MNPD's multiple new pedals day(s)

[uk_lefty]

I recently started to feel it was pointless having a Helix Stomp when I was using lesstl than 1% of its capability. I was also complementing the Stomp with other external pedals to do what it could not for gigging purposes. My board was...

 

Wireless receiver,

Expression pedal and Boss SY-1 Synth,

AMT bass Wah,

Harley Benton tuner/ mute,

Helix Stomp plus two button footswitch to change patches...

 

I bought a Boss OC-2 just because... I will use it extensively for the glitchy synthy nature of it. You can get the octave down sound but it's the glitch that is the charm of the original. That was the moment I just thought "hang on, this is getting silly"

 

So I sold the Helix. 

 

New pedals in:

Boss OC-2, 

Zoom B1 four,

Darkglass Duality Fuzz.

 

Rationale... Well my band does "pop goes rock" and I have been trying to recreate some of the synth sounds that underpin a lot of songs. The Boss isn't perfect for this but I'm spending some time trying to learn it better. I also wanted an OC-2 and a fuzz to make other synthy sounds. I use fuzz as a distortion type effect to make some choruses heavier, with its dual use for synthy stuff I knew I needed a good one and after watching the Ian Allison demo of the Duality I was sold (via BC Marketplace!) This fuzz does everything!!

 

So why the Zoom? Well... I use chorus occasionally. Not enough to justify buying a new chorus. I need a compressor because I'm not happy with the one built in on my amp and I want it at the front of my pedal chain. I want to be able to call up random effects and try them with the band without having to buy stuff. So far with the zoom... It's ok. It is NOT a Helix replacement but for someone like me who didn't have the time or patience to get the best out of the Helix it will do a job and do it well. It's also a good practice tool. Over time it may get replaced on my board by a good chorus, a compressor and maybe a preamp, but for now I'm going to see how it goes.

 

I'm pretty happy with the set up now. Though some of the pedals I've not had long with they are coming out with the band tonight to work on details in some old songs and one or two new ones. Can't wait to hear these in the mix!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Al Krow]

Enjoy the Zoom B1-4 - I'm still loving mine and it's sitting at the heart of my pedal board.

A few B1-4 patch idea downloads at the start of this thread. You'll need to download the free ToneLib software to be able to access.

[uk_lefty]

7 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Enjoy the Zoom B1-4 - I'm still loving mine and it's sitting at the heart of my pedal board.

A few B1-4 patch idea downloads at the start of this thread. You'll need to download the free ToneLib software to be able to access.

Have got halfway through the thread... I don't have time to edit the Zoom patches yet but will try to early next week. So far the presets sound ok, a bit of tweaking and I expect it will be much improved.

[skidder652003]

8 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Enjoy the Zoom B1-4 - I'm still loving mine and it's sitting at the heart of my pedal board.

A few B1-4 patch idea downloads at the start of this thread. You'll need to download the free ToneLib software to be able to access.

same here, needed a new phaser pedal and thought for the same money get a used B1four. Handy little thing.

[uk_lefty]

Last night the band worked on one new song (I say "new" it got requested at a gig once and we jammed it nicely) then worked on some details for other established songs. The verdict is in:

 

Boss OC-2 hard to hear in the mix in a rehearsal room but I think its going to really bring something playing live through big PAs. Keeper.

 

Duality Fuzz. This made everyone happy. I love how flexible it is to get a "soft" fuzz after the octave for a synthy sound or a full on modern tear your face off screaming fuzz and everything in between. In the mix it can act like a hairy overdrive too. Not just a keeper, an absolute winner. I'm glad I pushed the boat out for this, despite how much I wanted an EHX Bass Big Muff. 

 

Zoom B1 four.... Having used a Helix Stomp for about 18months I didn't expect this to be as good. It is nowhere near the quality of sound. I used some of the presets for compressor and EQ and it was.... Ok. Ok for rehearsals. I would not want to gig it with those tones. I need to get into tweaking this a LOT to get it gig worthy. I may still bite the bullet and buy a decent compressor, EQ, and chorus pedal. Also, I think this pedal is bringing noise into my signal chain. It could be that the power pack, which is a cheap unit anyway, is now being stretched a bit with nearly every 9v bank in use but there is a constant background hiss.

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by uk_lefty

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, uk_lefty said:

Last night the band worked on one new song (I say "new" it got requested at a gig once and we jammed it nicely) then worked on some details for other established songs. The verdict is in:

 

Boss OC-2 hard to hear in the mix in a rehearsal room but I think its going to really bring something playing live through big PAs. Keeper.

