pantherairsoft

There is honestly no right answer to this question. There is no right order. There is only the order that sounds best to you/gets you the tone you want.

While there is a common go to as a starting point, it is normal to break out of that order to find specific sound combinations, because pedal A and pedal B will sound different together depending on which comes first.

If you only use 1 pedal at a time then the order matters not.

That go to order to start is:

Pitch - Dirt - Filters - Modulation - Delay - Reverb

Compression either first or last depending on its purpose in your chain.

EQ’s place is entirely dependant on what you are shaping with it - are you adjusting the clean signal before it hits the drive? It goes before the drive. Are you shaping the tone that comes out of the drive? it goes after the drive. Are you using it to tame the sonic mess that happens when all pedals are on at once? Then put it at the end of the chain?

So, don’t worry about where it ‘should go’ as there is no place for that. Just experiment with every combination and placement, and settle on what works for you.

I hope that helps.

As an update my lost…

ACG Salace E-Type

Schroeder 1212

Markbass SD800

Too many pedals

(if there are loads of amps and cabs coming already, I might not bother with mine).

A simple solution, be it one with a high upfront cost, could be to replace your existing power supply with one that already has a USB charge port on it, such as the CIOKS DC7. Though it's pricey, you could sell whatever you existing supply is to claw back some funds, and the CIOKS is pretty amazing - a worthwhile investment. At least with this approach you know that it was designed for that application and you're not putting any strain on the supply, or injecting noise etc. into the signal chain.

13 minutes ago, bassist_lewis said:

I did consider one of these instead of a Gigrig quartermaster, but they takeup more space depth-wise. Interested to see the new layout👀

I considered the same, but the depth issue is actually very minor… it’s still effectively one rail of a pedaltrain- this just overhangs the space between rails more. Compared to have much space 12 loops worth of QM’s would be… it’s tiny. And I love the QM! This is just super good for the size.

On a moderate budget, and fairly easy to obtain, I’d recommend the MXR that you highlighted, or the EBS Unichorus.

If you want to spend a bit more, or don’t mind importing, the Providence Anadime Bass Chorus (make sure you get the bass version) is amazing, as is the Horrothia Type One.

I really like this. It’s like a little slice of the Microcosm (and similar pedals) boiled down to its simplest form.

I could absolutely make use of this on my ambient board.

Super rare Iron Ether Super FrantaBit - basically two FranaBits in one box, with foot switches to flip flop between them both, as well as switch between Degrade and Obliterate mode. One of the most versatile and sought after Bit Crushers ever made.

Grab this now, without the painfully long wait, shipping, and a massive VAT bill when it arrives in the UK!

Now £385, inc postage in the UK.

Selling this to buy a Hologram Microcosm (had one, massive regrets over selling it), but will consider the following trades/part-exs: Hologram Microcosm, Red Panda Tensor, Triungolo Barbanera. Iron Ether Polytope, Iron Ether Xerograph, Providence Anadime Bass Chorus, Ibanez Ashula SRAS7 (Dragon Eye Burl finish).

3 hours ago, chilli said:

 

My EUB / Guitar set up as of last week, a friend made me a silly offer on the MOOD so there's an empty space at moment, been thinking reverb maybe (after Echobox).

 

Starts at the MINI on the top right and works left, then Onward to Meris X (bottom right). Some pedlas may look a bit wonky, only 3 have velcro at the moment. Its desk top use rather than floor, makes editting easier on the fly.

 

Sounds f***ing awesome! 

Subdecay Echobox is an awesome delay. Used to be my absolute favourite. The modulation sounds in it are lush.

An old favourite, updated with some modern additions, including a much needed clean blend.

Starting to rethink my board… 

I got to AB a Sub Phatty against my 25 a few months back. Aside the drive section, there wasn’t much to report back on, which is a testament to how well they produced the Subsequent.

The Phatty has a look to it that’s really awesome though!

On 27/09/2025 at 09:47, pantherairsoft said:

My fav pitch shifter for bass was the Eventide Pitchfactor, with an expression pedal. That was a great whammy. I assume the H9 does it just as well. The PF was funny about which expressions pedals it liked though, which was annoying. I think it was the only pedal I’ve ever used that wouldn’t work with a Moog EP-3.

