The fuzz alone is on the second video I posted. It's extremely sputtery, and gated way too tightly.
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We have been in the process of doing some Bass Fly Rig videos. Here is the first one:
They went for a very specific thing with that section "that cool, moog like synth" that isn't usable in real world combat bass playing situations, ever. Sad, cuz it's a really cool pedal otherwise. I'd have kept mine, if that section had proven useful in any way.
OK - I watched a couple of the videos and I like it! Sound really meaty. It seems like it would shine especially live. Don't necessarily get the dislike.
Tech21 had put up some more videos. Of course in theirs, it sounds pretty good. I really wish mine had.
Well bassiklee haven stop flaming tech21 for this product. We get it.. it's not usable for you. Now go somewhere else.
I must 3 days with the product and I'm starting to learn more about the octafilter section. I must say tech21 was right that the filter section needed some time to understand such that you get a good sound. Now i've found a setting with the fuzz and octave that sounds.. decent to my ears.
That being said, this is all in the bedroom. In mix, it might all be different. I used in a studio rehearsal last night, and i must say.. in a mix.. the whole spluttery octave fuzz this just disappears and the filter section does adds a nice dimension to the sound. Why am i still so apprehensive? Because on stage again, its different. Through gigantic PA and subs its also different. Hence i will not be quick to judge (I'm looking at the bad reviews here). I'm bringing it for my gig tonight. The club I'm paying at has a full stack at my back, and gigantic stage rattling subs. Ill report back on how this stands on stage.
About these new videos, i must i really appreciate the comparison with the analog pedals, and at those settings, it sounds.. well decent. But for anyone who is using those as a reference.. take note that the tone examples are v.. hmmm lets just say.. sensitive. Yes the fuzz sounds like that and the octave sounds like that. However if you consider, the sensitivity of the attack and decay of the note are vastly different from what you get in the analog counterparts. Think line 6 distortion models. Thats the idea.
That being said still.. everything else (incl a freaking VT bass) in a tiny little package for like $300.. why the hell not..
I must 3 days with the product and I'm starting to learn more about the octafilter section. I must say tech21 was right that the filter section needed some time to understand such that you get a good sound. Now i've found a setting with the fuzz and octave that sounds.. decent to my ears.
That being said, this is all in the bedroom. In mix, it might all be different. I used in a studio rehearsal last night, and i must say.. in a mix.. the whole spluttery octave fuzz this just disappears and the filter section does adds a nice dimension to the sound. Why am i still so apprehensive? Because on stage again, its different. Through gigantic PA and subs its also different. Hence i will not be quick to judge (I'm looking at the bad reviews here). I'm bringing it for my gig tonight. The club I'm paying at has a full stack at my back, and gigantic stage rattling subs. Ill report back on how this stands on stage.
About these new videos, i must i really appreciate the comparison with the analog pedals, and at those settings, it sounds.. well decent. But for anyone who is using those as a reference.. take note that the tone examples are v.. hmmm lets just say.. sensitive. Yes the fuzz sounds like that and the octave sounds like that. However if you consider, the sensitivity of the attack and decay of the note are vastly different from what you get in the analog counterparts. Think line 6 distortion models. Thats the idea.
That being said still.. everything else (incl a freaking VT bass) in a tiny little package for like $300.. why the hell not..
I don't see any flaming here. BassikLee makes a good point: if you already have separates that cover the functions you need out of the BFR, then there's not a lot of incentive to spend $300 or more just to miniaturize.
More importantly, not everyone likes the same stuff. If they did, we'd all have the same basses, strings, amps and pedals . Then what would we talk about?
Back to the value proposition:
Sure, you can source the BFR signal chain for less than $700, but people who are in the market for Tech 21 aren't shopping the bargain basement. Also, the only $20 tuners I'm aware of, are flimsy clip-ons.
At least for my purposes, the big deal with the BFR is separate switching for every major feature, and minimal patching/setup in a compact floor unit. One-button multi-FX like the MS-60B or the MS-100BT are off my list because of the clunky user interface.
Still, you raise an interesting point. Here's the cheapo BFR equivalent, mostly from Behringer: TU300 tuner > CS400 Compressor/Sustainer> PB100 > ADI21/DI clone) > Ultra Octaver > Ultra Chorus > MicroMon headphone amp. You also need a mess 'o plastic patch cables, a 1 Spot combo pack, a small piece of plywood, paint, and velcro.
That adds up to about $245. This saves a few bucks, and gives you more routing flexibility. Mind you, that's only if you're OK with putting the Sansamp last to get post-effects DI. Otherwise, add another $20 for an Ultra-DI DI400P.
Unfortunately, it won't be as rugged, or as compact. Troubleshooting all those connections when it inevitably goes noisy or intermittent on the gig will be a pain. Resale value will be near zero. Tonal considerations aside, it will definitely have more self-noise than the BFR.
I don't know if I'll like the BFR once I get to check one out, but it's still looking like a really good value.
More importantly, not everyone likes the same stuff. If they did, we'd all have the same basses, strings, amps and pedals . Then what would we talk about?
