Double Bass What's on your pedal board? (DB Forum Thread)

[HateyMcAmp]

Me too. Arco and pizzicato sounds are too different on my NS Design NXT EUB (arco is significantly louder).

Effects aside I think dealing with the arco/pizz sound need differential is THE reason to consider going with a pedalboard. Using separate two pickups / eq settings like I do is kind of an extreme solution but it really has helped me get the sound I need for each without any compromise. I’m essentially playing two different instruments on this gig.

Channel A is the double bass channel, eq’d for a forgiving bow response. I don’t use this channel for pizz at all. I have the reverb set pretty subtle to give me a little cushion and to blend with the other string player in our group.

Channel B is basically an electric bass channel. I will say as far as electric basses go an Eminence with Thomastik strings and a Krivo works very well and sounds great in that context. The octave pedal is run with the lower octave soloed to get me down into that five string territory, not so much to get a really “synthy” effected tone.

With this setup, I can cover a lot of sonic range and can handle extreme volume levels. I’m really pleased with the sound for this project, and really happy I didn’t need to switch to BG and give up arco!

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

So I tried the EDB-2 H.E and decided to take a simpler route and avoid the challenges of blending pickup and mic. My Ehrlund EAP pickup provides excellent MBOL amplified sound -- especially when routed through a Noble tube preamp/DI. I've played the Noble almost every day for five years and can't imagine not using it for EB and DB. The Noble adds just 6dB of gain without EQ applied, so another preamp is mandatory. I got the Ehrlund preamp from Gollihur Music a few days ago.

I've potentially got a project getting back together that would call for doubling but for now, almost 100% of my playing is creating EB tracks for an independent producer and I can't stand two preamps in the EB chain. So here's what I came up with for a simple, effective solution for optimal sound. A bit bizarre, but it's working out the gate with zero issues.

There are 3 potential chains for this board. Each entails plugging or unplugging a connector or two. The pedal board also lets me avoid hanging anything unnecessary on the double bass. (a quarter inch female jack does hang on the afterlengths to receive a standard mic cable jack)

Double Bass - EAP plus Tube (similar to a mic'd signal)
DB --> Ehrlund EAP --> Ehrlund Preamp --> Radial SB-48UB (48v phantom for the Ehrlund pre; converts signal to balanced AND unbalanced; balanced is available for a clean signal but I don't need it) --> unbalanced signal to Turbo Tuner SB-300 (also a mute switch) --> Noble preamp --> XLR out to Zoom F8 recorder/FOH and/or unbalanced out to powered cab/FOH

Electric Bass plus Tube (for practice or gigs)
EB --> Turbo Tuner SB-300 (also a mute switch) --> Noble preamp --> XLR out to Zoom F8 recorder/FOH and/or unbalanced out to powered cab/FOH

Electric Bass plus Tube for Tracking (hence the open space in the middle)
EB --> Noble preamp --> XLR out to Zoom F8 recorder

 

[Jefenator]

I usually go straight in to the amp with electric bass. Would love to be able to do what with DB - I hate messing w/ outboard units - but for best results I need at least the fDeck HPF-pre. And a tuner w/ gut strings is not a bad idea.
Not quite enough there to justify a board yet. Especially when my current preferred DB amp - Bergantino B|Amp - has so many relevant capabilities built in (HPF, compression, notch & tuner).
But it wouldn't be too hard to imagine upsizing to a small board - especially if it were built around a suitable tube unit like the Noble.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

If you have a HPF in your amp and don’t want any boxes in between the best solution is an active pickup (pickup with built-in impedance buffer) like the Shadow SH-965NFX. It has an underlength mounted battery adapter, but don’t know another solution, except perhaps the Ischell contact mic with a the battery connection.
A simple impedance buffer with five electronic parts (i.e. Francis Quick ‘n’ dirty impedance buffer, only DIY) and a 9 volts battery would do too, simpler and potentially smaller than the HPFpre, but not much.

 

[Raenil]

I don't play anything loud with Double Bass - usually just with a piano and maybe a cajon. So a cable to my hartke kickback is often enough.

When I play in church, i usually has my HX stomp with HPF, phase switch and a little compression.
The church room needs more control of the boomyness.

 

[neddyrow]

Here’s my setup:

Works if I have to go without my rig. The Orchid mute/DI is like a Countryman with a mute switch. Love the black box and HPF. I use the Fwonk pedal sparingly as we are a fiddle/bluegrass band that only sometimes gets spacey.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

The wonderful thing about a pedal board is ... you can change it! I decided to forgo using a pickup and focus just on a mic. This simplifies the pedal board even more. Still dual purpose, just as easy to switch between double bass and electric bass, and a more relaxed feel to the nano+. This configuration sends the DB mic signal through the tuner and then Noble tube preamp, which splits the outbound signal to the amp and/or board/interface (via XLR).

 

[Ryan in PDX]

The wonderful thing about a pedal board is ... you can change it! I decided to forgo using a pickup and focus just on a mic. This simplifies the pedal board even more. Still dual purpose, just as easy to switch between double bass and electric bass, and a more relaxed feel to the nano+. This configuration sends the DB mic signal through the tuner and then Noble tube preamp, which splits the outbound signal to the amp and/or board/interface (via XLR).

View attachment 4565267

I haven't seen that particular radial box before. Cool concept. Have you used this in the wild yet? I can see the average sound person preferring to take the balanced out straight from the radial.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

I haven't seen that particular radial box before. Cool concept. Have you used this in the wild yet? I can see the average sound person preferring to take the balanced out straight from the radial.

