also think individual pedals sound better than multi effects but I have limited experience with the latest and greatest multi effects pedals (I have owned some in the past but not currently).

 

[TheDirtyLowDown]

My advice/thoughts, FWIW:

1) Watch youTube pedal reviews, listening with a good pair of headphones. You'll have to filter out the bad ones but the good ones (like Ed Friedland's Bass Whisperer reviews) can really give you some insight into what these gadgets can do for your sound.

2) Decide what kind of user you are: do you want a more defined, structured user interface, or do you want the more open-ended user-programmable/customizable approach? You might be tempted to think that the just-turn-this-knob-to-get-this-sound approach is better to begin with, and there's some truth to that, but the programmable ones with midi / computer GUIs can give you a precise understand of just how your synthesizer is making you sound like Bootsy. So if you're into that level of detail, go for it. I can spend hours tweaking my Future Impact sounds, instead of practicing, for example.

3) If you run into one of these, let me know!

 

[cheapbasslovin]

I’m just going to throw out there that I don’t like multi effects pedals. I just can’t enjoy digging through endless menus but ymmv. I would rather research individual pedals that interest me. Generally speaking I also think individual pedals sound better than multi effects but I have limited experience with the latest and greatest multi effects pedals (I have owned some in the past but not currently).

I will always recommend a multi for beginners, especially now that decent effects can be had in a multi, but they can be overwhelming (newer models are getting easier to operate, though). I recommend exploring one effect at a time rather than getting overwhelmed by what everything does. Pick something you think you like and play through the options and explore how playing differently enhances or detracts from what the effect does. Once you're familiar with how one works, move on to another and then combine them to see how they work together.

Also, keep an open mind! Sometimes I thought I knew how an effect was 'supposed' to sound and when it didn't I dismissed the tone, but sometimes that unwanted stuff was just waiting to be put where I didn't expect (somewhere on this forum is an absolutely embarrassing comment from me about octave effects).

 

[Jephmo]

I've tried several multi-fx (boss, line 6, zoom) and found single pedals to be far less of a headache. The units sounded great but too much menu-diving would just frustrate me. I would take the advice of the comments before me and definitely use Youtube and the forums here.

 

[cosmicevan]

It really depends on your goals. I'm an effects junkie. My goals are to be able to control sound way beyond just the instrument in my hands. I like the idea of being able to make music with or without others so for me it is about being able to create different sounds, and accompany myself and occupy more space than just a bass guitar. As such, I dig looper pedals, different preamps, weirdo pedals that make glitch sounds and essentially make my bass sound like anything that isn't a bass.

If your goal is to make yourself just sound better doing what you do, I'd suggest taking a look at compressors, preamps, and even some low gain distortions known to emulate that tube breakup sound.

If your goal is to breath some fun into your practice with some effects, take a look at some of the synth pedals out there (they go from basic to computer editors that allow you to sculpt every nuance of a full featured multi-oscillator synth) or even a multi-effects unit that comes with good presets (don't start out getting complex).

If you want to see how crazy things have gotten, dive head first into the weird and wild and check out pedals from Red Panda, Meris, Chase Bliss, Pladask Elektrisk, Drolo, Hologram...the list goes on and on.

As a bassist, my favorites and first pedals were envelope filters (for dat funk) and octaves (to really fill things out - these are invaluable in a duo/trio situation)

 

[theunknowndude]

I started off with a zoom b2 - the presets were enough to start with and although not “great” the dirt stuff was ok... if you don’t need anything too crazy, source audio OFD / Aftershock is like 95% there for filling out a multi effect dirt only pedal...

