MXR M281 Thump Bass Preamp

[Le beau JP]

I've had a few days with the Thump now. I love it. I didn't really have to do that much fidgeting with my other pedals to get it going. Before I go on, here's the set up.

View attachment 3801434

My signal chain is Warrior -> Bassbone (Channel B) -> (Effects Loop of Bassbone: Thump -> BOD -> Shimverb (I use it with my EUB)) -> out to amp (either EA iAmp500 or EBS HD350).

As you can see the gain knob on the Bassbone of Channel B is not low by any means. Now I still can't run my Warrior straight into it. The EQ on the Thump is set where I like it except that the Mid knob at the top got moved before I took this picture. I like it between 1:00 and 2:00. I did find I had to boost the bass to where you see it to get the tone I want. It's a mid-boost sound.

This pedal does not overdrive or get dirty at all at these settings. I'll try to get my recording interface back from work and get some sound samples. I have the internal pot at about 20%. Any more than that and it will clip and fart.

It really is inconceivable to me that they would make a pedal that can't handle these inputs, but if you have a loop or another way to tame the input going in, the result is quite pleasing. I've actually contacted my bass repair guy about putting an active/passive push/pull pot on my Warrior to run it passive if I want. I'll likely contact MXR, but it sounds like they will not give me much more info.

Then if my chain is like: Bass -> Hyper Luminal comp -> Thump -> other pedals -> Amp. Would it still fart if the signal peaks are controlled by the compressor? Would I be able to turn the internal pot higher without getting it to fart and clip?

What does that internal pot do actually. Not sure to understand it properly

 

[GrooveWarrior]

Then if my chain is like: Bass -> Hyper Luminal comp -> Thump -> other pedals -> Amp. Would it still fart if the signal peaks are controlled by the compressor? Would I be able to turn the internal pot higher without getting it to fart and clip?

What does that internal pot do actually. Not sure to understand it properly

I'm not real sure either. It does seem like a gain stage, but I've also heard that it is the amount of the Echoplex pre that is introduced. MXR says not to touch it because it is a setting for them to use before the unit is shipped out, which doesn't make sense to me. When I turn it up, it gets louder and farts out.
As for you signal chain, I would guess that would potentially be determined by how much makeup gain your compressor is utilizing.

Here is a quick video I did of the clipping. This was me running the Warrior directly into the Thump, then into my EA iAmp500. The Thump was set completely flat, the EA had all the EQ and contours bypassed. When I turn up the internal trim pot, you hear a pulsing frequency. That is something that my Warrior does only in my basement, and I can't for the life of me figure it out. It has nothing to do with the Thump other than the fact that any gain or harsh treble boost makes the pulsing louder. Sorry for the loud breathing. I was literally holding my phone between my chin and the top of my bass.

 

[Le beau JP]

I'm not real sure either. It does seem like a gain stage, but I've also heard that it is the amount of the Echoplex pre that is introduced. MXR says not to touch it because it is a setting for them to use before the unit is shipped out, which doesn't make sense to me. When I turn it up, it gets louder and farts out.
As for you signal chain, I would guess that would potentially be determined by how much makeup gain your compressor is utilizing.

Here is a quick video I did of the clipping. This was me running the Warrior directly into the Thump, then into my EA iAmp500. The Thump was set completely flat, the EA had all the EQ and contours bypassed. When I turn up the internal trim pot, you hear a pulsing frequency. That is something that my Warrior does only in my basement, and I can't for the life of me figure it out. It has nothing to do with the Thump other than the fact that any gain or harsh treble boost makes the pulsing louder. Sorry for the loud breathing. I was literally holding my phone between my chin and the top of my bass.

It seems to do the exact same clipping sound than the Dynacomp Mini I had....
Disappointing.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

So the THUMP clips and has many issues with active instruments, the Dynamic comp clips and the vantage octave needs an additional resistor since the 1st batch was "overly sensitive" and generated and constant noise.

Bravo MXR.......you just lost A LOT of street cred. I had to pay shipping from Canada to get it fixed. Thanks for making me pay extra for a defect on your pedal. (It's long gone now, kept my beat to crap moded OC2. )

By my count, that's 3 strikes at the plate.

(Mini putt hand claps.)


