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WHOA...Digitech The Drop
- Thread starter Adamixoye
- Start date
It does that well. I also would like -4 steps to simulate BEAD, but I didn't have time to try that. I'm on a support call now. New gear, can't play it. :-(
A little more play time in. Make sure your action is good with minimal buzzing. Better to have no buzzing from the strings. The buzzing can throw off tracking and also give a fake sound to the dropped note.
Ok- I ordered one, and will do a review once I get it. Both in a band setting and at home.
I am thinking this will be great for screwing around at home- say I want to play along with a Drop-Tuned C song, like old QOTSA, or Motley Crue Drop full step.
No Way I am screwing up my bass action detuning that low- so hopefully this will do what I want, and the half-step down songs, etc...
I am thinking this will be great for screwing around at home- say I want to play along with a Drop-Tuned C song, like old QOTSA, or Motley Crue Drop full step.
No Way I am screwing up my bass action detuning that low- so hopefully this will do what I want, and the half-step down songs, etc...
More play time and my finalized thoughts, I think. Like the pedal a lot. For me just getting a usable instant Eb is killer. I would pay twice as much just for that. If I were recording, I'd detune my strings instead of stomping on the pedal, but for a live situation, it'll work just fine. Roll down the tone a little to eliminate the weird chorusing of string noise and rattles. The octave down will not replace my EBS Octabass but I found a cool use for it. Roll down on the tone knob and play closer to the neck doing a walking bass line (an octave up of course) and it really takes on an upright vibe. Definitely not something that all the jazz bassists over on the Upright side of the forums will burn their vintage uprights for, but it has a bit of the delayed attack and bloom of an upright while the lower notes seem to have a bit of an upright "body" to them. So this pedal does Eb well enough for a gig, D is also fine, and I can use it to cop an upright feel. I give it a thumbs up!
So the local shop got Drop's in today and I hopped by to take mine.
I've only tried it at home through headphones and I don't even have a bass preamp at this time so it's as raw as it gets.
It is NOT as good as detuning with proper strings. However for my purpose (butchering my favorite songs in the bedroom) it saves me from detuning/restring or keeping multiple basses with different tunings on hand.
I could see live use for it if I needed alternate tunings beyond drop D, which I don't at the moment. If I ever do, I'll be more than happy to have this.
Not sure yet if I would record (even youtube videos) with it - time and an incoming preamp will tell.
I've only tried it at home through headphones and I don't even have a bass preamp at this time so it's as raw as it gets.
It is NOT as good as detuning with proper strings. However for my purpose (butchering my favorite songs in the bedroom) it saves me from detuning/restring or keeping multiple basses with different tunings on hand.
I could see live use for it if I needed alternate tunings beyond drop D, which I don't at the moment. If I ever do, I'll be more than happy to have this.
Not sure yet if I would record (even youtube videos) with it - time and an incoming preamp will tell.
Maybe I'm missing something here but for you guys who absolutely need a low Eb why don't you just tune down your E and keep the others in standard? It should be simple enough to tune down in the time it takes your guitarist to switch guitars.
I guess it could be weird if you're playing in a non traditional way or something.
I guess it could be weird if you're playing in a non traditional way or something.
Depends on the application. I actually have a bass with a D-tuner so if I need a single Eb I can tune to D and play the 1st fret. I mostly play 5-string these days anyway, but before I did I would sometimes tune BADG for 5-string stuff!
This approach however requires rethinking the instrument, much like open tunings on the guitar. This can be a fun and creative thing to do by the way.
Tuning down (all strings) or using the pedal on the other hand means you don't have to think (which could induce some laziness) and makes it possible to play stuff where non-standard open strings are required, or transposed fingerings are very uncomfortable.
I've done that before and it makes things more complicated, at least for me. Especially when I've learned a song and now we want to drop a half step. I tend to memorize songs by learning patterns or shapes on the fretboard rather than notes even though I can read music perfectly well.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
I can drop the E to D with no problems, but lowering it a 1/2 step to Eb is just too weird for me. i'd rather just detune the whole bass a 1/2 step to play in Eb and use a different one when playing in A 440, or just use the drop for that.
