xgsjx Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 [quote name='musophilr' timestamp='1327424620' post='1511009'] Today I tried a compressor pedal. I'd have to tinker a lot more with the controls before I found a sound that I preferred to the straight through sound. Maybe at gig volume it'll be different. [/quote] I don't use a compressor live. But when a compressor is on, you shouldn't be able to tell it is until you turn it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 [quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1327426004' post='1511046'] I use about half a minute of chorus for the intro to Widowmaker by WASP... does that count? I have nothing against people using f/x, but I must admit it makes me laugh when somebody rocks up with a pedalboard that's almost a two man lift and proceeds to use one pedal, once. [/quote] My pedalboard is STRICTY a 2-man lift. I appreciate it if a 3rd person is handy too. Though I don't use a clean bass at ANY point of a set. Would you laugh? Or seem it acceptable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nibody Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 [quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1327409555' post='1510650'] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLjMmZ8D0E4[/media] Works just fine - suits the song [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2E_RSJAhYU&feature=related[/media] and this sounds great without [/quote] I think the point I'm making is, Waiting for an Alibi would'nt sound as good without the modulation on the bass, and by the same measure Tears of a clown would sound awful with it. Personally I have an EHX Small Stone and a Big muff because I wanted them. The only pedal I think I've ever used live was a flanger. Iove messing around with effects on Amplitube3 or Guitar Rig4 but live apart from maybe a Flanger or Phaser wouldnt bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxxwj Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 (edited) [quote name='musophilr' timestamp='1327408569' post='1510629'] 1. Envelope I was thinking of things like phaser which gives the impression of something which gets louder after you've played the leading edge of the note, hence the most apparent part of your note occurs a few ms after you played it rather than on the leading edge. @lxxwj - like your cat ! [/quote] Phaser's just a watery sound, no volume increase there. There are some delays that can do that, though. About the cat: I wish I had one, just found this pic on the internet somewhere ^_^ My strategy with effects is to plan it out first. Start out with everything you could ever want, and THEN think strategically. (what could I actually use? what isn't useful for the role I have in the band?) And then think about practicality.. I've narrowed my ideas down to 11 pedals, including a tuner and compressor. Edited January 24, 2012 by lxxwj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musophilr Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 [quote name='lxxwj' timestamp='1327437827' post='1511286'] Phaser's just a watery sound, no volume increase there. [/quote] True, that's why I said [i]give the impression of[/i] ... when the swooshy bit reaches its peak you hear that bit more easily. If you set the rate control to be somewhat consistent with the note values you're playing and the leading edge of each note starts with the swoosh going upwards you hear the swoosh peaking after the leading edge of your notes. Setting the rate to swoosh once per bar might be preferable. Do you have a Cats' Protection League (or their equivalent) in North Carolina? I bet there's some little furry person just waiting for a home with a friendly bass player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxxwj Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 No clue 'bout a protection league, but I do volunteer at the shelter every thursday Ah, I see what you mean with the phaser. Yeah, there is definitely skill involved with timing these things, and using effects is much like playing an instrument; you have to keep time. I think the main reason why we (bassists) use effects is because it's fun. It also adds some new flavor to your music. Justin Chancellor, for example, is famous for both taking the lead parts in a lot of songs and for his tasteful use of effects and heavy use of overdrive. Effect use makes a bassist as much as technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C88 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Why not? Depends on the band, depends on the song, depends on what part of a particular song. But you shouldn't think 'Effects are just for sounding right for a cover', be creative people, make your own sound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 My pedal board has tuner, octave, chorus, tremolo, 2x dirtboxes (1 set to 'stun', the other set to 'obliterate') and an envelope filter. To some people, that's a lot, to others it's just the basics of a board. I always like to have my board with me when I'm playing even if I don't use it; it's nice to know that if whichever band I'm playing with has a 'grateful dead' moment and ends up in an improvised section, then I can use different textures to enhance what we're doing instead of note/rhythm choices. You know the 2nd law of sod? If you don't take it you'll need it? Just finished a 2 hour reading gig and as I was going straight from work, I didn't take my board. Halfway through one of the numbers I thought "you know what would work really well in this situation? A touch of chorus. I uppose that serves me right for thinking "ah, it'll be right" but