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Tone sucker inventory.

#22
rockstarbassist said:
Or a looper! ;)
Click to expand...

True. Though I hate to complicate things further.

One thing I've been thinking if is getting one of those barge boxes and putting a RAT on it :bassist: since you can blend it. Thats my favorite bass distortion, but talk about a tone sucker! But then I don't know what to do for the envelope filter.

Is there a device that combines multiple true-bypass loops with a loop-specific blend capability?
 
#23
pickles said:
True. Though I hate to complicate things further.

One thing I've been thinking if is getting one of those barge boxes and putting a RAT on it :bassist: since you can blend it. Thats my favorite bass distortion, but talk about a tone sucker! But then I don't know what to do for the envelope filter.

Is there a device that combines multiple true-bypass loops with a loop-specific blend capability?
Click to expand...

I think the Barge Concepts one does that, where it actually blends the clean and wet signals, as opposed to just turns them up and/or down, like the LS-2.
When I have an effect on, I don't want much clean, so that's why I didn't go w/ them and am having my own variation of the LS-2 (sorta) built.
2 loops w/ volume attenuators on each and a master bypass, like the LS-2, except I can turn one, the other, or both off/on as I please where the LS-2 makes you cycle through.
 
#24
pickles said:
Interesting Kael ... is you bass passive or active?

I was doing all my testing today with an active bass.
Click to expand...

Oops. I missed that question till just now.

I was using my wideneck Streamer LX 6 mainly for that gig. IOW, active. I also brought out the upright, but I didn't run the big bass into the SABDDI at any point that night. I've tried out the SABDDI as a preamp for the upright with some pretty disappointing results so I don't use it with my doghouse.

For what it is worth, I've noticed the same thing with my passive J also.
 
#25
I was just messing with this again, and yep, definitely some tone suck happening. The BDDI does do some stripping, so do the EBSs ... and as you add them up the effect grows. My bass still sounds good but it doesn't feel the same ... and its definitely not just a volume drop.

Any recommendations for loopers? Ideally I'd need 3 channels (envelope, distortion, BDDI) all true bypass and a fully buffered blend function on one of them.
 
#26
pickles said:
Any recommendations for loopers? Ideally I'd need 3 channels (envelope, distortion, BDDI) all true bypass and a fully buffered blend function on one of them.
Click to expand...

E-Mail Barge Concepts about a custom version of the VFB-2. A few people on TB have custom models, but they usually just get two blending options and extra controls for a single loop. I'm sure they could do a multi-loop one, though, since they do have bigger enclosures.
 
#27
pickles said:
I think its time for me to start shopping for some true bypass effects.
Click to expand...

Interesting... the Sadowsky is advertised as having true bypass.
And yet people hearing differences between the bypass sound and the whole pedal bypassed by, let's say a hardware bypass looper....

I hear none! (the same goes for my tech21 BDDI, PBDDI, Acoustic DI).
The same is not true with my beloved EBS MultiComp.
 
#28
I'm beginning to think the extra 12' of cable has more to do with tone suck than the pedal. Thats 24' total.

If the sadowsky is true bypass, then this must be the case ... and the BDDI sucks slightly less tone since it has a good quality buffer?

That makes me think the ideal solution would be and extremely high quality active looper, with the input and output impedance optimized to work with basses and amps, respectively.
 
#29
Here's the picklesboard version 2.0 now with zero tone suck!

pedalboard2.jpg


The Barge unit is AMAZING!
 
#32
rockstarbassist said:
I didn't find my MultiComp to suck much tone, but I did bump the gain a little bit so it makes up for anything lost.
I also was running the WRONG EB VP Jr., which the guy at GC told me was the active version, but oh yeah, it's not. I can't believe (naturally!) how much better and "alive" my bass sounds. Been using it the past year or so like this... :scowl:
QUOTE]


+1...I had a very similar experience with the EB volume pedal. The difference in my overall tone was amazing when I pulled it out of the signal chain. I was basically using it for the tuner out, but after heariung the difference with it removed, I started using a Keeley True bypass Looper, and runnung the tuner in the loop...

I have been shopping for an octave pedal and another EF, but want to make sure there are no tone suck issues with the ones I buy. Anyone have any experience with the Emma Discumbobulator and the new EH micro POG? I've had some bad experiences with EH stuff, being noisey and tone suckers...but I'm interested in trying out the new Micro POG.
Click to expand...
 
#34
fishtx said:
rockstarbassist said:
I didn't find my MultiComp to suck much tone, but I did bump the gain a little bit so it makes up for anything lost.
I also was running the WRONG EB VP Jr., which the guy at GC told me was the active version, but oh yeah, it's not. I can't believe (naturally!) how much better and "alive" my bass sounds. Been using it the past year or so like this... :scowl:
QUOTE]


+1...I had a very similar experience with the EB volume pedal. The difference in my overall tone was amazing when I pulled it out of the signal chain. I was basically using it for the tuner out, but after heariung the difference with it removed, I started using a Keeley True bypass Looper, and runnung the tuner in the loop...

I have been shopping for an octave pedal and another EF, but want to make sure there are no tone suck issues with the ones I buy. Anyone have any experience with the Emma Discumbobulator and the new EH micro POG? I've had some bad experiences with EH stuff, being noisey and tone suckers...but I'm interested in trying out the new Micro POG.
Click to expand...

I still find it crazy that a volume pedal would suck tone...if it had active circuitry, I'd understand, but a passive pot in variable resistor or voltage divider setup wouldn't suck any tone, I wouldn't think. I'll have to test this theory myself.
Click to expand...
 
#35
343 Salty Beans said:
fishtx said:
I still find it crazy that a volume pedal would suck tone...if it had active circuitry, I'd understand, but a passive pot in variable resistor or voltage divider setup wouldn't suck any tone, I wouldn't think. I'll have to test this theory myself.
Click to expand...

Believe me, I was surprised as well...but they sure can. There was a link floating around TB about how the tuner out was affecting some of the older model EB volume pedals (I think)...I believe the article said they had fixed the problem with newer ones. I will try to find the lick when I get home and post it...
Click to expand...
 
#36
Interesting...I wouldn't think you could screw up a passive circuit like that. It only sends signal away, I wouldn't think it would come back to haunt you...

PS: I'm listening to the Pirates of the Carribean soundtrack right now, SO awesome. I like classical a little too much, methinks.
 
#38
343 Salty Beans said:
fishtx said:
rockstarbassist said:
I also was running the WRONG EB VP Jr.
Click to expand...
I had a very similar experience with the EB volume pedal...I was basically using it for the tuner out...
Click to expand...
I still find it crazy that a volume pedal would suck tone...
Click to expand...
You better believe it, Salty. ANY circuit has the potential to suck tone and or volume, regardless of whether it's passive or not. The main culprit is parasitic capacitance to ground, which you'll find in cables, between PCB tracks, in connectors, switches, relays and every electronic component.

The problem is made worse by the tuner output socket. When there's no tuner connected the input impedance of the VP is equivalent to the value of the potentiometer. But, as soon as you connect a tuner the total input impedance then becomes the potentiometer value in parallel with the input impedance of the tuner - this means it's ALWAYS less than the lowest impedance out of the two! So, if your tuner is a tone sucker, putting it in circuit with a passive VP is only gonna make it worse.
 

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