I still like my m85 though, best dirt pedal to have come out in a long time IMO. Beat out many Boutique high end pedals on tape and live.

 

[Le beau JP]

So the THUMP clips and has many issues with active instruments, the Dynamic comp clips and the vantage octave needs an additional resistor since the 1st batch was "overly sensitive" and generated and constant noise.

Bravo MXR.......you just lost A LOT of street cred. I had to pay shipping from Canada to get it fixed. Thanks for making me pay extra for a defect on your pedal. (It's long gone now, kept my beat to crap moded OC2. )

By my count, that's 3 strikes at the plate.

(Mini putt hand claps.)


I still like my m85 though, best dirt pedal to have come out in a long time IMO. Beat out many Boutique high end pedals on tape and live.

OMG ahahaha thats the best GAS relief pill ive ever had ahahah thank you

 

[therhodeo]

Is anyone getting clipping if it's first in the chain after a passive bass?

 

[jacoby75]

Is anyone getting clipping if it's first in the chain after a passive bass?

I did not get clipping in that scenario.

 

[therhodeo]

I did not get clipping in that scenario.

So just after your comp? I get most of my compression from a tube amp so I'm not running a comp pedal.

 

[jacoby75]

So just after your comp? I get most of my compression from a tube amp so I'm not running a comp pedal.

Yes, but my comp is a Joe Meek FloorQ, which has an always-on preamp that boosts my signal, even when compression is bypassed. So it made the Thump fart out when I ran if after that. But passive 5-string jazz or p straight into the Thump did not yield any gaseous emissions.

 

[Daniel Evan R]

Hey everyone, please take a look at the quick and dirty demo I put together this morning of the Thump vs the EP101+M81. I'm using a passive bass, an Epiphone Jack Casady, into either just the Thump only or the EP101 into the M81, then into a Boss GT-1B set completely flat for USB recording to GarageBand. I demoed all the pedals' main controls completely flat at 12 o'clock except the Thump's internal trim pot where noted in the sound clips - I first recorded how it came out of the box (about 25%), then 0%, 50%, and finally 100%. Though this is the first demo I've ever made and it's pretty shoddily slapped together, I think you can see and hear the issues I'm having with the Thump, including the volume and low end drop and clipping at all settings. I also think you'll also be able to tell just how far off the mark it is from its "claimed" purpose - an Echoplex Preamp with EQ controls. Please let me all know what you think.

 

[FunkyYeti]

So the THUMP clips and has many issues with active instruments, the Dynamic comp clips and the vantage octave needs an additional resistor since the 1st batch was "overly sensitive" and generated and constant noise.

Bravo MXR.......you just lost A LOT of street cred. I had to pay shipping from Canada to get it fixed. Thanks for making me pay extra for a defect on your pedal. (It's long gone now, kept my beat to crap moded OC2. )

By my count, that's 3 strikes at the plate.

(Mini putt hand claps.)


I still like my m85 though, best dirt pedal to have come out in a long time IMO. Beat out many Boutique high end pedals on tape and live.

Wait, Dunlop had you pay shipping to fix the pedal?

 

[FunkyYeti]

Hey everyone, please take a look at the quick and dirty demo I put together this morning of the Thump vs the EP101+M81. I'm using a passive bass, an Epiphone Jack Casady, into either just the Thump only or the EP101 into the M81, then into a Boss GT-1B set completely flat for USB recording to GarageBand. I demoed all the pedals' main controls completely flat at 12 o'clock except the Thump's internal trim pot where noted in the sound clips - I first recorded how it came out of the box (about 25%), then 0%, 50%, and finally 100%. Though this is the first demo I've ever made and it's pretty shoddily slapped together, I think you can see and hear the issues I'm having with the Thump, including the volume and low end drop and clipping at all settings. I also think you'll also be able to tell just how far off the mark it is from its "claimed" purpose - an Echoplex Preamp with EQ controls. Please let me all know what you think.

I'm curious why the Echoplex preamp and not the EP booster? Thanks

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Wait, Dunlop had you pay shipping to fix the pedal?