Back to the value proposition:
Sure, you can source the BFR signal chain for less than $700, but people who are in the market for Tech 21 aren't shopping the bargain basement. Also, the only $20 tuners I'm aware of, are flimsy clip-ons.
At least for my purposes, the big deal with the BFR is separate switching for every major feature, and minimal patching/setup in a compact floor unit. One-button multi-FX like the MS-60B or the MS-100BT are off my list because of the clunky user interface.
Still, you raise an interesting point. Here's the cheapo BFR equivalent, mostly from Behringer: TU300 tuner > CS400 Compressor/Sustainer> PB100 > ADI21/DI clone) > Ultra Octaver > Ultra Chorus > MicroMon headphone amp. You also need a mess 'o plastic patch cables, a 1 Spot combo pack, a small piece of plywood, paint, and velcro.
That adds up to about $245. This saves a few bucks, and gives you more routing flexibility. Mind you, that's only if you're OK with putting the Sansamp last to get post-effects DI. Otherwise, add another $20 for an Ultra-DI DI400P.
Unfortunately, it won't be as rugged, or as compact. Troubleshooting all those connections when it inevitably goes noisy or intermittent on the gig will be a pain. Resale value will be near zero. Tonal considerations aside, it will definitely have more self-noise than the BFR.
I don't know if I'll like the BFR once I get to check one out, but it's still looking like a really good value.
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Maybe the BFR is reactive to the type of electronics it's being fed. The best video I watched was the guy playing a passive P-bass with flatwounds!
The new videos are very informative and useful. I honestly don't know of many situations where I'll have a use for these sounds, but I'm sure some people will. I'll continue to experiment and use the videos as guides.
As to the unit as a whole, I'll continue to use the BFR for the situations I described earlier. It's a solidly built, very useful tool for times when my full pedalboard isn't called for or is not practical. It's in my gig bag and is staying there for those situations.
I think some of the disappointment regarding the OctaFilter comes from the ambiguity in the marketing materials. There's nothing untrue in the description but it certainly does leave room for one to have expectations beyond what the unit is capable of. It seems to be an issue with communication rather than engineering.
I want to like the BFR. The Octafilter as presented by t21 sounds good, but I also agree Lee's videos show an octave that is pretty unusable for what I believe most of us do with octave pedals. Hell, if the octave part of the BFR was modeled on an OC2 sound, I'd be sold. The fuzz I could probably live with, but again, were it styled a little differently, more people would be into it. It's a bold design choice from t21, for sure...
Hey, quick and easy solution based on the point of the octafilter section as per tech21 - just change the label from OCTA to SYN, for Synth =0)
The last few points have nailed my feelings exactly.
I would have liked a really great octave effect instead of the cheesy synth. A Pog or a Pitchfork would have been super-useful to have on board. Downtune your bass to F#? Turn it into a piccolo, or your guitar into a baritone or a bass VI? Done.
Of course, that would kind of cry out for 3 or 4 pitch preset foot switches. A longer version called the BFR Deluxe would likely follow.
Or pull the synth and give us the reverb, delay and OD off the RK5 instead, because then the pedal would be perfect for guitar AND bass.
Even better, would be a new unit that offered all of the above. They could call it the EFR (everything fly rig), but my vote would be the MFR (multi-instrumentalist fly rig). I would eventually buy one of those as well, even though it would be bigger and more expensive.
But in the meantime, I really need a tiny Swiss Army knife for my string pouch, which is why the only units that I am seriously considering at the moment are the BFR, the RK5, and the new G-K Plex. One of these will be mine...
I would have liked a really great octave effect instead of the cheesy synth. A Pog or a Pitchfork would have been super-useful to have on board. Downtune your bass to F#? Turn it into a piccolo, or your guitar into a baritone or a bass VI? Done.
Of course, that would kind of cry out for 3 or 4 pitch preset foot switches. A longer version called the BFR Deluxe would likely follow.
Or pull the synth and give us the reverb, delay and OD off the RK5 instead, because then the pedal would be perfect for guitar AND bass.
Even better, would be a new unit that offered all of the above. They could call it the EFR (everything fly rig), but my vote would be the MFR (multi-instrumentalist fly rig). I would eventually buy one of those as well, even though it would be bigger and more expensive.
But in the meantime, I really need a tiny Swiss Army knife for my string pouch, which is why the only units that I am seriously considering at the moment are the BFR, the RK5, and the new G-K Plex. One of these will be mine...
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I was very excited for this to come out. Just tried it out and very disappointed. Horrible tracking with a passive jazz bass with the effects. Maybe version two will be worth it.
I just procured one if these units to replace my VT di , tiner, and sometimes mxr m81 set up used for church gigs. As previously stated the octafilter section is somewhat quirky.
I like how everything else sounds, but I noticed the tuner/mute doesn't stay muted indefinitely. On at least three occasions, I've noticed that after I muted and unplugged, that the unit was not muted when I returned 30 minutes later. Has anyone elses has this same issue?
I like how everything else sounds, but I noticed the tuner/mute doesn't stay muted indefinitely. On at least three occasions, I've noticed that after I muted and unplugged, that the unit was not muted when I returned 30 minutes later. Has anyone elses has this same issue?
