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MXR M85 Bass distortion as an OD? Or keep looking?

LowEndWooly

LowEndWooly

Sep 3, 2013
1,892
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Indiana
#1
I'm looking for a OD to use as a low gain extra "oomph"... but I wouldn't mind if it had extra versatility.

Here's what I play through:

MXR M87 bass comp
(here is where the OD would go)
VFE Wood Chipper
Aguilar Octamizer
MXR M82 Envelope Filter

My main bass is a frankenbass with GZR P/J pickups and Cobalt flats. I have an Ampeg SVT-VR into an Aguilar GS 412. I have no particular OD sound in mind, but I like the idea of having a blend option. I was looking at the M89 Bass OD, but I love how the M85 sounds and how gnarly it can get.. I don't necessarily NEED anything that gets that gnarly, since I have the wood chipper.. but it's nice to be able to stack the two, also.

I've listened to all the demos I could find, but nothing I heard used low gain and/or high clean. Can somebody with experience chime in?
 
#4
I have the M89 Bass OD. I like what it does, but it doesn´t do what you describe. It does have the clean blend, but it is a relatively heavy OD, even at its mildest setting, with its own specific voicing. I´m getting the M85 to replace it at some point. Seems so much more versatile.
 
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#5
If it's a low gain overdrive you want, check out these pedals.

Darkglass vintage microtube
mxr bass overdrive
carl martain bass drive
Bearfoot blueberry bass overdrive
voodoo lab sparkle drive
Way huge pork loin
mad professor blueberry bass overdrive

Any of these pedals can give you a low gain overdrive sound. the mxr bass distortion is more for medium to high-gained sounds. so unless you're looking to buy a high gain distortion, you might wanna check out these pedals.
 
#6
I've looked at that MXR Bass OD.. sounds decent enough and has the clean blend that I like. Never cared for Darkglass, they were always harsh sounding, to me.

How hairy can the MXR bass OD get? I love the sound of their bass distortion and that it has the ability to get real gnarly.. What I'm hoping is that the drive can be turned down enough and the clean blended high enough to tame it to a slight OD. If not, I'm willing to buy the MXR OD, but I would prefer the Bass Distortion.
 
#8
LowEndWooly said:
I've looked at that MXR Bass OD.. sounds decent enough and has the clean blend that I like. Never cared for Darkglass, they were always harsh sounding, to me.

How hairy can the MXR bass OD get? I love the sound of their bass distortion and that it has the ability to get real gnarly.. What I'm hoping is that the drive can be turned down enough and the clean blended high enough to tame it to a slight OD. If not, I'm willing to buy the MXR OD, but I would prefer the Bass Distortion.
Click to expand...

The MXR doesn't have a clean blend, it's confusing with it's labeling. It's like some one designed the box art and some one disconnected designed the circuit. It's got an EQ which can't fully by turned off and is controlled by the clean knob. As a result it's not particularly transparent and always imparts a certain sound. It's grit is OK but nothing amazing and turning the gain down doesn't take the signal to clean, there is always a level of grit. Get a Blueberry or Wampler Euphoria....they are far more intuitive, interactive and sound better too. They are in the same price point too. The Wampler is a 4 knob OD that actually works how you would expect a 4 knob OD to work. Where as the MXR has a clean knob which isn't a clean blend but a pointless EQ which doesn't sound great, isn't that useful and can't be fully dialled out.
The best and only Use I use my MXR Bass OD for is to sit between my MXR octaver and Filter. It seems most happy to do that, but for other OD duties...there are so many better pedals out there.

MXR pedals are generally a cut above the norm, except their dirt pedals.They mostly seem slightly under par compared to other brands. I prefer an OCD over this box any day....even at the OCD's lighter settings.
 
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#9
Yes it will work. I own a MXR M85 and am currently using it as a low gain OD in LED mode with the distortion and wet turned down.
In fact I just ordered a pedal train riser to use as a sub Nano board for open jams and I added the M85 over other ODs I own because of the extra versatility. There is a spot around 9-10 o'clock on the distortion knob where you can hear the higher gain kick in as it changes from an over driven tone to true distortion. Take a look at my settings...

image.jpg


For the record, I tried a Barbershop and Phat Phuk in the middle position on that tiny board above and the M85 will most likely stay there. The Phat Phuk sounded good but didn't have the option for more gain.
 