Yep. Since I was in Canada and they only serviced in the USA.
How awesome is that. I also had the direct contact to the person responsible at Dunlop.
Never heard a peep from him. Had to call the 1-800 number......get someone to talk to...send pics.....etc......plus they asked for sound clips.
They tried to convince me it was normal till I sent pics of the pedal opened up with the missing resistor.
%?&* (I posted these to help other on the VBO thread)

MXR is on my ishh list since then. I got rid of the VBO on the basic principle that I got %?& over. My beat to crap moded OC2 never had problem in 20 years.

 

[Daniel Evan R]

I'm curious why the Echoplex preamp and not the EP booster? Thanks

I got the Echoplex preamp (EP101) because I wanted to combine it with the M81 and compare it directly to the Thump. By all accounts, the Thump supposedly combines that EP101 preamp gain behavior and coloration with the M81's EQ range and I wanted to see how well it stacked up in that regard. However as the video shows I found it absolutely doesn't live up to that claim.

I wasn't aware of the EP booster until your post! Looks really nice - is it held in higher regard than the EP101? I don't have the means to get new pedals at the moment but I'd be interested to see how the Xotic EP + Bass RC stacks up to the EP101 + M81... seems like a perfect head-to-head.

 

[jacoby75]

Hey everyone, please take a look at the quick and dirty demo I put together this morning of the Thump vs the EP101+M81. I'm using a passive bass, an Epiphone Jack Casady, into either just the Thump only or the EP101 into the M81, then into a Boss GT-1B set completely flat for USB recording to GarageBand. I demoed all the pedals' main controls completely flat at 12 o'clock except the Thump's internal trim pot where noted in the sound clips - I first recorded how it came out of the box (about 25%), then 0%, 50%, and finally 100%. Though this is the first demo I've ever made and it's pretty shoddily slapped together, I think you can see and hear the issues I'm having with the Thump, including the volume and low end drop and clipping at all settings. I also think you'll also be able to tell just how far off the mark it is from its "claimed" purpose - an Echoplex Preamp with EQ controls. Please let me all know what you think.

Very interesting. Thanks for doing this. That EP101 sounds smooth.

 

[FunkyYeti]

Yep. Since I was in Canada and they only serviced in the USA.
How awesome is that. I also had the direct contact to the person responsible at Dunlop.
Never heard a peep from him. Had to call the 1-800 number......get someone to talk to...send pics.....etc......plus they asked for sound clips.
They tried to convince me it was normal till I sent pics of the pedal opened up with the missing resistor.
%?&* (I posted these to help other on the VBO thread)

MXR is on my ishh list since then. I got rid of the VBO on the basic principle that I got %?& over. My beat to crap moded OC2 never had problem in 20 years.

I'm also in Quebec. I got mine on sale, so I decided to get it fixed rather than return it... But because of COVID, I can't send it to them until May. They never mentioned I'd have to pay for shipping. I'm really not impressed...

 

[FunkyYeti]

I got the Echoplex preamp (EP101) because I wanted to combine it with the M81 and compare it directly to the Thump. By all accounts, the Thump supposedly combines that EP101 preamp gain behavior and coloration with the M81's EQ range and I wanted to see how well it stacked up in that regard. However as the video shows I found it absolutely doesn't live up to that claim.

I wasn't aware of the EP booster until your post! Looks really nice - is it held in higher regard than the EP101? I don't have the means to get new pedals at the moment but I'd be interested to see how the Xotic EP + Bass RC stacks up to the EP101 + M81... seems like a perfect head-to-head.

I haven't heard anybody use either for bass, but when it comes to guitar, the EP Booster is on every other board. I don't think I've ever seen the EP101 on a board.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

I'm also in Quebec. I got mine on sale, so I decided to get it fixed rather than return it... But because of COVID, I can't send it to them until May. They never mentioned I'd have to pay for shipping. I'm really not impressed...

If they gave you an RA and an address with no shipping label.
You gotta pay to send it to them, how great is that.
They screw up the pedal, you get to pay extra. Lucky you.

 

[sears]

EP Booster at 18v is like the Worcestershire sauce in the chili

 

[FunkyYeti]

EP Booster at 18v is like the Worcestershire sauce in the chili

I discovered Janek Gwizdala's YouTube just now and he's using an EP Booster. I kind of want one now... Are you using it for bass? As an always-on pedal?