Oh the irony - I posted this about on page 1 of the thread about how the Moog EP-3 wouldn't play with the Eventide. Guess what the second pedal I ever used that won't work with the EP-3 is. Yeah, you guessed it, the XS-1!

It somehow tricks the pedal, and in heel position it thinks it's a control switch and does some weird stuff and flicks the LED to green, then when you push it, it takes about a quarter swell before it flicks to expression pedal mode. Also, with the EP-3 connected, when you toggle the XS1 on and off, it always returns to toe down position (knob setting, as if there was no expression connected) until you move it. I have other expression pedals (it's fine with my Dunlop), but that's super frustrating as I use the Moog on my board with an expression pedal splitter. URGH.

UDATE: Via the expression pedal splitter, the issue is solved. The electronics in that seem to offset whatever issue the Moog EP-3 causes to the XS-1... so the issue is now much less of an issue. Win!

I’ve ordered an XS-1, despite my gut telling me to go for the 100.

Features wise, the 100 is simply the better pedal, and the point above about the 1 + expression being pretty much the same real estate is valid. However, that last point is mitigated as I use a 4-way expression pedal splitter (so one expression for 4 pedals).

Given that I expect to be using this predominantly in a single way, and am pretty used to live knob twiddling, I think I can get away with the 1. 
 

If I’m wrong, but it performs as I hope, then I’ll upgrade to the 100 in time.

Sold Tom a pedal, great comms, quick payment, and super friendly. Couldn't ask for more!

6 minutes ago, dodge_bass said:

Well, not sure what more I can add but "yay for Shep". Traded (with a bit of cash his way) for an amazing pedal, loads of good chat backwards and forwards and literally arrived 36hrs later. Absolute gem and another example of just how great Basschat and the folks that are on it are. And now I'm buying another pedal off him so I'll need to think of even more nice things to say! 

Don't stop now... I have loads more toys up for grabs!

Thanks!

3 minutes ago, ped said:

Call that a TED talk? What did you learn about B2B sales and SEO from your test? 

Using the term ‘OC2’ more than 10 times in one post seems to be good for getting ‘likes’… that’s gotta be some form of SEO at work, right!
 

This is MASSIVELY off topic (sorry everyone!), but this is my actual fav TED talk of all time… I first saw this when I was studying for my hypnotherapy diploma, and it’s as great today as it was back then…

1 hour ago, thisisswanbon said:

Excellent review... they've certainly done well with the OC-5.  I definitely remember there being a difference in the immediacy of my Octabvre Mini and the OC-5 (I was really rooting for the OC-5 aswell).

 

Based on your review I may pick one up and give it another go...

I wonder if this was more about the Octabvre Mini than the OC5? That said, I consider the OC5 to be as immediate as an OC2, and I'm not sure how the Octabvre could be more immediate than immediate? Maybe you had a dodgy OC5? Maybe something about that pedal is that they are not all related equal and there is some kind of odd latency that some have and others don't? Maybe it's not latency and the Octabvre has a sharper attack than the OC2/OC5 that makes the OC's smoother attack 'feel' latent? I don't know enough about electronics to really comment, nor have I used the Mini (I played an original Octabvre, but it was ages ago and I don't recall much more than the fact is sounded like an OC2), but I think it's worth another go, especially if you have access to an OC2 to compare with.

If you ever find yourself near Derby, you are more than welcome to come and do the blind test here!

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

 

For bass I agree, but it's very useful to beef up an acoustic guitar in conjunction with the  range control set to about 11 oclock, so you can thumb-pick bass lines on the bottom two strings.

 

Thanks for a great review, very informative.

