We do Call Upon the Lord a good bit, actually did it this past Sunday. What parts of the song are you using the OC-2 for? Are you replicating the synth bass part from the original recording?
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Worship Bass Pedalboards
- Thread starter Cshanks5
- Start date
We do Call Upon the Lord a good bit, actually did it this past Sunday. What parts of the song are you using the OC-2 for? Are you replicating the synth bass part from the original recording?
Replicating is a strong word, but I am playing in the spirit of the original synth bass part. I alternate between pumping palm muted 16th notes, and long sustained notes (the OC-2 just makes me want to play long notes because they sound so sweet)
The bridge where it breaks down, I play 16th notes right through it
Does that bypass the preamp on the mesa?That's correct, from Noble to AUX IN, if you look closely, you can barely see the 1/4" on the left, Speakon on right to the back of the D800
We use backing tracks (which I run from an iPad on stage). I have the synth bass on for that song (the original recording has separate bass and synth bass tracks) and I play an octave up. Sounds pretty good to me and probably similar to what you're doing with the octave pedal.
We use tracks on that as well, but typically the bass and/or synth bass tracks are turned off on all of our tracks (I am cool with that!!!). We do have the upper register synth stuff on though, which is featured prominently on the intro.
I am thankful that I typically have no one competing for the low end on our team - weather it be tracks, or a synth player, or a keyboard player with a heavy left hand - I'm probably spoiled and would throw a hissy fit if I got placed into one of those situations LOL!!! I'd at least mad dog at people a little....
I agree with you on competing. Luckily I run the tracks so I get to pick what goes live, ha. I also run our FOH so I keep a tight rein on the low cut filters for everyone on stage. I typically run the synth bass parts on our tracks but if I feel like they are clashing with me I back the track down. It's just really hard to replicate some of that synth bass stuff that Elevation does (at least for me it is...maybe I just don't have the right pedals though). The Call Upon the Lord track has a lot of cool upper register stuff going on which really fills the sound out nicely to me.
I could see myself doing the old "why, yes, worship leader sir, that track is TOTALLY on right now!! Yeah, that's it!!" (not!!)
Do you have an OC-2? I've tried out a few synthy type pedals and none do it for me quite like the OC-2. The Tim Tuned Octabvre is nice too. I get a good tone by rolling back the tone, and playing with a pick while palm muting. Fingers are good too; when I do that I tend to do Rocco style left hand muting (playing most notes with your first finger).
I'm incorporating the Meatbox more and more lately too. Last week we did "Oh Come To The Alter" and I used the Meatbox almost the whole song - except for the bridge where it breaks down. It's a tough pedal to tame because its so extreme, but I'm getting the hang of it and finding ways to fit it in. I'm basically doing an impersonation of a giant 4 story high pipe organ, the kind that rattles your chest. If you had your sleeves rolled up before my low note, let's just say they aren't going to be rolled up after!
Another instance, if we do a song in B or C, even D or E too, for that last note sometimes we'll utilize the low B for a powerful last note. Well, the Meatbox is even more powerful than a Dingwall low B. I've been using it for those "low B moments" or as I like to call them "ludicrous range." (a la Mel Brooks
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I could see myself doing the old "why, yes, worship leader sir, that track is TOTALLY on right now!! Yeah, that's it!!" (not!!)
Do you have an OC-2? I've tried out a few synthy type pedals and none do it for me quite like the OC-2. The Tim Tuned Octabvre is nice too. I get a good tone by rolling back the tone, and playing with a pick while palm muting. Fingers are good too; when I do that I tend to do Rocco style left hand muting (playing most notes with your first finger).
I'm incorporating the Meatbox more and more lately too. Last week we did "Oh Come To The Alter" and I used the Meatbox almost the whole song - except for the bridge where it breaks down. It's a tough pedal to tame because its so extreme, but I'm getting the hang of it and finding ways to fit it in. I'm basically doing an impersonation of a giant 4 story high pipe organ, the kind that rattles your chest. If you had your sleeves rolled up before my low note, let's just say they aren't going to be rolled up after!