I then got into stand-alone effects and then chased the quest for each type... wah, overdrive, distortion, fuzz, chorus etc... I prefer what you see is what you get and the ability to create your own chain in any order (usually can’t do this with multi) and there’s also a lot of effects that just haven’t been recreated To how I want them to sound / react in the digital world...
depending on your setup single pedals are also easier to dial in live too... had that issue with the aftershock and just played without it on as couldn’t get levels right quickly

 

[knumbskull]

I'm interested in how others use fx. What their goals are for their pedals and how well they achieve them.

how i use fx - single pedals:

preamp: always on, to give some light breakup and send my preferred EQ via amp and FOH
overdrive / distortion / fuzz: to increase volume and distortion to fill out the sound during guitar solos
chorus: very occasionally, to add some colour to quiet interludes (i would prefer a phaser, might get one someday)
delay: very occasionally, to add some space to quiet interludes

i also have some pedals that don't currently fit in with my bands, but i keep as they are fun to mess around with (octave, envelope filter, bit crusher, reverb) and some utility pedals (compressor, EQ) that get used occasionally for recording if I want a certain sound.

if you have specific goals for how you want things to sound, i would get single pedals as needed. if you want to experiment with various different sounds, a multi might work better.

 

[thabassmon]

I am tempted to advise get a Fractal FM3. You'd have pretty much anything you could possibly need and if you include the built in modifier capability and massive array of subdivisions it might be the most cost effective option too rather than buying, trying and selling single pedals.
I kind of wish that is was available before I started my effect journey, it's what I would of chosen.

 

[el murdoque]

If you can part with the necessary funds, go and have a look at the Headrush boards.

These are multis that also include amp and speaker simulations. But the thing about these is the ease of use.
With the touchscreen (which operates super intuitive) you can configure your signal chain, swap the order of pedals/amps/cabinets and do a lot of stuff that takes ages with stomp boxes pretty much on the fly.

 

[factory presets]

Well there are some points to think about. I guess I was expecting to outgrow a multi-fx box at some stage. One concern I have is whether they react to extreme settings in the same way as pedals. Computer modelled soft synths are known for that now. But it wasn't always the case. Another is if any of the multis can be set up to mix a bypass signal with the output of the effect chain, LS-2 style. I figure if I can get down and dirty with Reaktor and Wavestation, I have little to fear from manuals.

Headphones on YouTube is a great idea. I was definitely doing that wrong.

One thing that interests me about pedals is having so much control of the source audio before it hits the Voodoo. I expect that to be quite different to a synth experience. I'm also wondering about people's opinions of platforms like tc's Toneprint or Source Audio's Neuro.

Useful answers so far, thanks. Looking forward to hearing some more.

 

[RattleSnack]

After abandoning my pedal quest, I came to peace with a multieffect unit. I would recommend as a starting point for anyone. Gone are the days of strugling to create a patch. I can connect my Boss GT-1B to my PC, start official software and play with it just like with a pedalboard. It takes minutes to get a hang of it.

 

[Nobis17]

+1 for the multi effects. It was a great springboard to get you into the deep end of the pool of pedals. I had mine for about a year, during that time I realized what I liked and didn't like and what I was looking for, then I started buying pedals....

 

[Frank77]

Yes, a multi is definitely a good move if you want to get your feet wet without spending too much (that's what I did). It'll help you find out what effects you really want/need, so then you can start your search for dedicated stomp boxes...or buy a high-end multi! They have really gone a long way since the early days.

If I didn't already have so much invested in my pedalboard, I'd seriously consider that route. Pros: Convenience and weight saving, cleaner setup. Cons: Bigger investment up front (whereas pedals will damage your wallet incrementally over time).

Have fun!

 

[Richard Martin]

I'd start with Must Haves. On my board you can tell the Must Haves from the Wants by which pedals are always turned on. On my board the tuner, compressor, HPF, and noise gate are always on.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Well there are some points to think about. I guess I was expecting to outgrow a multi-fx box at some stage. One concern I have is whether they react to extreme settings in the same way as pedals. Computer modelled soft synths are known for that now. But it wasn't always the case. Another is if any of the multis can be set up to mix a bypass signal with the output of the effect chain, LS-2 style. I figure if I can get down and dirty with Reaktor and Wavestation, I have little to fear from manuals.

Headphones on YouTube is a great idea. I was definitely doing that wrong.

One thing that interests me about pedals is having so much control of the source audio before it hits the Voodoo. I expect that to be quite different to a synth experience. I'm also wondering about people's opinions of platforms like tc's Toneprint or Source Audio's Neuro.

