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What are your essential pedals?

#183
Essential:
TC Polytune 3 Mini (plus buffer)
Keeley Bassist Compressor
Broughton Messenger Preamp (mainly for the HPF/LPF/DI) or Broughton HPF

Non-essential but regular use:
TC Electronics Chorus / Pitch Modulator / Flanger
Broughton Super Stack
Boss OC-2

Less essential:
Broughton SV-Pre
Boss RV-3
Boss SYB-3
Eden GlowPlug

Now off the board
Sansamp BDDI

Will be essential when I get them
Shift Line IIIs
Vong HPF/LPF/DI (both to replace the Messenger)
Broughton HPF

But I have been avoiding my Boss pedals for some time now, I don’t like how they dirty up the signal when not on. For you Boss OC-2 users, do you just accept this, or do you have a way you loop around it?
 
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#184
Btbp said:
But I have been avoiding my Boss pedals for some time now, I don’t like how they dirty up the signal when not on. For you Boss OC-2 users, do you just accept this, or do you have a way you loop around it?
Click to expand...

I use the TC Electronic Sentry. If you use the loop it can be set below threshold, as it ignores the input signal to trigger the gate, only the noise from pedals within the loop. You can also customize the frequencies it looks at as well. Super versatile. I’ve got the OC-3 and it doesn’t seem to be noisy but I have a couple pedals that are. Sentry is perfect. Always on and invisible, keeps me dead silent when not playing.
 
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#185
scottfeldstein said:
It stops them even trying to reproduce frequencies that they can't handle–because they never receive them. It reduces speaker excursion without sacrificing the sounds you want to have. It's an efficiency thing. A signal conditioning thing. It's signal hygiene.
Click to expand...
Thanks. My TecAmp has a 30Hz attenuator, but I've never used it, thinking the cab can't reproduce that low anyway. I may have to rethink that one.
 
#188
Tuner (just got a StrobostompHD) > Cali76 CB > Broughton Messenger. Always in use and impress me all the time.

Drive goes 5th gear > MBD2 > SV Pre. I like all 3 but if I had to pick one right now it would be between the 5th and MBD2. It's nice to have options though. I decided a while ago to move on from a handful of pedals and the current setup seems to be working nicely.
 
#189
jdc866 said:
I use the TC Electronic Sentry. If you use the loop it can be set below threshold, as it ignores the input signal to trigger the gate, only the noise from pedals within the loop. You can also customize the frequencies it looks at as well. Super versatile. I’ve got the OC-3 and it doesn’t seem to be noisy but I have a couple pedals that are. Sentry is perfect. Always on and invisible, keeps me dead silent when not playing.
Click to expand...
I think that addresses a different issue - noise when not playing. My issue is many or all Boss effects color the sound whether or not they are active.
 
#191
Tottery said:
Been a meat and potatoes player my whole life. Meaning, I've never really used any pedals, but now that I'm digging deeper into bass, I'm wondering what pedals are essential outside of a tuner.

What do you all use and suggest? Pics of your fancy toys are a plus!
Click to expand...
I use an envelope filter and a compressor because I use an active bass.
 
#192
Btbp said:
I think that addresses a different issue - noise when not playing. My issue is many or all Boss effects color the sound whether or not they are active.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. The OC-3 is true bypass and I haven’t noticed any coloration from it when it’s off. I’ve never used the OC-2 but IIRC the 2 is analog and 3 is digital, so that could be where the issue is, in which case you’d need a bypass loop like Earthquaker Swiss Things
 
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#193
Ian Lewis said:
Thanks. My TecAmp has a 30Hz attenuator, but I've never used it, thinking the cab can't reproduce that low anyway. I may have to rethink that one.
Click to expand...
Yes, whether your cab can reproduce it (at meaningful volume) isn't the point. The point is it still gets that signal from the amp and tries to. It should never even receive it.
 
#196
For special occasions, I whip the sonic space into shape with this.
 

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#199
What are your essential pedals?
can't say any of mine are essential (my EQ is on the amp), but i get a kick out any of the EFX pedals i've had/tried. i always eq, but i don't always use a compressor, or a reverb, chorus, synth, HPF, yada yada. they all sound good to me some of the time, but not all of the time, so: none are essential. that said: another non-essential pedal i'm interested in might be a source audio C-4. :laugh:
 

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