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What 2 or 3 Pedals are a MUST HAVE?
- Thread starter Marius Szostek
- Start date
Tuner - I like Polytune, accurate and can be set to 432 or 440 (important if you play with modern hippies);
Compressor and DI - Sushi Box primary for both, Keeley Bassist and Countryman are the alternates.
Compressor and DI - Sushi Box primary for both, Keeley Bassist and Countryman are the alternates.
I'm finishing up a "micro board" - Valeton GP-5 and an Effects Bakery An Bread DI. The only thing so far that it sucks at is the octaver effect, but I don't use that so it's irrelevant to me. Best part is I'm into the whole rig for $120.
For my "big" board (also pretty tiny): PolyTune 3 Mini -> SoniCake Clean Boost -> One Control Crimson Red -> MXR M81. Been very happy with the results after putting the board together. I think I just want to add a chorus.
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For my "big" board (also pretty tiny): PolyTune 3 Mini -> SoniCake Clean Boost -> One Control Crimson Red -> MXR M81. Been very happy with the results after putting the board together. I think I just want to add a chorus.
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FullumMusic
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- Oct 13, 2022
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- Audio/Music software developer, contracted with a company you've heard of and deving my own stuff.
Four pages in and i know i'm late to the party...
There are absolutely no must-have pedals, unless you don't have some kind of tuner, and then get a tuning pedal. You can literally play every song in a 60s-through-now cover band direct with no FX or amp on bass, and if you and the band do a great job playing the song it'll sound great.
There are absolutely no must-have pedals, unless you don't have some kind of tuner, and then get a tuning pedal. You can literally play every song in a 60s-through-now cover band direct with no FX or amp on bass, and if you and the band do a great job playing the song it'll sound great.
I almost never use effects, but these are the three that I have needed for a handful of specific gigs or recordings over the past twenty years:
Octave (Boss OC-2)
Chorus (Mooer Ensemble Queen)
Overdrive (Creation Audio Labs Grizzly Bass)
Personally, I prefer separate pedals to multi-effects units. I like to be able to turn a knob on the fly rather than scroll through banks of stuff. But I dislike tinkering with toys, in general. It's just me.
The octave pedal was most recently used when I recorded a track for someone who wanted the rhythm section to sound "like a machine." He had recorded the drums already, so I transcribed exactly what he played on the kick through the whole tune, note-for-note, then doubled it on bass, using the OC-2. It created a synthy "triggered via MIDI" illusion.
I've used the chorus to get a pseudo-fretless thing on fretted basses.
The overdrive is mainly just used very subtly, when recording. It can raise your presence in the mix. The Grizzly Bass does "subtle" very well.
Octave (Boss OC-2)
Chorus (Mooer Ensemble Queen)
Overdrive (Creation Audio Labs Grizzly Bass)
Personally, I prefer separate pedals to multi-effects units. I like to be able to turn a knob on the fly rather than scroll through banks of stuff. But I dislike tinkering with toys, in general. It's just me.
The octave pedal was most recently used when I recorded a track for someone who wanted the rhythm section to sound "like a machine." He had recorded the drums already, so I transcribed exactly what he played on the kick through the whole tune, note-for-note, then doubled it on bass, using the OC-2. It created a synthy "triggered via MIDI" illusion.
I've used the chorus to get a pseudo-fretless thing on fretted basses.
The overdrive is mainly just used very subtly, when recording. It can raise your presence in the mix. The Grizzly Bass does "subtle" very well.
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I have an HX Stomp, which is great, but it doesn’t do filters as well. I also want to fix levels and frequencies quickly so the HX menu diving is not my favorite.
Para eq covers a lot and fixes any problems (HPF, lpf etc.). That and tuner are most essential and the grizzly is next.
Using the synth rarely but always on as a noise gate for single coil basses.
When I need to be obnoxious, the Sheehan takes care of that!
Para eq covers a lot and fixes any problems (HPF, lpf etc.). That and tuner are most essential and the grizzly is next.
