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Pedals in a cover band

fishstix

fishstix

Feb 28, 2006
679
523
Wisconsin
#1
Maybe I'm being ignorant, I probably am actually, but I hear all these great effects being demonstrated by folks and used used on edgy originals and non-mainstream covers and I'm left wondering," Are there effects that fit into the mainstream coverband gig rig for bass players?" Even in the three piece that I work in covering everything from LMFAO to Buck Cherry to Journey I get strange looks if I use anything less subtle than a bit of chorus or compression. (Admittedly our guitarist's pedal board holds just two Tube Screamers and a tuner.)
So what more interesting effects are people using for mainstream cover bands? What songs are these effects used for?
Thanks in advance.
 
#5
I my cover band days I used
- Synth (G5, Deep Impact, Markbass, ...) for those RnB & HipHop tunes
- VT Bass (rock Ampeg style pick sounds)
- Drive (Xotic, ...)
- Octaver & Filter/Autowah (MAxon AF9) for dancy / groovy stuff

a Maxon CP9Pro+ compressor keeping everything tight!

never had the need for reverb, delay or even chorus
 
#9
4StringsEnough said:
If you cover songs where the original bass player used effecta, you'll need effects. If they didn't, you won't! ;-)
Click to expand...

Depends if you're trying to recreate the sounds of the original recording or put your own stamp on it.

Of course, if the effect is a well known sound - like Muse stuff, you have to do it. But I don't think anyone will really notice if you didn't use chorus on GnR tracks, I don't, and no-one notices.
 
#11
It depends on whether the song you're covering has really prominent effects in it. My covers band plays quite a few songs where the bass has really prominent effects on it. My covers band plays "No Shelter" by RATM, which would just not sound right without a delay for the main part of the song, and an octaver for the bridge. My band also covers some Tool, and those songs would sound lacking without the effects.

But that applies even if your band is playing old-school songs, too. "For the Love of Money" just wouln't be the same without phaser on the bass.
 
#12
fishstix said:
Maybe I'm being ignorant, I probably am actually, but I hear all these great effects being demonstrated by folks and used used on edgy originals and non-mainstream covers and I'm left wondering," Are there effects that fit into the mainstream coverband gig rig for bass players?" Even in the three piece that I work in covering everything from LMFAO to Buck Cherry to Journey I get strange looks if I use anything less subtle than a bit of chorus or compression. (Admittedly our guitarist's pedal board holds just two Tube Screamers and a tuner.)
So what more interesting effects are people using for mainstream cover bands? What songs are these effects used for?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Depends what part of the mainstream you're covering and who you're playing to... Most people in a bar won't care if you're general tone is similar, let alone effects chain. Here's a couple of bass players in somewhat mainstream bands that use effects:

Flea - Chilipeppers
Sergio Vega / Chi Cheng - Deftones
Justin Chancellor - Tool

I personally would just use chorus, distortion/fuzz with blend and an envelope filter for a cover band...
 
#13
I regularly use a bunch of stuff, and I change it up from night to night. As long as it sounds good the guys in my band don't care.

Wah- I use it when I want to funk things up a bit
Octave- Lots of 80's songs
Synth - Also lots of 80's songs.
Fuzz - Whenever I feel like it.
Flanger- A few sections here and there

If a song has a recognizable part with effects I'll usually try to mimic it, but for the most part I'll do whatever I feel like.

crapusername said:
^ That is a tribute band , not a cover band
Click to expand...

Playing one particular song from an artist and wanting it to be accurate to the original is not a tribute band. A tribute band would only play songs from one band, not many.
 
#15
For my cover band (variety rock/funk/RnB), I can get away with just my Zoom B3. However, if it is a nicer gig in a decent venue I will bring any of the following: tube preamp/OD pedal, compressor, a couple of fuzz pedals, 1 or 2 filters (low pass and an envelope with a good downsweep), a multi (M5 or B3) for modulation, and and expression pedal.

I don't use to many effecty effects unless the song originally has those effects on the bass. I do use the preamp, compressor and some modeling or eq from the multi as always on, making adjustments to my tone depending on the venue and what amp my guitar player brings that night.

Some songs I use effects on:

Uprising (fuzz, octave, low pass w/exp)
stay or go (light fuzz)
brick house/superstition/play that funky music (envelope filter and reverb if I take a solo)
pumped up kicks (octave, light chorus)
cult of personality (octave on the solo)
somebody I used to know (octave, reverb)
shipping up to boston (od, fuzz)
flagpole sitta (fuzz)

Theres probably more, but these are the ones I can think of. If I use any extra effects, it's usually octave on the solos and fuzz or od to thicken up the tone for a heavier sound. I love using my effects, but 90% of our audiences are too drunken to care.
 
#16
Bass Synth Wah: Hold Your Head Up (argent), You and I (lady gaga), Porn Star Dancing (My Darkest Days)
Octave pedal: Man in the Box (AIC), I'm A Man (Spencer Davis Group)
VT Bass Deluxe: general tone shaping/svt sounds/volume boost for soloing
Source Audio MWBD: Distortion when appropriate like Bad Girlfriend (Theory of A Deadman) and when inappropriate (whenever I feel like it)
Chorus: Evenflow (Pearl Jam), Sweet Child of Mine (GnR)

I recently got an Eventide Pitchfactor, I'm playing with adding things like fifth/oct with fuzz to create a "rhythm guitar" sound for guitar solos, and some string section effects for tunes like Second Chance by Shinedown. I'm not sold on it yet.
 
#17
Playing only covers, I'm also running PA, so long and short it's my job to help keep us "sounding" right. As such, the more top 40's, Dance, and Hip-Hop stuff we have had to add has put a huge strain on me finding the right effects to make the newer over-produced crap sound as recognizable as possible in a strictly instrumental environment.

I gave up on analog stomp boxes a couple years ago and picked up an M13, modulized a gator board with one mission pedal for the m13, my wireless, and a tuner/cutoff. The thing opens and sets up in 15 seconds depending on how far the power is lol. Which is great playing a show every week gets old when you’re setup takes forever… The M13 gives me all the options I could want to emulate anything any modern bass player, or studio bass tack lays out, with some obvious exceptions to some HEAVY dance songs that are all distorted bass synth... Yeah some people give me $hit for it, but my setup is so damn easy I just smile and nod while I drink a beer as my guitar player struggles to understand what effects should go in what order as he patches up on stage lol. ;)
 
#18
I have used my complete board for originals and covers. With my board and the guitarists board, we could cover almost every part of a song.

Synth (Deep Impact, Line 6 FM4, BSW) sloppy dirty synth lines for all sorts of songs.
Dirt (Animato, Muff, P+C, Hematoma, WM and Mastotron) for any time I want
Octave (OC-2/DI) just to add a little extra to things
Filters (Filter Factory/FX25/FM4) add a little flavor and funk

We have played everything from Lady Gaga, to the Police and even further in the extremes... And I have only ever had one person complain... The sound guy because he was EQ'ing all night long to make it sound amazing.
 

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