If it works for you then I cant argue with it, but I used to do the same and then thought, why am I putting the mids back in that Ive just taken out by using the color button? Most of the time now I prefer my P bass without the color button, and all the time for my fretless. There are occasions I do use it such as a great clicky pick tone or to boost the lows for a chorus or solo.
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MXR M-80 color button
- Thread starter the low one
- Start date
If it works for you then I cant argue with it, but I used to do the same and then thought, why am I putting the mids back in that Ive just taken out by using the color button? Most of the time now I prefer my P bass without the color button, and all the time for my fretless. There are occasions I do use it such as a great clicky pick tone or to boost the lows for a chorus or solo.
the color button scoops mids, but it also boost bass so thats why i add my mids back. makes it sound fuller that way.
I picked up one of these bad boys and got to use it at rehearsal today with my rock band.
I really like it so far, though i can see why some people dont like the dist and the color switch. Since I don't rely on distorion, and only need it for a couple tunes, its quite fine for my needs (otherwise I would have gotten a dedicated pedal). As far as the color switch, I probably won't need it for normal use but I can definitely see utilizing it as another channel, maybe for slap, on gigs where I don't need dist and can keep the drive off.
Also, my EA Wizzy 10 can be a little mid-focused, and i am sure the color switch cleaning that up nicely.
Thanks everyone for the great feedback (no corny pun intended), which helped me in the decision to buy this thing.
I really like it so far, though i can see why some people dont like the dist and the color switch. Since I don't rely on distorion, and only need it for a couple tunes, its quite fine for my needs (otherwise I would have gotten a dedicated pedal). As far as the color switch, I probably won't need it for normal use but I can definitely see utilizing it as another channel, maybe for slap, on gigs where I don't need dist and can keep the drive off.
Also, my EA Wizzy 10 can be a little mid-focused, and i am sure the color switch cleaning that up nicely.
Thanks everyone for the great feedback (no corny pun intended), which helped me in the decision to buy this thing.
I just like the overall eq of the colour switch. In my setup SWR, it's what it dose to the top end i really like also. Even with the colour switch engaged i boost the bass a little too.
M-80 is one of my "can't leave home without it" pedals.
Tone sculpting goodness, plus it is the all-important DI !! (anyone who doesn't have a DI in their rig somewhere should definitely get one---great for if your amp blows up as a backup to run to House PA)
All this plus a distortion....cool. (I don't use the distortion much)
I leave the color button on with my passive Lakland Sky DJ.
Tone sculpting goodness, plus it is the all-important DI !! (anyone who doesn't have a DI in their rig somewhere should definitely get one---great for if your amp blows up as a backup to run to House PA)
All this plus a distortion....cool. (I don't use the distortion much)
I leave the color button on with my passive Lakland Sky DJ.
In the M80 manual it has some sample settings used by Robert Trujillo amongst others. He has 2 examples, one called IN-LINE SETTINGS and the other TOBIAS CLASSIC 5. The TOBIAS CLASSIC 5 are self explanatory as thats what hes using with that bass but what is meant by the IN-LINE SETTINGS ?
I think i gonna try the method that someone mention before about putting the blend to zero so you get that "Color" channel.
I like this 2 EQ setting idea. Leave the color disengage by default and use the clean channel as non color channel and when engage the distortion it automatically trigger the color so i get to use the color setting when needed as well.
I have problem using my chorus and env filter effects when the color switch is engage, so by doing this way i get to switch around sound easily.
Thanks for the advice guys.
I like this 2 EQ setting idea. Leave the color disengage by default and use the clean channel as non color channel and when engage the distortion it automatically trigger the color so i get to use the color setting when needed as well.
I have problem using my chorus and env filter effects when the color switch is engage, so by doing this way i get to switch around sound easily.
Thanks for the advice guys.
It depends on your bass and your ears. One of my basses sounds a lot better with the color switch than the other does.
I'd like to think that I never sound like NuMetal.
I'd like to think that I never sound like NuMetal.
+1 thanks for the tip. I actually set my m-80 with the color button on, but, i'll have to try this one more time.
I used it on a couple of recordings last month and it worked great.
I've heard of some people using the m80 as a 2 channel DI with the clean channel for fingerstyle/pick and the "color" channel for slapping.
Is it possible to do that while setting the volume for the slap channel to be lower than the clean channel?
If it is possible, I believe I may have to buy an m80
edit: let me clarify..
channel 1: no color, high volume
channel 2: color, no distortion, lower volume
Is it possible to do that while setting the volume for the slap channel to be lower than the clean channel?
If it is possible, I believe I may have to buy an m80
edit: let me clarify..
channel 1: no color, high volume
channel 2: color, no distortion, lower volume
My 2 cents....I voted yes because i used the M80 for a few years. I found the distortion to be ok, but in the end nothing spectacular. I found the blend option to sound a bit unnatural....the other channel is also ok and cuts through the mix, but the colour botton does take over your natural bass signal....it sounds ok though, especially when slapping...I used it with an active bass.....
In the end I kind of grew bored with the unit. It's not bad, but imo a bit pricy for what it delivers....I also a/b-ed it as a DI against the built in DI of my amp and preffered the DI in my amp.
In the end I kind of grew bored with the unit. It's not bad, but imo a bit pricy for what it delivers....I also a/b-ed it as a DI against the built in DI of my amp and preffered the DI in my amp.
That's pretty genius. I'm thinking about using that method, and getting a bad monkey to use for a dirt option.
I've heard of some people using the m80 as a 2 channel DI with the clean channel for fingerstyle/pick and the "color" channel for slapping.
Is it possible to do that while setting the volume for the slap channel to be lower than the clean channel?
