My Dirt Bender - Another Jounal

[sunbeast]

I’ve had the DCX bass now for a week. I cannot get it to sound any good. No matter how I set it. Using the provided guides or from forums.
It sounds super fizzy and harsh. In either mode, LF variety of positions and voice switch. It doesn’t stack well with other pedals, yet watching origin videos etc it sounds great.

I wanted it for a light drive on my board. Just to fill that gap between clean and breakup.

Dug out my old DG VMT to compare and that’s too dull but the DCX sounds like bees.

Any suggestions ?

I play 80’s and indie. Using EBMM SS and Mesa Boogie D800+

Pedals
Drop
Tuner
DG Hyper Luminal
Boss OC5
Zvex Mastotron
Walrus Julia
Origin Super Vintage (amp & FOH)

What cabinet are you using? I find the DCX as a drive can sound fairly harsh on its own (I wasn’t impressed when I first received it and played it at home), but in a band mix sounds pretty great to me and helps with articulation nicely. I have mostly been running it with another light drive into it (Blackstone MOSFET), and lately been using the DCX in a low gain setting in drive mode for a more noticeable crunch when pushed by the Blackstone and it sounds killer to me with the switch set to the mellow tone setting with the LF pushed a bit and the HF closer to flat. I just got a Super Vintage and might suspect some interaction with that depending on its EQ settings, and of course if you are using a cab with a tweeter you will be hearing some unnatural accentuation of the highest frequencies that your DI cab sim would be rolling off.

 

[sloppy_phil]

I’ve had the DCX bass now for a week. I cannot get it to sound any good. No matter how I set it. Using the provided guides or from forums.
It sounds super fizzy and harsh. In either mode, LF variety of positions and voice switch. It doesn’t stack well with other pedals, yet watching origin videos etc it sounds great.

I wanted it for a light drive on my board. Just to fill that gap between clean and breakup.

Dug out my old DG VMT to compare and that’s too dull but the DCX sounds like bees.

Any suggestions ?

I play 80’s and indie. Using EBMM SS and Mesa Boogie D800+

Pedals
Drop
Tuner
DG Hyper Luminal
Boss OC5
Zvex Mastotron
Walrus Julia
Origin Super Vintage (amp & FOH)

Surprised to hear you and @gillento had this experience. I'm not Origin fanboi, so it's not that, I've just found the DCX to be a super versatile little beast, so the fact you haven't been able to find a workable sound after a week is the part I find unexpected! I run a rounds-strung Rickenbacker into a Mesa D-350, so it's not lightyears away from your Stingray > D800+ setup. Well, before I say that, how do you run the onboard preamp on your bass? Also, are you running cabs (or monitors/floor wedges) on stage, or going IEM?

I see your signal chain; (nice choices, btw!) I assume those aren't all always-on? Is anything ever present in your chain? At a guess, I'd think the Hyper Luminal, and the SV. What role were you hoping the DCX to achieve? Low gain/tone sweetening seems to be de rigeur with that pedal, but again, I find it pretty versatile, so maybe that wasn't your aim either.

 

[Renno]

Don't break the bank:
-Xotic BB Bass Preamp

Please break the bank:
-Audio Kitchen Fake Plastic Trees (that's really great in that position)

Not only expensive, but also hard to find:
-BJFe Blueberry

I wil check those out. Thank you.

 

[Renno]

What cabinet are you using? I find the DCX as a drive can sound fairly harsh on its own (I wasn’t impressed when I first received it and played it at home), but in a band mix sounds pretty great to me and helps with articulation nicely. I have mostly been running it with another light drive into it (Blackstone MOSFET), and lately been using the DCX in a low gain setting in drive mode for a more noticeable crunch when pushed by the Blackstone and it sounds killer to me with the switch set to the mellow tone setting with the LF pushed a bit and the HF closer to flat. I just got a Super Vintage and might suspect some interaction with that depending on its EQ settings, and of course if you are using a cab with a tweeter you will be hearing some unnatural accentuation of the highest frequencies that your DI cab sim would be rolling off.

I’m using the Mesa D800+ into Mesa Subway 2x12.

Always try pedals with the tweeter in normal, -2db, +2db. I’m tending to have it more towards the -2db. But either position makes no difference.

SVT is clean, with blend between 1pm & 3pm.

