TC Electronic Pedals

[friendlybass]

In the mix I find delay to be more useful than reverb, especially on the digital side where you can get separate audible attacks that stay pretty distinct where reverb can turn to mud pretty fast. I'm not sure how useful the vibrato is on bass and I personally dislike flanging on bass but people make it work. They have some cool toneprints for that chorus pedal and for the price it's not bad.
Building a pedal board is a lot of fun, and while a multi effect can be cost effective and save you the pain of pedal GAS I find the multi effects I've used (zoom and boss) to have a significant learning curve and kind of a pain if you're a 3 pedal guy and dont need or want 8000 weird patches or uber programmability. Just my 2 cents

 

[DavC]

I have a Flashback ... I use it mostly as a Chorus type effect ... real short delay in Tri mode makes a nice Chorus ... and it is stereo .. also has a nice variety of delays ...

had a Corona ... it's gone .... had a Zoom B3 ... it's gone

in 40+ yrs of playing bass , never used a Vibrato ... fiddled around with a Flanger back in the 80's ...

I would also like a HOF or one of it's varieties ... Trinity / V2 , Arena , maybe 1 more .? as others say , the TonePrint is pretty cool and easy to use ... since my Line 6 HD ProX is full of reverbs , I'm looking for a cheap used HOF type ... !

 

[TripleDouble]

I gigged with a Korg Ax1B for a quite a few years before we all had big pedalboards full of hi end dedicated single effects. It was cheap and kinda goofy, but I spent a lot of time finding and programming sounds, from subtle to all out zany ring modded delay pitch effects. It really helped me learn how effects interact and function in a live mix/gig skituation. I used it in an instrumental progressive/funk/out there band, and every time I listen to old recordings, I think it sounded pretty cool. certainly not boutique, but it got the point across. The guitarist and trumpet/EVI player had similar units, and we all had cheap gear and made awesome music together. You can find these old Korg boxes used for like $75

edit: oh and regarding TC stuff, it's very high quality, but I've owned a few and they all kinda leave me feeling flat after a while. For example, to my ears, a Carbon Copy just sounds so much better than the Flashback, though it doesn't do a lot of the cool tap tempo stuff. But it CAN do oscillations and the modulation sounds really nice...

 

[maverick49]

Echoing what some others have said - pick up a used Zoom MS-60B for around $60 here in the classifieds and just experiment. Then if you dig certain sounds, buy the dedicated pedals. I love the TC stuff and they can always be had around here when you are ready.

 

[dgrizzly]

+1 for inexpensive multi to get comfortable with different types of effects before going out and spending a bunch of money

 

[I am Soma]

Hey,

I have been looking at the TC Electronic pedal range.
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There are 5 that I was looking at

• Corona Chorus
• Vortex Flanger
• Flashback Delay
• Hall of Fame Reverb
• Shaker Vibrato

A few things:

From watching YouTube demo videos I have discovered that I don't think I would ever use Vibrato or Delay.

I'm pretty sure I would use reverb and chorus.

I wasn't sure about flanger.

From what I have read, the point of a bass line is to hold the low end and not use effects like delay and vibrato which can confuse the listener.

It is worth getting the flanger, vibrator and delay pedals? Do you think it is worth getting the reverb and chorus?

Thanks

i have owned all these pedals and they all worked GREAT with bass with the exception of the vibrato. youll find a strong opinion one way or the other on if effects should be used. my current board has 15 pedals and i use them all. no one should tell you what to use/not use with your instrument. play what feels and sounds right to you. if you have any other questions on these pedals feel free to shoot me a message as i have lots of experience with all of them.

confusing the listener is what some of us try to do

 

[ashtray]

The fact that there's an entire forum section in talkbass dedicated to effects should say something as to their usefulness.

That said, I've been thumping 30-odd years and aside from a compressor, I've never used effects on my bass in a band setting. That's not to say it shouldn't be done - its just not my preference.

I've played around with effects at home however and thought they were fun to play with. And if I were in a band that effects lended themselves to the music I wouldn't hesitate to use them.

As for TCE and Toneprint - its a bit of a gimmick in my opinion. I have the Flashback Delay (use it for guitar) but I get my sound from playing around with the pedal settings, not downloading a setting that works for someone else. If you did use the Toneprint, you'll likely only set it once and use that as one setting on the pedal.

Meanwhile a multieffects unit can store tons of presets that you can easily swap between.

Its all a matter of preference - go play around with a multi effects pedal and see which effects you could see yourself using.

 

[FretNoMore]

...
As for TCE and Toneprint - its a bit of a gimmick in my opinion. I have the Flashback Delay (use it for guitar) but I get my sound from playing around with the pedal settings, not downloading a setting that works for someone else. If you did use the Toneprint, you'll likely only set it once and use that as one setting on the pedal.
...

I disagree a bit with this, a Toneprint is more than just tweaks of the knobs on the pedal, there are more settings that define the character of the effect. If you try the Toneprint editor you'll see it's more to it, and even more when TC creates a Toneprint since they have access to more parameters still. And, I don't see a difference between liking one of the pre-installed effects compared to one of the downloadable Toneprints, even if you just settle on one and use that you have more to choose from.

 

[ashtray]

I disagree a bit with this, a Toneprint is more than just tweaks of the knobs on the pedal, there are more settings that define the character of the effect. If you try the Toneprint editor you'll see it's more to it, and even more when TC creates a Toneprint since they have access to more parameters still. And, I don't see a difference between liking one of the pre-installed effects compared to one of the downloadable Toneprints, even if you just settle on one and use that you have more to choose from.