you know, the world didn't end and we finished the set. I can't help feel that I could have sounded better or contributed more though. Next time I'm packing 'board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brensabre79 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I use effects for covers when the song requires it. I sometimes use effects on my original stuff - but with the line up not so much need. What I do not do is get a load of moogerfoogers/phasers/chorus/delay/whatever and obliterate a gentle ballad in the name of creativity. IF I were playing in a dubstep trio I would probably have a two-man lift pedalboard and I would probably use all of it. but I dont', I play in a covers band but it doesn't mean I havent got my own sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 musophilr might not get using FX on bass, but quite a few other people do get the use of FX on bass. It'd be a boring world if everyone had the same bass sound wouldn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_S Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1327428568' post='1511112'] My pedalboard is STRICTY a 2-man lift. I appreciate it if a 3rd person is handy too. Though I don't use a clean bass at ANY point of a set. Would you laugh? Or seem it acceptable? [/quote] Heh, nah mate - that's totally acceptable! If you use the stuff then it's perfectly sensible to have it there I have, however, quite literally seen a board like that come in, get unfurled and patched in, and remain[i] completely [/i]unused for the entire duration of the gig. I freely admit that with my beer-drinking-punter head on, that amuses me! Out of genuine interest, do you enjoy using a big board as an integral part of your performance rather than just a necessity to achieve your sound? Do you 'engage with it' (for want of a better description) and alter the f/x parameters in real time, or just turn things on and off that you've carefully pre-set? I only ask because if I were doing f/x on a big scale, I reckon I'd want to put them all in rack drawers and use a GCX or something to switch presets. But then, I suppose that might be taking away an integral element of your live performance..? If I'm appearing clueless, it's because I play standard rock / heavy metal and my trademark thing is to set the EQ flat, strap on my wireless kit and head off to rock out on the floor with the audience, so I'd find it a real pain to use anything pedal-wise for more than an intro, and don't really feel it'd enhance much if I went to the trouble! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='Gwilym' timestamp='1327409615' post='1510654']- Is it to achieve a sound that's stylistically in keeping with the musical genre being played, whether a cover or original?[/quote] Can be, certainly. [quote name='Gwilym' timestamp='1327409615' post='1510654']- Is it to satisfy a personal creative itch and doing something "totally new/original"?[/quote] I would never claim to be doing anything totally new or original For me it's as simple as this: There is more than one good bass sound. That's why I have a bass guitar strung with rounds and another strung with flats and a double bass. Similarly I think the Boss OC-2 is a really good bass sound, as is a plain square wave or a saw wave, or a fuzz, or a fuzz through a band-pass filter, I also like the 'broken robot' sound of a bass through a sample rate reducer so I use that a lot, extreme pitch bends are nice for special effects as is delay as is tremolo. The more you experiment the more useful sounds you come across. It's nice to be able to change the sound of the bass in music where the bass part is quite repetitive - like in pop music. It's just another way to add hooks to a song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I have only just recently started to use FX pedals with my bass playing, and find it's great when you get an effect that really suits part of a song, done with taste and thought I think it can add something special to the feel and sound of a song/music. The trick for me now is not to over-use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightSix Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='musophilr' timestamp='1327424620' post='1511009'] Today I tried a compressor pedal. I'd have to tinker a lot more with the controls before I found a sound that I preferred to the straight through sound. Maybe at gig volume it'll be different. [/quote] I'm on the search for a compressor - keep in mind that there are many makes and types which react to your playing differently and sound different - it may take some hunting to find the one you like. As to effects in general, it's all about the sonic palette man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I'm an effects luddite and it's mostly laziness - I just cannot be bothered to learn how to make them work. Don't get me started on multi-fx units - they're so festooned with knobs and buttons that they just make me want to throw it out the window. I find it doubly amusing that my job is technical (IT). I can program computers. Maybe it all just seems like work at the end of the day when I'd rather be playing the bass for fun. I guess low expectations help - as long as I'm in tune and can be heard then I'm happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Some multis aren't so bad. The Line 6 M series interface is really easy to use and intuitive, lots of useful sounds in there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Yeah, I just grabbed a Boss ME20b yesterday and after the initial hour of making my bass sound like a siren being played through broken speakers on an infinite delay, I was ready to start programming some patches and it's all pretty intuitive! