Worship Bass Pedalboards

[simotek]

So here's a question for you:
What kind of headphone/in-ears are those of you who run ampless using to monitor your sound? I recently went through a time of buying and trying some drive pedals, and they all wind up sounding about the same to me through my headphone setup. I do have the OCSD, which helps with my direct-only drive tone tremendously, and is a must-have, and I monitor through the built-in headphone amp. But I feel like whether it's an overdrive, distortion or a fuzz pedal, in the end they wind up sounding and behaving very similar direct. You can't get the gain up past about 9:00 before the whole thing just turns to a giant fart. It kind of defeats the purpose of even trying to HAVE different drive pedals, in my opinion. After my most recent bout of purchases, I'm back to my old standby's, the Darkglass VMT and my MXR M80 DI+ (used solely as a distortion pedal). They both sound pretty good to me, if you keep the gain knob under control. Nothing else has sounded different enough to justify keeping. I recently tried a fuzz (SolidgoldFX Imperial), which is probably a great fuzz, but it sounds like a$$ through my headphones. I also recently tried a Bearfoot Blueberry, which is a great preamp pedal, but I can get the same exact tone out of my VT Bass DI, if I tweak the knobs just right. But maybe in a different setup the two might sound different enough to justify having both of them, for example.

But I'm starting to think maybe the issue is in the headphones I'm trying to use to monitor them. I have some newer Samson studio monitor headphones that I got on sale, which work well overall, but my drives sound pretty different in them than they do in my AKG(?) dual drive in ear monitors. And they don't sound GREAT in either. Being that I'm not currently playing anywhere, I don't have the opportunity to gauge what my stuff sounds like through an actual PA. All I have to go on are the headphones.

What are you guys/girls using, and do you wind up liking how drive pedals sound through them as you are trying to dial in your tone before showing up on a Sunday morning?

If your using a Drive or Fuzz through IEM's you need to have some form of cabinet emulation, i'm using a Neunaber Iconoclast for that, as for actual IEM's i'm using KZ ZS10's, with Znari foam tips, there cheap but they do the job Link Removed

 

[JoshC]

I use Audio Technica ATH-IM70 right now. They're pretty decent. But I'm on the verge of upgrading to custom molded ears for better sealing and hopefully sound. Leaning towards the Ultimate Ears 11's right now. But I haven't gone to get molded yet.

 

[jacoby75]

In my experience with using headphones vs IEM's, what you are hearing through the headphones is their built in voicing curve. Most of them have a V shape of some sort with extended bass and treble and it's just not going to sound "flat" like it really needs to be. It's great for listening to mastered music, but not so much for live tone.

Right. I figured much like a speaker cabinet or PA speaker headphones would all have their own baked-in curve. And clearly over-the-ear headphones would give a different sonic impression than dual driver in-ears. I think the EQ curve is definitely part of it. But I wonder if part of the problem is also that I'm trying to drive and distort tiny headphone speakers and get an accurate impression of what it might sound like coming out of a PA, which would clearly be different. Perhaps it's not possible to get a completely accurate impression. Just do your best to dial it in with headphones and then see what it actually sounds like when you get there.

If your using a Drive or Fuzz through IEM's you need to have some form of cabinet emulation . . .

Agreed. I have a DSM OCSD, and you're right. For running direct with drive pedals you HAVE to have a cab sim pedal or it sounds like fizzy bee farts. I don't have a problem with fizz. There's just something about the character of the drive that ain't right. It sounds more "clippy" like a blown speaker than "drivey" like a pushed amp.

 

[ExaltBass]

I'm an Alclair custom iem user. I use their Tours, which use three drivers. I find they are great for bass, with extended lows and clear mids. They are much better than the Shures I was previously using, and way above over ears in terms of what you can hear.

 

[jacoby75]

I'm using Westone AM 30's . . .

Oh, man. Those were the days. I used to have $400 M-Audio triple drivers. They were fantastic! It was a night and day difference! Until one side snapped off and couldn't be repaired. Now they're a paperweight (a really, really light paperweight). Granted, I didn't use drives back then, so I can't really comment on that aspect of how they sounded, but I wish I could afford to pony up the money for some more triple drivers now. Every bass player should use them if they can.

 

[jacoby75]

I use Audio Technica ATH-IM70 right now. They're pretty decent. But I'm on the verge of upgrading to custom molded ears for better sealing and hopefully sound. Leaning towards the Ultimate Ears 11's right now. But I haven't gone to get molded yet.

Yep. I'm pretty sure these are the exact ones I have now. They have great low end response. Almost too much at times.

 

[jacoby75]

I'm an Alclair custom iem user. I use their Tours, which use three drivers. I find they are great for bass, with extended lows and clear mids. They are much better than the Shures I was previously using, and way above over ears in terms of what you can hear.

View attachment 3131371

Ooh!, shiny! Those would be fantastic. But I would have to sell my car to buy them, and then I'd have no way to get to church. Talk about a dilemma!

