Worship Bass Pedalboards

[Rocksolid]

Just clarifying, you had difficulty with the current Empress Bass Compressor? Tell us more.....

Been a couple of years since I've had it, but I recall it having a lot of gain on tap which made it hard to keep at unity. I often turn compression off when using overdrive so having it at unity is important for me. I reckon I was having to run the output at below 9 o'clock to achieve unity and it was quite sensitive. Does that sound right?

 

[Rocksolid]

Heads-Up Worship Bass Bothers. IF .... you love the Tone Hammer DI ... and IF ... you want to get one of the sort of rare limited editions, there is the cool Black Subway THDI listed on Reverb for $250. Snag it. Thats the black one that shows up on my board from time to time. No affiliation.

https://reverb.com/item/89471853-ag...-direct-box-limited-edition-2024-black-subway

View attachment 7213494

Gone already! There is an NY skyline one there also.

Also, sadly the OE Compressors are no cheaper via Thomann for us in Australia - likely due to currenct conversion

 

[Rocksolid]

Been a couple of years since I've had it, but I recall it having a lot of gain on tap which made it hard to keep at unity. I often turn compression off when using overdrive so having it at unity is important for me. I reckon I was having to run the output at below 9 o'clock to achieve unity and it was quite sensitive. Does that sound right?

Replying to myself.

Went back through photos to look for my VTBD deluxe, Empress Comp V2 set up and actually couldn't find a photo, I wanted to see my gain settings. I went from my SD Studio Bass (which I really miss) Empress V2 back to Aguilar TLC or Effectrode LA-1A.

@projectapollo I am not saying the Empress is a bad comp, I just struggled with levels. The metering is so handy.

 

[rcmbass]

Yeah, I am trying to go into my gear/set up with the philosophy of making it sound good to me in my IEM's. If it sounds good there, it has a chance to sound good in FOH. And like you said, who knows what's happening there and there are many times I don't think I'm mixed very hot at all. YOu might notice if I stopped playing, but with keys and kick, who knows.

I just purchased wireless IME and a wireless system for my bass. I’m going to go out during rehearsal and see what it sounds like. I will let you all know how it goes.

 

[wolffire99]

More experimenting and I think I REALLY like the Empress Bass Comp with the mid-bump color switch into the DCX Bass. That slight mid-bump complements the bass/treble controls happening in the DCX. Used with the Tone Hammer, the I preferred Empress Comp color switch simply off.

Also, I am discovering that the gain boost channel on the Kilt V1 into the DCX bass really drives the DCX to the next level, eliminating the need for a second drive pedal, like the Gladio SC. So, DCX for core tone with light saturation, boost into the DCX for more lively organic grind, then Kilt full-gain for nasty fuzz. Add the Octave to that for the final level of drama. No BMS. I really have never fooled around with a boost device in the signal chain, assuming I need to keep my gain constant for the FOH. But this boost experiment is working pretty well and the volume bump is modest and sounds good (in my headphones).

I’ve never tried a boost into the DCX but now I want to.

Yeah, I think I am attached to the visual aesthetic of the DCX along side the Cali76. I find it easier to blend clean and compressed on the Cali with the two knobs, whereas the Empress is a blend knob. But they are super similar in sound. Life's little decisions take up a lot of my time the these days. LOL.

I agree, the Cali76 really shines blended (parallel) with clean. I usually have my blend pot set to 10-11 o clock, ratio at 9 o’clock and everything else at noon.

On a side note I tried a set of IMA’s new polished labella strings and my jazz neck did not agree with them at all. No matter what else I did via truss rod I got buzzing at 2.5mm or lower. Put my sunbeams back on and got it back to 2.25mm…phew

The tension on those might just be too loose for my jazz (and sunbeams are already lower tension)

Playing with a pick and preferring low action is a hard life.

 

[rcmbass]

You raise a critical point: when it comes to pedals, it's really about the combination of effects rather than how one particular pedal sounds in isolation. Tone is a complex system, aggregating the player, instrument, effects, amp/PA/speaker(s), room, mix, etc.

Building on this: you may already be aware, but there is an internal dipswitch which allows you to disable the Empress's "color" component while still using its EQ effect. That may impact how it interacts with your DCX Bass and/or Tone Hammer.

Great point. Totally forgot about the dip switches.

 

[NickyBass]

I've been playing around with the Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop. I'm thinking about using it for an always on low gain thing. My passive P5 has a shockingly hot output, but I was messing around with lowering the input volume on the Stomp and then hitting the Barbershop. So far, it's going well, but I haven't heard it live. I may try to lower the input on my wireless instead and take the Stomp off the board for a while.

 

[NickyBass]

I just purchased wireless IME and a wireless system for my bass. I’m going to go out during rehearsal and see what it sounds like. I will let you all know how it goes.

I love being wireless. Of course, it's two more things to worry about, but I think it's worth it.

 

[AObando2002]

First weekend playing bass!