Another instance, if we do a song in B or C, even D or E too, for that last note sometimes we'll utilize the low B for a powerful last note. Well, the Meatbox is even more powerful than a Dingwall low B. I've been using it for those "low B moments" or as I like to call them "ludicrous range." (a la Mel Brooks
I don't currently own an octave pedal. I have looked at several and almost bought a few but then questioned whether I'd be able use it or not. Based on your experience with the same songs I could definitely use it. We've done Come to the Altar several times too. I haven't thought about using something like that on those "low B moments". I play a four string and 5 string and pick whichever bass I need depending on the setlist.
It sounds like we play very similar worship styles......in that case which octave pedal which you recommend I get to start with?
Also, I assume you're playing the B in the upper range and letting the octave pedal hit the low note or the other way around? Sorry....I just don't have any experience with octave pedals.
On a passive bass, I can get the Boss to track down to about a B on the A string. My EBMM tracks down to more like E or F on the D string. So, I've been leaning more towards my passive basses the more I use effects.
There are good deals to be had on Boss OC-2s if you're patient. That's "it" for me. But they are discontinued. The 3-Leaf is also very nice. The OC-3 is good too, but I haven't used one personally. I hear the tone is similar, but it's a digital pedal and tracks slightly different, and slower. There are tons of options these days; I've heard great things about MXR and Aguliar, and the Markbass SuperSynth. No personal experience though.
I've found in addition to passive circuitry, basses with the most sustain track best. For those long note moments, its distracting if your string poops out and the pedal glitches. Roundwounds seem to work best, or newer flats that aren't Jamerson dead. And I get best results feeding the octave pedal a compressed signal - some people like to feed the octave a straight signal and compress after it, but I've personally found that the compressor evens out the signal, and I get less glitches and more even tracking; whereas the comp after the octave tends to amplify the glitchy tracking.
I'm still experimenting. But if I were to recommend ONE desert island pedal for synth, it would be the OC-2. I keep coming back to it after the others I've tried.
A moment I was in synth bliss a few weeks back was when we did "At Your Name" by Phil Whickam. The intro - before the band kicks in - long double-whole notes on the OC-2, with a compressor exaggerating the sustain - I had one of those "that's why bass players love this pedal so much" moments. I got some "wow, that's cool" looks from a few people who knew that was me making that low rumble!!
The Boss Harmonist tracks much better then the OC-2 / OC-3 and I believe has a Octave down only mode. I'm leaning more to one of the Cog Effects octave pedals, maybe the Rouge One with the built in fuzz as well
I had the MXR and it was too slow, even with just the E string of my passive P. If I was still in the market, I'd be trying the 3leaf.
I've owned several different kinds, and the small 3Leaf was by far my favorite.
I recently tried to sell my Octabvre but it wasn't the newer Tim Tuned and no one would buy it. So, I sent it to Spencer and had him mod it to Tim Tuned.
So now I'm curious if there's a difference between the tone of my modded unit and the Mini. The Mini certainly has some great reviews.
So now I'm curious if there's a difference between the tone of my modded unit and the Mini. The Mini certainly has some great reviews.
I've been thinking about octave pedals lately and yesterday our Worship Leader sent the setlist out for Sunday. Low and behold there is a song where the original recording uses an octave pedal! So I told the wife last night that I "had" to get an octave pedal before Sunday so I could play it correctly, haha. She just sighed and moved on to the next subject (I took that as approval).
So I went to my local guitar shop at lunch and checked out a few octave pedals. They don't carry 3Leaf stuff so I couldn't try that one. Of the ones I tried I liked the Electro-Harmonix Nano Pog the best so I walked out with one. He said if it didn't work for me Sunday to bring it back in and he'd refund it. So why not try it huh?
So I went to my local guitar shop at lunch and checked out a few octave pedals. They don't carry 3Leaf stuff so I couldn't try that one. Of the ones I tried I liked the Electro-Harmonix Nano Pog the best so I walked out with one. He said if it didn't work for me Sunday to bring it back in and he'd refund it. So why not try it huh?
How Great Thou Art by Citizens & Saints
It's hard to pick out the octave pedal unless you solo the bass part (we use backing tracks so I always solo the bass track to hear the tone and riffs better).
