kiat

Yes @Al Krow a couple of bass pros I follow use synth bass and it would be handy for ultra-funky lines (eg Stevie Wonder, Soulive) for the attack and very short notes. I'm right handed and would use my right, so a short KB would be fine and would be fun. As others have mentioned already the extra gear is off-putting and definitely not necessary for the dep gigs I do, which the MXR Bass Synth pedal should be more than enough for. As it is my compact pedal board will need reorganising which I didn't plan on doing, but want to get two signal chains combined (synth & non synth) so will have to get a new board anyway. Need to adapt my playing to get the best out of the pedal, which will be a challenge, but hopefully won't take long.

The sellers are having unexpected problems getting hold of these and sorting out who gets them. I ordered one on the 12th Oct with Thomann (exp 3-4 weeks), then two weeks later I checked and it said (exp 1-2 wks) which was on track. Last week it jumped to (exp 8-9 wks). I called them up and was told they have a longer list of people who've ordered them, than what they are getting in. Some will get there's sooner, maybe me too. It seems they've not got their automation sorted, given that they have all the data - and a friendly phone call might be just the thing to ensure that you don't get bumped down the queue, by any carelessness. Still I'm looking forward immensely to getting to grips with the pedal and using it on dep gigs especially. Like others, have considered a bass synth keyboard but my regular bands don't think we need one yet.

It was a Short and it seems like YT autocrops landscape videos like that

I ended up going the splitter/mixer pedal route and just ordered one of these... Thanks for the tips. I'll be keeping a watch out for phasing anomalies.

True enough, to sound even more natural maybe it might be good to have randomised delay which changes aperiodically (when the changes in delays occur) and variably (how much the delay changes) within set parameters - is there such a pedal?

My wireless bass receiver (GigA Pro Pedal Set) actually has 4 separate outs: A, B, C(tuner), DI. And is programmable for multiple options activated by the stomp button (A, B, C, A+B, A+C, A+B+C, etc - the DI is always on). I run A to Amp+FOH, B to IEMs, but thinking of optimising the use so that DI (Pre) guess to IEMs and A, B go to separate chains, then either combining further down the line into the same mono out for all amps, or as you suggest to different amps. Won't two different signal chains sound like two different basses, just as if there were two bases, each using one of the signal chains playing in prefect unison? Thanks for mentioning the issues when recombining, I hadn't thought about that. Over on the other forum, biamped was also suggested and gear examples. Hadn't thought of using the effects loop return without the send, cool idea! I'll experiment with that. Not a bad idea at all, full volume control of the mix too.

@itu is it likely most bassplayers have a single, linear chain of pedals so that every pedal processes the previously processed signal? In many cases this is desired, eg to create a synth base effect with IN>Oct>Fuzz>Chorus>OUT. But surely also interesting sonically to layer effects on top of each other, rather than piped through each other. I wonder who is doing this out of the BCers here and what works for them.

I've got just the 2 pedals, a Zoom B3 and a Valeton GP-5 and each have a single mono input. I'm now looking at an ABY like the Sonicake Buffer to do the job.

They'd be combined into one mono signal for my amp and FOH, though likely not for the IEMs. If it's not clear the idea is to experiment with a single bass to sound like two basses, where each bass gets a different sound from effects etc.

My wireless bass received has two 1/4" TS outputs and I'm thinking of running them each through separate signal paths, then recombining them post-processing into a single mono signal, to emulate two separate basses playing in unison, perfectly or imperfectly. E.g. "Walk on the Wild Side", "I Want You Back", "Black Dog". I read that a y-splitter cable would need resistors to prevent the mono signals backfeeding each other. What equipment would be needed? Is a box doing this already? Can an AB pedal combine?

Does anyone know about renting pedals in the UK? From shops or BCers? 😉 For example, I'd really like to try out an MXR Bass Synth before ordering one. Reference: https://www.guitarpedalx.com/news/gpx-blog/mxr-collaborates-with-ian-martin-allison-on-the-perfect-bassline-bass-synth-pedal-which-yes-has-a-6-string-guitar-tracking-mode-too

How are folks finding the MXR Synth Bass pedal? Guessing by the constant state of sold-outness in the UK and Thomann there must be quite a few BCers with them. On Marketplace there were 5 already sold and I'm wondering if that's a usual amount for a very popular bass pedal. Looking to get a 2nd hand one or wait til the new ones become more available.

