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Worship Bass Pedalboards

You know, I debate going digital, then I listen to my Empress Bass Compressor and REDDI and think…hmm….maybe if it ain’t broke…

I had an LA-1A for a while and sometimes wish I still did. The Empress is awesome, but the LA-1A is sweet.

I’m waiting for the new Bergantino pedal to come out as a potentially great all in one thing, but my Empress, REDDI, add in a Genzler 4/eq with the high and low pass filters built in, and a nice analog drive and..,
 
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You know, I debate going digital, then I listen to my Empress Bass Compressor and REDDI and think…hmm….maybe if it ain’t broke…

I had an LA-1A for a while and sometimes wish I still did. The Empress is awesome, but the LA-1A is sweet.

I’m waiting for the new Bergantino pedal to come out as a potentially great all in one thing, but my Empress, REDDI, add in a Genzler 4/eq with the high and low pass filters built in, and a nice analog drive and..,

I have to get one now
:)
20220826_203423.jpg
 
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I confess I haven't been inside a church for decades but I'm very curious to know why worship music seems to need different pedals, amps, cabs, PA or whatever, to other music? Genuine question - can someone enlighten me.
Jay,

I think that when this thread started there was a trend happening in more modern churches of going ampless/direct in and so there was a need to discuss how to get a good tone to IEMs and front of house. At this point, we are seeing that sweep across all sorts of gigs/genres.

I think also there was something about discussing with other players encountering similar scenarios/styles/songs and seeing how they were approaching things and what was working for others.

At this point, does this thread need to exist? Probably not, but there are probably a small group of posters who consider this more familiar and easier to check up on a single thread rather than sifting through the rest of the forum. Who knows...I check in here pretty sporadically just out of curiosity just to see what's happening.
 
Hi Jay- i think a contributing factor has been the incorporarion of a lot of synth textures and ambience to modern worship as well.

Every Sunday I have at least one opportunity to add in ambient swells, or synth lines, or heavily modulated and delayed textures within ambient passages.

Add in the need for quality compression and preamps, and blammo! You got yourself a fairly complex little setup.

Its a lot of fun. I play in a few different rock bands etc, and I find more opportunities for expressive playing/phrasing in my worship ‘gig’

It would be completely possible to turn up with a bass and a cable and a DI and get the job done minimally- but I dont want to.


I confess I haven't been inside a church for decades but I'm very curious to know why worship music seems to need different pedals, amps, cabs, PA or whatever, to other music? Genuine question - can someone enlighten me.

E40BB226-DEAD-4FA0-94DC-F68962F221D6.jpeg
 
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I confess I haven't been inside a church for decades but I'm very curious to know why worship music seems to need different pedals, amps, cabs, PA or whatever, to other music? Genuine question - can someone enlighten me.
I don't understand the question.

Is the question more, "why would anyone need pedals?" If so, I would direct you to the forum rules and this thread in particular: Effects Forum - No Trolling - MUST READ

But if this is an honest question and the question is more, "what is different about the need for pedals in worship music as compared to other genres?" then I think it boils down to the fact that modern worship, to a degree, has become its own genre. But every church is different and each church band situation is unique, presenting challenges of what you are trying to accomplish, what sort of mix you have, etc. This is merely a place to discuss those issues with those who have varied experiences but with some common aspects in their goals.
 
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I confess I haven't been inside a church for decades but I'm very curious to know why worship music seems to need different pedals, amps, cabs, PA or whatever, to other music? Genuine question - can someone enlighten me.

This is an interesting question I think.

What makes a "worship board" a "worship board" and not just a regular old generic bass pedalboard? It may be more about what the board is being used for rather than what is on the board itself. For example, there are different "sections" or "parts" to a contemporary worship service that create different needs (in regards to musicality, levels, moods, ambience, etc) from the worship band unlike non-worship bands.

