SumOne

It does look good, as an 'all-in-one' Helix alternative won't you still need a tuner though? And if it doesn't take batteries you'll need power. Considering those things I got the Fishman Platinum Pro as a backup/all-in-one. If you want something convenient to carry about which covers most of the important things then it does them well: Tuner/mute (with footswitch), boost (with footswitch), compressor, EQ (including sweepable mids and a HPF), line out and DI XLR with ground lift and pre/post switch, FX loop, analogue, and can run on battery power. No drive though, and it's quite big. It covers me for practice sessions, and if my power supply or other pedals die on me at a gig it'll cover the essential things. Zoom type multi FX things will do more FX in a cheaper and smaller size but I didn't think I would choose them as my main 'all-in-one' utility pedal for gigging: No separate DI/XLR with ground lift and pre/post, to boost isn't as obvious as the Fishman's 'boost footswitch' with a corresponding LED, need to scroll and look at a small screen to adjust things like EQ for the room, not always obvious if something has been clicked on/off in the background etc. I'd use them as a backup, or for practice sessions, or in the FX loop for effects though.

I think your Preamp out > Cab sim/DI > FOH would work, or FX Loop out > Cab sim/DI > FOH (or use an ABY pedal to split your signal from the FX loop if the FX loop also needs the in). Having the Cab sim signal going into an actual Bass Cab would probably sound muffled. I've looked into getting Cab sim pedals a bit though and the more I look the less useful they seem unless you are using FRFR cab or are in a band that uses IEMs and a PA, or perhaps if you play really big venues and everything is through a PA. As you have an Amp and Bass cab that sound how you want is there much value in adding a Cab sim signal to FOH? I dunno, perhaps there is, I'm not sure there is for my uses though.

I find the cheesy cliche accronym 'KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid' (which perhaps KISS followed?!) works in many things in life - including Bass playing, 'simple' doesn't necessarily equate to 'easy' though. In the spirit of cheesy Monday morning inspiration, these sucessful dudes all back that theory up: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" (Leonardo da Vinci) "Brevity is the soul of wit" (William Shakespeare) “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” And, “If you can’t explain it, you don’t understand it well enough.” (Albert Einstein) "Simplicity is the glory of expression.” (Walt Whitman) “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” (Jack Kerouac) “Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art.” (Frank Lloyd Wright) Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed.” (Confucius)

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I love the RE-20 but it's quite a big lump of a thing so am looking forward to this: "The Japanese effects titan is rehousing its iconic tape echo and reverb in a compact pedal format. A compact, pedalboard-friendly version of Boss’s classic RE-20 Space Echo reverb and delay pedal is coming soon. The official announcement arrives hot on the heels of mounting speculation about a product leak, with some units reportedly being sold on eBay. For many players, a compact Space Echo is a dream come true, making Boss’s take on its parent company Roland’s legendary tape echo unit even more accessible. Although full details have yet to be revealed, with players asked to register for updates at the Boss website, it looks like the RE-2 will retain much of the functionality and sounds of its larger sibling. Housed in a regular Boss compact pedal format, the RE-2 can be run in mono or stereo, and has a similar control set-up, with what looks like an 11-position Mode Selector knob joined by stacked controls for Echo/Reverb, Intensity/Tone, and Repeat Rate/Wow & Flutter." https://www.musicradar.com/news/boss-re-2-space-echo

Nice! 2x up, 2x down, polyphonic/monophonic, fuzz, and modulation all in one compact enclosure seems like a winner (especially as MXR make decent octavers, phasers and fuzz).

I'm sure there are lots of sutuations where a compressor pedal isn't needed. Not using a compressor pedal isn't the same as not using any compression though: I don't play with a plectrum but I remember a video with Nolly Getgood saying using a soft plectrucm is basically his compression pedal (in the way that it makes the attack/volume more consistent) Amps like the ABM 600 have a compression dial Driving a tube amp adds compression Any form of drive pedal (e.g. overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedals) adds compression FOH will often add compression to the PA signal And if you're recording then the engineer adds compression, and mastering adds compression. I find a compressor pedal useful as: I don't play with a plectrum, my amp doesn't have compression dial and is a transparent class D type, I often don't use drive pedals, and ideally I'd like to fine-tune my compression (attack/release/ratio/side-chain EQ) rather than having others do too much.