I guess my point was to evaluate the pedal without the Toneprint - if you don't like it then adding a downloadable preset isn't going to change your opinion.

 

[FretNoMore]

Again I disagree slightly; how can you dislike the pedal based on that without listening to a new delay Toneprint that's not in the pedal to begin with?

If the Toneprint on the other hand becomes your one favourite setting then it can't be a gimmick.

 

[maverick49]

Yes, some of the Artist Toneprints may not be desirable but the editor is a useful tool. For my Flashback, I was able to create more of a reverb print so now I have both Delays and a standard roomy reverb I like. Also FWIW, I did trade in my Vortex and Corona for the Dreamscape and I dig it. Downloaded the Sweet Emotion toneprint as the default print and then I still have 2 Chorus and 2 Flangers to play with.

 

[dgrizzly]

...a Toneprint is more than just tweaks of the knobs on the pedal, there are more settings that define the character of the effect. If you try the Toneprint editor you'll see it's more to it, and even more when TC creates a Toneprint since they have access to more parameters still.

I had no idea about the editor.. I assumed all TP's were created by just tweaking the knobs on the device itself. Looks like I have something fun to mess around with after work today...

 

[Anthonyfranklin9000]

Hey,

I have been looking at the TC Electronic pedal range.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

There are 5 that I was looking at

• Corona Chorus
• Vortex Flanger
• Flashback Delay
• Hall of Fame Reverb
• Shaker Vibrato

A few things:

From watching YouTube demo videos I have discovered that I don't think I would ever use Vibrato or Delay.

I'm pretty sure I would use reverb and chorus.

I wasn't sure about flanger.

From what I have read, the point of a bass line is to hold the low end and not use effects like delay and vibrato which can confuse the listener.

It is worth getting the flanger, vibrator and delay pedals? Do you think it is worth getting the reverb and chorus?

Thanks

The type of music you play factors in. I find a subtle delay or a reverb handy (generally don't use simultaneously); sometimes you want that "wet" sound for certain songs or occasions and the Hall of Fame reverb you mention is fairly versatile with many various modeled reverbs and the toneprint option. I have a similar model, the Trinity 2 from TC, which has some weirder modulated reverbs on it. TC's Flashback delay is digital and fairly crisp sounding, versus analog delays which can sound 'muddy' on bass. It would be a decent option.
I don't find use for a flanger or chorus playing but some might for funk / pop, for example. I would think a dirt / fuzz pedal of some kind VERY useful (and also addidctive) if you play any kind of hard / classic / indie rock at all, though I'd look outside of TC electronic for that, and you didnt bring it up anyway.
I find that some multi units suck tone big time. Be picky and try them out, A/B with it in your chain and turned off versus taken out of your chain is all I can say. It does give you an idea of what you like and what you have no use for without dropping money on individual fx.

 

[Mosfed]

From what I have read, the point of a bass line is to hold the low end and not use effects like delay and vibrato which can confuse the listener.

Where the heck did you read that?!? Pretty restricted way of looking at the instrument

It's all good and well for solo bass. But delay in a band?!?

I use delay a fair amount in our band and we are pretty straight ahead rock and r&b.

Delay kicks arse!

 

[FretNoMore]

A short delay can also be used in a quite subtle, almost reverb-like way. You can for instance add it to electric upright bass to give the sound a bit more "body", I think it can improve the illusion and make it a bit more double bass like.

 

[Mosfed]

reading through the responses to the thread - there are a few things worth repeating:

1) never a bad idea to get a multi-effect pedal, figure out what you like, and then drop the cake on individual pedals in that vein.

2) probably restrictive to keep yourself to only TC pedals

3) TonePrint is badass and I love it, but in the end it won't make a useless effect, useful. It's settings and lots of options but the core effect is tied to the pedal.

4) no one mentioned it but DUDE - buy some dirt! What's with all this modulation and time effects?!? Time for some dirt mofo!

5) most importantly - don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't use on bass.

 

[Patrick Spence-Lewis]

True - but you can only upload the chorus patches to the chorus pedal, delay patches to the delay pedal etc. There is not a Multi-TonePrint pedal that will give you access to all the different patches. Cunning marketing, me thinks, 'cos it would be possible. (I think.)

I use a BH250 amp head and it's compatible with toneprints. So if I link up all the pedals and put them through the amp head they will have the toneprint that is on the amp head. There is also a Switch-3 pedal which means you can alternate between different toneprints.

 

[FretNoMore]

I use a BH250 amp head and it's compatible with toneprints. So if I link up all the pedals and put them through the amp head they will have the toneprint that is on the amp head. There is also a Switch-3 pedal which means you can alternate between different toneprints.

Uh, no, the toneprints for the pedals can't be loaded in the amp, or vice versa, if that is what you mean.

 

[mmbongo]

I use a BH250 amp head and it's compatible with toneprints. So if I link up all the pedals and put them through the amp head they will have the toneprint that is on the amp head. There is also a Switch-3 pedal which means you can alternate between different toneprints.

No, it doesn't work like that. Each pedal can have it's own Toneprint, as can the amp (or two Toneprints if it's a newer amp).

 

[Solarmist]

I was so impressed with my Vortex flanger that I purchased the Flashback delay. I really like very digital sound one gets from TC, and am considering the HOF Reverb.