Thickener-upper for modern-sounding basses?

[JustSomeDude]

P.S.
Rather than thinking about thickening the lows...REDUCE the Highs.

 

[dannybuoy]

Darkglass B3k
Darkglass VMT
Solid Gold Beta
Catalinbread SFT
Way Huge Pork Loin

Hmm, I wouldn't go for a B3K - that would do the opposite, making it more thinner/scooped/fizzy rather than thick/warm/furry.

The others are good shouts though. To the OP - if you like the first minute of that VMT video, but says you're not after a moderate overdrive - perhaps you are after all, as that is what you are hearing there!

Having owned all of the above at some point, the Darkglass VMT gets my vote for use with an active Dingwall. Uber smooth drive that will add to rather than take over your tone (at mild settings at least), and can handle hot signals and a low B without farting out. The Beta has a big bass boost and the drive sounds fuzzier than the VMT, but otherwise all good. I love the SFT, but it really shines with a passive bass. The Pork Loin I found a little dull, and the clean blend channel produces fuzzy artifacts with a hot bass once it's been adjusted internally for the best low end retention.

 

[mmbongo]

Hmm, I wouldn't go for a B3K - that would do the opposite, making it more thinner/scooped/fizzy rather than thick/warm/furry.

I'll have to disagree! While not as 'tubey' as the others on my list, my B3K (with the gain down) is super thick and not scooped or fizzy at all. In fact, it replaced my SFT and Pork Loin as my 'fat' pedal. It is more hairy than the others though, which might not be what the OP wants.

 

[SirMjac28]

Nathan East NE-1
Submarine

 

[The_Janitor]

I was at NAMM and heard the BassBone OD. It sounded great, but I don't think it's going to do what you want it to do. Plus it's $500.

I recently stumbled into a more vintage sound with my active bass (Ibanez ATK205). I'd been using more expensive brands of strings for years, but got tired of them. So the last time I needed new strings I went with a brand that I hadn't used since I was a teenager - Ernie Ball. I got a set of Power Slinkys and strung them up.

Sounded alright when they were new, but now that they're starting to deaden a little they sound like old-school thump. To me they sound like a perfect blend of flats and rounds. I get a little more of the thump without sacrificing as much sustain. Those strings have given my modern, active bass a much more vintage sound. So I guess in this case less is more - cheaper strings got me a lot closer to the sound I was looking for.

 

[vin*tone]

I thought the Catalinbread SFT at low gain settings was pretty good at this

This.

 

[Slaymus]

Diamond Bass Comp :
There is a low pass filter switch inside the pedal (at around 4-5k I think)
Pretty cool and with the mojo of the comp, I gives some kind of vintage twist
to my active Warwick Thumb B.O.
The Tilt-eq can also fatten nicely the tone.

 

[reddavid]

Curious to see what you come up with, Steve. I was thinking the same - how to get some 'tube' goodness from my Dingwalls. I love the current tone palates so much, I'm not looking to 'fix' anything. I love that I have J, P/J, and P covered. Just diversify. I did some research on all the things listed. Decided to forgo these and went with the $9.99 JamUp app for iPhone. You can dial in pretty much any sound you want with all the various possibilities. For the 2 or 3 times a year I want an 'effect' (distortion, chorus, tube, compression) you can't beat it.

 

[huckleberry1]

Foam.

yes foam...

 

[Feral Feline]

I liked the idea of the Diamond Bass Comp + either a hint of Beta or Barbershop.

Oh, and foam.

 

[warrplayer]

The Zoom MS-60B is *so close*. It works, but I am finding consistently that it is not really inspiring. The sounds in it are good, serviceable for live use, but not killer, and I would never record with it. I still find dedicated effects that I like have more refinement and just sound so much better, and it's not a digital vs analog thing, because purpose built digital effects, like the Polytope and Manta, sound fantastic.

Most of that can be cured by going into the MS60 from a real compressor. The Zoom compressors have the flavor down, but not the actual squash. Not that they don't compress. Just they don't compress quite like the real thing. I've been recording with it quite a bit lately. I'm sold on the preamps and amp models. Even the room verb is usable, though it wouldn't be my first choice. But, I also do a parallel DI for blending or re-amping. Having said all that, that Micro tubes box sounds pretty sweet!

 

[Groove Doctor]

I'm looking for something to put a bit of a motown spin on my Dingwall on occasion.

Not looking for fuzz or even moderate overdrive. Just a slightly compressed, tubey, rounded fatness.

Google Motown Compression aka Upward or Parallel compression.
Basically blend a heavily compressed and a clean/ slightly treble boosted bass signals. Fat AND clear.

 

[The_Janitor]

Google Motown Compression aka Upward or Parallel compression.
Basically blend a heavily compressed and a clean/ slightly treble boosted bass signals. Fat AND clear.

