Using effects at gigs?

[gjbassist]

I have found that as much as I want to, I don't really use effects pedals during gigs. I love experimenting with them at home. When it comes time to play live I just can't seem to find the place to use them for the type of music my band plays, classic rock and blues. My clean tone just sounds better in the mix with an overdriven guitar. I thought that at least a chorus and some sort of fuzz or mild overdrive would be useful in a band with only one guitar player to help fill in during leads. So I'm curious, does anyone else have effects who rarely uses them on gigs?

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

I have five or six pedals that I don't use at the moment, because my current band doesn't call for it.

Of course, I still use a fuzz pedal.

 

[LouisV]

Well, I have found that effects pedals are like using salt with food. They are best used sparingly. Even if the music is metal-drone, to my ears, a bass sounds best when it's "un-effected."

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

Depending on that definition, though, you could put your backline, a rolled off tone knob, and flat-or-round strings under that umbrella. They're all [del]effecting[/del] affecting your tone in one way or another.

 

[RobertPaulson]

I use fuzz and o/d all the time. The others don't really get a ton of use.

 

[Qvist]

Depends... I've often wondered if it was necessary myself. I use a behringer Bdi-21 (sansamp rip-off, I'm cheap, dont judge ) to kinda boost my "presence", but often I leave my chorus and distortion at home.

If I ever were to go on tour or something with my own gear, I would find a use for all my effects, but it's just a pain in the ass when you have to find a good sound for 3 pedals on somebody else' gear at a soundcheck, and since we're almost always opener's we're not allowed much time. I just use the BDi-21, never too much of a hassle!

 

[nad]

I've never played a gig sans pedals. That'd be like going on stage without pants. Which is cool for some, but not for me.

 

[megadan]

I use all my pedals at one point or another during a set by my band, including fuzzes, delays, ring mod, and flanger. Some more than others obviously.
So far filter has been more useful at home (just seems to muddy up the mix in live sets) but everything else I've found a use for.

 

[gjbassist]

I use all my pedals at one point or another during a set by my band, including fuzzes, delays, ring mod, and flanger. Some more than others obviously.
So far filter has been more useful at home (just seems to muddy up the mix in live sets) but everything else I've found a use for.

So what type of music do you play? Are you using the effect for an entire song or just at a certain part?

 

[megadan]

So what type of music do you play? Are you using the effect for an entire song or just at a certain part?

I play instrumental rock (link is in the sig); usually any given effect is for specific parts of a song, since most of our songs are fairly long and have a variety of different parts. For example, stomping on a dirt box for the loud part after a build up, then off and stomp on the chorus for a quiet breakdown, then build up the dirt pedal, then a fuzz for the peak, then after the peak switch on the ring mod and delay for the feedback/noise swell ending, then let it ring and play with the knobs to transition into the next song (we generally fill every second on stage with sound of some kind, so there's no 'dead air' at any point).

 

[bigchiefbc]

I have a rather large pedalboard and one of my bands is hard-rock/metal covers. I manage to work all of my pedals in to the set somewhere. Usually a pedal is never on for a whole song, its usually for a bridge, or a quiet melodic part, or a chorus. You'd be surprised how good a slow modulation can sound over bass on a rock song (like a chorus, or a subtle flanger or phaser with the depth dialed back a bit. Although it won't sound much if you have a really dark tone. I play with a lot of mid and high clank to my bass tone, so the modulation is a lot easier to hear.

 

[bassbrad]

Effects are like another instrument and you have to practice using them with failure and success along the way.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

I've played shows with and without. My pedalboard isn't set up to spec yet, so it just sits at home until I can afford the other four or five gadgets to throw in there.

 

[MadMan118]

I use a pretty basic palate of effects; VT Bass, Micro POG, and MXR 90. Dirt, fill, and modulation. Ive recently been experimenting having my drummer trigger the effects(placing the board near the hi-hat pedal. It seems to be working, given my tendency to basically hang from the rafters at shows.

 

[megadan]

Ive recently been experimenting having my drummer trigger the effects(placing the board near the hi-hat pedal. It seems to be working, given my tendency to basically hang from the rafters at shows.

You trained your drummer to stomp your pedals for you? Well done! They must be evolving!

 

[4-string]

I use my effects more than I imagined upon buying them. The EBS Multicomp is always on, first time for me with a compressor. I use the EBS octaver for a couple of tunes, on one combined with filter. Funky! The VT bass also gets some use, even only for clean tones, od is not my thing.

I hate knob fiddling, I set it and forget it. Probably one reason I dig EBS pedals, so easy to dial in, only a couple of knobs. Except the VT bass where the knobs turn if you look at them hard. I have to adjust it every time I have moved it.

 

[Pandafist]

Get a T/B looper with a clean blend.
BOOM

You can use whatever effect you want and still blend in enough clean signal to preserve your natural tone.
It's allowed me to get crazy w/ effects, but never lose the low end I so desperately crave.

 

[skulletwhip]

I use em all at every show. I got 9 plus a tuner. I keep my drive on a lot too.

 

[Happynoj]

The basslines I play in my band were written with effects in mind. I couldn't play a show without them.

 

[ga_edwards]

I began to realise a while ago that I didn't really need a ton of effects. Firstly I found that different sounds change the way the bass gelled (or not) with the drums. Secondly, that most of my effects were so subtle, no-on really noticed them, and it all sounded better with one key tone. Thirdly, too much tap dancing and twiddling in setup.

The only real effect I know use is overdrive for a little grit, even this is subtle, but it does gel a bit nicer on heavier tunes. Other effect pedals on my board (eq and compressor) are purely 'utility' and are switched on all the time.