My Dirt Bender - Another Jounal

[tidbits]

@sunbeast nanoPara - 1-band parametric EQ

I just got one and it works great so far. As I mentioned in a post above I wanted to find a way to get a nice high-mid bump in front of my drives, so this little guy is first in my chain.

They also sell as slightly bigger version called the microPara that has some additional options, like switching between band-pass and high/low shelving filters

 

[sunbeast]

@sunbeast nanoPara - 1-band parametric EQ

I just got one and it works great so far. As I mentioned in a post above I wanted to find a way to get a nice high-mid bump in front of my drives, so this little guy is first in my chain.

They also sell as slightly bigger version called the microPara that has some additional options, like switching between band-pass and high/low shelving filters

Awesome! And top jacks (at least for the 1/4”). I may have to grab one

 

[tidbits]

yeah, the side power input isn't ideal, but it's hard to complain for how much is packed into the 2" x 2" box. The bigger microPara is the typical mini-pedal layout with side jacks and top power.

 

[el murdoque]

All I can say at this point is that the Aguilar pedal seems to be the Fender Tone Stack's best friend!

 

[el murdoque]

So, dear Ric Experts.

I took a little tour on the inside of my instrument and snapped a few pics while I was there.

 

[el murdoque]

As you can see, there are cables, the undersides of the pots and the switch, and two green thingies. They match the color of the bass quite well.

 

[el murdoque]

Also, the complete absence of any kind of shielding makes me wonder why it is dead silent, even with a drive pedal on.


Probably lead in the paint. Did they still do that in the seventies?

 

[Ritter667]

Also, the complete absence of any kind of shielding makes me wonder why it is dead silent, even with a drive pedal on.


Probably lead in the paint. Did they still do that in the seventies?

It looks as if the pickup wires might be shielded, and the pickups could be shielded internally, which would explain the silence.

My EMG Geezer equipped basses are like that, and my 5 string Mikro Bass got that from stock too, even if being a cheap budget instrument, that is not otherwise shielded and have single coil J pickups, it is as good as dead silent.

Are the pickups by any chance sealed with epoxy in their covers?

If that is that case they very likely have been shielded internally right from factory.

 

[sunbeast]

As you can see, there are cables, the undersides of the pots and the switch, and two green thingies. They match the color of the bass quite well.

As theorized your bass is wired like a Gibson Les Paul, with the pickup inputs going to the outer lug of each volume and the output going to the middle/wiper of each pot and with the pickup switch coming post-volume controls (in a Ric the switch comes before the volumes). This is why turning either volume down all the way with the pickup switch in center position mutes the signal (consistent with a Les Paul). If you want to make it act more like a Rickenbacker then just switch the inputs and outputs on both volume controls.

 

[GrowlerBox]

I do like some clashing colours on a pedalboard. Mostly, though, I’m looking forwatd to having a third VU meter in my setup (the spring reverb and my little Ashdown tube amp providing the other two).

If I order it next week, it’ll take another week to get to me across the Tasman Sea from ‘Straya (customs, mostly), but I will report at the first opportunity I have to plug it in.

I couldn't wait -- ordered the Echo Fix compressor last week, and it's currently with the courier (coming to me at work). Unfortunately, my 12-13 hour work days are not conducive to auditing gear, so it'll be a few days before I get to do much with it, but I will be sure to report on my experiences of the saturation characteristics, in particular, for what they're worth.

 

[GrowlerBox]

Well, my complete lack of self-discipline may warrant a period of intense self-reflection, but that’s for another time.

I brought the Echo Fix compressor home, and plugged it into my Markbass F1 (clean, very full-range) amp, and my fretless piezo-only bass into it, to gather some initial impressions. It was a long, difficult day, so I was concerned that my state of mind might adversely colour my perception, but, lo, I am transformed, not least and perhaps predictably by the pair of transformers (input and output) housed in the robust metal case of this glorious machine.

Cranking the input gain (and significantly reducing the output to almost zero to maintan unity) produces a heavily saturated tone. “Amp-like” has become a cliché across much of TB and elsewhere in the internet bassosphere, but I think we regular readers and contributors to the jounal know whereof we speak when we use this term. In this case, it’s not like the tube overdrive on gets from most valve-containing pedals, but much more like that from an amplifier with transformers, thick and creamy with no harshness or crackle. No chainsaw-wielding bears here. What’s especially fantastic abut this pedal is the ability to switch out the compression circuit while keeping the preamp and transformers engaged. I will likely not do this much, as I almost always play with some compression, and the compressor here is, at first blush, pretty extraordinary. That’s for another thread, though.

Echo Fix has just cemented its place as my favourite pedal manufacturer. One day, I will buy one of their tape delays (~4000 AUD), but If they keep releasing pedals of the calibre of their first three, I shall remain poor.

