• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

New mxr bass distortion!

#121
JimmyM said:
I like pretty much anything Rat-based except the ones ProCo's been making since the 90's ;) but while the graphics on the Blowerbox are sweet and the demos are good, the MXR is smaller and that counts a lot, plus apparently the Blowerbox is sold out.

Blower Box Bass Distortion / IdiotBox Effects
Click to expand...

It's back in stock. Mine retains a lot of bass - it's got a Bass boost.. Love that pedal. Will also try the MXR soon, as I'm a fan of their work.
 
#122
TerribleLiar23 said:
Got it today. Much like a Rat, its pretty versatile in that it does low gain OD all the way to complete fuzz. Obviously being a bass pedal, it retains the low end much better than ANY Rat based pedal I've tried, including the BB. However, I'm not comparing the two, because the BB is awesome in its own right, and doesn't come off that Rattish to me. Anyway...I find the wet and dry controls much more functional than a 2 band EQ. I really might use this as an always on OD. In that role it has a nice midrange honk that is pretty sweet to me, probably not for everybody though. The LED mode is for sure Turbo, and the differences between the two modes are very obvious. Not a groundbreaking review, I know. But, its an awesome pedal and decently priced. I'm sure a ton will pop up in the classifieds over the Summer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this review.
Can't wait for more info as the features of this box sounds very interesting.
The video has reasonably clean and stupid fuzz with little in between (for my tastes) so any sound clips of middle ground would be great.
The Cuda' is cool and the fact that some guy isn't chatting about nothing for 3 minutes with 30 seconds of playing is a huge plus.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: TerribleLiar23
#123
TerribleLiar23 said:
Got it today. Much like a Rat, its pretty versatile in that it does low gain OD all the way to complete fuzz. Obviously being a bass pedal, it retains the low end much better than ANY Rat based pedal I've tried, including the BB. However, I'm not comparing the two, because the BB is awesome in its own right, and doesn't come off that Rattish to me. Anyway...I find the wet and dry controls much more functional than a 2 band EQ. I really might use this as an always on OD. In that role it has a nice midrange honk that is pretty sweet to me, probably not for everybody though. The LED mode is for sure Turbo, and the differences between the two modes are very obvious. Not a groundbreaking review, I know. But, its an awesome pedal and decently priced. I'm sure a ton will pop up in the classifieds over the Summer.
Click to expand...
Works for me, bro. Sounds like I will love it. Mine is on the way, BTW, but probably won't get it for a couple more days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TerribleLiar23
#124
Just received mine today and I think something is wrong with it. It sounds nothing like the videos I've seen online. It sounds very synth-like and barely anything like a Rat at all. Closest thing I can compare it to is the foldback distortion on a Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion. I love the Rat, but currently I don't find this pedal musically useful at all.
 
#127
With LED mode turned off and all controls at noon it's synthy. Per the instructions, the internal gain only affects LED mode. I made a short recording. I apologize if it is too quiet, you may need to crank it up. Invalid Link Removed

This is with LED mode off and all knobs at noon. Please tell me this is not normal.
 
#128
I won't know for a couple more days, but to me it sounds pretty decent. I listened with headphones and I didn't think it sounded that bad at all. I think maybe the line you're playing contributes a bit to that synthy sound with its quick staccato notes.
 
#129
I think that clip sounds pretty cool, but perhaps a little more gnarly than I'd expect with the knobs at noon. Still, noon should mean there's still ample room for backing the gain further down.

A high output bass would make it react more, too. Don't know if the EBMM basses listed are such, as I haven't ever tried any.
 
#130
Melvin7822 said:
With LED mode turned off and all controls at noon it's synthy. Per the instructions, the internal gain only affects LED mode. I made a short recording. I apologize if it is too quiet, you may need to crank it up. Invalid Link Removed

This is with LED mode off and all knobs at noon. Please tell me this is not normal.
Click to expand...

It sounds like the bass has a really hot output and the I agree with @JimmyM about the staccato notes. Try turning down the input on the bass maybe? Try less clean signal blended on the unit?
 
  • Like
Reactions: vegas532
#131
Thanks everyone for the replies. I agree that staccato does add to the effect. My Bongo is the only hot bass I own. The sample was with my Big Al in passive mode. After some experimentation, I believe this pedal is very finicky depending on which bass you use. I'm sure it works great with P basses and J basses.

I also believe the clean blend has a lot to do with it as well. With the Big Al, anything past 10 o'clock on the clean blend became annoying really quickly. I dialed the tone back a bit, but there always seems to be this prominent upper midrange thing going on.

Surprisingly, the best tone I've gotten is with my Bongo 5 with the following settings in silicon mode (with the bass volume all the way up):

IMG_20150521_082631.jpg
 
Last edited:
#132
Melvin7822 said:
Thanks everyone for the replies. I agree that staccato does add to the effect. My Bongo is the only hot bass I own. The sample was with my Big Al in passive mode. After some experimentation, I believe this pedal is very finicky depending on which bass you use. I'm sure it works great with P basses and J basses.

I also believe the clean blend has a lot to do with it as well. With the Big Al, anything past 10 o'clock on the clean blend became annoying really quickly. I dialed the tone back a bit, but there always seems to be this prominent upper midrange thing going on.

Surprisingly, the best tone I've gotten is with my Bongo 5 with the following settings in silicon mode (with the bass volume all the way up):

View attachment 620097
Click to expand...

You're right on. The distortion that this pedal was inspired by touts an emphasis on the upper mids.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vegas532, skulletwhip and TerribleLiar23
#133
Melvin7822 said:
Thanks everyone for the replies. I agree that staccato does add to the effect. My Bongo is the only hot bass I own. The sample was with my Big Al in passive mode. After some experimentation, I believe this pedal is very finicky depending on which bass you use. I'm sure it works great with P basses and J basses.

I also believe the clean blend has a lot to do with it as well. With the Big Al, anything past 10 o'clock on the clean blend became annoying really quickly. I dialed the tone back a bit, but there always seems to be this prominent upper midrange thing going on.

Surprisingly, the best tone I've gotten is with my Bongo 5 with the following settings in silicon mode (with the bass volume all the way up):

View attachment 620097
Click to expand...

I played mine through a Stingray and it sounded great. The input on the instrument was at about 5, and playing around with the wet and dry, I couldn't get a synthy tone. Maybe my definition is different, but when I think of synthy as far as dirt, I think of a gated fuzz sound, and this is not that. Bottom line, I love mine. Great pedal, better than the original, and well priced. Its a winner for me. YMMV, as they say.
 
#135
Looks like mine has hit Florida! At about 6, it hit Lee, and that's only about 3 hours away, so it looks like I'll get it tomorrow. Unless of course they come when I'm not there, in which case I hope I don't have to sign for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: handofseven

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back