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Show your dubstep pedalboard.

René_Julien

René_Julien

Jun 26, 2008
5,440
1,160
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Belgium
#1
I can't believe there isn't a thread like this already.

Been searching the forums a lot these last days on how people approach this genre with effects. So many different tactics being used.
We seem to have quite a few dubstep bassists among us here, some are even doing it very succesful with a band.

Let's see what you are running, and how and why.
(Soundsamples and links to your band would also be cool.)


Can't show anything myself, because this request is out of curiosity.
I'm about to experiment in this genre myself, and I am not experienced on synths and filters.
I set my first steps into dubstep today, using whatever I have lying around. Maxon CP9PRO+ -> Big John Grannypuker -> EBS BassIQ -> EBS Tremolo. I don't know if this chain is useful, haven't had any succes. I am very new to the genre but I am getting into it in the last weeks.

tl;dr
Show your dupstep pedalboard! This thread is about you if you consider yourself playing dubstep. Either in a succesful band or just in your bedroom.

Thank you. :)
 
#4
This is something I've considered but I lack the fundage to put together at the moment. Here's some gear I've found that's relevant though.

Dubstep and Electronica Bass Pedal Demo - Soundblox Pro Bass Envelope Filter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6khuFkAt7I

Live Dubstep Bass Wobble Hot Hand Tutorial - http://youtu.be/wUpGfj9ZJMA

BEP (or the regular BEF) + Hot Hand makes some vary interesting sweeps and lets you mimic the wub sound.

Behringer BSY600 Demo - Live Dubstep Bass Guitar (Code: Marla) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ingKH3s2JHg

This guy uses the behringer synth pedal along with the expression pedal to control the rate.

It sounds like a bare bones dubstep setup would include a compressor to even out the sound before the synth, synth, auto wah/envelope filter. I need to get these effects at some point anyway but for now I'm just rocking my Zoom B3 with no expression pedal. Need more toys...

Edit: Oh, and I bet a digitech whammy for dives and shifting would kill too...
 
#6
JohnDavisNYC said:
working on a new record with nerve... i wouldn't necessarily say that i play dubstep, in a purist sense... (because in a purist sense, one doesn't 'play' dubstep...)

but i worked on a track today with a definite dubstep vibe.



This guy uses the behringer synth pedal along with the expression pedal to control the rate.

It sounds like a bare bones dubstep setup would include a compressor to even out the sound before the synth, synth, auto wah/envelope filter. I need to get these effects at some point anyway but for now I'm just rocking my Zoom B3 with no expression pedal. Need more toys...

Edit: Oh, and I bet a digitech whammy for dives and shifting would kill too...
Click to expand...


I've looking at this stuff too. So far after all my research the first thing I am going to get and play around with is a decent synth pedal that can give me a straight up sawtooth wave.
(Been looking at the Markbass Super Synth.)

Ubersheist said:
Trying to build one... My Source Audio BEF with hot hands should show up next week or so! I'll probably post up a pic shortly thereafter.
Click to expand...

I have no experience with filters, I own the EBS BassIQ but never used it much.
But after searching a lot of demo's the SA BEF looks like a winner.
 
#7
I just got a rehouse and modded OC-2 with an added volume output and volume input so i can get the volume out i want and the overdriven boss oc-2 sound if i want it too
 

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#8
Regarding the BEF- will I be able to get some of those awesome wobbles with the standard version? Most of the videos I've seen with dubstep had been done with the pro version. I really want to start experimenting with some bass dubstep, but I gotta build up my stock of pedals first!
 
#9
I have started making a "trick board" which I want to give a dubstep style sound.

So, I have these three pedals

21072012003.jpg


in front of my regular board

07072012002-1.jpg


The trick board gives a good fat "wumph", with the distortion, velocity controlled filter and octave up. After a while setting up the pedals the three of them work well together, sound good individually, in pairs or as a full trio. I think a compressor after these three is pretty much essential.

It is not quite "dubstep" but sounds interesting and could really work in a band too. I can get a "wobble" using the chorus pedal (at a fixed speed only) but I think to really get that "real dubstep wobble thing", where the speed of the wobble changes then you need an expression pedal controlling the LFO speed and the LFO then controlling the filter......