 

[Zbysek]

I’d love a fully-parametric single band mini EQ pedal! Does such a thing exist? The fully parametric midrange on my JohnK Centurion preamp is super powerful and something like that would be a great dirt-fixer IMO run either before or after a clipping circuit

Sine effects nanoPara or microPara

Parametric EQs

Parametric EQ pedals to boost or cut specific frequency ranges. Useful for tone shaping, fixing resonance and enhancing other pedals.

sineeffect.com

 

[el murdoque]

Well, my complete lack of self-discipline may warrant a period of intense self-reflection, but that’s for another time.

I brought the Echo Fix compressor home, and plugged it into my Markbass F1 (clean, very full-range) amp, and my fretless piezo-only bass into it, to gather some initial impressions. It was a long, difficult day, so I was concerned that my state of mind might adversely colour my perception, but, lo, I am transformed, not least and perhaps predictably by the pair of transformers (input and output) housed in the robust metal case of this glorious machine.

Cranking the input gain (and significantly reducing the output to almost zero to maintan unity) produces a heavily saturated tone. “Amp-like” has become a cliché across much of TB and elsewhere in the internet bassosphere, but I think we regular readers and contributors to the jounal know whereof we speak when we use this term. In this case, it’s not like the tube overdrive on gets from most valve-containing pedals, but much more like that from an amplifier with transformers, thick and creamy with no harshness or crackle. No chainsaw-wielding bears here. What’s especially fantastic abut this pedal is the ability to switch out the compression circuit while keeping the preamp and transformers engaged. I will likely not do this much, as I almost always play with some compression, and the compressor here is, at first blush, pretty extraordinary. That’s for another thread, though.

Echo Fix has just cemented its place as my favourite pedal manufacturer. One day, I will buy one of their tape delays (~4000 AUD), but If they keep releasing pedals of the calibre of their first three, I shall remain poor.

I was hoping for a less intriguing review of yours.
Looking at the P5, it seems like they tried to stay as true as possible to the 1176, but added what worked in the Cali76 Compact Bass: Mix and Sidechain HPF. The ratio knob has converted back to push buttons - BUT I think I read somewhere that it's true enough to the original that it has an all buttons in mode. Did you try that?

I know I want one - But my assets are bound and I need to generate some cash first. I barely recovered from the Aria Pro II purchase.

 

[GrowlerBox]

I was hoping for a less intriguing review of yours.
Looking at the P5, it seems like they tried to stay as true as possible to the 1176, but added what worked in the Cali76 Compact Bass: Mix and Sidechain HPF. The ratio knob has converted back to push buttons - BUT I think I read somewhere that it's true enough to the original that it has an all buttons in mode. Did you try that?

I know I want one - But my assets are bound and I need to generate some cash first. I barely recovered from the Aria Pro II purchase.

I did try “all in”, which as expected, generates an essentially infinite ratio with zero dynamic range. Pretty funky in the right setting, I guess. The buttons can be used in other combinations for “in between” ratios, as well. For my brief run-through, I had the mix dialled in fully wet, although that’s not how I’d normally set it. The HPF is beautifully simple and can quickly be dialled in with the aid of the VU meter to produce even compression across the strings.

I was focussed more on the preamp/saturation for my little jounal article, but I will spend more time with it later in the week.

 

[el murdoque]

I did try “all in”, which as expected, generates an essentially infinite ratio with zero dynamic range. Pretty funky in the right setting, I guess. The buttons can be used in other combinations for “in between” ratios, as well. For my brief run-through, I had the mix dialled in fully wet, although that’s not how I’d normally set it. The HPF is beautifully simple and can quickly be dialled in with the aid of the VU meter to produce even compression across the strings.

I was focussed more on the preamp/saturation for my little jounal article, but I will spend more time with it later in the week.

Great! AFAIK the all buttons mode is more to create funky drums in the studio, but it's a nice gimmick / easter egg if it's included. Something for the Nerds.

I'd also be very interested if it delivers 'that sound' you get from the Cali. I've never really zeroed in on that, but I guess is that the Cali somehow focuses the 1k range a bit, which leads to more articulation. For my intents and purposes, the Calis on my boards work as tone sweetener as much as a limiting comp.

 

[el murdoque]

In other news - I was invited to join a stoner rock power trio.

For the sake of convenience, I would need another amp head for that project, so I can leave my Tonehammer with the metal band and use the other for the stoner trio.
I'd also consider a much simpler setup for there. Just a tuner, one drive pedal, and maybe another drive pedal and of course the BDPG as a third drive pedal. So it might be beneficial if the amp was capable of drive. It would be used with a single barefaced Super Compact, so I'd need some watts into 8 ohms.

