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My Dirt Bender - Another Jounal

#241
dedpool1052 said:
For me, the character of the FG's break-up isn't as pleasing as that of the Saturn, and the FG seems to roll-off a bit of low-end compared to the Saturn.
Not a ton, but enough in a controlled environment to notice.

Not to say it won't work better for either of you,
Because as always, YMMV.
Click to expand...
Tried the FG and S6 side by side.

I had the FG with volume maxed, and heat/gain at minimum.
Definitely dirty from the start.
More compressed sounding, and feels "harsher" on the edges.

The Saturn was more open, and got brighter, without sounding "glassy" or "brittle"

I could see it working for others, but it reconfirmed my initial impression of "not for me"

Again, not trying to sway anyone's opinion, just providing more information on how and why I came to my conclusion on it.
 
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#242
I don't recall if I have mentioned it before but a lot of my questing for dirty deeds was fulfilled whaen I got a Source Audio Aftershock and a final dimension opened up on getting the Bass Ultrawave. I know you are dubious about digital dirt and are looking for side jackers only but to me the utility of designing your own sounds with Neuro App and the extensive Neuro Cloud library make those worth reconsideration plus they are both capable of multiple functions. They pack a lot of sounds into those packages.
 
#243
dedpool1052 said:
Tried the FG and S6 side by side.

I had the FG with volume maxed, and heat/gain at minimum.
Definitely dirty from the start.
More compressed sounding, and feels "harsher" on the edges.

The Saturn was more open, and got brighter, without sounding "glassy" or "brittle"

I could see it working for others, but it reconfirmed my initial impression of "not for me"

Again, not trying to sway anyone's opinion, just providing more information on how and why I came to my conclusion on it.
Click to expand...

Six months ago, I wouldn't have believed we could have had such different experiences with the same pedal. But I had a similar "not for me" moment with the Fuzzrocious Lil Fella, and now I'll believe anything about dirt idiosyncrasies.
 
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#244
Stubb said:
Six months ago, I wouldn't have believed we could have had such different experiences with the same pedal. But I had a similar "not for me" moment with the Fuzzrocious Lil Fella, and now I'll believe anything about dirt idiosyncrasies.
Click to expand...
Signal chain, amp, bass used, mood when playing all factor in.

There's been some pedals that have taken time for me to warm up to.
And others, that I try to revisit, but my opinion hasn't changed.
 
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#245
Stubb said:
Six months ago, I wouldn't have believed we could have had such different experiences with the same pedal. But I had a similar "not for me" moment with the Fuzzrocious Lil Fella, and now I'll believe anything about dirt idiosyncrasies.
Click to expand...

Please do go on, all of you. I’ve been curious about the Fella too.

@dedpool1052 - Thanks much. Done a lot of careful drive testing and I know what I’ll hear just by your description.

I break most of mine out once or twice per year, compare to my notes, and the sound’s the same.

i’ve done a 180 on only one pedal. It sounded the same too, but I went from disliking it for not meeting expectations to appreciating it for what it did *and* wouldn’t do.

Either of you tried FTT Bass Blaster?


bassbrad said:
I don't recall if I have mentioned it before but a lot of my questing for dirty deeds was fulfilled whaen I got a Source Audio Aftershock and a final dimension opened up on getting the Bass Ultrawave. I know you are dubious about digital dirt and are looking for side jackers only but to me the utility of designing your own sounds with Neuro App and the extensive Neuro Cloud library make those worth reconsideration plus they are both capable of multiple functions. They pack a lot of sounds into those packages.
Click to expand...

Aftershock is amazing. Tons going for it and could replace several pedals. I’ve used it that way live, but day-to-day I want few options / settings, no confusion what those settings do, and no sub menus or USB stuff.
 
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#246
StayLow said:
I’ve been curious about the Fella too.
Click to expand...
I really like the LF.

Excellent drive, very flexible.
Runs the gamut of semi-clean boost, to gated fuzz.

My favorite being, drive all the way off, gain around noon, tone at 1.

Gets me this very nice "pushed amp" kind of tone.
Very pleasant break-up across the strings.

Being able to run it at 18V is also a plus.

Opens it up a bit more.
 
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#248
dedpool1052 said:
Tried the FG and S6 side by side.