Gear-wise, I'm not sure there is difference between a worship board and a typical bass pedalboard used outside of church. What I mean is, there aren't "worship pedals" or "worship DI's" or "worship amps." Worship players don't need different pedals/amps/cabs compared to bass players in other genres of music. They just use the gear differently I think. Could you provide some examples of pedals/amps/cabs being used in worship music not being used by other genres?
 
Here's one:
JGdAouR.jpg

I have it on good authority that if a musician attempts to use the Blessed Mother outside of worship music, the "immaculator" knob has no effect.

Makes sense. I’ll have to look into that pedal.

My chain when I play CCM is:

  • Comp: EHX Soul preacher
  • Od: EHX Soul food
  • Dig delay: TC Prophet
  • Rev: EHX Cathedral, Digitech supernatural, EHX holy grail
 
Here's one:
JGdAouR.jpg

I have it on good authority that if a musician attempts to use the Blessed Mother outside of worship music, the "immaculator" knob has no effect.

Makes sense. I’ll have to look into that pedal.

My chain when I play CCM is:

  • Comp: EHX Soul preacher
  • Od: EHX Soul food
  • Dig delay: TC Prophet
  • Rev: EHX Cathedral, Digitech supernatural, EHX holy grail

I'm betting the list of pedals with names you WOULDN'T want to use is a little longer...
 
I'm betting the list of pedals with names you WOULDN'T want to use is a little longer...
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Pretty sure the above was about pedalboards.
 
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Pretty sure the above was about pedalboards.

I do prefer my noise gate pedals to be narrow (enclosure), saves space.

In semi-seriousness, were it not for my (weak in this regard?) faith I'd probably own:
- Doc Lloyd PDR compressor, due to scantily clad maiden on the front. I suppose I could paint or tape her over...
- Pork and Pickle, due to name
- Damnation Audio MBD-2, ditto
Strangely didn't have same problem with my "Brimstone Audio" XD-2 distortion, currently for sale but not for that reason. Conscience can be a funny thing.
 
I do prefer my noise gate pedals to be narrow (enclosure), saves space.

In semi-seriousness, were it not for my (weak in this regard?) faith I'd probably own:
- Doc Lloyd PDR compressor, due to scantily clad maiden on the front. I suppose I could paint or tape her over...
- Pork and Pickle, due to name
- Damnation Audio MBD-2, ditto
Strangely didn't have same problem with my "Brimstone Audio" XD-2 distortion, currently for sale but not for that reason. Conscience can be a funny thing.
I hear you.

i felt the same about the Wren and Cuff Tri Pie when I realized that the drawing on the right wasn’t a flower.
 
I do prefer my noise gate pedals to be narrow (enclosure), saves space.

In semi-seriousness, were it not for my (weak in this regard?) faith I'd probably own:
- Doc Lloyd PDR compressor, due to scantily clad maiden on the front. I suppose I could paint or tape her over...
- Pork and Pickle, due to name
- Damnation Audio MBD-2, ditto
Strangely didn't have same problem with my "Brimstone Audio" XD-2 distortion, currently for sale but not for that reason. Conscience can be a funny thing.
For better or worse, it took me a long time to realize that really any fuzz of a particular variety is a referencing a certain thing, and many of the corresponding pedal model names are double entendres centered around that. As you note, many of the Way Huge pedals are double entendres.

People mention the Doc Lloyd PDR, I can certainly understand it and wouldn't ask anyone to violate their own conscience, though for me it's a little tame -- you'll see far worse at the beach, or any Hollywood awards ceremony. And worse on other pedals as well (I'm forgetting the names and I'm not going to look it up). On top of that the PDR artwork isn't really in a suggestive or exploitive context, other than B-movie sci-fi. But again, that's just me.
 
Fortunately, there are so many different pedal out there, one should be able to find one that doesn’t have anything offending on it. I have a big muffin on mine. I don’t really use it much as it’s not really the right sound for me. I just haven’t decided what to put there instead. And yes, limiting myself to a Nano helps. Tuner and compressor are really all I use - and my Rolls for my IEM’s.
 
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My combined guitar/bass board is a PT-Pro, I was using it to lead (on guitar) this morning.