Silent Fly

If you look for a nice warm overdrive that can go from mild saturation to solid distortion, I recommend you the Digitech Bad Monkey.

[i](I hope I am not breaking any forum rule recommending one of my products. If I do, please delete this post.)[/i] We make a [url="http://www.sfxsound.co.uk/mainpage.asp?page=m_d2"]DI-preamp[/url] that is very transparent. It should tick almost all the boxes. Probably, the only requirement that is not covered is that it doesn't work with 9V batteries. If you like the sound of tubes, [url="http://www.davehallamps.co.uk"]Dave Hall[/url] produces great boxes that should cover your requirements.

[quote name='rmorris' post='553308' date='Jul 27 2009, 10:36 PM']I reckon the thing to do, if you can, is rig it up in parallel (via mixer / blender ) with your straight bass sound so you get the bottom end from the bass and the distortion from the MT-2.[/quote] It sounds a good plan. I fear the distorted component may sound a little bit thin though. …which could be a good thing.

[quote name='KASH' post='552872' date='Jul 27 2009, 04:53 PM']Hey I've found a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone in my moms house from my old guitar days, first thought - sell it! but now I'm wondering...would it work well with bass? or will it cut the bass freq? Anyone use it? I haven't tried on my rig yet as it's in the studio, just looking for any users who can recommend any settings to try, etc... cheers![/quote] The MT-2 is a great pedal but it is not bass friendly. The filter sections are specifically tuned for guitar and a lot of low frequencies are inevitably lost. The bass control is based on a band-pass filter so turning up the bass knob boosts the frequencies around 100Hz (if I remember correctly) but it everything below is attenuated. I think some bass players use it but in my experience it doesn't work very well with bass. Having said that, it can definitely be modified. I modified one MT-2 to transform it in a semi-parametric EQ (it works great). The way the internal filtering works can also be modified to reduce the mid-scoop or the clipping can be changed to make the distortion different.

You can find more information about the [url="http://www.korg.co.uk/products/effects/pandora_px4d/fx_px4d.asp"]PX4D[/url] amps in the [i]Owner's Manual[/i] (page 33-35). The manual is available [url="http://www.korguksupport.co.uk/upload/PX4D_EFG1.pdf"]here[/url].

Digitech Bad Monkey

We make a [url="http://www.sfxsound.co.uk/mainpage.asp?page=h1"]headphone amplifier[/url] that you may find interesting ([url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=53195"]15% discount[/url]). If you are looking for something with different functionalities I should be able to put together something for you. Max [sfx]

[quote name='Prosebass' post='531660' date='Jul 3 2009, 01:35 PM']I think he explains it in this interview which is well worth watching. [url="http://www.behindthenotes.com/index.php/Featured-Video/Features/Bass/Roger-Sadowsky/menu-id-17.html"]Roger Sadowski[/url][/quote] Thanks Prosebass. A really great interview. SF

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='529849' date='Jul 1 2009, 06:51 PM']Just wondering what peoples preferences are and why. I think on an amp I've never had a great compressor, but I used to love the limiter on my old PJB M-500, just one pot, simple and effective. But in terms of fattening up the sound it has to be compression?[/quote] I think that more than preference in terms of sound, it is a choice regarding the functionality. Compressors and limiters are essentially the same device with different characteristics. A limiter is a compressor with a very fast attack and a close to infinite compression ratio. Limiters are often used to avoid clipping. They cut significantly the peaks leaving the signal untouched if it is below the threshold. This is why they are often included in amplifiers. Compressors reduce the dynamics of the signal reducing the level of high signals or increasing the level of low signals. They can fatten the sound dynamic or squeeze the signal for a keyboard-like dynamic.

[quote name='ergon' post='529757' date='Jul 1 2009, 05:08 PM']Well like a complete moron i hought it would be safe to leave my RC-2 on the floor for a few hours and with only myself to blame, trod on and resultingly bent the volume knob I've had a trawl on the internet with little luck, does anyone know if it is possible to get hold of spare parts for my RC-2 pedal or is it a case of remove the broken switch and attempt to bend it back to shape? It wasn't cheap (around £130 at the time) and I don't want to find that it's broken with no warranty to cover it. Please make suggestions if you can, thank you.[/quote] Considering that you have nothing to loose, I would try to bend it back. You can also contact Roland (+44 (0) 1792 702701). They can probably sell you the spare part. (I think that under UE regulations they have to)

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='529253' date='Jul 1 2009, 12:05 AM']TBH I think the whole letter-colon naming scheme isn't going to do you any favours generally. It's a bit confusing, given that the names aren't distinct from eachother.[...][/quote] [quote name='DanOwens' post='529587' date='Jul 1 2009, 01:58 PM']I actually like the naming. Very tech/geek![/quote] Further evidence that it is impossible make everybody happy

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='529253' date='Jul 1 2009, 12:05 AM']TBH I think the whole letter-colon naming scheme isn't going to do you any favours generally. It's a bit confusing, given that the names aren't distinct from eachother. Might be better to give your products some character rather than an initial. Not that I'm advocating ridiculous names either, it's just that single letters aren't that emotive for most people.[/quote] Thanks for your comment thisnameistaken. It would be a little bit tricky change the documentation and the web site now that the names have been defined but it is something I will consider in the future.