I am not sure how to build up the board, different things will work for different people. More pedals will create problems of tone sucking and hiss so then you need a blender and there is the danger that the board will get too big, heavy and complicated.

I suppose the next step for me is to get some kind of bass synth or another effect that allows me to control the speed of the wobble with an expression pedal....there seems to be plenty of discussion as to what is good to achieve this though...

Something I did try was putting a Boss DS1 distortion and a Boss PH-2 super phaser in the loop of the Q-Tron+, which did sound pretty cool. Having a second distortion adds a certain colour and the phaser set to a low speed gives a motion to the effect. These two pedals suck bass so they have to be in a loop or ideally a blender.



Great thread.:)
 
#10
Here is my old pedalboard that I used in my electronica band. I did use it to screw around on some dubstep, but the group decided that we don't want to go in that direction, so I've broken this board up a bit. I'm in the process of re-doing it.

sf-board-11-11.jpg


As for clips, the only thing I have recorded was just a little bit I did with just the Dubscope and a fOXX Tone Machine for fuzz. This is a sample pattern that I threw together in a minute or so, just to show what the Dubscope can do:

 
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#11
René_Julien;12936642 said:
I have no experience with filters, I own the EBS BassIQ but never used it much.
But after searching a lot of demo's the SA BEF looks like a winner.
Click to expand...

Yup, that's why I got it.

Dubstep (it seems as an outsider to dubstep) is all about filters, specifically lowpass. Mind you, they go by many other names other then 'lowpass,' depending on how they're applied...
 
#12
This was me and my guitarist working in tandem in the studio to try and build a dubstep board from our respective pedalboards for a song on our upcoming album.

Final chain if memory serves was:

Bass--->Lehle Little Dual Amp Splitter--->(guitarist's) Eventide Modfactor set to a square tremolo with an expression pedal for speed---->(I think) Pickle Pie B----->AF-9----->Rigs.

We blew my Ampeg's driver from the subs we were pounding it with, but got the take.
 

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#13
I just got a pedaltrain 2
stuck my mp 201 on to it, had hardly any space left,
ran oc2>geigercounter>swollenPickle>MF101>Line6M9
and then decided it is far to heavy to carry often around.
But it is something I defenetly have to spend a lot of time with to get it under -better- controle, so I can not let it in the bandroom yet.

So my mini, fun, mobile cutting through and easy to controle set is
Phat Head Overdrive>BaseBalls>Tremolo>off a one spot.
OC2 is never wrong, and the Tremolo can also be fun before the EnvelopeFilter.

The Phat Head could react better to playing dynamics,
the oc2 could have a little more volume,
the tremolo could have a tap tempo,
and the baseballs should be an mf101 built into an ep2 ;)
but the set on the image gives me a lot, and I seriously can continue playing...
bass.
which at this point I sometimes forget, being busy with a complex fx setting.
 

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#14
cjmodulus said:
Regarding the BEF- will I be able to get some of those awesome wobbles with the standard version? Most of the videos I've seen with dubstep had been done with the pro version. I really want to start experimenting with some bass dubstep, but I gotta build up my stock of pedals first!
Click to expand...

The standard one will work but I recommend saving for the pro. Its way more customizable and you can save 6 presets.
 
#19
Hot Hand is indeed brilliant!... but you'd be surprised at how difficult it is to learn and master.

will post my board soon...

And here it is:
Image009.jpg


SaturnWorks Looper -> Ibanez BP10 comp -> BSY600 synth w/ exp pedal-> Source Audio BEF with Hot hand -> Ibanez PD7 overdrive/dist -> Boss OC2 octave -> Boss PS5 pitch shifter-> (looper return) -> MXR Phase 90 -> amp.

This is all fairly recent; the BEF and HH within the last week. The Proton filter is going to go in the post-looper chain. I may just put the compressor, synth and BEF/HH in the loop and make the rest post-loop. It's all so confusing.... what do I want and when?? I'm hoping my new band- born just today- will help with the chain decisions.
 

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