EQ wise, set fairly flat, slight bass and mids boost. With treble around 11. No low cut or ultra highs.

Amp out set flat, tried all 3 horn cut settings.

I’ve experimented with various settings.

Have used it in the band mix, recording and at home.

 

[Renno]

Surprised to hear you and @gillento had this experience. I'm not Origin fanboi, so it's not that, I've just found the DCX to be a super versatile little beast, so the fact you haven't been able to find a workable sound after a week is the part I find unexpected! I run a rounds-strung Rickenbacker into a Mesa D-350, so it's not lightyears away from your Stingray > D800+ setup. Well, before I say that, how do you run the onboard preamp on your bass? Also, are you running cabs (or monitors/floor wedges) on stage, or going IEM?

I see your signal chain; (nice choices, btw!) I assume those aren't all always-on? Is anything ever present in your chain? At a guess, I'd think the Hyper Luminal, and the SV. What role were you hoping the DCX to achieve? Low gain/tone sweetening seems to be de rigeur with that pedal, but again, I find it pretty versatile, so maybe that wasn't your aim either.

On board preamp is always set flat, in the notches.
I may adjust slightly to the room in playing in or for some songs if playing slap, pick etc.
for this, it’s always been flat. Albeit I have experimented too.

Running SVT into cab and FOH with IEM. Sounds bad with the amp but even worse in IEM, yet everything else sounds thicc.

Thank you re the board. Only constant ons HL and SVT.
HL set for minimal compression but a hair.

the singer doesn’t always play guitar, so when we only have the other guitarist playing and when he’s doing some lead work, I was hoping for the DCX, slight gain to fill that space left by the other guitarist. In both EQ mode and OD mode.

 

[Renno]

Don't break the bank:
-Xotic BB Bass Preamp

Please break the bank:
-Audio Kitchen Fake Plastic Trees (that's really great in that position)

Not only expensive, but also hard to find:
-BJFe Blueberry

Cannot find the BB in the UK, only shop with stock is Thomann and I’ve had bad experience with them before.

FPT in the UK £££££££££££ however sounds decent what I’ve listened to in YouTube, from light to almost synth esq grit.

BFJe - £££££££ but no clips on YouTube or elsewhere ? Only th Mad professor or cloned versions

 

[el murdoque]

Cannot find the BB in the UK, only shop with stock is Thomann and I’ve had bad experience with them before.

FPT in the UK £££££££££££ however sounds decent what I’ve listened to in YouTube, from light to almost synth esq grit.

BFJe - £££££££ but no clips on YouTube or elsewhere ? Only th Mad professor or cloned versions

If you're in UK, the best source for BJFe is Joe's Pedals, and Audio Kitchen is from the London area IIRC.
What does not come across on the FPT through any medium is how it feels when you play it.

Another one that might work well for you as a low gain drive that sweetens things up a bit would be the Nobels circuit.
Nobels ODR-1, ODR Mini or Wampler Belle would be the ones to look for.
Recently a family member approached me, looking for a low gain drive that works for bass and I found them a used Nobels Mini for €35 including shipping. That was an insane deal in my book.

 

[Renno]

If you're in UK, the best source for BJFe is Joe's Pedals, and Audio Kitchen is from the London area IIRC.
What does not come across on the FPT through any medium is how it feels when you play it.

Another one that might work well for you as a low gain drive that sweetens things up a bit would be the Nobels circuit.
Nobels ODR-1, ODR Mini or Wampler Belle would be the ones to look for.
Recently a family member approached me, looking for a low gain drive that works for bass and I found them a used Nobels Mini for €35 including shipping. That was an insane deal in my book.

Yep I’ve emailed Joe this morning about a few things. I’m not far from London, live in Leicester. Both look good and have good return options, so may have to order both to try and then see which is the keeper for that sound.

Use the nobels in my guitar rig, have it through an orange rockerverb 50, dirty channel set slightly warm and then use the nobels as mild overdrive to kick it up a notch, love it on guitar but didn’t quite feel right in the bass rig, albeit that’s when I used an orange terror bass and 1x15 cab. All pedals sounds awful with that amp.
Now I’ve got the Mesa and EBMM, I’ll dig it out and give it a try.

Thanks mate

 

[sunbeast]

I’m using the Mesa D800+ into Mesa Subway 2x12.

