New MXR bass synth pedal released

[simonlittle]

9 minutes ago, knicknack said:

I feel like that video does the MXR dirty a little... as a pedal it does need a little practice to 'show' it the information it needs to generate the synth lines. The more I experiment the happier I'm getting, and whilst i still love my Moog, I'd have the MXR over a Novation BS any day already, and will leave the Moog at home now more than I would have!

 

Had a fun little dep at the weekend...

 

 

Sounds great Paddy! Lovely Sandberg too 👌

[knicknack]

6 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Damn, that sounds good! Nicely played & classy band!

A live clip like that is worth a thousand words, and puts to bed any lingering doubts for me at least!

 

The one thing i miss from playing this on the Moog is the little pushes of the mod wheel on sustained notes. I haven't yet experimented with the expression pedal but i bet there's a way to do it, or something external that can get close.

[Quatschmacher]

2 minutes ago, knicknack said:

 

The one thing i miss from playing this on the Moog is the little pushes of the mod wheel on sustained notes. I haven't yet experimented with the expression pedal but i bet there's a way to do it, or something external that can get close.

What kind of things do you normally assign to the mod wheel on your Moog? Expression on the MXR allows you to morph most settings between two values (with interpolation).

Edited Monday at 12:23 by Quatschmacher

[knicknack]

@Quatschmacher usually it's a bit of a pitch wobble, but i'd imagine pushing the modulation on this would probably have a similar effect. I will report back! 

[LukeFRC]

On 10/07/2025 at 13:58, Al Krow said:

But the MXR sounded plenty good enough for a live band mix to me?

That was my take from it too! @knicknack's video also sounds great. 

[Quatschmacher]

17 minutes ago, knicknack said:

@Quatschmacher usually it's a bit of a pitch wobble, but i'd imagine pushing the modulation on this would probably have a similar effect. I will report back! 

Yes, you should just be able to attach an expression pedal and adjust the mod depth at the toe-down position, perhaps opening the cutoff a small amount too and that should get you there. 

[LukeFRC]

19 minutes ago, knicknack said:

@Quatschmacher usually it's a bit of a pitch wobble, but i'd imagine pushing the modulation on this would probably have a similar effect. I will report back! 

depending on the pitch detection can you do that with your left hand? 

[knicknack]

@LukeFRC that's what i'd normally do with an OC-2 or similar, but figured there's no way this would track that so never tried. Whaddaya know.... it does! 

[Chadu25]

3 hours ago, knicknack said:

I feel like that video does the MXR dirty a little... as a pedal it does need a little practice to 'show' it the information it needs to generate the synth lines. The more I experiment the happier I'm getting, and whilst i still love my Moog, I'd have the MXR over a Novation BS any day already, and will leave the Moog at home now more than I would have!

 

Had a fun little dep at the weekend...

 

 

Lovely stuff mate! Soooo  so good!

[SumOne]

Damn it!  I had been getting quite comfortable just using my Boss GX-10 that has decent enough Tuner, EQ, Compressor, Drive, and modulation and delay effects - enough that I wasn't really after any indididual pedals. It is convenient and means I can get all my Amp + Cables + Bass stand + Effects etc. in one single relatively small bag for gigs. 

 

.....But I've just received an Octamizer in a part exchange - and nothing on a multi-fx quite gets that same analogue octave sound, and the GX-10 (or other multi-fx) don't quite get the analogue analogue filter feel of something like an MXR Bass Envelope Filter so I'd been eyeing up them again. And now this MXR Bass synth (and @knicknack's excellent video) is enough to tip me over the edge! The GX-10 is more of a stand-alone thing as it is a bit big to incorporate into a pedal board so it puts me on the path of selling it and getting indididual pedals yet again!

 

 

Edited yesterday at 11:42 by SumOne

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, SumOne said:

Damn it!  I had been getting quite comfortable just using my Boss GX-10 that has decent enough Tuner, EQ, Compressor, Drive, and modulation and delay effects - enough that I wasn't really after any indididual pedals. It is convenient and means I can get all my Amp + Cables + Bass stand + Effects etc. in one single relatively small bag for gigs. 