Using the synth rarely but always on as a noise gate for single coil basses.
When I need to be obnoxious, the Sheehan takes care of that!
Attachments
I have experimented quite a bit with various pedals and multi FX. Right now, I am happy keeping things simple:
1 - Polytune: Clip-on tuners are great, but a tuning pedal is more precise
2 - Compressor: I use the Diamond because it sounds fantastic and has some very simple tone shaping, which is all I need. Also, I use the output to boost the signal to item #3 since I use only passive basses
3 - Tube DI: The Sushi Box Finally is fantastic. I get dirt from the tube, and I use the HPF 90% of the time. For passive basses it is important to boost the signal a bit coming into the tube DI so that you can have more flexibility with tube saturation
1 - Polytune: Clip-on tuners are great, but a tuning pedal is more precise
2 - Compressor: I use the Diamond because it sounds fantastic and has some very simple tone shaping, which is all I need. Also, I use the output to boost the signal to item #3 since I use only passive basses
3 - Tube DI: The Sushi Box Finally is fantastic. I get dirt from the tube, and I use the HPF 90% of the time. For passive basses it is important to boost the signal a bit coming into the tube DI so that you can have more flexibility with tube saturation
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I use simple pedalboards: tuner, compressor, preamp + drive on my main pedalboard.
Main pedalboard: PolyTune v3 Mini, Origin Cali76 v2 (subtle parallel compression, always on), Origin DCX (clean booster for slap), Origin BassRig SV (preamp and character for clean parts), Darkglass Microtubes X Ultra (my djent, metalcore tone).
Second pedalboard: PolyTune v3 Mini, 2xEmpress MKII Bass Compressors, SansAmp BDDI v2.
Main pedalboard: PolyTune v3 Mini, Origin Cali76 v2 (subtle parallel compression, always on), Origin DCX (clean booster for slap), Origin BassRig SV (preamp and character for clean parts), Darkglass Microtubes X Ultra (my djent, metalcore tone).
Second pedalboard: PolyTune v3 Mini, 2xEmpress MKII Bass Compressors, SansAmp BDDI v2.
I haven't seen two compressors in series before. What does that do, if both are on? Perhaps you only use one at a time?
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I use only one at a time. One is 4:1 Ratio, the main comp, and one is 2:1 ratio with scooped EQ for slow songs. But really I don't need two compressors on my pedalboard, the second Empress is a gift from my brother for Christmas, so... I have two of them. But I will sell the one I bought (I'll keep the one I received as a gift), there in no need for two on my board.
You are going to get a different answer from everyone, some will claim non pedals are necessary at all, and then there is someone like me for whom at very minimum 7 pedals are essential.
First you need to consider your playing style and the kind of music you are going to play before it even at least makes some kind of sense to talk about a limited amount of essential effect pedal types.
If you are going to emulate an effect somewhat similar to an 8 string, octave course bass, like me, though you probably am not, I would say that at very least a 1 octave up effect is essential, and for that I would strongly recommend the new Boss XS-1.
First you need to consider your playing style and the kind of music you are going to play before it even at least makes some kind of sense to talk about a limited amount of essential effect pedal types.
If you are going to emulate an effect somewhat similar to an 8 string, octave course bass, like me, though you probably am not, I would say that at very least a 1 octave up effect is essential, and for that I would strongly recommend the new Boss XS-1.
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IMHO, there are no "must have" pedals...other than tuner (in any form).
There are "good to have" pedals: DI/preamp, dirt/saturation, compression, EQ...
There are "good to have" pedals: DI/preamp, dirt/saturation, compression, EQ...
Two or more compressors in series is a common practice in recording. I have two compressors in series on my large pedalboard...
This is what AI says about the advantages of compressors in series: "Stacked compressors offer greater control over dynamic range by allowing separate stages to handle different aspects of the audio, which can create a more transparent and polished sound. "
My own take is that using two compressors allows me to achieve results which are less intrusive and more musical.