Always try pedals with the tweeter in normal, -2db, +2db. I’m tending to have it more towards the -2db. But either position makes no difference.

SVT is clean, with blend between 1pm & 3pm.

EQ wise, set fairly flat, slight bass and mids boost. With treble around 11. No low cut or ultra highs.

Amp out set flat, tried all 3 horn cut settings.

I’ve experimented with various settings.

Have used it in the band mix, recording and at home.

I’ve mentioned a few times in this thread and others on TB that I am amazed at the popularity of the DCX and how often I see it suggested for general all-purpose overdrive. It is definitely not a tube-like or amp-like pedal like the vast majority of popular drive pedals around TB have been for years. The drive style is definitely on the harsher side and not really “pretty” to me when listened to solo- the onset of clipping is not particularly smooth either, more like a fuzz pedal. It really sticks out to me among all the TB recommendations. I suspect if it were made by most any other company it would have flown under the radar here. That said, I find it does some things that I really love in both modes, it’s just not a pedal I would personally recommend as often for general-duty overdrive use cases.

I also don’t seem to prefer my DCX with active instruments, preferring it with my passives where I can make more use of its onboard EQ to shape without clashing with onboard EQ. I suspect if you aren’t getting along with it yet having tried it in a mix in various ways that probably it’s just not for you!

 

[projectapollo]

I also don’t seem to prefer my DCX with active instruments, preferring it with my passives where I can make more use of its onboard EQ to shape without clashing with onboard EQ. I suspect if you aren’t getting along with it yet having tried it in a mix in various ways that probably it’s just not for you!

This is my experience, as well. To me, the DCX matches perfectly to a P Bass in EQ mode and light saturation applied. With the active basses I've tried, I ended up turning the DCX off. On my P-basses, I can get the DCX to sound almost identical to the Tone Hammer with AGS and has replaced that role on my board. My application is a direct to FOH and IEMs. No experience with DCX into an amp and cab.

 

[Dave Hill]

That’s the way mine is going too. Really disappointed with it tbh. Had so much high hopes.

What did you end up with that you are happy with ?

I returned my DCX as well.
For subtle to moderate OD:
Blueberry
MBD2
Spark

 

[el murdoque]

the singer doesn’t always play guitar, so when we only have the other guitarist playing and when he’s doing some lead work, I was hoping for the DCX, slight gain to fill that space left by the other guitarist. In both EQ mode and OD mode.

I would have thought that the DCX in EQ mode shines in exactly that job.
My only issue with the EQ mode dirt is that it does feel like it gets swallowed up by a mix too easily, but that's something rather convenient when you have a single guitar changing from rhythm to lead - the bass gets more sonic space and suddenly, the dirt is audible.

 

[sunbeast]

This is my experience, as well. To me, the DCX matches perfectly to a P Bass in EQ mode and light saturation applied. With the active basses I've tried, I ended up turning the DCX off. On my P-basses, I can get the DCX to sound almost identical to the Tone Hammer with AGS and has replaced that role on my board. My application is a direct to FOH and IEMs. No experience with DCX into an amp and cab.

My main use of the DCX has been with either a P or Rickenbacker, both with flatwounds. The Rickenbacker in particular seems to match really well with the DCX and I can push the gain in Drive mode in a way that doesn’t seem to fit as well with other basses, in musical applications where that much dirt might otherwise be out of place. I did that at the last show I played and got multiple compliments on my tone from audience members (not just other bands on the bill) which is pretty cool! With the Ric I can definitely step out sonically, and in this band there is the sonic space for that. I wish I had incorporated that into our recent recording (I played my tone a little too safe and ended up having to tweak it more than I’m used to using plugins).

 

[Renno]

I’ve mentioned a few times in this thread and others on TB that I am amazed at the popularity of the DCX and how often I see it suggested for general all-purpose overdrive. It is definitely not a tube-like or amp-like pedal like the vast majority of popular drive pedals around TB have been for years. The drive style is definitely on the harsher side and not really “pretty” to me when listened to solo- the onset of clipping is not particularly smooth either, more like a fuzz pedal. It really sticks out to me among all the TB recommendations. I suspect if it were made by most any other company it would have flown under the radar here. That said, I find it does some things that I really love in both modes, it’s just not a pedal I would personally recommend as often for general-duty overdrive use cases.