 

Duality Fuzz. This made everyone happy. I love how flexible it is to get a "soft" fuzz after the octave for a synthy sound or a full on modern tear your face off screaming fuzz and everything in between. In the mix it can act like a hairy overdrive too. Not just a keeper, an absolute winner. I'm glad I pushed the boat out for this, despite how much I wanted an EHX Bass Big Muff. 

 

Zoom B1 four.... Having used a Helix Stomp for about 18months I didn't expect this to be as good. It is nowhere near the quality of sound. I used some of the presets for compressor and EQ and it was.... Ok. Ok for rehearsals. I would not want to gig it with those tones. I need to get into tweaking this a LOT to get it gig worthy. I may still bite the bullet and buy a decent compressor, EQ, and chorus pedal. Also, I think this pedal is bringing noise into my signal chain. It could be that the power pack, which is a cheap unit anyway, is now being stretched a bit with nearly every 9v bank in use but there is a constant background hiss.

 

Yup,  basic stuff like setting and saving individual patch volumes so you don't get volume spikes and adding the Zoom Noise Reduction effect as standard to all your patches should get you a long way there.  

 

Editing on PC with the freely available ToneLib software makes editing patches quick and easy. 

 

I've used various, albeit decent, multi output PSUs but they all provide individually isolated outputs which I personally would always want to have, to avoid PSU related noise. The HB Iso Pro series are compact and very good value for money. 

[MacDaddy]

21 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

I recently started to feel it was pointless having a Helix Stomp when I was using lesstl than 1% of its capability. ***

 

 

 

 

 

I know what you mean. I have a couple of mulfi fx, and have never used them to their full potential, but it's the convenience that does it for me.

[uk_lefty]

2 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

 

I know what you mean. I have a couple of mulfi fx, and have never used them to their full potential, but it's the convenience that does it for me.

No doubt I'll be back to multis in a year or two!

[SumOne]

One of the best things with the Helix Stomp is when it gets sold and there's a pot of £ to re-buy individual pedals that were sold to get it!

[uk_lefty]

So.... Played a private party on Saturday night. The sound on the venue was shocking. Honestly the worst venue. I can usually deal with not hearing my bass properly but still hearing the singers monitor, or the other way round, but this was truly awful. Any note below A produced a swelling mush. There was natural reverb in the room on the bass notes that was quite eerie, it sounded like an effect being applied. Anyhow, pedals verdict:

 

Zoom B1.four. I used standard settings for amp Sims and compression. Jury is still out here. I need to either get into this pedal with my PC or return it quick. Part of this feeling is explained by...

 

Darkglass Duality Fuzz. Woah. This is built for gigging. I never used fuzz much until this last year but it's become something I rely upon now. I love this pedal for how easy it is to use, how much variance there is to the sound off just four rotary dials, and how perfectly it sits in the mix. This explains where the money on good quality individual pedals goes when you compare to something like the Zoom. Even in comparison to my old Helix Stomp there's just something to the sound that's a smidge "better". 

 

Boss OC-2. Unfortunately with the sound so poor I couldn't really hear this as well as I would have liked to and only bothered to use it on one song. Next week's gig should have better sound so more chance to explore it then.

 

So this leaves me with a small quandary on what to do with the Zoom. I feel like I need a compressor, my amps onboard compressor just doesn't do it for me. I'd like an overdrive of some sort, though I play through an ABM amp which has its valve drive and can turn the gain right down on the Darkglass if I want to. I would like a chorus but I'm not so bothered on that front right now. It would be handy though to have something that can go straight to PA if the amp fails or is forgotten or whatever, so a preamp/ DI type pedal would be useful but not essential. My marketplace, eBay and Reverb searches continue!

 

 

[naxos10]

You get a pre-amp, compressor and overdrive in a TC Electronics Spectradrive.

[uk_lefty]

1 hour ago, naxos10 said:

You get a pre-amp, compressor and overdrive in a TC Electronics Spectradrive.

That's on the list! Along with the Fender Downtown Express, and maybe an EHX Battalion though I had one briefly in the past. 

 

Alternatively I could get a dedicated compressor and separate preamp. I'm trying to spend as little as possible though I do genuinely think the more you spend the more you get! It's a tough one.

[uk_lefty]

The Zoom is going back to Thomann! While it's a perfectly acceptable little thing and world's beyond the old BFX708 I had many years back it's just not doing enough in my set up. The Darkglass really put things into perspective for me, and if cashflow were a little better I'd be buying a Darkglass preamp/ drive pedal. As it is I've gone for a second hand Fender Downtown Express. 

 

I've gone for that because I don't want to clutter my board but I think compression is a must at the start of my chain, the switchable EQ is a benefit particularly when I can go from a Stingray one gig to a Jack Casady the next, and the drive could be useful going into my ABM. I also like the simplicity of having it all out in front of me to tweak between the two or three settings I'll use.