If it is possible, I believe I may have to buy an m80
edit: let me clarify..
channel 1: no color, high volume
channel 2: color, no distortion, lower volume
Each channel has it's own volume knob so yes, you can do exactly this.
I can see the benefit of the color button for slapping and maybe some pick playing but it doesn't work for me. Too much scoop and makes my P bass too muddy and boomy.
I love this pedal.
I always have the color button in, but add back a bit of mids. I use the 'distortion' channel set for a clean volume boost.
Cb
I always have the color button in, but add back a bit of mids. I use the 'distortion' channel set for a clean volume boost.
Cb
M-80 is definitely a very good end of chain.
- 3 outputs (including DI)
- 2 setting (1 must be colored)
- EQ
- Distortion
It's like a swiss army knife.
Personally, I find I like my textured (with distortion) sound so much I leave it on all the time. But the Clean sound is really just as good.
It will definitely give you more options than other "texture" or Pre-amp or "mid Scoop" pedals, so the price is not too high.
In the end, it's cool to have options and be ready with a nice DI.
- 3 outputs (including DI)
- 2 setting (1 must be colored)
- EQ
- Distortion
It's like a swiss army knife.
Personally, I find I like my textured (with distortion) sound so much I leave it on all the time. But the Clean sound is really just as good.
It will definitely give you more options than other "texture" or Pre-amp or "mid Scoop" pedals, so the price is not too high.
In the end, it's cool to have options and be ready with a nice DI.
I just bought one of these guys from a TB member, waiting for it to come. I plan on leaving it on at all times to shape my tone. I've heard distortion clips on YouTube of the M80 and it's not really for me so I plan on buying a zvex distortron for my distortion needs. I only have two other pedals, the EBS Multicomp and a Catalinbread Serrano Picoso. How should I run the pedals?
Bass --> Serrano --> M80 --> Multicomp?
Or should the M80 go at the end. I figure the multicomp would smooth out the M80 tone.
Also contemplating getting rid of the Serrano and just use the second channel on the M80 as a boost since I'm not into the MXR distortion tone. What do you think? Getting rid of the Serrano worth it?
Bass --> Serrano --> M80 --> Multicomp?
Or should the M80 go at the end. I figure the multicomp would smooth out the M80 tone.
Also contemplating getting rid of the Serrano and just use the second channel on the M80 as a boost since I'm not into the MXR distortion tone. What do you think? Getting rid of the Serrano worth it?
None of the Youtube clips I've heard of the distortion do it justice I think. Wait until you get it and then decide.
I'm going to give this an ancient thread bump.
Just recently I started gigging again. Right now my rig is an ampeg 8x10 cab, an ampeg b500dr head, this MXR M-80 pedal, and some rackmountable EQ. My basses are a 1970 fender P-bass with a seymour duncan bass line pickup, and a cheap ($60) knockoff jazz bass. The band I'm in tunes low. The p-bass is tuned B-Gb-B-E, the j-bass is tuned Ab-Eb-Ab-Db.
Let's get started here with the rig. I absolutely hate this head. The front end in it sucks, too much gain, sounds like poop. The EQ itself, sounds like TOTAL poop. It is also no where near pushing out the advertised 350watts at 4 ohms. I borrowed my brother's MXR pedal in hopes to help.
Boy did it ever. I ended up using this MXR pedal to go in the effects loop return, to totally bypass the ampeg's pre-amp. I messed with this pedal for a long time. You guys are now going to flame the setup. I ended up using the pedal with the bass and treble set to about 2:30, and the mid set to 10, color switch on, on the distorded channel, with the blend about 1 o'clock, and the distortion about 11 o'clock. Messing with the trigger knob didn't change things much. On my rackmounted EQ I added in about 125 and 250 hz about 3-6db. With my p-bass this sounded amazing, the j-bass sounded okay. Until I can get a real head again (something with TUBES) this is going to be my setup. My guitarist doesn't use a very heavy tone, but has lots of mids (too much low and it starts sounding like mud on his end). This sounds works for me very well.
Again, ymmv, but I like it, and I'm going to continue to use this setup.
Just recently I started gigging again. Right now my rig is an ampeg 8x10 cab, an ampeg b500dr head, this MXR M-80 pedal, and some rackmountable EQ. My basses are a 1970 fender P-bass with a seymour duncan bass line pickup, and a cheap ($60) knockoff jazz bass. The band I'm in tunes low. The p-bass is tuned B-Gb-B-E, the j-bass is tuned Ab-Eb-Ab-Db.
Let's get started here with the rig. I absolutely hate this head. The front end in it sucks, too much gain, sounds like poop. The EQ itself, sounds like TOTAL poop. It is also no where near pushing out the advertised 350watts at 4 ohms. I borrowed my brother's MXR pedal in hopes to help.
Boy did it ever. I ended up using this MXR pedal to go in the effects loop return, to totally bypass the ampeg's pre-amp. I messed with this pedal for a long time. You guys are now going to flame the setup. I ended up using the pedal with the bass and treble set to about 2:30, and the mid set to 10, color switch on, on the distorded channel, with the blend about 1 o'clock, and the distortion about 11 o'clock. Messing with the trigger knob didn't change things much. On my rackmounted EQ I added in about 125 and 250 hz about 3-6db. With my p-bass this sounded amazing, the j-bass sounded okay. Until I can get a real head again (something with TUBES) this is going to be my setup. My guitarist doesn't use a very heavy tone, but has lots of mids (too much low and it starts sounding like mud on his end). This sounds works for me very well.
Again, ymmv, but I like it, and I'm going to continue to use this setup.