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1327487874' post='1511994'] The trick for me now is not to over-use them. [/quote] You can't say that when Bootsy is your avatar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1327486194' post='1511935'] Out of genuine interest, do you enjoy using a big board as an integral part of your performance rather than just a necessity to achieve your sound? Do you 'engage with it' (for want of a better description) and alter the f/x parameters in real time, or just turn things on and off that you've carefully pre-set? I only ask because if I were doing f/x on a big scale, I reckon I'd want to put them all in rack drawers and use a GCX or something to switch presets. But then, I suppose that might be taking away an integral element of your live performance..? If I'm appearing clueless, it's because I play standard rock / heavy metal and my trademark thing is to set the EQ flat, strap on my wireless kit and head off to rock out on the floor with the audience, so I'd find it a real pain to use anything pedal-wise for more than an intro, and don't really feel it'd enhance much if I went to the trouble! [/quote] I am pretty interactive when it comes to my set up. I have the pedals set up in 'defaut' position, which is effectively a position that offers sounds/tones which I love and would be happy treating it at a simple on/off effect like anyone else. A fair portion of my set up stays this way. I'd say 12 units stay like this. Set up for specific parts of tracks or improv. The other 8 however get tweaked an awful lot. Some by expression pedal, some by hand, some by both (at the same time). A number of the pedals I use a lot (Low Pass Filter, Ring Mod, Cluster Flux... In fact all the Moog stuff!) use very different tones for different tracks to I totally reset and tweak while playing between track. This takes some doing and I treat the board as part of the instrument. To me the bass is a set of oscillators and the board is the rest of the synth, so tweaking stuff does not seem a chore, it's part of playing. I try and spend at least one day a week (but generally two) with the set up playing with textures and layers and how things interact with every tiny turn of every knob, so yes, I'd say I interact with it a fair bit. A few Basschatters have seen me use the set up live (Phil.I.Stein, mcgraham, Dan Owens) so they'd be better to ask if the time and effort has paid off...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1327496862' post='1512261'] I am pretty interactive when it comes to my set up. I have the pedals set up in 'defaut' position, which is effectively a position that offers sounds/tones which I love and would be happy treating it at a simple on/off effect like anyone else. A fair portion of my set up stays this way. I'd say 12 units stay like this. Set up for specific parts of tracks or improv. The other 8 however get tweaked an awful lot. Some by expression pedal, some by hand, some by both (at the same time). A number of the pedals I use a lot (Low Pass Filter, Ring Mod, Cluster Flux... In fact all the Moog stuff!) use very different tones for different tracks to I totally reset and tweak while playing between track. This takes some doing and I treat the board as part of the instrument. To me the bass is a set of oscillators and the board is the rest of the synth, so tweaking stuff does not seem a chore, it's part of playing. I try and spend at least one day a week (but generally two) with the set up playing with textures and layers and how things interact with every tiny turn of every knob, so yes, I'd say I interact with it a fair bit. A few Basschatters have seen me use the set up live (Phil.I.Stein, mcgraham, Dan Owens) so they'd be better to ask if the time and effort has paid off...! [/quote] Well done on the Polytune Mini! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_S Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1327496862' post='1512261'] This takes some doing and I treat the board as part of the instrument. To me the bass is a set of oscillators and the board is the rest of the synth, so tweaking stuff does not seem a chore, it's part of playing. [/quote] Yeah, that's sortof what I though, but didn't want to presume Cheers for the insight - appreciated! Assuming you have some footage out there in the public domain I'll have to have a gander when I'm not getting blocked by work's TMG box... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1327498978' post='1512336'] Well done on the Polytune Mini! [/quote] Wow - I didn't realise I'd won one!!! Cheers for the heads up!! That's the 2nd thin I've won on TC's give away's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 [quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1327502073' post='1512422'] Wow - I didn't realise I'd won one!!! Cheers for the heads up!! That's the 2nd thin I've won on TC's give away's! [/quote] They posted winners on FB and your board was the 3rd on. Unless someone else has a shed load of Moogs and 2 OC-2s... ... now feeling nervous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Lol. It was me. I didn't have a message as I have my privacy set so folks can't message me easily. They sent me a friend request. All sorted! Woop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Nice one! I saw you won. There's a LOT of jealous folk out there posting a load of nonsense on the pics at TC's FB. Actually quite funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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