My guitarist friend who took part in this 'experiment' uses an OC5 for guitar, exclusively in poly mode, and loves it. I don't play guitar, and so my comments are exclusively about bass. It certainly sounds good in the way he uses it on the inferior stringed instrument

58 minutes ago, Bagman said:

I'm keeping both the OC-2 and OC-5 

 

I see some believe there's a difference between MIJ and MIT, prices certainly reflect that 

 

 

I used to own two MIJ versions (Octaver and Octave), that I used for years, long before the OC5 came out. I also had one of them (Octave) modded by Max at sfx to increase the gain (not in the same way as my current one) as the drop in volume did my head in, but I can't vouch for it in the context of comparison with the OC5 (but can vs the other OC2, see below). That said, I'd be mightily surprised if there was enough or a difference that anyone could notice in a mix/not under a microscope. It makes sense that the MIJ ones fetch more, as they are an older version of a sought after pedal and 'originals' in most walks of life seem to hold greater value. Anyone paying more for a MIJ because it's 'better' in any way that can be measured is almost certainly mistaken

13 minutes ago, Kev said:

 

Nice write up, your experience tallies with my own.

 

When I AB'd them, I was using a Japanese "Octaver" pedal, and the results were mostly the same.  In headphones, I did hear a slight tonal difference between the two, but never anything anyone would pick up on without them being side by side, and certainly not through a loudspeaker/in a mix.

 

Anyone using an OC-2 because it sounds better is kidding themselves.  Don't get me wrong, using an old Japanese OC-2 is definitely cooler (I bought another one after I sold the OC-5 years ago!), but that's all it is.

As I mentioned above, I used to own an Octave and Octaver MIJ and only ever compared them to each other (and an OC3, but let's not go there!). I couldn't hear any difference back then in the rehearsal room or live (though I never did the kind of analysis I did here) - if there was a tonal difference, it was minor and only something you'd hear in a recording or if you really wanted to. The Octaver was fetching more money as it was the OG so I sold that and kept (and modded) the other. That was sold on years ago before I recently picked up this MIT.

I agree totally with your closing statement. The OC2 sound has serious mojo, and using it because it sounds great is a no brainer... but only in the same was as using an OC5. If you don't own either, unless you're a collector, there is zero reason to own an OC2 over an OC5 IMO.

I was reminded of this thread and thought I'd do an experiment over the last few days. A side by side of the OC2 and OC5, focusing on the -1 octave solo'd (does anyone use any other part of this pedal!), both at home via a small combo, and in the rehearsal room with a powerful rig, and both solo'd and in a mix.

To start, I should point out that my OC2 has the -2 octave disconnected, which boosts the output volume to the pedal. Side by side with an unmodded version, there is zero tonal shift to my ear, but importantly this makes the -1 octave volume absolutely identical to the OC5, overcoming the usual volume dip these pedals suffer. Having them at the same volume really helped this experiment. I should also note that this is a made in Taiwan OC2, that needs the ACA adapter (12v, which is then knocked down to 9v in the pedal) - Note on this at the end.

Also note that the OC5 was set to Bass and Vintage modes (which replicates the OC2). I'd like to give special mention to the fact that in poly mode, with the -1 octave solo'd and the Range knob set to 'lowest', the OC5 is a useful tool for some sub frequencies if you play it as though it was a mono octave pedal still, for those who don't want to destroy the building with a Dod Meatbox. The rest of poly mode is, IMO, very meh, but that one trick is a nice addition.

So, the comparison...

Here is what I did.
1. Side by side solo'd at home via Markbass MicroMark combo - focused on tone and noticeable latency.

2. As above, but into multi effects - OD, fuzz, envelope filter etc. to test how they played with other pedals.

3. Both of the above steps in the studio via a Markbass SD800 and Schroeder 1212L (LOUD). First without the tweeter, then with the tweeter dialled up - solo'd with three other musicians forced to close their eyes, listen and give me feedback. One of them was a drummer, so you can disregard their thoughts

4. As per the previous step, but in the context of a track with drums and keys/synths.

5. Absolutely everything above, in both active and passive mode on my bass.

Here are my/our findings....
Latency - Absolutely no difference at all. In fact, I sat and played a few lines with my eyes closed and had others change the pedals so I didn't know which was which... and feeling wise I couldn't tell them apart (again, remembering that I am talking only about vintage mode on the OC2... in poly mode, yes, I can feel the latency).

