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Swolen Pickle Suggested Settings
- Thread starter chjohnst
- Start date
never heard of that mod. it would be great though.
in saying that, i pretty much found what i like and have left them ever since. its that long ago now, i cant remember what they were. I keep all other knobs the same, the only thing i adjust from time to time is the sustain!!
in saying that, i pretty much found what i like and have left them ever since. its that long ago now, i cant remember what they were. I keep all other knobs the same, the only thing i adjust from time to time is the sustain!!
For me, it's been "set and forget" on all the knobs, but I could see the utility of at least drilling some holes in the bottom plate and maybe cutting some slots in the internal trim knobs so you could adjust them with a small screwdriver without taking the cover off...
-JV
-JV
Vegas man thank you for sharing your internal settings, they work great! In fact even with the guitar...
Found this thread linked-to from this thread (with soundclips based on some of the settings suggested here): http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f36/sound-clips-way-huge-swollen-pickle-825403/
I just picked one of these up last week as my first effect pedal for bass, recommended by the store owner as THE fuzz/distortion type effect for bass (because it maintains bottom end, something most fuzzes don't do well). Dug it in the store and picked it up. Got it sounding pretty good at home through my rig. Took it to a jam at a club and... boom and mud, boom and mud. Played with the settings at every opportunity, but couldn't get it to work and disconnected it. Tried it again in the store next to a Pigtronix Fat Drive Distortion and the newest version of the Big Muff Pi -- the "Deluxe Bass" version.
The Pickle seems to have the most personality and "buzz" if that's the right word, but was also more compressed than the others, and on the edge of boominess, even in the store. If I can get things more reliable, portable (i.e., transfer the results, within reason, to different rigs), and tame the bottom end I'd like to keep it. There is something about the sound I really like -- it's just not practical now.
At first blush, the Muff is the thinnest sounding of the three pedals, but I can see the blend and crossover controls being very useful (read that these get lost in a mix onstage, though).
The Fat Drive seems straightforward and reliable (it's a distortion, not a fuzz, a distinction I sort of get), and halfway between the Muff and the Pickle in girthiness, but the top end is a little blasé -- again, just a first impression.
Rambling, sorry. Will try the above adjustments and see what we see! Will probably also go back and try the other pedals once more. Will post what I find.
I just picked one of these up last week as my first effect pedal for bass, recommended by the store owner as THE fuzz/distortion type effect for bass (because it maintains bottom end, something most fuzzes don't do well). Dug it in the store and picked it up. Got it sounding pretty good at home through my rig. Took it to a jam at a club and... boom and mud, boom and mud. Played with the settings at every opportunity, but couldn't get it to work and disconnected it. Tried it again in the store next to a Pigtronix Fat Drive Distortion and the newest version of the Big Muff Pi -- the "Deluxe Bass" version.
The Pickle seems to have the most personality and "buzz" if that's the right word, but was also more compressed than the others, and on the edge of boominess, even in the store. If I can get things more reliable, portable (i.e., transfer the results, within reason, to different rigs), and tame the bottom end I'd like to keep it. There is something about the sound I really like -- it's just not practical now.
At first blush, the Muff is the thinnest sounding of the three pedals, but I can see the blend and crossover controls being very useful (read that these get lost in a mix onstage, though).
The Fat Drive seems straightforward and reliable (it's a distortion, not a fuzz, a distinction I sort of get), and halfway between the Muff and the Pickle in girthiness, but the top end is a little blasé -- again, just a first impression.
Rambling, sorry. Will try the above adjustments and see what we see! Will probably also go back and try the other pedals once more. Will post what I find.
My fab settings are from blastjv followed by Vegas. I also have a cool setting that ill post tomm after work that really cuts through (esp with an EBOW)
My settings, they sound great to me:
Loudness: 8 o'clock
Filter: 11 o'clock
Sustain: 11 o'clock
Scoop: 9 o'clock
Crunch: 12 o'clock
Loudness: 8 o'clock
Filter: 11 o'clock
Sustain: 11 o'clock
Scoop: 9 o'clock
Crunch: 12 o'clock
I'm definitely going to have to try some of these settings out when I get mine... it's been shipped so it won't be long!! (hopefully)
Home all day today -- played with the internal trim pots on the Pickle, and think I got a leaner, meaner sound. But then, my rig (Genz GBE head and Dr. Bass 2x12 + 6.5" mid/no tweeter) is pretty lean/mean sounding to begin with. Will have to see if the Pickle remains bloat-free when played through other rigs and in a live setting. Will double-check my settings before posting them here, but I think I ended up with the Clip pot around 1:00 and the Voice pot turned fully clockwise, or about 4:00. That's right. I found that things got indistinct/muddy as I turned the pot clockwise until I neared the last little bit of travel -- then the mids came back. That was the "meanest" sounding setting to me. Not sure if it's supposed to be that way, but that's how it is on mine.