I have all of 2 months of actual practive/learn time. Been playing guitar for 20 years, but first time really diving into bass! It's a lot of fun!

 

[NickyBass]

Long stream of consciousness entry since I am not serving this week and have time to relax (looked over the calendar and I served 12 of the last 14 weeks): Tomorrow, during service, I am training the rest of the bass guitar gang on how to operate and play the Moog.

Yes, I like to change up the pedal board from week to week as part of the QUEST. I'm on that quest to find the most utility and great sound in as few pedals as possible. The greatest hits pedals in the best order that delivers. I even tried the JHS Punchline (I sold it to Justin Meldal-Johnsen on Reverb, amazingly.). And yes, I tried the Stomp, twice in fact. There seems to be more organics and dynamic range in the analog stuff to my ears.

The brevity quest is why I tend to avoid the 5% pedals, those TalkBass nuance pedals that do a minor aesthetic, occupy space, but get lost once up on there on a big PA. That was the Low Rider for me. Or overlapping purpose pedals like the Kilt+Octave starting to make the Bass Microsynth a minor variant of the same thing. It's why I gravitate toward nasty fuzz pedals vs overdrive. I love the Gladio SC drive pedal, but at volume, full band, in the PA, it's just a slight shade difference than the core tone. The Kilt, on the other hand, is its own statement and I know it when it's on and enjoy playing with its unique character.

The statement pedals that seem to complement each other, don't occupy other sonic spaces already addressed: DCX Bass (or THDI) + Kilt + HX One (I use it for Octaver, Chorus, Memory Man Modulated Delay ambient bits, and Tuner). The next tier is the compressor and octaver.

I love analog octaver like the Subsonic and even the Bass Octave Deluxe, but I get what I need in the HX One, its has the best tracking octaver I've ever tried and you can put it anywhere in the signal chain. Putting the HX Octaver AFTER even the nastiest drives works very well, allows the drive pedals to stay pristine, then adds that low end slam at the end of the chain, no bloated overdosed drive pedals. But I still like a dedicated analog Octaver, so you will see that change on my boards frequently.

Then there is the BMS..... a bunch of things in one stomp. I find myself trying to get the huge thing off my board, to pull each thing out onto its own pedal (fuzz, octave), then cycle back around to the BMS all-in-one. Dialed in, it does sound good on the big choruses. One stomp to rule them all, to let the guitar players know who really owns the PA.

Onto compressors.... I've haven't been sold on the audible necessity of a compressor, expensive, board space, I see guys with them but dialed so they are not doing much of anything. But lately I'm coming around as I experiment with heavily compressed bass blended with clean. That really seems to increase apparent volume in the mix while keeping dynamics and switching to a heavy pick technique doesn't explode the signal level. It all just sits in there nicely. The Cali76 seems to do the heavy compression with dry blend very well. So, I'm coming around on the value of a compressor.

Lastly, I spend a lot of time tweaking pedal strategy in headphones at home. Then I get to church and the in-ears and mains are a very different story and I get home and take it all apart and re-evaluate.

Finally, we go to northern Michigan for late May-August, so, no more church services, no pedal boards, for a few months after my last two services in early May. More golf. I'll take my Serek Grand short scale with me to chart and practice the fall semester set that my main church posts mid-summer, around 30 songs. The Grand + Rolls headphone monitor is the summer rig.

I'll keep reading, here, though. Keep posting.

Great post. As powerful as the Stomp is, it's starting to feel like it might fall into the 5% territory. I don't use it for wilder things like I did with the analog pedals (fuzzes and octaves and drives). I'm finding that what I use it for, I use it subtly. I might be better served with a good fuzz and another good overdrive since they translate better over the big speakers. And if I absolutely need a chorus or something else (Same God) I can just add it on.
I have analog equivalents of all the effects that I use in the Stomp, so going analog won't break the bank.


I also spend a lot of time tweaking at home, and, yeah, it sounds so much different in the sanctuary. It's kind of frustrating, because I get it sounding so good at home, and then it disappears.
I actually just put the Gladio back on my board. The tone doesn't sound drastically different through the big system. But, what I like about it (and what I liked about the Revival Drive) is that they give the notes a certain, almost smooth 'connection' for some sections. There's a bit of nuance/artifacts around the notes that adds a nice character even through the drive is lost.

 

[NickyBass]

First weekend playing bass!



I have all of 2 months of actual practive/learn time. Been playing guitar for 20 years, but first time really diving into bass! It's a lot of fun!

Great playing. Great songs. Great mix. That looks like a great time!

 

[AObando2002]

Great playing. Great songs. Great mix. That looks like a great time!

Thank you sir! I never considered picking up the bass until a few months ago. But I'm glad I did.

 

[projectapollo]

I actually just put the Gladio back on my board. The tone doesn't sound drastically different through the big system. But, what I like about it (and what I liked about the Revival Drive) is that they give the notes a certain, almost smooth 'connection' for some sections. There's a bit of nuance/artifacts around the notes that adds a nice character even through the drive is lost.