Tracking - Identical. I've seen lots of folk say the OC5 tracks better, but under a microscope and with clean playing, there is no difference at all. If the OC5 does track better, then my playing style doesn't allow me to highlight it. Both track down to an A on the E string without too much issue, and can track lower if you're very careful and don't mind the additional artefacts in the sound.

Tone - When solo'd and studying the sounds very closely, the OC2 has a 'tiny' bit more breakup on the lower notes/E string when you dig in. It's so minor that I had to check over and over to be sure I was hearing it. Aside that, neither I, nor the other folk could tell a difference between the two, with a focus on my playing style, I was able to circumvent that extra breakup. Also note that without the tweeter on the cab, this difference was inaudible. I should note that it's not a pretty overdrive, it's just digital clipping and not something I'd ever 'want' to replicate. Now we're talking ears, not a frequency analyser - and that's what matters - what we all hear. I like to think I have decent ears (former mastering engineer), but I am in no way an authority. To me, however, it was impossible to tell them apart aside that very close study Literally identical on the A-C strings (I play a 5, strung E-C). 

Active vs Passive - compared to each other, the OC2 and OC5 sound and respond identically to the passive setting. In active mode, the very slight breakup we mentioned about the OC2 on the low E kicks in with a slightly softer playing. I play soft any way, so I had to force it to make this happen. I usually use the bass in active mode and nothing about this test would make me want to change it. In fact, I'd say the active output form the bass actually helps the tracking of both pedals a bit.

With other pedals - The response and combining of them with other pedals was identical, it even made noticing the OC2 tiny low end breakup impossible when it was run into any kind of drive, filter etc.

The feedback above was unanimous from all (only I can comment on latency), no one could hear a difference at all and in fact, I'm the only person claiming there was a touch more breakup in the sound on the E string.

After a few hours of this questionably pointless experiment, here are my pros for both...

OC5

• Easy to find at a reasonable price.
• Nails the OC2 sound with zero latency.
• Has other options, even though you'll likely never use them, but maybe for that one song.
• Still under warranty if you have an issue.

OC2

• People think you're cool because you use an OC2.

Extra bonus test - I also tried running the OC2 at 9v, even though it needs 12 via a power supply (these ACA ones still use a 9v battery or can run on a 9v if you daisy chain it from another pedal, which is odd). I did this because I know many people out there do this without realising that the ACA version needed 12v and have come to voltage starve their pedal for many years. Aside the dimmer LED and drop in volume, which many folk thought was just the way the OC2 was, this introduces much more noise and breakup into the tone. Being honest, it's still totally usable, and for anyone that accidentally got used to using an ACA OC2 this way, the difference in tone between that and an OC5 is quite notable (and wouldn’t surprise me if this was the cause of some claims of the two being audibly different!).

While the voltage starved OC2 doesn't sound great to me, it does 'add something' which is very artificial, which I can see people liking it in its own right. That is, of course, not the point of this comparison though.

So, which one stays on my board? The OC5, but only because it's easier to replace if someone spills beer on it. I could happy pop either on there and no one would know the difference.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

16 minutes ago, Graham said:

I'm a massive Dillinger fan, I was attempting to sing this in the car yesterday 😅 

 

I've currently got Pig Destroyer's debut, Prowler In the Yard on

I’m a moderate fan overall, but I really like it when they step down the pace a bit, like this track. 

Did a pedal trade with Ian. Hassle free, great comms, very happy!

On 24/10/2025 at 10:54, Stealth said:

Variation on the question

 

im using a EBS Multi Chorus like this

Bass > TC Polytund > Altlas Compressor > Rodenberg LDP > Multi Chorus > Amp

My issue is engaging the Chorus jumps the level considerably. There’s no Vol or Mix control. Any ideas or do I just need a different chorus 

I have used this pedal a lot. A few things to consider.

1. Firstly, as above, there is a mix trimmer inside - this should be set to 50/50 as standard and should give you unity volume. Worth checking it’s not been altered, might be worth a tweak. It’s not a volume pot though, so might not help.