I had the FG with volume maxed, and heat/gain at minimum.
Definitely dirty from the start.
More compressed sounding, and feels "harsher" on the edges.

The Saturn was more open, and got brighter, without sounding "glassy" or "brittle"

I could see it working for others, but it reconfirmed my initial impression of "not for me"

Again, not trying to sway anyone's opinion, just providing more information on how and why I came to my conclusion on it.
Click to expand...
This might well play into my cards, as my dead flats can tolerate a lot more harshness than a fresh set of rounds would.

I must admit that the highs on the S6 are something I have not experienced before on any other pedal. I could see myself using that pedal as an EQ with the drive lowered to clean levels and the tone dimed, just to get that perfectly balanced middle between "sparkly" and "pearly".
 
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#249
bassbrad said:
I don't recall if I have mentioned it before but a lot of my questing for dirty deeds was fulfilled whaen I got a Source Audio Aftershock and a final dimension opened up on getting the Bass Ultrawave. I know you are dubious about digital dirt and are looking for side jackers only but to me the utility of designing your own sounds with Neuro App and the extensive Neuro Cloud library make those worth reconsideration plus they are both capable of multiple functions. They pack a lot of sounds into those packages.
Click to expand...

I think I admitted it before on this forum, but maybe not yet in this thread.
I, as a person, do not like Source Audio. I just don't. I do tolerate the C4 on my board because it bridges so many gaps for me, it's like a multi effects unit for all those effects I only use sparingly and don't have the real estate to buy a dedicated unit. With the exp pedal, I use it for volume swells and wah. I sometimes toy around with filter settings. And I get a Meatball+OC2+Mastotron+comp in one box. I can see how a drive dedicated thing with that kind of flexibility and customize options can make it for some, but for me that's a deal breaker.
I was close to getting a Chase Bliss Brothers. Then I was close to getting a Chase Bliss Preamp MkII.
I decided against both because they have too many options. I personally am completely fine with a drive pedal being a one trick pony, provided I like the one trick. Give me presets and MIDI and I'll waste hours trying for perfection for every part in every song I want to use it on.

Right now, I have more than enough:
1. Slight drive, very dynamic (Saturn)
2. Slight drive, a bit more dirty and rough (Jive)
3. Slight drive with a fat booty (Saturn into BDPG)
4. Solid drive with a rich texture and good touch sensitivity (Saturn into Jive)
5. Mayhem (all of them)

Expanding that with 128 more presets of different mixes of different drives is just ... too much.
 
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#251
el murdoque said:
I was told that the Bass Blaster might be a good choice. I have kept an eye open for it, but I must admit that whenever one popped up somewhere close, I shied away. That pedal is ugly, and it is expensive. They do sell around 300. It's a tough call when there are so many pedals untried.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Can’t recall if you tried or liked the BarberShop. I love it, along similar lines of what I love about the Saturn IV. The treble toggle on the Barbershop opens up a LOT of nice highs.
 
#252
StayLow said:
Agreed. Can’t recall if you tried or liked the BarberShop. I love it, along similar lines of what I love about the Saturn IV. The treble toggle on the Barbershop opens up a LOT of nice highs.
Click to expand...
I really liked the Barbershop. I think I only sold it when I got the Mini.
Mine was a v1, though. IIRC, the treble switch was cut / more cut / nothing and I always left it at nothing.
I don't know if I'm imagining things, but with the Saturn, It feels that all the way CW, the tone knob adds treble.

Right now, I'd say the Broadcast, the Barbershop, the Jive and the Saturn 6 are great always on pedals to sweeten up your dry sound a little, and you just have to find the flavor that suits you best.
 
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#253
el murdoque said:
I really liked the Barbershop. I think I only sold it when I got the Mini.
Mine was a v1, though. IIRC, the treble switch was cut / more cut / nothing and I always left it at nothing.
I don't know if I'm imagining things, but with the Saturn, It feels that all the way CW, the tone knob adds treble.

Right now, I'd say the Broadcast, the Barbershop, the Jive and the Saturn 6 are great always on pedals to sweeten up your dry sound a little, and you just have to find the flavor that suits you best.
Click to expand...
I'm still curious about the Broadcast myself, after hearing that it's Neve based, and uses germanium.
 