If the sound person wants, they can grab feeds from both the Radial and the Noble -- and chose whichever they prefer. I'm using a Telefunken M61 FET, and putting that signal through the Noble is like using a very expensive (and too-delicate-for-a-live-gig) tube SDC mic.

 

[JBarz]

Here’s my 2022 pedal board.
Full circle —> hpf pre—> Lehle volume pedal—> Korg PB tuner—>gamechanger plus pedal—> EHX cathedral reverb.

this is the only way I could make it work because the Lehle and the plus both do a bunch of impedance buffering (?) and didn’t behave right unless I put the PB tuner between them.
i can then run into a looper if I want, but I found it to be too much of a tone-suck to have a permanent place on the board. Similarly, I can run the FX loop from the plus pedal into flavor of the day, +1 pedal I’m into at any time.

I’m just running this directly into a PJB PB300 powered speaker and it sounds better (truer, like my bass only louder, etc) than any of the other amps.

 

[LowG]

I’ve been interested in that Plus pedal, that seems like lots of fun!

 

[JBarz]

I’ve been interested in that Plus pedal, that seems like lots of fun!

It really is! Playing with a drone note is ripe with endless possibilities in itself, but this thing takes it to the next level with its adjustable 5-layer polyphony. It’s an instrument in and of itself, really. Lots of depth to it - you won’t regret the purchase. The capacity as a practice tool alone is worth the price of admission, let alone all the crazy stuff you can do with it once you start running the FX loop through octave pedals and phasers and what have you. Do it!

 

[james condino]

I lust after an entire board full of Gamechanger Audio pedals!

None of you guys are packing a looper pedal on your board? While I don't like them for endless layered live work, I find them an incredibly useful tool for rehearsal & practice.

 

[JBarz]

I lust after an entire board full of Gamechanger Audio pedals!

None of you guys are packing a looper pedal on your board? While I don't like them for endless layered live work, I find them an incredibly useful tool for rehearsal & practice.

Which looper pedal are you using? I’ve got an EHX 4500 that I’ve had forever, but seems like overkill in a lot of ways with its stereo capabilities and inability to be bypassed (not to mention not doing the tone any favors). Great practice tool, though, for sure! I bet my needs (2-3 minute loop with 4 layers max, one in/out, clean tone) could be achieved in a much smaller footprint.

 

[james condino]

I just like watching that bug zapper demonic overdrive they sell. I used one a while back with an ambient improvisational group heavily layered with a delay and an Earthquaker Spatial Delivery into a deluxe memory man. While I could never use it on my regular jazz gigs, the arco space ship landing stuff was off the charts fun! Do you know how to download those loops to my phone for a ringtone? I have a friend here in town who makes almost $40k a month for the last five years(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) from ringtones he has sold, but he won't share any of the secret sauce.

Yeah, that big 4500 is a complex workstation. I have a couple; most often I use the small EHX 360 looper. Simpler is always better for me. Then there is the whole conversation about the different looper pedal circuits- one click or double click et cetera.

In the end it is 1000 times better for me to lay down practice tracks, especially when learning melodies rather than trying to get the band to sit down for 96 repeats of "I'll See You in My Dreams"...

Killin' it a while back layering tracks with the bass and a 1937 mandola run through my pedalboard and then into a Thunderfunk head + a pair of ACME B2s+ a pair of B1s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JBarz]

My dad used to have that exact same vintage Gibson mandola when I was a kid! What a fun axe!

No idea about ringtones or storing/transferring loops. I’ve heard there is big money in writing/recording little vignettes for rap/hip-hop producers to sample, too, though, but yeah - the folks that know the inside of that market keep their cards close to their chests.

Simpler IS better, you’re absolutely right! The 4500 is cool if you treat it like a mixing board and are running multiple amps/instruments, but then it dominants the rig.

I did a little research this morning and bought one of those basic TC “Ditto” loop pedals. I suspect this’ll fit nicely as a permanent addition to the board - it had me at “true bypass.”

The plus pedal is pretty incredible in design - and super clean! I would love to see what Dave Holland would come up with one under his foot.

 

[LowG]

Yes, the TC Ditto pedals have good sound quality. I have one of those red Boss dual-size loopers and that’s too noisy and coloring to keep in the board. I even hear a faint beeping when it plays loops. I ended up getting a Pigtronix looper and that sounds clean in my setup. You can connect it to a computer and import/export audio, but I’ve never tried that.

 

[HateyMcAmp]

My updated low-profile pedalboard. This one is just to juice up my Krivo a bit.

MXR Booster (always on to give my Krivo a bit more gain live, plus a tone knob.)
Aguilar Octamizer (my only effect.)
Radial Tonebone OD DI (kind of overkill at this point, but sound engineers seem to like it.)
Korg Pitchblack Mini

Eventide PowerMini power supply, Pedaltrain Nano+ board. Feels nice and light / organized.

 

[JBarz]

My updated rig:
Red-eye —> HPF v3 —> Lehle volume —> Korg PB tuner —> Plus sustain —> Ditto Looper —> Le Bass tube pre

I locked it in with fresh dual-lock Velcro a couple weeks ago and don’t intend to mess with it for a while. When I don’t need all the bells and whistles and/or don’t want to pack up this up, I just take the Red-eye off and run it direct into my AI head’s phantom powered XLR input