I was just messing around with my drop and there definitely is latency, but not all that much, so I agree with cybersnyder. the first time I plugged it in I didn't notice it, but after listening for it, it definitely is there, that said, i think that it's still a great pedal.
I was just messing around with my drop and there definitely is latency, but not all that much, so I agree with cybersnyder. the first time I plugged it in I didn't notice it, but after listening for it, it definitely is there, that said, i think that it's still a great pedal.
You mostly notice the latency when slapping. Fingerstyle, it just sounds like a more of a bloom to the note. But! You can slap with it and it doesn't screw up the tracking. The only thing that I've seen that messes with tracking is if you have a lot of string buzz either from poor setup or poor technique.
Treble boost + bending sounds like fancy autotune, you should try it!
Latency is definitely perceived but it's not worse than standing a few steps away from your amp... which is confusing using headphones. Shouldn't be a deal breaker though.
That makes sense. I tend to work with a lot of transposition so it just seems easier to tune the E lower. I can see how that would be confusing if you primarily play by pattern instead of pitch though.
Ok I got mine- first impressions- definetely sucks some of your tone when on (but not horrible). The bypass tone seems true bypass. Tracks fairly well so far, but there is latency, not horrible, but its there.
No one has mentioned it yet, but when you do short slides, it seems to throw it off at times and produce an unwanted artifact. More to follow.
Used it to play along with some QOTSA Drop C songs- seems to track pretty well even on the faster parts.
As others have said seems to work really well for the half-step downtunes. (you either tune down the whole bass half-step or nothing. Dropping just your e-string throws off all your patterns, which is part of your muscle memory.)
Works respectable for the Motley Crue Whole Step drop songs.
Couldn't see using this live though, other than for 1-2 songs, as the latency is there.
No one has mentioned it yet, but when you do short slides, it seems to throw it off at times and produce an unwanted artifact. More to follow.
Used it to play along with some QOTSA Drop C songs- seems to track pretty well even on the faster parts.
As others have said seems to work really well for the half-step downtunes. (you either tune down the whole bass half-step or nothing. Dropping just your e-string throws off all your patterns, which is part of your muscle memory.)
Works respectable for the Motley Crue Whole Step drop songs.
Couldn't see using this live though, other than for 1-2 songs, as the latency is there.
Last edited:
- Apr 9, 2012
- 18,158
- 69,338
- Disclosures
- Occasional Beta Tester for Confusion Studios, Singular Sound, and Source Audio
Here's another bass demo.
The reviews are helpful, guys, thanks. Some of them are making me feel just a touch lukewarm on the pedal for bass, but the flip side is that polyphony and use on guitar are huge for me. What I've heard so far in the bass demos has been more or less good enough for me, considering the guitar reviews seem to say it meets or exceeds the Morpheus.
Once I get my house rented, this might be my first purchase. If you guys know anyone looking for a 3 bedroom place in Middletown, CT let me know! <--hoping that doesn't violate any forum rules.
The reviews are helpful, guys, thanks. Some of them are making me feel just a touch lukewarm on the pedal for bass, but the flip side is that polyphony and use on guitar are huge for me. What I've heard so far in the bass demos has been more or less good enough for me, considering the guitar reviews seem to say it meets or exceeds the Morpheus.
Once I get my house rented, this might be my first purchase. If you guys know anyone looking for a 3 bedroom place in Middletown, CT let me know! <--hoping that doesn't violate any forum rules.
- Apr 9, 2012
- 18,158
- 69,338
- Disclosures
- Occasional Beta Tester for Confusion Studios, Singular Sound, and Source Audio
Considering I never had any complaints about the Morpheus except clean tone (latency and tracking always seemed pretty great to me, and dirt covered up tone problems), this still kind of stuns me to hear people say.
I have a Morpheus that I picked up at GC on blow out for $29 and that's going back. The Drop is way better in terms of latency, tone and accuracy.