The Gladio SC is a great pedal. Works so well on bass. I have mine listed, but may keep it around.
I'm finishing an accumulation cycle and moving onto a de-accumulation cycle. LOL......
Perhaps think about the HX One as a Stomp alternative. Having the Chorus, Octaver, Tuner, etc in one spot is quite handy.

 

[NickyBass]

The Gladio SC is a great pedal. Works so well on bass. I have mine listed, but may keep it around.
I'm finishing an accumulation cycle and moving onto a de-accumulation cycle. LOL......
Perhaps think about the HX One as a Stomp alternative. Having the Chorus, Octaver, Tuner, etc in one spot is quite handy.

The HX One does seem like a good alternative.

 

[SteveC]

I love being wireless. Of course, it's two more things to worry about, but I think it's worth it.

True, but even though I don't go far, I too, like being wireless if for no other reason than to not have cables around my feet. At church I am wired as I actually sit for the service.

As powerful as the Stomp is, it's starting to feel like it might fall into the 5% territory. I'm finding that what I use it for, I use it subtly.

I agree. I battle tis all the time. A tuner, comp, pitch shift (so I don't have to have an Eb bass) and tube DI is really all I need. I use a chorus on a couple tunes, and drive on a few. When I didn't use them no one really cared. My guitar player noticed when I used a drive on one song last gig.

I have analog equivalents of all the effects that I use in the Stomp, so going analog won't break the bank.

My problem is I don't have the analog equivilents any more so it would cost me $1K to go back. So I just keep the Stomp and underutilize it.

 

[Erithon]

I've been playing around with the Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop. I'm thinking about using it for an always on low gain thing. My passive P5 has a shockingly hot output, but I was messing around with lowering the input volume on the Stomp and then hitting the Barbershop. So far, it's going well, but I haven't heard it live. I may try to lower the input on my wireless instead and take the Stomp off the board for a while.

The Fairfield Barbershop v2 is fabulous: its warm, vintage-inflected grit makes for a solid always-on drive, and its sag feature offers a unique tone-shaping options. I think you'll have success with this route.

 

[NickyBass]

The Fairfield Barbershop v2 is fabulous: its warm, vintage-inflected grit makes for a solid always-on drive, and its sag feature offers a unique tone-shaping options. I think you'll have success with this route.

I have the Modele B, so if it's on my board, it has to be 'on.' Do you have any thoughts about the Modele B versus the standard Barbershop? I know the standard has a toggle switch, where the Modele B has a jumper switch inside. Any tonal differences?
I also found out that I can run it at 12v (maybe more) which works well for my needs. I doesn't seem to saturate as quickly.

 

[Erithon]

I have the Modele B, so if it's on my board, it has to be 'on.' Do you have any thoughts about the Modele B versus the standard Barbershop? I know the standard has a toggle switch, where the Modele B has a jumper switch inside. Any tonal differences?
I also found out that I can run it at 12v (maybe more) which works well for my needs. I doesn't seem to saturate as quickly.

That checks out: higher voltage = more headroom.

I've only played the standard version so I cannot comment on any tonal differences, sorry!

 

[erayser]

Yeah, I am trying to go into my gear/set up with the philosophy of making it sound good to me in my IEM's. If it sounds good there, it has a chance to sound good in FOH.

I do this too... if it sounds good in my IEM's, I feel I play better since I'm happy with the tone I dialed in. I use a parametric EQ block in my stomp to dial in the tone I prefer. The issue that I've been seeing is the different churches I play at will PEQ one volunteer bassists on a given day... then all the volunteer sound guys will just keep that PEQ setting for all bassists... and just push the bass slider until they hear the bass. I go through a personal mixer through my wireless rack, so I hear the tone I dialed in from my pedalboard in my IEM's live.

I just purchased wireless IME and a wireless system for my bass. I’m going to go out during rehearsal and see what it sounds like. I will let you all know how it goes.

I love being wireless. Of course, it's two more things to worry about, but I think it's worth it.

In relation to what I just mentioned above. Being fully wireless... I can go anywhere in front and hear what it sounds like through FOH. At 2 of the churches I play at I'll stand by the sound guys during rehearsals or run throughs... If they don't PEQ my bass channel... and on the muddy side, I would tell them to disable the EQ... which flattens it, but keep the Low Cut. All they have to do is reenable the EQ on the bass channel, and they will get the original settings for their other volunteer bassists.

I've tested this on my X32 rack digital mixer at home. I'll take the PEQ settings from the X32 mixer at church, and listen to mix through a mixbus on the X32 rack (not through my personal mixer on my wireless rack), and the bass is a little on the muddy side... but sounds better when I disable the EQ and flatten it out... but leaving the Low Cut. Would sound better if PEQ'd properly... but most are just volunteer sound people.

 

[projectapollo]

First weekend playing bass!



I have all of 2 months of actual practive/learn time. Been playing guitar for 20 years, but first time really diving into bass! It's a lot of fun!

Great team! Vocalists were all solid with good pitch.