 

.....But I've just received an Octamizer in a part exchange - and nothing on a multi-fx quite gets that same analogue octave sound, and the GX-10 (or other multi-fx) don't quite get the analogue analogue filter feel of something like an MXR Bass Envelope Filter so I'd been eyeing up them again. And now this MXR Bass synth (and @knicknack's excellent video) is enough to tip me over the edge! The GX-10 is more of a stand-alone thing as it is a bit big to incorporate into a pedal board so it puts me on the path of selling it and getting individual pedals yet again!

 

Yes, I agree,  Paddy's clip was a perfect demo. I can't easily recall clips of other bass synth pedals being put to such effortless good use in a band setting? But if any BC'ers do have any such clips to hand, please do share them?

 

 Btw when you decide to go all-in-one (again) with the latest multi (or head back to the comfort of the excellent GT1000 Core?) you know exactly who to contact to pass on your second hand "rubbish" at a knock down price 😅

 

Edited yesterday at 13:31 by Al Krow

[Chadu25]

Not a live clip application but sharing this:

 

Don't mind the last line of this Chaka Khan classic

 

24k Magic

 

Not sure if there are K-Pop listeners here in Basschat but was trying to emulate the moog sound in the record. MXR bass synth in the Anagram's FX Loop. Adding a preamp(gentle/Noble) after made it sound full. It decays nicely before it glitches out. Also good to note to tweak the Glide and Tracking parameter. Press and hold voice knob and tweak the resonance knob for the Glide and do the same when you press and hold the Shape switch for the Tracking. The Glide parameter smoothens your portamento or pitch slide between notes, allowing for smooth transitions or more pronounced effects. I still have a hard time doing quick runs or maybe I'm just a bad player haha

 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 13:50 by Chadu25

[Sharkfinger]

I've searched through this thread but I haven't seen anyone ask how this pedal handles playing octaves in quick succession.  

The only 2 pedals that can track those that I know of are the the latest Boss Synth pedal and Digitech Bass synth Wah (which I bought from my friend and yours @Al Krow ).  However, I'm not a fan of the synth sounds available on those.  If this can do that, it will tick all the boxes.  

[Sharkfinger]

I've been trying the synths in my Helix Stomp XL but I'm not getting the results I want.... not scratching that itch.

[Chadu25]

5 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

I've searched through this thread but I haven't seen anyone ask how this pedal handles playing octaves in quick succession.  

The only 2 pedals that can track those that I know of are the the latest Boss Synth pedal and Digitech Bass synth Wah (which I bought from my friend and yours @Al Krow ).  However, I'm not a fan of the synth sounds available on those.  If this can do that, it will tick all the boxes.  

Give me a bassline or tune to listen and I'll try it for you.

 

[Sharkfinger]

14 minutes ago, Chadu25 said:

Give me a bassline or tune to listen and I'll try it for you.

Thanks!  Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody.

Edited yesterday at 14:13 by Sharkfinger

[Chadu25]

12 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

Thanks!  Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody.

Damn! Love it! I'll do it!

[Quatschmacher]

1 hour ago, Sharkfinger said:

Thanks!  Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody.

Did that on the FI v3 a while ago. It’s a bit slower than the proper tempo. Tracking on the v4 is much better than what is heard here:

https://m.soundcloud.com/peter-kenney-750235819/qm-aint-noboday-2a

[Al Krow]

The thing about a live clip with a band, which is partly why @knicknack / Paddy's clip is a really excellent demo of this pedal's potential, is that you get to hear it in the context of the rest of the instruments and vox, which is what many of us are hoping to use it for, but also (and here's the rub!): you get one take to nail it. 

 

I loved Nate Navarro's honesty when he reviewed the Boss GM-800 saying that he'd had to do multiple takes to get some decent recordings (and he made it sound seriously lush btw). If anyone tells me that was because he's got poor synth bass playing technique...

 

Edited yesterday at 16:08 by Al Krow

[LukeFRC]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

The thing about a live clip with a band, which is partly why @knicknack / Paddy's clip is a really excellent demo of this pedal's potential, is that you get to hear it in the context of the rest of the instruments and vox, which is what many of us are hoping to use it for, but also (and here's the rub!): you get one take to nail it. 

 

I loved Nate Navarro's honesty when he reviewed the Boss GM-800 saying that he'd had to do multiple takes to get some decent recordings (and he made it sound seriously lush btw). If anyone tells me that was because he's got poor synth bass playing technique...