Also tried the Pickle at great length today against other fuzz/distortion/overdrive type pedals and in front of a few envelope filters. (I've decided to jump into pedals with a fuzz and an envelope).
What I tried: Big Muff Pi Bass Deluxe, Swollen Pickle, Aguilar Agro, Pigtronix Bass Fat Drive --> Aguilar Filter Twin, MXR Bass Envelope Filter, Pigtronix Bass Envelope Phaser. Maybe this isn't the place for a comparative review, but I will say for now that it's down to the Pickle and the Pi for fuzz, and that the Pickle is the one pedal that worked well in front of every envelope filter.
Also tried the Pickle at great length today against other fuzz/distortion/overdrive type pedals and in front of a few envelope filters. (I've decided to jump into pedals with a fuzz and an envelope).
What I tried: Big Muff Pi Bass Deluxe, Swollen Pickle, Aguilar Agro, Pigtronix Bass Fat Drive --> Aguilar Filter Twin, MXR Bass Envelope Filter, Pigtronix Bass Envelope Phaser. Maybe this isn't the place for a comparative review, but I will say for now that it's down to the Pickle and the Pi for fuzz, and that the Pickle is the one pedal that worked well in front of every envelope filter.
My Swollen Pickle showed up Friday morning, haven't played with it all too much, used Vegas' suggested setting and then fiddled with the knobs... And I absolutely love it! Haven't taken a look at the internal settings yet, had to tear Velcro off the back that was surprisingly hard to get off.
I have been using it to try to get a more fat-synth kind of thing... the thing is, its always PRETTY close but I never quite get there... its either a little to nasal/no lows, or its too muddy and highcut..
Perhaps I am overusing the crunch, but I feel like the problem stems more from, as mentioned earlier in the thread, that it just flies off the handle with the tiniest amount of gain, so perhaps I don't have it 'hitting hard enough' to give me the breakup needed at the lower bandpass settings?
Perhaps I am overusing the crunch, but I feel like the problem stems more from, as mentioned earlier in the thread, that it just flies off the handle with the tiniest amount of gain, so perhaps I don't have it 'hitting hard enough' to give me the breakup needed at the lower bandpass settings?
Yes alot... I like the sustain high, so the gain (loudness) is always at like .5 (less than 1 out of 10)
Although i will say that in a live mix it really 'appears' much softer than the same setting in a bedroom alone
Seeing as how the sample settings people provided here really helped me dial in this finicky (but awesome) pedal, I figured I'd return the favor and share my preferred settings:
CLIP: 3:00
VOICE: Max Clockwise (~4:30)
SCOOP: 10:00
CRUNCH: 8:00
FILTER: 1:00
SUSTAIN: 3:00
And of course LOUDNESS is just a volume knob so you can determine the setting you desire for that. I found these settings (for me and through my rig, at least) to be the most balanced between tight, present low-end and also out-of-control-fuzzy high-end with enough mids not to sound thin or get lost in a mix. I just love this pedal the more time I spend with it...I just wish the band I am currently in had more appropriate opportunities for me to use it.
CLIP: 3:00
VOICE: Max Clockwise (~4:30)
SCOOP: 10:00
CRUNCH: 8:00
FILTER: 1:00
SUSTAIN: 3:00
And of course LOUDNESS is just a volume knob so you can determine the setting you desire for that. I found these settings (for me and through my rig, at least) to be the most balanced between tight, present low-end and also out-of-control-fuzzy high-end with enough mids not to sound thin or get lost in a mix. I just love this pedal the more time I spend with it...I just wish the band I am currently in had more appropriate opportunities for me to use it.
i have my sustain at about 11 o'clock, filter halfway between 11 and 12, scoop at noon, crunch just *barely* before noon.
Bumping this thread. Anybody use their pickle at low gain for subtle fuzzy overdrive? What setting would you use to get that tone?
Reup! I had:
Clip - 0/min
Voice - 12:00
Scoop - max
Crunch - 3:00
Filter - 11:00
Sustain - 11:00
Loudness - REALLY low for recording use
...and it gave me a buttery smooth fuzzy feeling, with thunderous low end at the same time. I just dialed in something with a little more anger a little while ago, but these settings were worth writing down for me.
Also, on a related subject regarding the loudness: Has anyone found a mod to reduce its range?
It's a little scary having a big, easy-to-accidentally-turn-with-the-toe knob sitting down there that could go from matched volume to cab-destroying with just a small turn. Its current noon setting could really be the max and would still give me way more than I'd probably ever use.
It's a little scary having a big, easy-to-accidentally-turn-with-the-toe knob sitting down there that could go from matched volume to cab-destroying with just a small turn. Its current noon setting could really be the max and would still give me way more than I'd probably ever use.