Useful answers so far, thanks. Looking forward to hearing some more.

There's always gonna be a place on my board for a small multi. They're just really useful for filling in 'that sound' that you may not want to go and buy an individual pedal for, but really enhances one tone.

Some of the higher end multis have effects loops that allow you to cut into the middle of the signal and place that cut where you want. An alternative to that is to get two smaller inexpensive units like a MS60B.

When you say 'react to extreme settings' are you talking about runaway feedback on delays and the like? I know some of the line6 stuff has done that, but I'm not so GASsed up on the newest stuff to know which brands have modeled the truly unreasonable designs.

 

[BassBrass]

Well there are some points to think about. I guess I was expecting to outgrow a multi-fx box at some stage. One concern I have is whether they react to extreme settings in the same way as pedals. Computer modelled soft synths are known for that now. But it wasn't always the case. Another is if any of the multis can be set up to mix a bypass signal with the output of the effect chain, LS-2 style. I figure if I can get down and dirty with Reaktor and Wavestation, I have little to fear from manuals.

Headphones on YouTube is a great idea. I was definitely doing that wrong.

One thing that interests me about pedals is having so much control of the source audio before it hits the Voodoo. I expect that to be quite different to a synth experience. I'm also wondering about people's opinions of platforms like tc's Toneprint or Source Audio's Neuro.

Useful answers so far, thanks. Looking forward to hearing some more.

Check out This Quiet Army on Youtube.
I group effects into really 2 groups, Basic Sounds, eq compression (subgroup of fuzz/overdrive & envelopes including one synth pedal (the Boss) and Time Effects that play them selves or loop what was played. On board I have 2 loopers at the end, a EHSuperego for infinite sustain (programable sensitivity and auto tracking (which can be run through other effects even a sequencer like Arapanoid or Wayhuge Ringworm, EH Oceans 11, also and always a phasor here for bowing or drone sounds) Then I may have a Redpanda Particle which has infinite delay on a number of time twist effects including backwards, a Malekko Charlie Foxtrot which is a "granular delay" perfect for playing a certain Pink Floyd bass part (or having it played for you by the box!) Mix and match of course you use one or 2 and not make an unintelligible mess.

Being a bass player in this case I haven't gotten into the huge reverb pads that work so well on high frequencies...sometimes faint short delay and very faint hall reverb, not much use for EQD Afterneeth, but on horns piano and percussion it do rule

 

[factory presets]

Some of the higher end multis have effects loops that allow you to cut into the middle of the signal and place that cut where you want. An alternative to that is to get two smaller inexpensive units like a MS60B.

I guess I could get a multi and add a Boss LS2 if I found a pressing need to mix some bypass in with the effected sound. I was thinking of getting a B3n, mainly because it does longer fx chains. But I see the MS60B getting some love on here. Would I be giving up much going the cheaper route?

When you say 'react to extreme settings' are you talking about runaway feedback on delays and the like?

Delay feedback to complete mush would be an example. I'm thinking of situations where people find unusual sounds from fx that are outside their normal use. When I think about it, the newbie in me might be confusing obscure fx chains with some form of pedal abuse. I like making weird unsettling sounds.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

I guess I could get a multi and add a Boss LS2 if I found a pressing need to mix some bypass in with the effected sound. I was thinking of getting a B3n, mainly because it does longer fx chains. But I see the MS60B getting some love on here. Would I be giving up much going the cheaper route?

Going cheaper won't hurt too much if you're using it as an intro or a basic effects chain, IMO, so long as it meets base level requirements. Some older zoom or digitech units sound like garbage, but stuff newer than the B3 usually sounds nominally pretty good, IMO.

If you're looking for some high level integration, a more expensive unit might be the way to go.

Delay feedback to complete mush would be an example. I'm thinking of situations where people find unusual sounds from fx that are outside their normal use. When I think about it, the newbie in me might be confusing obscure fx chains with some form of pedal abuse. I like making weird unsettling sounds.

Most multis can combine to get some haunting sounds, some better than others. Unfortunately my gig the last few years has just been classic rock so my experimentation chops are a bit rusty.