Mxr bass synth sb301

[projectapollo]

1. Not that I know of. Every time I tried to hold the built in footswitch to enter preset cycle mode it would also turn the pedal on or off. (Making the function unusable for me) So I bought an external tap pedal from Saturnworks ($25).
2. Yes and yes. An external tap pedal silently cycles through presets when the pedal is off, or you can use it to cycle presets while the pedal is on. You can cycle presets forwards and backwards with the external tap pedal, just hold it down 2 seconds to cycle backwards.

This is good to know. The one Sunday I tried the Bass Synth I got so tangled up trying to change presets that it scared me away from the pedal for a while. I ordered the tap switch yesterday and it's great to know I can go forward and backward. I'll soon have the courage to try the Bass Synth again. In the meantime, I reverted back to the EHX Bass Microsynth.

 

[Shlabotnik]

so right now my basic pedal board runs

Longer term, what I'd like to do is move away from most of my current pedals and use a DarkGlass Anagram as my primary platform, and given that the Anagram does not have any synth capability (at least not yet), I would add the MXR Synth pedal to the Anagram. This approach would drive me to a new single power source (CIOKS or something like it) so that would probably provide the MXR with sufficient isolated power.
But I have not grabbed the Anagram yet so I am just thinking through this pedal board change.

Same here! The other way around for me though… Right now I only have the Anagram and I’m still waiting for Sweetwater to send me an MXR I had back ordered. The Anagram is phenomenal. Hoping to only have these two pedals on my board.

 

[rcmbass]

2. Yes and yes. An external tap pedal silently cycles through presets when the pedal is off, or you can use it to cycle presets while the pedal is on. You can cycle presets forwards and backwards with the external tap pedal, just hold it down 2 seconds to cycle backwards.

I just watched this video. See the tap switch config at 12:30 min mark.

 

[projectapollo]

I just watched this video. See the tap switch config at 12:30 min mark.

Just watched that yesterday, as well. I plugged up my Ampero switch I used with my HX to the Bass Synth and got the presets moving back and forth. I'm still puzzled by a few parameter settings and may ask some questions later.....

 

[SLO Surfer]

I just watched this video. See the tap switch config at 12:30 min mark.

Yup, just as I described!

 

[Bob_Ross]

So I just gotta say: I've only used my MXR Bass Synth for two rehearsals now, with a band that only requires it for one song

...and both times we played that tune, when I stepped on the footswitch to engage the effect, my foot also hit the Preset Advance button, and totally screwed up what I was trying to achieve!!!

Third and fourth rehearsals, same deal! Something about the shape of my foot -- or the stupid location of that preset scroll button -- makes it extremely likely that when I try to step on the big silver bypass button I'm also gonna hit the preset scroll button. Infuriating.

So here's my hack:

That's the threaded nut from a Presta valve (bicycle inner tube) taped over the preset scroll button with silicone artist's tape (so if I ever remove it there won't be any sticky residue left on the MXR). That nut is taller than the button it surrounds, so there's no way my foot can accidentally press the button.
Then I just made crosshatch slits in the tape over the center of the button, so that I can press it with the tip of a pencil when I actually do want to advance the presets.

I'm pissed that I need to do such a stupid hack, but the pedal is unusable by me if I dont otherwise protect that button.

 

[sunbeast]

Third and fourth rehearsals, same deal! Something about the shape of my foot -- or the stupid location of that preset scroll button -- makes it extremely likely that when I try to step on the big silver bypass button I'm also gonna hit the preset scroll button. Infuriating.

So here's my hack:

View attachment 7402386

That's the threaded nut from a Presta valve (bicycle inner tube) taped over the preset scroll button with silicone artist's tape (so if I ever remove it there won't be any sticky residue left on the MXR). That nut is taller than the button it surrounds, so there's no way my foot can accidentally press the button.
Then I just made crosshatch slits in the tape over the center of the button, so that I can press it with the tip of a pencil when I actually do want to advance the presets.

I'm pissed that I need to do such a stupid hack, but the pedal is unusable by me if I dont otherwise protect that button.

I haven't had this issue at all personally but do think it was a stupid place to put that little button, surely it could have fit above the footswich somewhere..

That is a clever use of one of those little Presta nuts. I have a ton of those that end up in various toolboxes and random hardware containers in my house that some compulsive internal voice has apparently told me I'll find a use for over the last 30 years.

 

[mapleglo]

Third and fourth rehearsals, same deal! Something about the shape of my foot -- or the stupid location of that preset scroll button -- makes it extremely likely that when I try to step on the big silver bypass button I'm also gonna hit the preset scroll button. Infuriating.

