Recommend me some Reggae effects.

Octave down and fuzz? Maybe a phaser or flanger too.

 

Maybe a tube pre for super phatness. Compressor, perhaps?

 

A Roland Space-echo from the 70's. Oh yeah, mon.

 

Finger technique and a tube amp. No octave down, the seemingly-super-low frequencies in reggae are just more fundamental, less upper harmonics, of the same notes on a regular 4-string bass. Technique can get you that just as well as a filter or other effect, but of course a lowpass filter is easier.

A tube pre and a compressor are reasonable options, but I've also heard reggae players say too much compression kills the "bubble" sound/action they like.

 

turn up the bass knob on your amp. turn down the treble knob.

..seriously though. anything with a ___load of low end is ideal for reggae. effects arent to popular with me (for once) when it comes to reggae. i COULD see usefullness in a good low-gain overdrive. keep the gain low, but turn the volume up. play the strings as lightly as you possibly can. itll give you a real rumble sound, but with a bit more grit..because after all, its a distortion pedal. (specifically, i use a jekyll and hyde..) also you could use a real nice big-bottom woolly mammoth type fuzz (or messdrive ). the only other effect i've ever kicked on for reggae stuff is my korg G5. thats got all the bottom you need...

 

ppphhhhaaaaaaaaasssseeerrrrrrrrrrr

 

I'm going to go say -

1) Tube pre, if not a full tube amp
2) Compressor (unless Bongo can explain to me the killing of the 'bubble' sound)
3) Reverb (just for stuff like 10 Ft. Ganja Plant and Black Uhura )

Don't bother with an octaver - you should be getting the super low, throbbing sound with your finger technique (I recommend playing ON the neck) and with boosted bass and low mids on your amp.

 

get an envelope filter, you can dial in some sub bass sounds with the filter right down and res down.

 

Low pass filter (maybe the Moog)
Whammy (seriously! I knew a dub player in NJ who got some very cool special effects out of one)
Decent reverb
Tap-tempo delay with tape effects and exp. pedal control over delay time and feedback (Line 6 DL-4, then, I suppose).
Phaser

And a couple of those fancy boxes that can switch the order of your effects - that would be really handy for live dub stuff.

 

+1
also try using your thumb - only downwards, without srumming on the way up. try light muting with your palm as u do it

 

How about an envelope filter with the sensitivity off? I know with my DOD fx25 I can get a great dub tone out of it.

 

Are we talking dub or reggae ? Very different needs.

 

depending on what you play thru, id recommend the Sansamp VT Bass, with the character control all the way down, its the fattest dub/reggae sound, and its a very versatile pedal, im sure u could find lots of settings youd like. my drummer is playing alot of dub on bass these days, and after hearing mine once, he's decided to buy one soon.

although if you already have a tube preamp then this i guess this is irrelevant

 

lo-pass filter - flatwounds

 

5 string bass + neck pickup + filter with sensitivity turned down + 15 inch speakers = low down rumble that you can feel in your stomach/genitalia.

 

EHX Knockout

 

i use a couple of filters, mostly.... but there is much value in what Bongomania says, because most of the guys who popularized the reggae bass sound didn't use effects, and just wanted the bass to be loud, smooth, and deep.

I would suggest try the playing style thing first and once you've absorbed that (assuming you haven't done so already) then drop effects onto it.

 

Totally digging this up My Hematoma does a great OD effect that seems to fit reggae. Drive low, tone min, volume a little above unity.

A question tho: anyone extensively use an octave pedal in reggae or dub?

 

I use octave ( i have 2 infact ) in reggae n dub. tho usually in the more dancehall numbers, but yeah,sometimes when i want synthy bass.

but for 60% of set i use sansamp and clean sound, highs cut, lows boosted,amp loud..