I tend to think/feel this way, too. There was a Jesses Reeves video a while back (he didn't use effects) where he said something like in the front of house, it sounds like a bass. I use/send a good fundamental tone to FOH and IEM's. Keys and guitar use plenty of effects. I don't need to muddy things up. As one compression and a little drive and I'm good.
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Worship Bass Pedalboards
- Thread starter Cshanks5
- Start date
Not a pedalboard but related because you plug it into the pedalboard….
Do any of you use a fretless bass on a regular Sunday service ? I'd love to learn and it feels like it could fit when the vibe is more acoustic but I've never seen one.
I do.
Bought it two years ago, and thought that I'd use it here and there: turns out I use it more than the fretted!
It takes a bit of time to get used to it- my keyboard player is a music teacher with perfect pitch, and frequently made her wince, but it's got much better
. Peace,
SoundSupport
I do the same thing in a different way. He's using an ABY box: I have XLR outs at key points in the chain.
Signal flow is:
Two basses into Radial Bigshot I/O
[Radial tuner out to D'addario tuner]
Radial to Eden Glowplug tube boost
Eden Glowplug to Eden WTDI
Eden WTDI XLR to house (clean signal)
Eden WTDI line out to T-Rex Quint octaver
T-Rex to EHX Bass Soul Food overdrive
Soul Food to Crazy Tube Circuits Cyclone phaser
Cyclone to Boss CEB-3 Chorus
Chorus to JHS Pulp'n'Peel compressor (set to use for slap)
Pulp'n'Peel XLR to house (effected signal)
Pulp'n'Peel line out to Eden Terra Nova TN501 amp + 410 cab
XLR out from amp to house (blended signal)
Peace,
SoundSupport
Fretless? In church?
Just kidding. Lovely bass, mate. The board ain't too shabby either....
I'm interested in the need for pedals, period. I've played for nearly 50 years and have never needed a pedal, let alone a whole board of them. At one stage I used (and still possess) a phaser for one song. I did pick up a multi effects unit, which I have only played with at home and use it as a tuner. I am still trying to fathom the need. Yes, they can make pretty noises but, we are not there to entertain (in a P&W situation), so, I ask, is there really a need?
They're fun. They offer variation and can be, when used tastefully, a very dynamic tool. They're just not for everyone I suppose.
No, that is true. But in relation to pedals and what they bring, it's not entertainment inasmuch as the keyboardist or the guitarist changing sounds. I think it's a very strange thing to not be entertained to some degree. We're only human.
Simple answer... No.
More complex answer would be, why not? I used to emulate (to some degree of success I'm pleased to say) a fretless vibe with a chorus and a smidgeon of delay. Did anyone, besides the other musicians and the sound guy, even notice? Perhaps not. Did it add anything to the worship? I think it lifted my playing, which in turn influenced the band, which resulted in a better band - maybe.... Did it take anything away from the glory of the Lord? Not one iota. I made a joyful noise, as instructed by David.
Just my 10p, is all.
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I think it depends on what music you're playing and if you want to sound like the recording. A lot of the newer stuff has some overdrive on the bass. If you are on a silent stage and can't push an amp then pedals are the only way to get it. It's also nice to use some chorus and delay to add to the ambient sounds from the EG.
I picked up a zoom B1x four. Like you I originally just wanted a tuner pedal, but then got thinking a compressor and noise gate are super applicable too, so this does all of that plus a gajillion things I'll never use. I used to accomplish all that with rack units, but my aging back doesn't like to haul a lot of stuff any more. So I still use a clean sound but with that subtle professing.
I also made a patch to sound like a bowed bass pad to play as a vamp when a speaker is long winded.
The only thing I think I'll add is a quality direct box because I never know what equipment has been shuffled around by the house.
Thank you all for your honest answers. I was hoping that my comments did not ignite a flame war. Your thinking is much as my own.
I imagine a good majority posting in this thread are going ampless, straight to FOH monitoring via IEMs. Maybe it's a live broadcast, maybe it's being recorded. What I see represented on many of these boards is a foundation of pedals that cover the most basic of functions: preamp, EQ, compression and DI to sculpt the sound to their liking for their in-ears. Sometimes just a DI will suffice, other times further EQ helps you sculpt your tone, and compression can help you sit in the mix a little better, not to mention a little overdrive.
I feel many of these pedalboards are based on what we miss out on when going ampless, or vice versa, many of these qualities are exactly what we love about our favorite amps and cabs.
We go through a similar process in the studio, the boxes are just bigger.
As for all the other effects, time based, modulation, etc...if the musical context calls for it, the effect could be exactly what's needed given that P&W is a broad genre.
Sounds like me. I still have an amp on stage, but I use a multifx pedal as an amp modeler for FOH.
As for me, one of my favorite sonic experiences was hearing my bass track played back in the mains of a professional studio. Another was hearing Jimmy Johnson's tone live. Huge clear articulate tone. I'm trying to recreate that sound everytime I play, I guess you can call it a studio sound.
By the way, I'm not comparing my playing to Jimmy's, I'm not crazy.
By the way, I'm not comparing my playing to Jimmy's, I'm not crazy.
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My board is specifically designed for IEM's, and my "amp", which is an FRFR powered monitor. I have a Source Audio EQ2, a Spectrum, and an SA UltraWave Bass. In a Worship setting, the EQ2 is tone shaping, and the UWB acts as my compressor, and I do use Octavers and OD's from the Spectrum when appropriate.
In my Funk band, the sky is the limit!
Don't we all wish we could get his tone - for me, especially, it's Allan Holdsworth, IOU live in Tokyo, 1984. I will never forget hearing that bass and my jaw hitting the floor... and no, I don't fit in the same library shelf as Jimmy, let alone be on the same page as far as playing goes
My first "pedal" purchase was a Radial ProDI. It's simple, effective, and I never have to look for one at the last moment.
Funny you mention this because today I too just bought a Radial DI, though I went with the StageBug SB-2.
Way late to the party on this discussion, but I just wanted to weigh in.
I use exactly one preset called "Church" for my Sunday gig. But, it took a lot of tweaking to get to that one preset that just works for me. Having something super flexible like the HX Stomp let me do all that tweaking. Now that I have it, I never have to worry about if a knob got knocked or whatever. My amp gets set dead flat, all the EQ happens in the Stomp. I also have two signal chains, one for the amp in the room and one for the board that has an extra compressor on it. In our sanctuary I don't run through the PA, I'm carrying the room with my amp. So I sometimes need to use a little extra dynamic control so I'm not blowing people's heads off when they come up for communion but on the live stream / recording that just comes across as the bass being too quiet, which a compressor fixes.
So for me, it's not so much about needing the flexibility to have a hundred sounds or whatever. It's about having the power to do some specialized stuff for my environment while also getting the reliability of presets, all in a package that fits on a Pedaltrain Nano.
Sort of what I am doing with the Boss GT-1b. I have my "Worship Board" which is mostly a set it and forget it but has the drive option at 1 button push (changes multiple amp modeling settings rather than an OD pedal setting to emulate a pushed tube amp), and a 1 button Ambient mode that kicks on multiple effects (Chorus, Reverb, etc) for those down moments during announcements or end of service. I haven't touched the knobs though since they've been set unless I change basses. I am not using multiple patches, just created my board with a couple of quick on and offs for multiple effects.