So here's my hack:

View attachment 7402386

That's the threaded nut from a Presta valve (bicycle inner tube) taped over the preset scroll button with silicone artist's tape (so if I ever remove it there won't be any sticky residue left on the MXR). That nut is taller than the button it surrounds, so there's no way my foot can accidentally press the button.
Then I just made crosshatch slits in the tape over the center of the button, so that I can press it with the tip of a pencil when I actually do want to advance the presets.

I'm pissed that I need to do such a stupid hack, but the pedal is unusable by me if I dont otherwise protect that button.

This actually happened to me yesterday while I was practicing and it took me a while to figure out what happened. I have my first gig with the pedal in a few days so we'll see if it's a problem. If so, I'll have to see about using your suggested hack. Thanks in advance.

 

[PolkaHero]

Wouldn't one of those pedal switch toppers help?

 

[mikeswals]

I only had my synth for 1 day before I returned it to the store, but never had a problem touching the small button. Its gotta be your shoes.

Seems the thing for both of you to do is put a pedal topper on the foot switch.

 

[ElectricBass72]

Wouldn't one of those pedal switch toppers help?

I use toppers on all my pedals, Bass Synth included.... except Tech 21 Dug Pinnick distortion.........

 

[SLO Surfer]

Third and fourth rehearsals, same deal! Something about the shape of my foot -- or the stupid location of that preset scroll button -- makes it extremely likely that when I try to step on the big silver bypass button I'm also gonna hit the preset scroll button. Infuriating.

So here's my hack:

View attachment 7402386

That's the threaded nut from a Presta valve (bicycle inner tube) taped over the preset scroll button with silicone artist's tape (so if I ever remove it there won't be any sticky residue left on the MXR). That nut is taller than the button it surrounds, so there's no way my foot can accidentally press the button.
Then I just made crosshatch slits in the tape over the center of the button, so that I can press it with the tip of a pencil when I actually do want to advance the presets.

I'm pissed that I need to do such a stupid hack, but the pedal is unusable by me if I dont otherwise protect that button.

I’ve had my MXR Bass Synth since September and haven’t had that issue. I lift my whole foot up and tap my pedals on/off with my toes, so my heel is elevated off the ground. I’m guessing you leave your heel down on the floor when tapping the pedal on/off. In any case I’m glad you came up with a creative solution that works for you!

 

[Bob_Ross]

I’m guessing you leave your heel down on the floor when tapping the pedal on/off.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. And after last night's rehearsal -- when the band added two more tunes to our repertoire that would really benefit from a synth bass -- I realized I needed an easier way to scroll through the presets than poking at it with a pencil.

So this morning I removed my Presta nut hack, added a Barefoot Buttons pedal topper, and mounted the whole thing on one of those StageTrix Pedal Risers. Now the angle of my foot to the Bypass button is completely different...and, at least in the home studio, seems to work reliably: I can repeatedly stomp on the Bypass button without also hitting the Preset scroll button now.

I'm gonna bring the MXR to its gig debut this Friday. Fingers crossed!

 

[mikeswals]

I plugged in today for the first time.
I get no bass sound in bypass/off.

Engage the pedal, and all the presets sound good, tracking is good, everything sounds pretty good.
Hit the toggle to turn off... no dry bass sound comes through.
I dont see anything about that in the manual, and watched vids, nothing mentioned.

And yes, I tried factory reset twice.

So today I told the local dealer to refund me on this pedal. It had been sitting on his counter since I dropped it off Dec 27, while he waited to hear from Dunlop on a replacement. Today he called and said none are in the pipeline, no ETA.
I don't need this pedal, I still have a Future Impact on my large board, so I told him I'll take the refund since he offered it.

 

[pfschim]

hey all you synth masters, I got the MXR for Christmas and have been working with it to see how I could fit it into some of gigs.

I am NOT a synth guy at all in terms of synth "tone" shaping controls. I also don't see a huge use for me on many of the included presets. I think I understand that I can replace some of the presets, but that puts me back to getting familiar with synth settings.

So ... I wonder if any of you can guide me as to how to get a sound like is being used on Little Dragon, Little Man.



Any help you might provide would be greatly appreciated

 

[rockear]

hey all you synth masters, I got the MXR for Christmas and have been working with it to see how I could fit it into some of gigs.

I am NOT a synth guy at all in terms of synth "tone" shaping controls. I also don't see a huge use for me on many of the included presets. I think I understand that I can replace some of the presets, but that puts me back to getting familiar with synth settings.

So ... I wonder if any of you can guide me as to how to get a sound like is being used on Little Dragon, Little Man.



Any help you might provide would be greatly appreciated

Glad to take a swing at it. This is a pretty easy sound to get close to, as it doesn't really have a whole bunch going on.