 

[jacoby75]

If your using a Drive or Fuzz through IEM's you need to have some form of cabinet emulation, i'm using a Neunaber Iconoclast for that, as for actual IEM's i'm using KZ ZS10's, with Znari foam tips, there cheap but they do the job Link Removed

But in other news . . . dang! Five driver earphones for $36.00?!

I am also genuinely intrigued by these:
https://www.amazon.com/1MORE-Earpho...scsubtag=86584e50-aaca-11e8-a517-ade1be465f21

I mean, I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for," but they're "THX Certified." Who even knew that was a thing? I doubt THX would go throwing their name around all willy-nilly-like.

 

[Eadger]

So here's a question for you:
What kind of headphone/in-ears are those of you who run ampless using to monitor your sound? I recently went through a time of buying and trying some drive pedals, and they all wind up sounding about the same to me through my headphone setup. I do have the OCSD, which helps with my direct-only drive tone tremendously, and is a must-have, and I monitor through the built-in headphone amp. But I feel like whether it's an overdrive, distortion or a fuzz pedal, in the end they wind up sounding and behaving very similar direct. You can't get the gain up past about 9:00 before the whole thing just turns to a giant fart. It kind of defeats the purpose of even trying to HAVE different drive pedals, in my opinion. After my most recent bout of purchases, I'm back to my old standby's, the Darkglass VMT and my MXR M80 DI+ (used solely as a distortion pedal). They both sound pretty good to me, if you keep the gain knob under control. Nothing else has sounded different enough to justify keeping. I recently tried a fuzz (SolidgoldFX Imperial), which is probably a great fuzz, but it sounds like a$$ through my headphones. I also recently tried a Bearfoot Blueberry, which is a great preamp pedal, but I can get the same exact tone out of my VT Bass DI, if I tweak the knobs just right. But maybe in a different setup the two might sound different enough to justify having both of them, for example.

But I'm starting to think maybe the issue is in the headphones I'm trying to use to monitor them. I have some newer Samson studio monitor headphones that I got on sale, which work well overall, but my drives sound pretty different in them than they do in my AKG(?) dual drive in ear monitors. And they don't sound GREAT in either. Being that I'm not currently playing anywhere, I don't have the opportunity to gauge what my stuff sounds like through an actual PA. All I have to go on are the headphones.

What are you guys/girls using, and do you wind up liking how drive pedals sound through them as you are trying to dial in your tone before showing up on a Sunday morning?

I'm using Westone ES50s - and I've been pretty happy with how my overdriven tone sounds through them. I'm mainly using a ss/bs Mini through a Grizzly Bass for drive...only thing I've found is that the distortion doesn't come through as much in the house as it does in my ears (I've had the sound guy record a song and play it back so I can hear it out front)...so I usually end up pushing it dirtier than I initially think I should. Either way, it still sounds good to me in my ears - most of the rest of the band have Westone IEMs as well (UM2s for those that don't have their own customs), and they like it when I add some dirt (which isn't actually too often - but will be dialing some up for sure on Mighty Warrior this weekend).

 

[jacoby75]

I'm using Westone ES50s - and I've been pretty happy with how my overdriven tone sounds through them.

Eee-gad, man! For $999, I'd hope they would sound good! LOL.

 

[jacoby75]

I'm using Westone ES50s - and I've been pretty happy with how my overdriven tone sounds through them. I'm mainly using a ss/bs Mini through a Grizzly Bass for drive...only thing I've found is that the distortion doesn't come through as much in the house as it does in my ears (I've had the sound guy record a song and play it back so I can hear it out front)...so I usually end up pushing it dirtier than I initially think I should. Either way, it still sounds good to me in my ears - most of the rest of the band have Westone IEMs as well (UM2s for those that don't have their own customs), and they like it when I add some dirt (which isn't actually too often - but will be dialing some up for sure on Mighty Warrior this weekend).

But that's a good point. I could spend hours dialing in a perfect tone in expensive headphones, and then get to a venue and find that it sounds very different coming out of a PA anyway.

 

[TrevorR]

I use Audio Technica ATH-IM70 right now. They're pretty decent. But I'm on the verge of upgrading to custom molded ears for better sealing and hopefully sound. Leaning towards the Ultimate Ears 11's right now. But I haven't gone to get molded yet.

I've got UE11s and really like them. I find they give a really clear tone a handle the low bass and kick drum reeally well. However, I'm sure many similarly spec'd in ears would give a similar performance.

 

[JoshC]

I've got UE11s and really like them. I find they give a really clear tone a handle the low bass and kick drum reeally well. However, I'm sure many similarly spec'd in ears would give a similar performance.

Yeah no doubt. Once you're into that pricepoint I'm sure most options are "good", like I doubt there is anything wrong with Auclairs. It just feels like once I'm getting to the point where I'm dropping $600 on ears I might as well go the rest of the way and get something I know is designed to do exactly what I need. It's a bit intense to spend basically the same amount on ears I spent on the bass I typically play out. But when I remember that it's essentially replacing the amp it makes it easier.

