My Dirt Bender - Another Jounal

[el murdoque]

So I’ve been finding great satisfaction with the Tech 21 Street Driver 48. Just seems to work on so many levels. And paired with a Zio, I just can’t get enough.

Can you put it in context to other Tech21 products?

 

[GrowlerBox]

Clean blend slapped in - I agree!
I always find myself falling out of love with pedals with standard clean blends.

The Idiotbox blowerbox deluxe has a clean blend with lpf. That was the first time I liked a clean blend. Note: I'm not suggesting that pedal for your low gain journey el murdoque, it's a rat so is ratty.

And even though it's fun to use blenders/fx loopers to add in a low passed clean, which opens up dirt options to everything, on a working gigging pedal board it's just too much stuff. I'm appreciating this thread that keeps that option off the table.

Another good blend implemenation is in the Lusithand Ground & Pound, which adds some light compression to the dry signal. It also helps that there’s little if any low end loss from the Rat-style circuit, modified specifically for bass; in my view, the blend functions as a fine-tuner on the grit texture rather than to put back anything that’s lost.

 

[Ritter667]

How high did you have the Gain in those recordings?

Forgot to mention that these samples was played using my fingers, and with a relatively light touch.

I stroke the strings in a slight inward light slapping motion, with the outmost tip of my fingers/flush nails, rather than really plucking, striking or pulling the strings.

Also, as I did mention, mind that this was a rather low output bridge J pickup.

 

[el murdoque]

I have an unknown number of pedals incoming. How exciting.
First, there is the Green Rhino MK IV inbound. I want to test it against my Mk V and see what is better.
Then, there is a Chase Bliss Mystery Box on the way, I got the tracking number this afternoon.

 

[warptheory]

I have an unknown number of pedals incoming. How exciting.
First, there is the Green Rhino MK IV inbound. I want to test it against my Mk V and see what is better.
Then, there is a Chase Bliss Mystery Box on the way, I got the tracking number this afternoon.

Nice! I have a mystery box arriving sometime in the next 2 weeks I hope. I'm 388xx, what number are you?

 

[el murdoque]

Nice! I have a mystery box arriving sometime in the next 2 weeks I hope. I'm 388xx, what number are you?

I'm getting mine from the EU warehouse and those have other numbers, but I'm 86XX.

 

[el murdoque]

Green Rhino Mk IV vs. Mk V

The size difference is evident. Against the small body of Mk V the Mk IV looks way huge.

The bigger sibling comes with a control that is useless for bassists (or at least for me) which is the switch below the LED.
This one can select the voicing of the pedal. You can choose between classic and modern. When set to classic, it sounds like a Tube Screamer, which means it cuts lows. When set to modern, it sounds like the Green Rhino Mk V.
When you set the settings on one of the pedals and copy them to the other, they sound so identical, that you could assume you're playing the same pedal. The differences are so small, they could be simply down to the fact that we're dealing with analog audio hardware and one batch of transistors sound a tiny little bit different than another batch of the same transistors. In a blind test, I'd be hopelessly lost.

The MkV has the curve knob that does nothing for me and the MkIV has the switch which does nothing for me. But the MkIV has the 500Hz knob that the MkV can only offer when I sacrifice control over 100Hz. That was the reason I bought it.
I have not had the chance to test it in a mix yet, but I think with a little bit of a boost there, one could very well get even more audible in a mix without overwhelming it.

I shall see.

 

[el murdoque]

Putting the Mk IV and Mk V side by side in the rehearsal den and flooding the room with the auditory equivalent of a scree avalanche,
the difference between the pedals is a lot smaller than I would have hoped or anticipated. I toyed around with the 500Hz knob, but as soon as it became audible, it also became honky. I ended up packing the Mk IV away and using the Mk V again for the rest of the evening.

Shocking revelation, I would have thought I'd do the opposite. Well. The Mk IV was bought off Amazon with free return and the Mk V was bought second hand, so my wallet is happy about the outcome. I can keep the Mk V for now and return the Mk IV.


I'm happy I tried it, though. Otherwise this would have nagged me forever.

 

[bassbrad]

I didn't need this but it was just so dang cool and funny, I'll let you know if it rocks on bass. Finish is 'Pumpkin Spite' . Having been a retail manager in a past life I felt that I deserved this bit of humorous remembrance. Maybe not, oh well.

 

[el murdoque]

View attachment 7115186

I didn't need this but it was just so dang cool and funny, I'll let you know if it rocks on bass. Finish is 'Pumpkin Spite' . Having been a retail manager in a past life I felt that I deserved this bit of humorous remembrance. Maybe not, oh well.

I love it!

 

[bassbrad]

I love it!

Is is only an American thing that entitled b###tchy folk demand to speak to the Manager or Owner with most often petty concerns?

 

[darev]

Is is only an American thing that entitled b###tchy folk demand to speak to the Manager or Owner with most often petty concerns?

Wherever the entitled feel they must be, there they are f@king things up for everyone else.

 

[sloppy_phil]

I didn't need this but it was just so dang cool and funny, I'll let you know if it rocks on bass

Please let me/us know how it goes! It's so utterly silly, I would absolutely consider buying one if it can actually work in a bass context.

 

[el murdoque]

 

[el murdoque]

Is is only an American thing that entitled b###tchy folk demand to speak to the Manager or Owner with most often petty concerns?

Let's say that all over the world, you will find some sort of local equivalent. Your Karens however, are something special.

 

[bassbrad]

This is highly tempting as I have been considering a KlonKlone and this has the features that interest me and that artwork and humor push it to the top of the list.

 

[el murdoque]

This is highly tempting as I have been considering a KlonKlone and this has the features that interest me and that artwork and humor push it to the top of the list.

Absolutely. Especially the "Klean" knob

 

[el murdoque]

I can happily report that I have made some sales on the pedal front, so the funds allow for one or two new purchases.

@Maxi Funkl : How is your verdict on the Tubedrve, now that you've had it for a bit?

Another pedal that has caught my Eye is the Beetronics Fatbee. I think I'll have to have one of those.

And that new Empress Pedal that popped up here: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/new-empress-drive.1665393

@bassbrad Did you already have a chance to check out the Karen?

 

[OldShark]

Kindly Remember: I'd think the Klaren Basic is for us peasants whereas you are entitled for the more expensive regular Klaren...

 

[bassbrad]

I can happily report that I have made some sales on the pedal front, so the funds allow for one or two new purchases.

@Maxi Funkl : How is your verdict on the Tubedrve, now that you've had it for a bit?

Another pedal that has caught my Eye is the Beetronics Fatbee. I think I'll have to have one of those.

And that new Empress Pedal that popped up here: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/new-empress-drive.1665393

@bassbrad Did you already have a chance to check out the Karen?

Not yet but I post impression once I have heard here complaint about my basses and playing.


Then I will likely have to visit HR or the DM.

I really, really, really do not miss my retail daze of complaining customers.