Yeah, you probably haven't heard any of my other clips, right? I basically play like a guitar player all the time, I know! Unfortunately I don't have any clips of this particular pedal in a band context, but I can assure you the pedal and the playing fill out the mix for my band really well, especially when we play as a three piece, where the guitar player will drop out to sing and I've got to carry the riff all on my own. But I don't think it sounds completely like a guitar... I'm playing in dropped C# tuning, way down lower than the guitar can reach, so it still sounds like a bass to me because that's the pitch range I'm using, albeit played the way I like to hear it (aggressive), which a lot of bass players don't know how to do I've noticed.
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Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive SOUNDCLIPS
- Thread starter Mark Olson
- Start date
Just for the sake of clarity though, the way I play is completely and utterly technically wrong... I strike my strings exactly the ways they tell you not to when you're learning to play the bass. But I dig it, and like I always say, never let anyone tell you there's a right and wrong way to do music! Cheers.
Nope, I haven't heard any of your other clips but I understand your description. I play in a 3 piece band, too, and sometimes find myself playing "guitar" parts while the guitar solos. Your playing is very good (albeit untraditional 
) and I could see how it, along with the tone of the pedal, could work in a mix.
) and I could see how it, along with the tone of the pedal, could work in a mix.Thanks! It's still taking me a long time to really get down how I want to approach my instrument, but even just the brief time in which I've been doing soundclips on here shows an evolution I think, and I hope my approach is a little unconventional . I'm not the greatest musician around, but I've got my thing that I do, and I'd like to think no one else is quite like it (I should dream on right, haha).
. I'm not the greatest musician around, but I've got my thing that I do, and I'd like to think no one else is quite like it (I should dream on right, haha).
Been thinking of picking up a Sparkle Drive again. I kind of miss mine. I love the way it pushes a tube amp, something that I cannot replicate with the Fulltone Bassdrive. Not sure why but the Bassdrive seems to overpower the amp while the SD seems to meld with it into this one glorious sound. Also looking at the HBE Hematoma, I don't think it is what I am looking for but you never know until you try it right?
your clips sound really good, thanks for the G.A.S. Between the Sparkle Drive, Hematoma, DHA VT1-EQ-Bass, and Fralin pups for my classic 50's P this is going to be an expensive month. almost for got, I am also considering a Wilson Wah as well....
your clips sound really good, thanks for the G.A.S. Between the Sparkle Drive, Hematoma, DHA VT1-EQ-Bass, and Fralin pups for my classic 50's P this is going to be an expensive month. almost for got, I am also considering a Wilson Wah as well....
I was getting ready to buy a sparkle drive, but one of my friends has convinced me to let him try and build me a bass drive with a blend out of a boss sd1... ill have to see how that sounds and if it doesnt cut it then im definitly gonna pick one up...
i use a xotic bass bb preamp right now and i thought i liked it til i used my friends sparkle drive on a recording...
i use a xotic bass bb preamp right now and i thought i liked it til i used my friends sparkle drive on a recording...
The Sparkle Drive and the Bass-Drive are actually completely different animals in my experience... I've owned I think 2 Sparkle Drives and 3 Bass-Drives. They're both good pedals, but the big difference for me was that I didn't like the Bass-Drive's response to my wah pedals, whereas the Sparkle Drive sounds great with a wah. But if you're not using a wah, the Bass Drive can give you more options than the Sparkle Drive.
The Sparkle Drive is also quite different from the Hematoma, in this case the Sparkle Drive gets much brighter and snappier in the high end, whereas the Hematoma, which sounds great at minimum gain (that was my favorite setting with it) is also capable of much more gain than the Sparkle Drive. You can get a pretty heavily distorted sound out of it, but it does a really nice lighter overdrive as well. And once again, I didn't really like the way the Hematoma responded to my wah... if it responded the way I wanted it to it would probably still be on my board, it's a really solid pedal.
The DHA definitely sounds the fattest, yet I also found it to be very compressed, which can be handy too. I think it's absolutely excellent as a tube fattener, but I preferred running a separate overdrive into it as opposed to pushing the DHA into overdrive. Lots of overdrives sound great run into a tube preamp.
I've also had the Xotic BB, another cool pedal, but I found for me it got kind of muddy and not bitey enough for what I like on the E string. I don't think the Sparkle Drive sounds as fat as the BB, but it stays nice and clearly defined with plenty of bite and growl on my E string, all the way downtuned to a dropped C#.
The Sparkle Drive is also quite different from the Hematoma, in this case the Sparkle Drive gets much brighter and snappier in the high end, whereas the Hematoma, which sounds great at minimum gain (that was my favorite setting with it) is also capable of much more gain than the Sparkle Drive. You can get a pretty heavily distorted sound out of it, but it does a really nice lighter overdrive as well. And once again, I didn't really like the way the Hematoma responded to my wah... if it responded the way I wanted it to it would probably still be on my board, it's a really solid pedal.
The DHA definitely sounds the fattest, yet I also found it to be very compressed, which can be handy too. I think it's absolutely excellent as a tube fattener, but I preferred running a separate overdrive into it as opposed to pushing the DHA into overdrive. Lots of overdrives sound great run into a tube preamp.
I've also had the Xotic BB, another cool pedal, but I found for me it got kind of muddy and not bitey enough for what I like on the E string. I don't think the Sparkle Drive sounds as fat as the BB, but it stays nice and clearly defined with plenty of bite and growl on my E string, all the way downtuned to a dropped C#.
