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What pedals do I need?
- Thread starter ciaran_hughes
- Start date
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Lots of people here gig without any pedals. Others couldn't breath without a huge pedal board. I've been playing for over 30 years. Other than experimenting with some delay when I was doing a lot of Pink Floyd back in the 80s, and a distortion for playing a Muse tone, I've never used it.
Are there any tones missing from your sound for the music you are playing?
Are there any tones missing from your sound for the music you are playing?
I think it is more stuff I have read about boost pedals and compressor pedals that make me wonder if there something I should be using for a nicer clean sound.
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If I had my druthers for a barebones all in one pedal, it'd come out very close to the dUg pedal from Tech21 - it houses a compressor, tuner, preamp, DI, and a dirty channel - really I would say those things are the bare necessities for most players that aren't against effects altogether. My experience with that pedal wasn't my cup of tea, but that was solely due to my difficulty balancing a good clean sound and a good dirty sound that could be switched between on the fly. Plenty of guys here love it.
Depends for me.
I'd say the only thing that's really necessary is a good DI, whether passive or active and a compressor. Never know when the amp will crap out or FOH doesn't want DI from the amp.
Everything else is just extra flavor.
I'd say the only thing that's really necessary is a good DI, whether passive or active and a compressor. Never know when the amp will crap out or FOH doesn't want DI from the amp.
Everything else is just extra flavor.
If I had to pick just one "essential pedal" I would say, a tuner.
Not because it is hard to tune by ear, but so that the audience doesn't have to listen to me tune.
Not because it is hard to tune by ear, but so that the audience doesn't have to listen to me tune.
Some of the answer would depend on the genre of music you're most involved in. I'd say that some kind of tuner is a must, but everything else would be pretty subjective. Most here would say you need some kind of dirt(Overdrive, Distortion, or Fuzz), especially if you're not running a tube amp. If you're in a R&B/Funk outfit, you're gonna need an Envelope Filter & modulation(Chorus, Flanger, Phaser). If you're into industrial-type stuff, you're probably gonna want a good Delay and some Reverb. There are those, myself included, that think Compression is awesome, when used correctly, and leave it on all the time.
Bottom line, gotta have a tuner. After that, whatever effects, or lack of effects, makes you wanna play is the right way to go...
Bottom line, gotta have a tuner. After that, whatever effects, or lack of effects, makes you wanna play is the right way to go...
none are needed especially if you have a tube amp or a solid state with a drive channel
tuner is good to have but you can always tune other ways
compressor i would say is the next most important to a tuner
tuner is good to have but you can always tune other ways
compressor i would say is the next most important to a tuner
It depends on what’s missing from your sound. Nothing wrong with buying a bunch of pedals to play with, but it can get expensive. I don’t use any live, but that’s just my preference. It doesn’t mean other people don’t need them to achieve their sonic goals.
The only pedal I used live was a volume pedal. It just made it convenient to shut down the bass without shutting off equipment or messing with multiple volume knobs on the bass. I might get a Sansamp DI someday, but that's not really a pedal.
Must have for me: a compressor (used ‘properly - tighten up B string, and eliminate ring from C string), preamp for tone shaping and a chorus.
Bonus pedals: reverb, delay and a boost/OD (to hit the comp a little harder, turning it into a smoothing effect).
Fun stuff: Harmonizer (I use a TCE Quintessence) and wah/filter.
I use all of them live, but the fun stuff only gets used for small sections on certain songs.
Bonus pedals: reverb, delay and a boost/OD (to hit the comp a little harder, turning it into a smoothing effect).
Fun stuff: Harmonizer (I use a TCE Quintessence) and wah/filter.
I use all of them live, but the fun stuff only gets used for small sections on certain songs.
Get a Helix, you will never need another pedal again. Rock on.
It is tough to call any of them a necessity, but there are a few I would highly recommend.
A Tuner Pedal. Being in Tune is good. They can usually serve as a signal mute as well.
Yeah, not really sure from there. Maybe a compressor?
Cheers.
A Tuner Pedal. Being in Tune is good. They can usually serve as a signal mute as well.
Yeah, not really sure from there. Maybe a compressor?
Cheers.
None. First pedal for me, a compressor. Second, chorus, third, grit if I'm not getting it at the amp.
Mugre
Mugre
Necessity?
Maybe a tuner.
Otherwise you do what suits you, depending on the sort of music you're playing.
Maybe a tuner.
Otherwise you do what suits you, depending on the sort of music you're playing.
You don’t need any, necessarily. IMO it’s a good idea to consider a compressor, high pass filter and a relatively light overdrive. You may find yourself loving what effects can give you and want a nice full pedalboard, and that’s cool, but you can function just fine and sound good without any of them.
As specifics go, I use (among other things) a Wampler Ego compressor, Broughton high pass filter and a bunch of different dirt pedals; something like a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes or Vintage Deluxe would be a good start if you’re just getting into pedals.
As specifics go, I use (among other things) a Wampler Ego compressor, Broughton high pass filter and a bunch of different dirt pedals; something like a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes or Vintage Deluxe would be a good start if you’re just getting into pedals.
A tuner.
Beyond that it depends entirely on the genre and specific songs you're playing. Many don't require any pedals. Some require a bunch.