 

[ExaltBass]

Here is the newest iteration of my dual-use Pedalboard. The new add is the FEA-Labs DB-CL, in the place of the Cali76 CB, and I also squeezed the Anadime Bass Chorus on. Off the board is the VMT. I have some secular gigs coming up that will find it back in the place of the Anadime.

 

[simotek]

Right. I figured much like a speaker cabinet or PA speaker headphones would all have their own baked-in curve. And clearly over-the-ear headphones would give a different sonic impression than dual driver in-ears. I think the EQ curve is definitely part of it. But I wonder if part of the problem is also that I'm trying to drive and distort tiny headphone speakers and get an accurate impression of what it might sound like coming out of a PA, which would clearly be different. Perhaps it's not possible to get a completely accurate impression. Just do your best to dial it in with headphones and then see what it actually sounds like when you get there.
.

The biggest difference in EQ curves that you'll be hearing when playing with some drive is actually the fact that guitar cabs and alot of bass cab's are not full range and roll off alot of the high end, thats why drive pedals sound good through speaker cabinets but fizzy through any type of headphones. Again this is the main problem a cabinet emulator solves, I like my cleans really clean so when i'm playing clean I disable the cabsim and just use a slightly different eq curve (programable eq's are great)

There are also EQ differences between my over ears and in ears, if I try and dial in my low end from what I here in my over ears for example it will end up completely out whereas when I set it through my IEM's it will end up pretty close to what I get out of the front of house.

 

[kevk]

Here is the newest iteration of my dual-use Pedalboard. The add is the FEA-Labs DB-CL, in the place of the Cali76 CB, and I also squeezed the Anadime Bass Chorus on. Off the board is the VMT. I have some secular gigs coming up that will find it back in the place of the
Anadime.

View attachment 3131975

Great board! I'd gig that for sure! The only thing I'd add is a Cog Effect T-16 octave, by swapping the FEA/Drive Maker and Chorus location...making length space for the T-16 on top (above the Chorus/Shure)... Just my 0.02 suggestion

 

[kevk]

So here's a question for you:
What kind of headphone/in-ears are those of you who run ampless using to monitor your sound? I recently went through a time of buying and trying some drive pedals, and they all wind up sounding about the same to me through my headphone setup. I do have the OCSD, which helps with my direct-only drive tone tremendously, and is a must-have, and I monitor through the built-in headphone amp. But I feel like whether it's an overdrive, distortion or a fuzz pedal, in the end they wind up sounding and behaving very similar direct. You can't get the gain up past about 9:00 before the whole thing just turns to a giant fart. It kind of defeats the purpose of even trying to HAVE different drive pedals, in my opinion. After my most recent bout of purchases, I'm back to my old standby's, the Darkglass VMT and my MXR M80 DI+ (used solely as a distortion pedal). They both sound pretty good to me, if you keep the gain knob under control. Nothing else has sounded different enough to justify keeping. I recently tried a fuzz (SolidgoldFX Imperial), which is probably a great fuzz, but it sounds like a$$ through my headphones. I also recently tried a Bearfoot Blueberry, which is a great preamp pedal, but I can get the same exact tone out of my VT Bass DI, if I tweak the knobs just right. But maybe in a different setup the two might sound different enough to justify having both of them, for example.

But I'm starting to think maybe the issue is in the headphones I'm trying to use to monitor them. I have some newer Samson studio monitor headphones that I got on sale, which work well overall, but my drives sound pretty different in them than they do in my AKG(?) dual drive in ear monitors. And they don't sound GREAT in either. Being that I'm not currently playing anywhere, I don't have the opportunity to gauge what my stuff sounds like through an actual PA. All I have to go on are the headphones.

What are you guys/girls using, and do you wind up liking how drive pedals sound through them as you are trying to dial in your tone before showing up on a Sunday morning?

I use Alclair CMVK 5-driver (bass emphasis) ear-molded IEM's...

I purchased them during Alclair's 20% off sale (beginning November-Black Friday each year...)

Honestly...the Tour 3-driver model should be plenty of bass! My CMVK's can be "over the top" bass at times...but I'd NEVER go back to foam-tip earbuds! The sound (and isolation) is top notch, ime...

 

[Blu bro]

I bought the then 1964 Audio Quads.. I really like em.. but i know the names changed and a few other things since i purchased them (back in 2015).

 

[Rocksolid]

I bought the then 1964 Audio Quads.. I really like em.. but i know the names changed and a few other things since i purchased them (back in 2015).

View attachment 3132340

Yep, I'm using the Qis also and love them.

 

[yobtaf]

Here is the newest iteration of my dual-use Pedalboard. The add is the FEA-Labs DB-CL, in the place of the Cali76 CB, and I also squeezed the Anadime Bass Chorus on. Off the board is the VMT. I have some secular gigs coming up that will find it back in the place of the
Anadime.

View attachment 3131975

How does the Thumpinator work for ampless? In ear stuff?