I also don’t seem to prefer my DCX with active instruments, preferring it with my passives where I can make more use of its onboard EQ to shape without clashing with onboard EQ. I suspect if you aren’t getting along with it yet having tried it in a mix in various ways that probably it’s just not for you!

I’m eyeing up a Yamaha BBP35 in vintage white. So hoping for my passive needs, I have this option too.

I have a fender P bass but it’s got a broken jack, been to 3 repairs tech and none can fix it. So I have no idea what’s going on with that. Otherwise I’d use that alongside my SS

Yeah some pedals, instant love. Others can take a bit of work and some are no no no straight away.

My Zvex Mastrotron is so temperamental but I love it for that. Purely use it for synth like sounds such as Deeper Underground and Don’t You Want Me. Fits the bill perfect and I was hoping the DXC would too but appears not so will be going back.

 

[Renno]

I returned my DCX as well.
For subtle to moderate OD:
Blueberry
MBD2
SparkView attachment 7383150

Thank you mate. That’s a sweet board

 

[Renno]

I would have thought that the DCX in EQ mode shines in exactly that job.
My only issue with the EQ mode dirt is that it does feel like it gets swallowed up by a mix too easily, but that's something rather convenient when you have a single guitar changing from rhythm to lead - the bass gets more sonic space and suddenly, the dirt is audible.

That was my hope.
For example, we play I Ran (So Far Away) by a flock of seagulls and the solo part, I just wanted to plug the gap and amplify the bass with some light grit but it was lost. This was in EQ mode with the drive about 3/4

 

[sunbeast]

I’m eyeing up a Yamaha BBP35 in vintage white. So hoping for my passive needs, I have this option too.

I have a fender P bass but it’s got a broken jack, been to 3 repairs tech and none can fix it. So I have no idea what’s going on with that. Otherwise I’d use that alongside my SS

Yeah some pedals, instant love. Others can take a bit of work and some are no no no straight away.

My Zvex Mastrotron is so temperamental but I love it for that. Purely use it for synth like sounds such as Deeper Underground and Don’t You Want Me. Fits the bill perfect and I was hoping the DXC would too but appears not so will be going back.

The Mastotron is one of my favorite pedals of all time! I love the insane range of tones I can pull out of it. Heck you may even be able to get some low-ish gain tones out of it that could fit your current need. I can do that with some of my lower output basses by turning the Push, PW and Fuzz down though it isn’t the most transparent tone

 

[Renno]

The Mastotron is one of my favorite pedals of all time! I love the insane range of tones I can pull out of it. Heck you may even be able to get some low-ish gain tones out of it that could fit your current need. I can do that with some of my lower output basses by turning the Push, PW and Fuzz down though it isn’t the most transparent tone

Yep. I love it. I currently use it on

Deeper underground - Filthy
Don’t you want me - thicc
Dancing in the dark - Square fuzz

It’s brilliant for pure filth. That’s my dirty bastard pedal

 

[sunbeast]

Yep. I love it. I currently use it on

Deeper underground - Filthy
Don’t you want me - thicc
Dancing in the dark - Square fuzz

It’s brilliant for pure filth. That’s my dirty bastard pedal

It might be the one dirt pedal I’d bring if I was walking in blind to a gig where I thought there might be some gnarly sounds on the menu (if for some silly reason I was limited to only one pedal!). It’s also maybe the one pedal I wouldn’t mind owning multiples of for different “preset” sounds!

By “Dancing in the Dark”, do you mean the Springsteen song?! I’d love to hear that in context!

 

[Renno]

It might be the one dirt pedal I’d bring if I was walking in blind to a gig where I thought there might be some gnarly sounds on the menu (if for some silly reason I was limited to only one pedal!). It’s also maybe the one pedal I wouldn’t mind owning multiples of for different “preset” sounds!

By “Dancing in the Dark”, do you mean the Springsteen song?! I’d love to hear that in context!

It’s glorious and I use it in my guitar board for lead work and muse type noise. It’s one of the stable pedals that stays on both boards

Yes Springsteen.
I played it dry but listening to the track there is fuzz like sound behind the main riff. So I played it 2nd fret to start but then got the OC5 involved. So octave down, little bit of dry signal and some fuzz from the Zvex.

I’m in the process of moving house so stuff all over the place. I’ll try and get you a clip before I move or once I’ve moved to give you an idea how I set it up. Adds so much to the definition of the song