That's so simple but i never would have thought of it. I'm going to have to play around with this idea.

 

[blindrabbit]

Aguilar Tone Hammer pedal.

This would be a fantastic choice. A Fairfield Barbershop is another pedal full of warm delicious goodness.

 

[devnulljp]

Shove a piece of foam under your strings, or serious palm mute. Turn the amp up a bit.

 

[eddododo]

I'm looking for something to put a bit of a motown spin on my Dingwall on occasion.

Not looking for fuzz or even moderate overdrive. Just a slightly compressed, tubey, rounded fatness.

I recently played through a borrowed Joe Meek ThreeQ, that had been extensively modded with a tube front end, and it added a pleasing girth when pushed, without getting all the way into overdrive.

Prospects that I'm considering, include the Darkglass Vintage Microtubes, the new Radial Bassbone OD, and the Diamond Bass Compressor that I rejected last year. I'm also considering swapping my G-K MB800 for an MB Fusion 500 or 800, but I'm leaning more towards a pedal, as it makes it easier to manage my FOH feed.

I'm currently thinking that I want more than just a clean comp, no matter how much "opto sag" it has.

EDIT: Not considering large/expensive devices like the REDDI, as portability and cost are factors.

Pwnzor

 

[steve_rolfeca]

The trouble with foam, chicken grease, flat wounds, etc., is that you can't turn them off when they're not needed.

I'm not running away from home to join a Motown Revue. My main gig calls for a lot of dynamic and tonal range. I need to be able to open the tone control on my bass, kick a pedal, and get back to my normal tone without missing a beat.


Sent from my iPad using TalkBass

 

[dannybuoy]

The trouble with foam... is that you can't turn them off when they're not needed.

http://www.elliomartina.com/bassmute/bm_mainframe.html

 

[warrplayer]

I'm not running away from home to join a Motown Revue.
Sent from my iPad using TalkBass

*

Lol. Mom will be so relieved to hear that.

*post of the day

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Since I last dropped by, I've had some interesting developments.

1. I tried a tweaked version of the PB Olskool patch on my MS-60B on the gig. It sounded more "veiled", than "warm". After fooling around with various patches and tweaks, I bypassed the Zoom altogether, and preferred the sound of my Dingwall direct.

2. While trying to isolate a noise in our IEM feeds, I bypassed my amp, and plugged straight into the house Radial ProDI. All of a sudden, the ABZ sounded like a bass in my IEM's, instead of a giant guitar. The lows and mids were unchanged, but the highs were smoother and sweeter.

At this point, I don't know whether this came from loading the pickups down with a passive DI, or bypassing the SS DI out on my G-K head. Something more to check out.

3. The Darkglass Vintage Microtubes arrived earlier than expected. First impressions, using my little G-K MB110 practice map, and headphones:

• Nicely-made, judging from external appearances.
• Quiet.
• I don't like the distortion when it's audible. Too fizzy, and separate from the notes.
• Between the Blend, Era and Drive controls, there are a bunch of subtle "thickening" effects available.
• With the blend dimed and the drive between 7 o'clock and noon, it can get quite dark, without sounding fuzzed or raunched out. It can be too much of a good thing, but by balancing out the direct and effected signals, I could get some nice thickening. The effect was pretty subtle, though- will have to see if it's a big enough improvement on the gig to justify the price.

4. A recording buddy leant me his "extra" Focusrate ISA One yesterday. These are the kind of buddies you want to have! Once again, first impressions only:

• Glassy smooth and quiet.
• The DI channel is definitely of the transparent variety, rather than a character pre or thickener.
• That said, it has the best-sounding headphone amp I've sampled. I was marveling at the lack of "twank" and hollowness on the intial attack, especially down at the low end.
• The Line input had an interesting character, with more growl and detail in the low mids.
• This is a BIG device, larger than it looks in photos. It has a thin, stretchy strap handle, and it doesn't pack well in a gig bag, because of the boxy proportions.

Next steps:

• Compare my Radial JDI with a ProDi. The JDI has been gathering dust for months- it may be time to put it back into rotation.
• Run the JDI into the ISA One's mic input, and play with the loading/voicing switch and gain ranges.
• Compare the pre's in my Steinberg UR44 to the Focusrite. Try my Steinberg as a DI.
• Try the VMT at rehearsal, so I can crank up my amp in a band context.
• Compare the MB800 and MB200 DI outputs, to see if the MB800 sounds better at FOH.
• Check out the JDI, ISA One and VMT with and without one of my G-K heads this weekend. Conference gig. Smallish, crowded room w/150 sold-out seats. Low suspended ceiling and poorly-proportioned, but damped by lots of art on the walls, plus the chairs and people...