Cali76 (those above are on my wishlist) Great idea. So few musics shops nowadays where you can test these pedals out

A couple of gigs at the weekend, one depping in the 8-piece soul band at Skegness, the other my regular light rock band, outdoors at a local pub. Saturday. Great venue (Three Monkeys) and good to get another dep gig with these guys under my belt. Still needed the tablet with notation/charts for about 1/3 of the songs, but going to get there to be able to do it with just the Setlist and keys. 2 free drinks which was welcome, but no changing room, using the network closet on state one at a time, though most of the band went to the toilets! The crowd was dressy and well-behaved, with a good portion up for dancing. My gear held up well (Lakland JO5 with a John East J-Tone preamp (battery failed during sound check - note to self to swap in a gig battery!), Ampeg BA210-v2, Valeton GP-5, wireless bass and IEMs. Started well but was hearing too much of myself in my IEMs so turned that down. Found out at the interval the MD had found my bass too woolly/thumpy in the sound check because the stage alone amplified my bass apparently (!), so he had pulled my DI out of the mixer (so no FOH nor bass in anyone's IEMs) and the bass in my IEMs was down to the personal mixer on my pedalboard (which gave me more of me into the IEM transmitter). Overall the gig went alright and my confidence with the basslines is growing. Have time to put some solid practice in before the next potential dep. Sunday. Outside at a pub where the band is known and goes down well. Unbelievably just before the soundcheck the two main guys informed me and the drummer that the band as it is, will be no more, as the two will be stopping! Great timing. Could have had a bit of discipline and told us after we're performing. The gig went alright, but I gave some of the basslines a bit more beans, given we were told it was the last gig. Pity about the band, but that can happen when the average age is about 65 and guys are getting tired of lugging gear around and various things they see as hassles. Life goes on. No doubt some good will come out of it. VID20250927221649.mp4

If it's good enough for Joe Dart...."Look Ma, no strap!" 😉

[Edit: whoops, thought my first post had failed, odd] Problem: I've got devices on my Pedalboard that I'd like to use in different configurations when gigging, when rehearsing and when practising solo. Everything is on my board: bass wireless receiver, tuner, multi effect, IEM transmitter, DI, headphone amp/mixer and battery. Solutions?? : my tech background prompts me to solve this with a patch panel (all audio inputs and inputs from every device would have their own port in a single patch panel. Then compact patch cables would connect these ports in any combo you want, easily changeable and no more removing of devices to change over their cables. It might be a faff, it might be impractical, unless there are micro connectors. Has anyone done this, or even just attempted it or thought it through?

Perfect summation 😉 Are you a mind reader? 🤣

Especially if he had brought his own bass

Great write up - felt I was there 😉 . For some reason I thought you were going to be on grass/mud! That's a nicely positioned drain. Well done for going home and improvising solutions to the keeping things dry problem. That's a ton of songs to learn, I feel your joy and pain. I like your "creative lapses" phrase and promise to give it back once I've used it!

Hehe, yeah, though Boston at night wasn't that bad - I've experienced worse! It cost me more in travel than the fee (my car is very pricy to run and was bought before gigs were back on the table!). The dep aspects are here...

Usual process for me is to cut the songs out in the morning from the recording of the night before that I make when there's a reason to (a new band, set or drummer etc) and I have to say I'm cringing at my playing on the 2nd set opening song, Happy Hour - I'm playing it a semi-tone out, the first 3/4 🫣😥🥴. My mind was convinced that the MD had given us all the correct band key (A) on the setlist, when in fact they all were ignoring it (except the new dep) because they always play it in Bb. Looking at the setlist later I realised that the MD had written down the band key was A, the original was B and the difference was -1. A clue. At the time I knew it was off within the 1st bar, but kept going, wierdly my ears half adjusted to the discordance, but I knew that something was wrong and tried to figure out the right key whilst keeping the pattern. Stopping for a few moments would have been better. Painful lesson. Note to self: trust my ears, not what I was told and find the right damn key PDQ!

Last night in a Boston pub, 1st dep for Kloane, an 80s+ covers band. Was apprehensive to be honest because, though I had depped twice recently with most of the guys for their soul big band, these songs were mostly brand new to me: I'd never attempted these basslines before, even at jam nights or learning at home. Out of 30 on the setlist, 9 days to learn 25 of them. I had a feeling they wouldn't mind if I used a tablet as an aide and it turned out to be the case - it was a bloody useful crutch. I don't know how I'd have fared without it, but on some songs I'd have been not got the starts right and missed some of the many breaks, interludes and specific endings. Most of the recorded tracks are fade out, but I had their backing tracks the vocalist uses on his solo gigs and I trusted the band would follow the structures, which they mostly did. Had a few unannounced key changes which totally threw me for more than a few bars as I was trying to desperately transpose in my head whilst keeping the groove going 😱😎. Pay wasn't the best, but we all get the same and this is the first that's not been cash No rehearsals, just straight in. It's nice they trusted me for that. I'm not even a semi-pro, so this has been a challenging but huge learning experience - and on the night a lot of fun once we got going. Hopefully I'll get called in again. In the meantime I plan on learning these songs properly!

Another dep last night, my 3rd and the 1st with this band. 25 great songs "learnt" in a week. First gig where I read off my tablet: hard to maintain focus on the score, check my fingerboard from time to time, get eye contact with bandmates and crowd, watch the drummer for visual clues. Had a blast though!

I'll have try one, one of these days. No music shops nearby unfortunately. Btw could you tell it's a USA visually from differences?