Overhyped Effects

[HolmeBass]

BDDI and Barbershop, from your list, in my experience. But I play active basses.

The BDDI has a scooped out tone and fizzy distortion - I can get an ok sound out of one if push comes to shove but there are so many other sounds I prefer.

The Barbershop never got clean enough for what I was trying to use it for.

OC-2 is way overhyped in my opinion. Needs to be modded to be useful or run with a clean boost, and it's a tone-sucker so it has to be placed in a bypass loop.

I have not tried others on your list and I can't readily think of any others on my list.

I am not sure how much of this is due to my active bass's buffered signal. I think especially in the case of the Barbershop it was the problem.

 

[Just Wrong]

IME, almost all of them.

I bought a few Broughton effects but sold them all within a month of having them.

I had all three current 3 Leaf Audio offerings before they became rarities. I liked them, but I think even Spencer is pushing it at US$333.

I don't think the Origin Effects Cali76 is overhyped...

On the guitar side of things:

I got on the King of Tone waiting list in 2016. Most overhyped effect out there. Held on to it for a year, thinking there was something wrong with me.

In 2016, I walked into a store and randomly tried a Klon KTR they had in stock. I had no idea what it was, but I loved it. Is it overhyped? I mean, it's great, but nothing's worth the hype the Klon gets.

Most underhyped effect, though, goes to the Boss Blues Driver BD-2W hands down.

 

[Parzival]

I think the BDDI sounds good through FOH, but not through an amp, front or back.

 

[Grinderman]

I have three pedals, besides a strobe tuner pedal, and all of them are always on. As long as I at least have my amp, none of them are essential to me.

 

[TOOL460002]

Anyone remember the Polish Love?

 

[Zooberwerx]

Then call it an overdrive.

The Fairfield Accountant did my taxes. Yeah, the labeling can be confusing...I have a lot of trouble with the Effects in the classifieds. I see stuff like the Pungo FX "Bonecrusher" and have not a clue as to what it actually does. All too frequently, the seller provides little in terms of description or links.

Riis

 

[Thegreatzambini]

Noble. Overrated and overpriced.

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

 

[Thegreatzambini]

The Fairfield Accountant did my taxes. Yeah, the labeling can be confusing...I have a lot of trouble with the Effects in the classifieds. I see stuff like the Pungo FX "Bonecrusher" and have not a clue as to what it actually does. All too frequently, the seller provides little in terms of description or links.

Riis

ever heard of Google?

 

[Koshchei]

I am always trying to hype the Boss HM-2 on TB. I doubt it will make the list though. Will try harder .

It actually doesn't sound too bad with the gain way down. But you're not getting the Swedish Death Metal chainsaw tone on a bass no matter what you do.

I think that the OC-2 is a bit overhyped though. It's a great pedal, but indistinguishable from an OC-5.

 

[Zooberwerx]

ever heard of Google?

I don't like working any harder than I have to. My FS ads read like novellas with plot twists and a "whodunit?" at the end.

Riis

 

[Sam Evans]

Any modded pedal.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Yesterday I was reading a thread talking about Noble DI's here on TB. Several responses indicated that the Noble Di was an overhyped piece of gear. That got me thinking that there are a TON of Overhyped pedals here on TB. Here are some of the ones that I heard about non-stop on TB that just never lived up to the hype when I actually got my hands on them:

1. Broughton SV-PRE
2. Durham Sex Drive
3. Fairfield Barbershop
4. Sansamp BDDI
5. CAL Holy Fire

What are some of yours?

Sonic Maximiser

 

[Maestro29]

Not a pedal guy so I don't know what's over and under hyped, but can we just take a moment to appreciate how well Pino uses the octave pedal.

I was listening to the John Mayer Trio on my way to work this morning and this post made me think of how subtly and creatively he uses that thing!

 

[pglaser01]

the SV-pre
and the BDDI

Well now that we've found out what it was, dare I say you've overhyped your overhype

 

[birminghambass]

I'll say it, Broughton. I've owned many of his pedals. They're fine. Not worth the cult-like following they get IMO. I've said it more than once, dude could release a Broughton Nothing pedal. A box that merely passes the signal. They'd sell out in an hour.

 

[eddododo]

Yesterday I was reading a thread talking about Noble DI's here on TB. Several responses indicated that the Noble Di was an overhyped piece of gear. That got me thinking that there are a TON of Overhyped pedals here on TB. Here are some of the ones that I heard about non-stop on TB that just never lived up to the hype when I actually got my hands on them:

1. Broughton SV-PRE
2. Durham Sex Drive
3. Fairfield Barbershop
4. Sansamp BDDI
5. CAL Holy Fire

What are some of yours?

the Sansamp BDDI is one of the goofiest most overrated pieces of gear in the history of bass..

I get why 'we' liked it back in the day, but I STILL see people suggesting it as a 'magical piece of gear,' especially on Reddit (the worst bass forum in the galaxy). So bad, the grit is bad, the grit always being there is bad, the scoop is bad, the eq is bad. Bad

 

[DaveParker39]

I can't really get behind the Tech 21 DI stuff being "overhyped"… they're not the pedal to kill all pedals but they are insanely convenient in a pinch, affordable, and user friendly. I literally only use it if I have to but I am always glad to have the option.

If it was $1.2k and had a waiting list with a $800 addon waitlist express lane then yeah, maybe.

 

[loveandbass]

For a long while it was definitely dark glass b7k

 

[RestlessBoom]

Noble- definitely overhyped, but absolutely delivers exactly what was promised by the builder. I'm so happy I drunkenly ordered mine and even happier I didn't pay for the expedited build. It has completely changed the way I play my bass and how I view effects.
Saturn VI- it sounds awful until it doesn't. There is one setting for it for every bass setup and it's completely dependent on its chain placement.
Broughton L+HPF- totally worth the hype. The individual versions are also great and can fix many issues in any chain.
Compressors (name one)- the most influential "effect" pedal that is the most important one that shouldn't be used until you've played for awhile. Learning how to play with good technique is paramount, and once you do a compressor can elevate EVERYTHING

 

[6-3-2]

Overhyped, I can't think of one. But an overhyped sound is the Boss OC-5 for synth tones. I find the -1 octave for synth sounds to not be very inspiring or versatile. No matter the drive or modulation I put after it, it just lacks character. I think the OC-5 does way better at doing organ sounds(clean, -1 and +1) or using the +1 and clean for ambient texture. Really high quality pedal, but I think it's oversold as a path to synth sounds. I can easily see myself replacing it with a Source Audio C4 to really get a range of synth tones.