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#11
Got one two weeks ago, it will do low gain in LED mode (and sound really good while doing it). Silicon mode is a little more compressed and higher gain but you could still probably get some decent low gain settings out of it. Wet and Dry knobs add a lot of flexibility in blending.

I use it with an SVT2-PRO and an SWR 610 and it really sounds amazing. I've had a LOT of bass dirt pedals over the years and this one is easily the best.
 
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#12
I'm pretty sure that M85 will do exactly what you want it to, just at very low settings on 'Dist' and 'Wet'. I tried their Bass Overdrive to get that exact sound, and it was perhaps the furthest thing from it one could have expected. Really unpleasant tone all around, when trying to get that optimal clean + slight dirt blend. It never can get fully clean, even with gain turned all the way down, and clean turned fully up. Seems MXR got it right this time, though!
 
#13
Darkglass. The adage you get what you pay for is true with pedals and I was never happy until I upped the anty and went Darkglass. I had both the MXR's you are talking about and then I got a B7k and was astonished at the versatility. Even the B3K is a much better option than the MXR's. MXR makes great modulation pedals (flangers and what not) but for dirt and overdrive I have never been more happy than with my Darkglass B series pedals.
 
#14
Have you considered using a separate clean blend pedal, like Boss LS-2 set to A+B>Bypass, with your overdrive/distortion pedal in the A loop and the B loop left empty for use as clean blend?

That is how I, and a fair share of other people handle it.

That way you will open up for several other possibilities for a potential overdrive pedal too.
 
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#15
adam on bass said:
Darkglass. The adage you get what you pay for is true with pedals and I was never happy until I upped the anty and went Darkglass. I had both the MXR's you are talking about and then I got a B7k and was astonished at the versatility. Even the B3K is a much better option than the MXR's. MXR makes great modulation pedals (flangers and what not) but for dirt and overdrive I have never been more happy than with my Darkglass B series pedals.
Click to expand...

Everything you stated is very subjective. Personally, I can't stand the sound of the Darkglass stuff.
 
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#16
LowEndWooly said:
I've looked at that MXR Bass OD.. sounds decent enough and has the clean blend that I like. Never cared for Darkglass, they were always harsh sounding, to me.

How hairy can the MXR bass OD get? I love the sound of their bass distortion and that it has the ability to get real gnarly.. What I'm hoping is that the drive can be turned down enough and the clean blended high enough to tame it to a slight OD. If not, I'm willing to buy the MXR OD, but I would prefer the Bass Distortion.
Click to expand...


Different mellow settings on the MXR Bass Distortion. Precision with EMG Geezer Butler P run through Ampeg SCR-DI for its 5k highs rolloff and A-Designs REDDI. All sounds recorded 100% wet.

1. Clean
2. LED Mode 1 --- slight grind
3. LED Mode 2 --- a little more grind
4. Silicon Mode 1 --- slight grind
5. Silicon Mode 2 --- a little more grind
6. Silicon Mode 3 --- not mellow at all but fun!

So it is very capable of doing what you are asking.
 
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#18
JimmyM said:


Different mellow settings on the MXR Bass Distortion. Precision with EMG Geezer Butler P run through Ampeg SCR-DI for its 5k highs rolloff and A-Designs REDDI. All sounds recorded 100% wet.

1. Clean
2. LED Mode 1 --- slight grind
3. LED Mode 2 --- a little more grind
4. Silicon Mode 1 --- slight grind
5. Silicon Mode 2 --- a little more grind
6. Silicon Mode 3 --- not mellow at all but fun!

So it is very capable of doing what you are asking.
Click to expand...


Very nice! Are you using a pick or fingerstyle on those clips. I'm sure I'll hear them even better when I get home and listen through my PC's Bose speakers.
I too am interested in that pedal. I had the old MXR DI/Dist but it died a few years ago.
 
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