The current short list would be:
-Genz Benz Streamliner 900. I've never played one, but heard good things about them, their signature sound should work really well with my ideas of good sound.

-Orange Terror Bass 500. I like the looks, always wanted one, but never got to buy it. Also, if I'm right, it has a switch on the backside that lets you switch between 4 and 8 ohms, so you get the full power into 8 ohms.

-Hartke LH-1000. It has, in theory, many things I like - Fender tone stack with a tube and lots of watts. Simple. Cheap.

....I'd totally include a Mesa Prodigy to that list, but I'm in Europe. Count yourself lucky when you find a second hand model for two grand.

 

[el murdoque]

Someone locally is selling a Becos Comp, the V1 Stella - with a clean blend and the possibility to add saturation to the dry signal.

 

[Zbysek]

Someone locally is selling a Becos Comp, the V1 Stella - with a clean blend and the possibility to add saturation to the dry signal.

I'd say go for it.

I own and use the Twain (V1), Stella's older brother. It features (the same) saturation cuircuit.

For some gigs, Twain is my only effects pedal. It does both compression and saturation...

 

[sloppy_phil]

In other news - I was invited to join a stoner rock power trio.

For the sake of convenience, I would need another amp head for that project, so I can leave my Tonehammer with the metal band and use the other for the stoner trio.
I'd also consider a much simpler setup for there. Just a tuner, one drive pedal, and maybe another drive pedal and of course the BDPG as a third drive pedal. So it might be beneficial if the amp was capable of drive. It would be used with a single barefaced Super Compact, so I'd need some watts into 8 ohms.

The current short list would be:
-Genz Benz Streamliner 900. I've never played one, but heard good things about them, their signature sound should work really well with my ideas of good sound.

-Orange Terror Bass 500. I like the looks, always wanted one, but never got to buy it. Also, if I'm right, it has a switch on the backside that lets you switch between 4 and 8 ohms, so you get the full power into 8 ohms.

-Hartke LH-1000. It has, in theory, many things I like - Fender tone stack with a tube and lots of watts. Simple. Cheap.

....I'd totally include a Mesa Prodigy to that list, but I'm in Europe. Count yourself lucky when you find a second hand model for two grand.

I have played a bunch of Genz amps in the past (mostly Shuttles, not a Streamliner TBF), as well as the Hartke (500, not 1000). Between those two, I liked the GB more. It had some character, if you wanted it to. The Hartke was just clean clean clean, and kind of boring/sterile to my ears. $0.02.

I do also own a v1 Terror Bass, and gigged it pretty much exclusively for just shy of 10 years. Then after one Christmas gig, my hand cart/dolly broke while loading my rig onto a streetcar, and the amp took some MASSIVE bumps down the stairs and out onto the street. It hasn't been a reliable performer since, sadly (and the cost of repair on those PCB amps so expensive as to not be worth it), so it's largely retired now... But, before that all happened, I can say it is a truly righteous sounding amp, and would absolutely crush it in a stoner rock scenario!

If you enjoyed the character of the grit/overdrive in your early Sushi Box pedals, I suspect you'd be pleased with the TB; both the TB and the Underground Accelerator are modelled after the front end of the Orange AD200. This is one of the reasons I love the Sushi so much; it gets me that "Orange" sound in a pedal, so I can use basically any amp and dial in what I like now.

 

[el murdoque]

I have played a bunch of Genz amps in the past (mostly Shuttles, not a Streamliner TBF), as well as the Hartke (500, not 1000). Between those two, I liked the GB more. It had some character, if you wanted it to. The Hartke was just clean clean clean, and kind of boring/sterile to my ears. $0.02.

I do also own a v1 Terror Bass, and gigged it pretty much exclusively for just shy of 10 years. Then after one Christmas gig, my hand cart/dolly broke while loading my rig onto a streetcar, and the amp took some MASSIVE bumps down the stairs and out onto the street. It hasn't been a reliable performer since, sadly (and the cost of repair on those PCB amps so expensive as to not be worth it), so it's largely retired now... But, before that all happened, I can say it is a truly righteous sounding amp, and would absolutely crush it in a stoner rock scenario!

If you enjoyed the character of the grit/overdrive in your early Sushi Box pedals, I suspect you'd be pleased with the TB; both the TB and the Underground Accelerator are modelled after the front end of the Orange AD200. This is one of the reasons I love the Sushi so much; it gets me that "Orange" sound in a pedal, so I can use basically any amp and dial in what I like now.

Actually, thinking about all that - I have not used my Tonehammer much as a Tonehammer within the last decade. I usually feed my pedalboard into the FX return or I feed it into the front, set flat, and use the parametric mids to dial in the room.