Yes, it's supposed to just be out of the headphones: I assume (apart from just home headphone practice) that being wired that way is so you can listen to a click track on headphones while the Bass signal alone is what everyone else can hear out of the other outputs.

If you're just after a small backup pedal in-case the Helix dies then I'd consider the Zoom MS-60B (or the B1 Four as mentioned, but it's more bulky to carry about as a usually un-used backup). It can do EQ, Compression, Overdrive, Tuner, and other effects (including synth effects that might be useful to use in the Helix FX loop), and it takes batteries so no need to carry a backup (non Helix) power supply. Or on a bigger budget as you're considering the Atomic Bass Box or the GK Plex which are both about £250 new (and I'm not sure if they take batteries- which would mean you'd also need to carry a backup power supply) I'd consider the Sansamp pedals - they take batteries, are small/sturdy, have EQ and drive and the XLR DI (which the Helix and Zoom don't have, so could be useful). If the Helix dies on you though would you also need a Tuner, and possibly Compressor? I've recently ordered a Fishman Platinum Pro which takes batteries and has EQ (including HPF), XLR DI, Tuner, Compressor...not drive though so perhaps not suitable for what you're after.

I've just bought another pedal from Nigel, good communications and it was delivered quickly and all in good condition as described. Thanks!

It's likewise for other things, half of my Thomann whish list is saying things aren't going to be in stock for weeks (or months) and a pedal I ordered a month ago which was noted as 'available in 2-5 days' is still not delivered and is still noted as 'available in 2-5 days'.

Yeah, innofensive. I guess in a way they're growing old gracefully by playing middle of the road daytime radio stuff that translates to a big stadium sing-along rather than trying to be 20 year olds playing more in-your-face funk/punk that works better at smaller rowdy venues. Seems a bit of a shame with the amount of $$$ they already have that they don't use RHCP as a platform to make some slightly more progressive music rather than focussing on lowest common demominator for more $$$. John Frusciante released this recently, from what I've heard they are all into more underground type stuff than they release as RHCP

Nice one, yeah all good advice cheers. I currently play with a Reggae/Dub trio and a Reggae/Ska band but both are just at the practice room stage (although there are some pub bookings not far off) and to be honest, my 500w amp and 300w Bergantino 122 are plenty for the practice rooms and for pub gig sort of stuff in the pipeline, and it does tend to be the low-mids that I boost while cutting back on the sub frequencies so I don't really need a sub for that music. A rig with more air-moving and chest-rattling 60Hz-200Hz would be nice though as I do have a love for Reggae Soundsystems and kind of feel that if a Reggae band is being booked I'd like to turn up with something that can potentially push a bit more low-end than the equivilant pub rock band Bass rigs (although I know a big part is that Reggae gives more space for the Bass to be prominent, rather than necessarily having more Bass). My thinking for the sub was more along the lines of the track I put in the first post with <40Hz type sub heard from 3m5s. Not so much traditional Reggae/Dub, more like electronic/dubstep type of sub bass that couldn't be achieved with just with Bass guitar and no effects, it'd need a signal that's been processed through something like a DOD Meatbox or Mantic Hulk or some sort of Octaver or synth and then perhaps going into a decent Cab that can really move air at 30Hz (or bi-amp to a sub, or send to PA). It'd add something different that I don't think I've heard from live dub/Reggae bands (possibly for good reason though!), Jungle/DnB and Dubstep (and other electronic music) has been using sub to great effect for years but it seems to be avoided with live bands/Bass rigs. I think I'll ditch that idea though. For starters I'm not in a band that plays that sort of electronic/dubstep music (it's all more traditional dub/reggae/ska), and if I was then it's the sort of stuff that probably get played at venues with a decent PA that could handle it.

You've probably tried this, but I used to run the 'Clean' on full (it's not 100% blend) and 'Drive' on minimum, with 'Treble' high, and the volume adjusted accordingly and that gave me a low gain and less muddy tone. You're right though, it should be called a distortion (and quite a high gain one at that) rather than an OD, and it is quite a dark tone.

I'd be careful switching some of these boards on, they look close to becoming concious and gaining free-will. It'll be the begining of what future generations refer to as 'The Event'.