You want the triangle (green) oscillator on the Shape control, and the Voice button off. Mix knob at 100%. Then basically you want to turn everything else off. (You probably want to look at the manual while you do this.)

Mod, Envelope, Sub Mix, Noise Mix, Glide, Filter Envelope Amount all at zero. Then you would use the Cutoff and Resonance controls to try and match the tone. For me that seems to be Cutoff around 10:00 and Resonance at about 11:00, but it probably depends on your amp or if you're going direct or whatever. You also might want to turn the Amp Envelope up just barely above zero, to keep the attack of every note just a little bit rounder than having it fully off.

 

[jfh2424]

Hello!

I'm waiting for mine. I'm in Canada, so getting access is pretty difficult.

I've watched several videos. In IMA's video, he seems to get a pretty good octaver sound out of red 1 preset. I know that he and his ilk can make just about anything sound good. Does it actually sound that good in real life? Has it replaced an octaver on your board, if you don't use an octaver that often?

I see that it has a chorussy type of sound too. I saw a video where a guy was using it as a chorus. Has anyone here actually used it as a chorus in a satisfactory way?

I'm not a big effects guy, so if this pedal can do just a decent job at chorus and octave and maybe envelope filter, I may be able to use it as that too. Just curious if anyone has investigated this path and what they thought.

Thanks so much!

 

[rockear]

Hello!

I'm waiting for mine. I'm in Canada, so getting access is pretty difficult.

I've watched several videos. In IMA's video, he seems to get a pretty good octaver sound out of red 1 preset. I know that he and his ilk can make just about anything sound good. Does it actually sound that good in real life? Has it replaced an octaver on your board, if you don't use an octaver that often?

I see that it has a chorussy type of sound too. I saw a video where a guy was using it as a chorus. Has anyone here actually used it as a chorus in a satisfactory way?

I'm not a big effects guy, so if this pedal can do just a decent job at chorus and octave and maybe envelope filter, I may be able to use it as that too. Just curious if anyone has investigated this path and what they thought.

Thanks so much!

You absolutely can isolate the filter, octave, and chorus functions. (And you can also use the Amp Envelope control as an auto-swell effect.) It is kind of fiddly to do, and the functionality of each is more limited than what you would get on most dedicated pedals.

For instance: You can use it as a chorus, but you only have rate and mix to play with. There's no depth control, or any of the other fun stuff you might get on an actual chorus pedal.

The octave is kind of nice because the Shape control also changes the timbre of the octave, so it's a bit of a 3-in-one there.

I have found trying to dial it in as exclusively an envelope filter to be kind of difficult to get it to behave how I want it to, but it is possible. Maybe someone will correct me, but I think the filter section is actually a triggered LFO, so if you play staccato it can sound like an envelope filter, but if you hold longer notes it goes wowowowowowow. Cool, but it's not an FX25 or similar.

The cool thing is you only have to dial in the effect you want once, and then save it. So while it may take a bit of tweaking to get to the sound you want, it's predictable once you've got it in there.

 

[sunbeast]

You absolutely can isolate the filter, octave, and chorus functions. (And you can also use the Amp Envelope control as an auto-swell effect.) It is kind of fiddly to do, and the functionality of each is more limited than what you would get on most dedicated pedals.

For instance: You can use it as a chorus, but you only have rate and mix to play with. There's no depth control, or any of the other fun stuff you might get on an actual chorus pedal.

The octave is kind of nice because the Shape control also changes the timbre of the octave, so it's a bit of a 3-in-one there.

I have found trying to dial it in as exclusively an envelope filter to be kind of difficult to get it to behave how I want it to, but it is possible. Maybe someone will correct me, but I think the filter section is actually a triggered LFO, so if you play staccato it can sound like an envelope filter, but if you hold longer notes it goes wowowowowowow. Cool, but it's not an FX25 or similar.

The cool thing is you only have to dial in the effect you want once, and then save it. So while it may take a bit of tweaking to get to the sound you want, it's predictable once you've got it in there.

I’m pretty certain the main filter is just an envelope, however you can also use the mod LFO to modulate the filter cutoff alongside the envelope so it’s possible you have that dialed in when you are hearing that effect. I don’t have issues using mine as a straight envelope filter, though I find the longer/slower envelope sweeps are harder to dial in than the faster ones. For really fast filter sweeps I like it quite a bit as a dedicated envelope filter

 

[rockear]

I’m pretty certain the main filter is just an envelope, however you can also use the mod LFO to modulate the filter cutoff alongside the envelope so it’s possible you have that dialed in when you are hearing that effect.

Ah I'm sure that's it. I'll have to experiment with that.