Who has No Effects?

[Chris2112]

Muse was just the kind of rubbish I was thinking of when I was considering how bad the over use of effects can be. Mind you, I suppose switching off the effects there wouldn't make it any better!

IMO.

[munkonthehill]

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1063149' date='Dec 19 2010, 01:10 AM']Muse was just the kind of rubbish I was thinking of when I was considering how bad the over use of effects can be. Mind you, I suppose switching off the effects there wouldn't make it any better!

IMO.[/quote]

[Michaelg]

i sometimes use a compression pedal and i use a tiny bit of fuzz. generally speaking i avoid bass effects, i feel like its a cheap way of making a boring bassline sound interesting

[the_skezz]

Used to use one a fair bit in my old band, mainly got it for the 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' intro...now I don't bother, as I don't need it for the punk group.

[BT!]

pedal free atm but soon changing

[bobbass4k]

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1063149' date='Dec 19 2010, 01:10 AM']Muse was just the kind of rubbish I was thinking of when I was considering how bad the over use of effects can be. Mind you, I suppose switching off the effects there wouldn't make it any better!

IMO.[/quote]

Which is fair enough, I absolutely despise Mark King's playing with an almost religious ferverence (You can slap really fast. We get it.). Adding layers of synth processors and ocatvers wouldn't change that for me.

But I think a lot of people do dismiss effects using bassists out of hand, mostly because they think effects exist just to cover up lack of talent, which I find very frustrating.

Edited December 19, 2010 by bobbass4k

[daz]

just a compressor which i never yet have used.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='bobbass4k' post='1063189' date='Dec 19 2010, 03:01 AM']Which is fair enough, I absolutely despise Mark King's playing with an almost religious ferverence (You can slap really fast. We get it.). Adding layers of synth processors and ocatvers wouldn't change that for me.

But I think a lot of people do dismiss effects using bassists out of hand, mostly because they think effects exist just to cover up lack of talent, which I find very frustrating.[/quote]

This is the truth! +1

I used to use fuzz, distortion and auto wah in an originals band years ago but I only use the distortion nowadays for covers that require it (Like Doddy) ie Song 2 Blur, If there is nothing in the set that needs it I dont even wire it through and just run a tuner out for a stage tuner. Slighty OT, well I suppose not really for what its worth the shuttle 6.0 with the valve on full and then just blend the input volume back to where your original stage sound was creates quite a useful distortion rather than just adding a bit of warmth when used normally. Quite an impressive range from clean as a whistle to almost quite filthy!

[munkonthehill]

[quote name='Michaelg' post='1063162' date='Dec 19 2010, 01:25 AM']i sometimes use a compression pedal and i use a tiny bit of fuzz. generally speaking i avoid bass effects, i feel like its a cheap way of making a boring bassline sound interesting[/quote]


thats an amazing song you added there mate. I dont know if you meant it was sh*t or not however it has my head swaying and getting rared up for rehearsals at 12

[BTS_Spacebass]

I love effects but then I play purely to have fun and I fully enjoy making odd noises and lush textural sounds. It doesn't cover my lack of talent because thats apparent in the portions of our songs that are effects-less

I mean would a piano player really say to a keyboard player "you use all those sounds make up for a lack of talent"? I suppose some would because there way is right so everything else must be wrong. Do you consider Rick Wakeman talentless because of his use of ker-azy sounds?

Like others have said if you don't miss them or want them then they are clearly not for you. But all this effects making up for being sh*t nonesense is just pointless gas-bagging I think.

T

[Chris2112]

[quote name='BTS_Spacebass' post='1063291' date='Dec 19 2010, 10:32 AM']It doesn't cover my lack of talent because thats apparent in the portions of our songs that are effects-less[/quote]


oor-err!

Has someone ruffled your feathers there! Quick, blow your own trumpet!

Back on subject, I do find it quite easy to switch off from listening to bassists who use a lot of effects. If I wanted to listen to such a menagerie of sounds I'd stick on a Vince Clark record. From a bassist, I'd just rather hear the bass. Maybe one or two effects being used very sparingly (think Mark King or Jaco's occasional dusting of chorus/double tracking) but no more.

[casapete]

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1062507' date='Dec 18 2010, 02:33 PM']Bass. Cable. Amp. Job done.

Nothing against effects but just not for me[/quote]

+1

[Clarky]

^^^ This until recently, except I was very impressed with 51m0n's demo at the BassBash of how to beef up a bass sound in a noisy band context with a compressor. So I have acquired a Demeter compressor and look forward to giving that a try out when my punk band finally finds a replacement drummer.

[Chris2112]

Also, if you struggle to get your slap grooving in a band context a compressor can be very useful, ironing out any blips and giving you a level playing field on which to slap!

[Wil]

I have a bit of Sansamp RBI grit and that's it. I might experiment with a compressor at some point, as I like the effect on recordings the band has done recently. I used to cart a pedal bag around with a chorus, bass synth, distortion and delay but used each pedal so sporadically I just couldnt be arsed after a while.

[JTUK]

I have a Tone Hammer and an old Boss Chorus rack mountable thing..not a pedal...but don't use either.

I think I'll hang onto the TH for a while longer.

[BigRedX]

I think the problem is when you think of them as "effects".

I look at it as what you need in order to make the right sound to compliment all the other instruments. Sometimes you just need the right bass, sometimes you need a bit more.

I use a Pod. I don't think of it as an amp simulator or a multi-effects unit. It's simply my sound(s) in a box, recallable at the push of a button.

These days I would never even contemplate using a device that didn't have programable memories, and having any time-based process that doesn't have at least tap-tempo if not full MIDI clock synchronisation is IMO strictly amateur hour.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1063514' date='Dec 19 2010, 01:56 PM']IMO strictly amateur hour.[/quote]

How many things started as amateur but doubled in price because of known players using stuff? Also a mix of pro gear and some tat off ebay for a fiver can yield new and interesting sounds whatever instrument we are taliking about. Just look at Rolf harris and his Stylophone!

[Wil]

I owned a Deluxe Memory Man delay once. No time sync or tap tempo on that, and if you set it up wrong it would go into an oscillation loop, but those weren't amateur hour sounds. It sounded bloody incredible in fact, I almost miss it.

[goblin]

I don't use anything, anything I want to do is done with my hands The only thing I'd consider is an octave pedal, delay pedal and a compressor.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Wil' post='1063582' date='Dec 19 2010, 03:04 PM']I owned a Deluxe Memory Man delay once. No time sync or tap tempo on that, and if you set it up wrong it would go into an oscillation loop, but those weren't amateur hour sounds. It sounded bloody incredible in fact, I almost miss it.[/quote]
But a properly designed delay unit would allow you to do both mad self oscillation and properly synchronised delays.

And I'm sure if it was really as incredible as you make out you'd still own it...

[Wil]

It was a massive pain in the arse, but I don't know of any modern equivalents that make the same noises. I sold it after it electrocuted me!

[leschirons]

I just use one of these.

[Slipperydick]

Tried it once (or twice) didnt like it.

Bass-lead-tuner-amp.

[thepurpleblob]

No effects here. Any effect I have ever tried either seems to make no audible difference at all or makes such a huge difference as to be unusable.

Having said that I mostly thump away down the thin end of the neck where it's more about moving volumes of air. I might feel differently if I had the skills/motivation to be noodling away at the dusty end!

Edited December 19, 2010 by thepurpleblob