 

Also helped that @knicknacks drummer was really good! 
I agree with what you’ve been saying  @Al Krow - what this Mxr seems to have nailed is ease of use and accessibility- ild love to try one! 

[Greg Edwards69]

6 hours ago, Sharkfinger said:

I've been trying the synths in my Helix Stomp XL but I'm not getting the results I want.... not scratching that itch.

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, but check out Ian Martin Allison’s “vintage synth bass” helix preset pack. It’s very similar to some of the presets he’s dialled in for the mxr pedal - especially the Phillinganes moog type tones. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKGCye6O_Ak/?igsh=MWVwOXZvcHpsZjJtbg==
 

https://ianmartinallison.com/store/vintage-synth-pack

Edited yesterday at 20:03 by Greg Edwards69

[Sharkfinger]

15 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

Did that on the FI v3 a while ago. It’s a bit slower than the proper tempo. Tracking on the v4 is much better than what is heard here:

https://m.soundcloud.com/peter-kenney-750235819/qm-aint-noboday-2a

I owned an FI for a while.  I wish I'd heard your clip before I bought it, because even though you played the song noticeably slower that the original, it can't keep up when playing those octave notes.

 

11 hours ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, but check out Ian Martin Allison’s “vintage synth bass” helix preset pack. It’s very similar to some of the presets he’s dialled in for the mxr pedal - especially the Phillinganes moog type tones. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKGCye6O_Ak/?igsh=MWVwOXZvcHpsZjJtbg==
https://ianmartinallison.com/store/vintage-synth-pack

 

I actually own them. He's used a combination of pedals to get those sounds, so each one is a scene.  Even though I own the Helix (and the tracking is superb), I use it like bunch of stomp boxes (albeit with a 'hidden' Ampeg rig at the end of the chain).  I need to hit one button and go.  If I were to buy this MXR pedal, I'd probably only ever use one of the presets and stick to it.

 

[Quatschmacher]

24 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

I wish I'd heard your clip before I bought it, because even though you played the song noticeably slower that the original, it can't keep up when playing those octave notes.

As I said, this is an old clip done on v3. V4 has hugely improved tracking by comparison, and also has the ability to switch tracking priority modes. There are further improvements in the pipeline too. Octaves will always present a problem to any pitch-detection system as an octave above the fundamental (2nd harmonic) is always strongly present in most real-world instruments. 

[Greg Edwards69]

1 hour ago, Sharkfinger said:

I actually own them. He's used a combination of pedals to get those sounds, so each one is a scene.  Even though I own the Helix (and the tracking is superb), I use it like bunch of stomp boxes (albeit with a 'hidden' Ampeg rig at the end of the chain).  I need to hit one button and go.  If I were to buy this MXR pedal, I'd probably only ever use one of the presets and stick to it.

 

If you think about it, the MXR is effectively a combination of pedals as well, stuffed into a single pedal. The presets are effectively like snapshots on the helix - adjusting certain parameters at the press of a button.  Admittedly, I use the presets on a Helix LT, with more footswitches available, which makes it easier to switch effects in and out. For most presets, I use a combination of stomp mode and snapshot mode, or sometimes both, using the control centre.

 

I think it's worth persevering with the IMA synth presets, though; they are quite powerful and sound great, but they need tweaking to make them work for you and your particular performance preferences. Spending sometime setting up snapshots may be the solution you need.

 

PS I do wish IMA had programmed some snapshots into his synth presets - just for a little more variety.

[Sharkfinger]

1 hour ago, Quatschmacher said:

As I said, this is an old clip done on v3. V4 has hugely improved tracking by comparison, and also has the ability to switch tracking priority modes. There are further improvements in the pipeline too.

Good to hear.  It would be interesting to hear a comparison with the MXR.

 

1 hour ago, Quatschmacher said:

Octaves will always present a problem to any pitch-detection system as an octave above the fundamental (2nd harmonic) is always strongly present in most real-world instruments. 

This is why I'm so baffled that a 20+ year old pedal like the Bass Synth Wah can nail the tracking so well.  Such a shame I don't like the synth sounds, I don't find them in the least usable.  Can't say I'm crazy about the octave tone either but it was a small price to pay for the tracking accuracy a