I just got a Sparkle Drive and even though I have had it for a week, I think it's great. I have wanted one ever since I have heard your clips, Mark. It's an excellent pedal for a light overdrive, but it can get heavier if you want it to.
I got this pedal because it has a Clean control that lets you blend your clean signal. I think that for a bass player this is a must have because with this pedal my jazz bass stays punchy and cuts through the mix.
By the way, I have tried Bassdrive and while it was different, I think that Sparkle Drive is a better pedal, even though it has less options.
I got this pedal because it has a Clean control that lets you blend your clean signal. I think that for a bass player this is a must have because with this pedal my jazz bass stays punchy and cuts through the mix.
By the way, I have tried Bassdrive and while it was different, I think that Sparkle Drive is a better pedal, even though it has less options.
I actually like the Bassdrive for some aggressive distortion with the boost on, it sounds good to me in a full band mix with heavy guitar(s). I find the Bassdrive a little anemic when it comes to milder OD, the sound seems to stay separate from the amp, its like you can tell there is a pedal and an amp operating at the same time. I almost hear the tone of the bassdrive ahead of the the amps tone if you know what I mean, whereas the SD becomes part of the amp and sound.
The reason I am considering the Hematoma is for a mild OD sound, not sure if it will work for me or not. I would like to give it a shot and if I don't like then return it and get the sparkle drive, which I have used extensively before.
The DHA i am getting mostly for the DI/Preamp features. I would like to have it in case my amp goes during a gig, I can still get a decent sound to the PA. I also like it for the headphone amp/aux input for bedroom practice. Never really been a fan of preamp generated OD. But you never know, maybe its can do what the SD can and then I only need to buy one pedal, might a bit too much to ask of one pedal though That's what makes these things fun, they all have their own personalities.
The reason I am considering the Hematoma is for a mild OD sound, not sure if it will work for me or not. I would like to give it a shot and if I don't like then return it and get the sparkle drive, which I have used extensively before.
The DHA i am getting mostly for the DI/Preamp features. I would like to have it in case my amp goes during a gig, I can still get a decent sound to the PA. I also like it for the headphone amp/aux input for bedroom practice. Never really been a fan of preamp generated OD. But you never know, maybe its can do what the SD can and then I only need to buy one pedal, might a bit too much to ask of one pedal though
That's what makes these things fun, they all have their own personalities.I do like the Sparkle Drive a little more than I liked any of the Bass-Drives I've had, the blending of the clean boosted signal really can help with the low end.
I do have to agree, I really like the way the Sparkle Drive melds with my amps. It's almost as if I can get the overdriven sound my amp would provide, but at a lower volume which is what I gig at.
I do think the Hematoma is great for a mild overdrive, it's very chunky sounding like that, which I like especially with pick playing. I don't think the Hematoma is as responsive to picking dynamics as the Sparkle Drive, but it sure does put out a good sound.
I do have to agree, I really like the way the Sparkle Drive melds with my amps. It's almost as if I can get the overdriven sound my amp would provide, but at a lower volume which is what I gig at.
I do think the Hematoma is great for a mild overdrive, it's very chunky sounding like that, which I like especially with pick playing. I don't think the Hematoma is as responsive to picking dynamics as the Sparkle Drive, but it sure does put out a good sound.
I lost an auction on friday for a keeley modded sparkle drive... it went for 160 and change... subsequently i went to guitar center and picked up a stock one... which i really like...but there is still a little gremlin in the back of my mind that wants the modded version... can some one please post sound clips of the modded sparkle drive so i can make up my mind?
I have a modded Sparkle Drive. It's definitely fuller, fatter, and has more low end retention. It still retains the gritty tube screamer kind of ratty vibe, but as you know, with the Blend knob you can dial it as subtly as you want.
Currently I'm using mine in line with a VT-bass pedal. The VT-bass is set for mroe of a vintage tone with just a bit of hair on the tone when I dig in. When I need more over-drive I pop on the Sparkle Drive which changes the tone into a more modern sounding rock tone.
Very happy with the combo of the two pedals.
.
Currently I'm using mine in line with a VT-bass pedal. The VT-bass is set for mroe of a vintage tone with just a bit of hair on the tone when I dig in. When I need more over-drive I pop on the Sparkle Drive which changes the tone into a more modern sounding rock tone.
Very happy with the combo of the two pedals.
.
I may at some point get my Sparkle Drive modded, and if I do I will do soundclips of the modded pedal, but there's some other pedal alternatives I'm going to look into before I do that...
I think I am going to add the Barber LTD/LTD SR to the list. Polish "LovePedal" seems interesting too, but it might be a little too fuzzy for what I am looking for.
I now have a Polish Love and a Sparkle Drive and I much prefer the Sparkle Drive. Polish Love is not bad at all, especially for the money but it's more a fuzz especially if you turn the gain up. It has one nice setting when you can use it for overdrive (this is the setting that most people around TB talked about - gain at about 9 o'clock) and that's about it.
Plus I can use a Sparkle Drive for low gain and it has a clean control, doesn't get lost in the mix, has great mids to push the amp. The Polish Love has less mids and I personally don't like it that much as a low gain pedal.
Originally I got Polish Love because I thought that I would use just one overdriven sound in my band, but now I actually prefer a low gain pedal and another higher gain pedal (or a fuzz). I think it just works better this way.