I opened I new thread for the m:system [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=53254"]here[/url]. I tried to explain how it works. I hope it helps. Max [sfx]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='528712' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:29 PM']Looks to be some nice looking kit there! All the best with it all! Gonna check out the avalon comparison when I get home and can get my proper headphones out![/quote] Please do let me know what you think about it – I hope you haven’t clicked the answer link yet .

[quote name='bobbass4k' post='528650' date='Jun 30 2009, 02:29 PM']I assume he means that the oct1 volume is lower than the direct signal, even on the same settings, if you run it with oct1 volume at max and direct signal at min the signal is noticeaby quieter, I'd be interested in fixing this aswell, presumably it's just a result of the synthesizing they use to generate the octaves[/quote] Ok I think I understand now. By "direct signal" I though you were referring to the sound controlled by the "DIRECT LEVEL" knob not to the bypass sound. I just measured the output of the OC-2. The OCT1 signal is actually around 3dB lower than the bypass signal. I never noticed it... I need to think about it but I'm fairly sure I can mod the pedal to address this.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='528633' date='Jun 30 2009, 02:10 PM']Another OC-2 question: I'd like some mods, but the footswitch on mine is a bit unreliable. Could you fix that at the same time? [/quote] Yes - no problem. I had the same problem with my OC-2

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='528610' date='Jun 30 2009, 01:46 PM']Interested in the OC-2 mod - can you also mod it so that a solo -1 Oct is as loud as the dry signal?[/quote] I am not entirely sure I understand. It should be possible set the dry signal (aka "Direct Level") as loud as the -1 Oct (aka “OCT 1”) with the stock OC-2. Are you referring to the bypassed signal vs the -1 Oct? Either way it shouldn't be a problem. Please send me an email. I’ll be happy to discuss this with you. You can find the address on the [url="http://www.sfxsound.co.uk"]web site[/url] under "How to order".

[quote name='~tl' post='528441' date='Jun 30 2009, 10:59 AM']Looks good! Do you DI boxes support +48V phantom powering? Batteries/separate power supplies are a pain [/quote] The D1 and the m:D2 do not support phantom power. The D1 can run on batteries but we recommend to use an external PSU (any Boss-type PSU would work fine). There is a technical reason for that. Essentially, the standard 48V phantom power cannot deliver enough current for the sound and headroom we want to achieve. XLR phantom power is a great thing but it was design to power microphones. I respect other companies that decide to use it for other, more current-demanding, devices but I prefer a more solid power supply. I may decide to design a phantom-powered version of the D1 but the m:D2 will never be phantom powered. I agree, external PSU are a little bit of a pain but I prefer no compromise on sound quality. On the other side, all [sfx] devices run with standard 9V PSUs even if internally they run at higher voltage.

[quote name='bobbass4k' post='528404' date='Jun 30 2009, 10:19 AM']Love the site, not sure my modded bad monkey is ever leaving my board, i got to use a stock one recently and there's just no comparison for bass, yours is miles ahead. That oc-2 mod sounds very interesting too, any idea when you're gonna start doing those?[/quote] Thanks for your kind words bobbass4k. I am glad you like the [sfx] mods of the Bad Monkey. Regarding the OC-2, I am working on the true-bypass side at the moment. I implemented it on an MT-2 and it works great but I need to do some work on the OC-2 before make it available to customers. It is quite complex. It requires an extra PCB, special switches, a mod to the main board and complete rewiring of the in/out. The frequency extension for the OC-2 is something I can already do for you if you are interested. Please send me an email (you can find the address on the web site under "How to order").

Hello everybody. A quick note to let you know that I started my own company: sfx sound. You can find more details of what we do on the web site: [url="http://www.sfxsound.co.uk"]www.sfxsound.co.uk[/url] There is also a [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showforum=74"]forum here[/url] where you can ask questions or post comments. Special offer for BC members [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=53195"]here[/url]! All the best, Max [sfx]