#254
dedpool1052 said:
I'm still curious about the Broadcast myself, after hearing that it's Neve based, and uses germanium.
Click to expand...

I just wanted to say that to my knowledge, the Broadcast overdrives a transformer, but when you're talking to the real nerds, you better make sure ....

The Broadcast features a specially selected Triad steel-core transformer and a Germanium transistor. Advancing the gain on the Broadcast starts to saturate the transformer and the pedal’s discrete circuitry, giving rise to a gentle and dynamic compression coupled with subtle thickening of the mid-range. With the gain switch in the high setting and the trim control wound up, the Broadcast starts to deliver heavier distorted sounds with a warm and fuzzy edge to them.
Click to expand...

So I would have been right. Kinda. Just like you.

I had the 24V version with two footswitches, but at the time I got it, I was more into drives that can EQ and I quickly sorted it into the ballpark of the Barbershop and moved on.
I distinctly remember that it was not really worth getting the two switch version because on my bass, there was one sweet spot where it performed great, but adding more gain made it sound like a pedal tuned for guitar used on bass. It was not exactly stealing low end, but the components felt like they had a bit much on their plate, digesting bass frequencies.
 
#255
Spaceman won the race and arrived first.
What I thought to be on the boring side, was actually an unboxing event that made me chuckle.
Getting a pedal that you already have, but technically don't own, is not getting something new new.
But the good people at Spaceman certainly do have it down to catch the space vibe, with the Spaceman sticker greeting you and the pedal wrapped in space material.
IMG-20230125-WA0003.jpg
 
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#256
I'm glad the unboxing was not boring, because trying to stack two Spaceman Saturn 6 certainly was.
It basically just sounds like a Saturn 6 with a higher gain setting. Seamless integration.
Spaceman into Jive gets you two very similar but slightly distinct flavors. Even when you set both pedals up so they sound nearly identical, when you stack them you get a different flavor.
Now that I'm writing this, it seems obvious, but chaining up two Saturn VI is like putting two scoops of the same ice cream in a cone. Let them melt a bit and they become one bigger scoop of the exact same ice cream.

I guess the treble knob could be a passive blend that adds nothing, but the harmonics it creates make it sound like it adds more treble.

So all you die hard Spaceman Saturn VI fans need not bother. Having two is cool and all, but stacking them in the same pedal chain is not really worth it.
 
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#258
I spent the major part of my spare time playing preamp pedals, but I just had to pop the yellow mustang on my board and at least drive around the block once or thrice.

It certainly has its own flavor, but I feel reminded of the Barbershop, the Mini and the Beta.
The layout looks like the Barbershop at first, but it feels more like the Mini. The Heat knob does not starve like the sag knob on the Fairfield, it makes the sizzle gnarlier.
There is no clean setting and it's still passing signal with gain at zero.
However, my trusty ol' flats suck a lot of drive from most pedals, so I can dial in a tone that sounds clean enough to pass through 'no overdrive' territory as long as no one takes a closer look.
The drive favors the lows. If I go up on gain and heat, I have a lot of touch sensitivity higher up the neck, but down in the money zone, even soft plucking gets a drive.
With higher settings, it sounds like a mild fuzz. The organic feel is gone and the sizzle feels artificial. Not without its uses, but not what I'm looking for. So I kept the dials on the left half of the playfield. With both heat and gain at 9 o'clock, I need to turn up the volume to 3 o'clock to get unity and have something to satisfy those with pedal OCD - all dials perfectly horizontal. I also have a mild drive that clears up well with playing dynamics.
When I pair that up with the Saturn VI, the effect is ... interesting:
The two drive engines mingle and feel like - it's hard to describe. Imagine a compressor set so it gets you a fair amount of dip and swell, now take away the dip. You get the initial attack just like you're used to, but when you let the note ring, it has the weirdest sustain, it feels like there's a whole second or two where no decay happens, almost as if the pedals are sending themselves in self-oscillation.
I'm getting a bit of noise from the combo of Saturn VI and Fifth Gear - when I add the BDPG it gets even worse, but I would not really use those three teamed up to play a quiet part.

I have not made my mind entirely up about this pedal yet, I just had half an hour with it and my ears had been used already, so I'll keep my mind as blank as possible about it and see what tomorrow brings.
 
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