2. The vast majority of chorus pedals don’t have a volume control IME and aim to give a unity volume. However, they do add higher harmonic content, which appears louder to the ears and those are accentuated massively by other incoming harmonic content - so if you run your drive or boost into it, expect the chorus tones to jump in volume. On a clean bass this shouldn’t happen.

3. What are your compressor settings? Not impossible, but if you take the compressor out of the chain (or turn it off), do you experience the same volume issues?

4. Are you using a tweeter on your cab? This will add to the higher harmonic content from the chorus, and turning down the tweeter might balance it out for you.

5. What power supply are you feeding it. It can run on 12v to get more headroom, but this might also give you more output (I’ve never tired anything other than 9v). If you are on 12v consider trying it on 9v. If on 9v, consider trying it with a battery, purely to rule out that the power supply is the issue. I expect it isn’t, but it’s worth testing everything.

Ive never experienced a volume jump with the unichorus that wasn’t caused by something else pushing it too hard. Of course, if there is a massive gain boost or something that is really considerable, it ‘could’ be faulty, but I think you’d know it if that was the case.

Just now, andybassdoyle said:

Wow. A superfrantabit. Just wow, I didn’t even realise such a thing existed!!

 

 

Yeah, I don’t know how many there are… but not many!

Hi all,

Rationalising the collection after far too many recent purchases. All prices include postage in the UK. Payment via bank transfer is preferred, but Paypal is fine if you cover the fees.

Iron Ether Super Frantabit - Two Frantabits in one box! Arrived this week, and I wanted to love it, but I own 5 bit crushers and tonally, other stuff I have works better for me. These are super rare, and I'm wanting to pass this on to a good home, so am selling it for less than it cost to buy, ship, and pay the VAT! £395 posted. WITHDRAWN

DOD Meatbox - Reissue version. Doesn't need an introduction! Boxed, immaculate. £115 posted. WITHDRAWN

COG Effects Custom Solid Snake Blender - Two effects loops, each with volume and phase control. One foot switch flip flops between loop A and B, the other engages both in parallel. Amazingly useful, combining a couple of the Boss LS-2 settings into one. Note this has the sends and returns wired in reverse of most pedals (send on the right, return on the left) - I assume to better suit the original owners pedalboard set up. Aside that, works perfectly. £70 posted. SOLD

Mission Engineering Expressionator - Purchased from new 3 months ago. Perfect condition. Velcro on the bottom. £170 posted. SOLD

Boss SL-20 Slicer - One of my all time fav odd-effects. This version is, IMO, easier to use than the new SL-2, be it with a larger footprint. Works great, boxed, excellent condition. Velcro on the bottom, but the original rubber feet are included and can be put pack with a dab of PVA. £125 posted. SOLD!

Buy more than one and I'll give you a discount.

TRADES - I’ve had a load of questions about trades and part-ex (with cash either way as required). I’d only be interested in the following:

Iron Ether Polytope, Arcing Prism, Xerograph Deluxe, Triungolo Barbanera, WMD Protostar, Red Panda Tensor, Pedaltrain Novo 32 (hardcase), Eventide H9 Max, Ibanez SRAS7 Ashula.

11 minutes ago, bassbora said:

 

How do you rate the Frantabit against the Geiger Counter?

The Geiger Counter is way more wild, as it’s basically a bitcrusher smashed into a super high gain distortion. The GC can do traditional SRR sounds etc, but that’s much easier on the pro.

If you want classic SRR sounds, I’d go with the Frantabit. If you want more chaos and harsh industrial tones, I’d go GC.

Overall, I think the GC Pro is one of my fav pedals of all time. It’s bonkers.

Worth noting that the regular GC, however, does not have a mix (the pro does), and so a good portion of tones in the original will be lacking low end (as is normal for bitcrushing), with no option to blend the lows back in without a mixer pedal. 

With my playing this afternoon with the Super Frantabit, in degrade mode, the SSR is far more subtle than I remember it being (and more so than any other bitcrushers I own). I need to play with it more this week.