Best Overdrive for use with IEMs

[Delberthot]

I'm really struggling to get an overdrive pedal that works with IEMs. I think it's because the sound through them is so clear that is the issue.

 

I've only tried a few but I don't want to have to go and spend a fortune on them to get one that works.

 

I just want mild overdrive but what I get is a ton of extra bass with it or a cheap, boxy sound.

 

I know that 500 members could advise 500 different pedals to use if I still used backline but if I could get a list together of the ones that people are using specifically with IEMs then I could start looking more at these.

[paul_5]

I think the problem is that IEMs don't need as much distortion due to their frequency response - amp/cab pairings will inevitably cut some of the top end which will allow more dirt due to the bass not sounding as 'fizzy'. 

[Jack]

Is this for playing live? If so, the audience aren't wearing iems. 

[Delberthot]

2 hours ago, Jack said:

Is this for playing live? If so, the audience aren't wearing iems. 

I'm trying to work out if you're trying to be funny or not. 🤔

 

I am looking for an overdrive that will sound good to me when I am wearing my IEMs and wanted to know what overdrive pedals other IEM users were using

[itu]

Please explain your signal chain a bit: is the OD after the bass, do you use wireless, or cable, what's the bass... 

 

OD/dist/fuzz may behave in a different way depending on the bass output impedance (hi-Z, or lo-Z). I have different pedals for different basses. It took quite a long time to find a suitable fuzz to a lo-Z bass (i.e. with a battery powered preamp). 

[LukeFRC]

10 hours ago, Delberthot said:

I'm trying to work out if you're trying to be funny or not. 🤔

 

I am looking for an overdrive that will sound good to me when I am wearing my IEMs and wanted to know what overdrive pedals other IEM users were using

I think the point is what does the audience hear.

drives will often sound harsh - I would be looking for a cab sim or high pass/low pass after the drives to help things sound natural through iem, and front of house. 
 

otherwise my stock answer is ss/bs mini or clone of! 

[LukeFRC]

Or grizzly bass which has a top end roll off 

[Delberthot]

2 hours ago, itu said:

Please explain your signal chain a bit: is the OD after the bass, do you use wireless, or cable, what's the bass... 

 

OD/dist/fuzz may behave in a different way depending on the bass output impedance (hi-Z, or lo-Z). I have different pedals for different basses. It took quite a long time to find a suitable fuzz to a lo-Z bass (i.e. with a battery powered preamp). 

 

The bass could be anything from a graphite neck maple jazz with EMGs with a 3 band preamp to a sire D5 with flats but I would have thought that a decent overdrive with volume and bass/treble controls would be able to be adjusted to suit. If that's not the case then maybe that's where I am going wrong in not choosing a pedal to suit the bass I am using.

 

I use a TC polytune Mini tuner into a Boss OC-5, TC Thunderstorm Flanger and a Behringer BDI21 for distortion when using a plectrum but I can't get it to sound good fingerstyle. This then goes into my MXR M81 preamp. It then goes to the PA from there. I don't use a wireless as I don't see the point when my IEMs are wired.

 

1 hour ago, LukeFRC said:

I think the point is what does the audience hear.

drives will often sound harsh - I would be looking for a cab sim or high pass/low pass after the drives to help things sound natural through iem, and front of house. 
 

otherwise my stock answer is ss/bs mini or clone of! 

 

1 hour ago, LukeFRC said:

Or grizzly bass which has a top end roll off 

 

I hadn't thought about a cab sim before - maybe something to give the sound more of a colour than a full blown overdrive.

 

what is an ss/bs? a google search gives me these options 🤔😂

 

 

 

With Boss type pedals I am fine as the name of them tells you exactly what they do most of the time but most boutique pedal manufacturers tend to use bizarre names that give no clue as to what you're getting. This can also be an issue when I am running through the classifieds as I will tend to ignore something if the name of it doesn't tell you what it is and the OP hasn't explained what it does.

 

I'm off to look at cab sims 👍

Edited 4 hours ago by Delberthot

[LukeFRC]

Small sound/big sound mini 

 

I would maybe use *both* drive and cab sim. Not sure the best cab sim pedals mind, tc impulse if irs, or broughton high pass/ low pass if doing basic chopping  thr ends off - the tonex mini thing might be cheapest smallest thing to give you a whole amp cab at end of chain? 🤷 

[Jack]

13 hours ago, Delberthot said:

I'm trying to work out if you're trying to be funny or not. 🤔

 

I am looking for an overdrive that will sound good to me when I am wearing my IEMs and wanted to know what overdrive pedals other IEM users were using

Oh trust me, if I was being funny you'd know about it as I am hilarious. My point was that if you're sitting at home doing late night practice or whatever using IEMs then fine, do whatever sounds best to you. But if you were playing live and using IEMs then you might go to great lengths to get it to sound great to you in your IEMs, and in doing so ruin the sound that the audience hear through your amp or the pa or whatever.

[Delberthot]

5 minutes ago, Jack said:

Oh trust me, if I was being funny you'd know about it as I am hilarious. My point was that if you're sitting at home doing late night practice or whatever using IEMs then fine, do whatever sounds best to you. But if you were playing live and using IEMs then you might go to great lengths to get it to sound great to you in your IEMs, and in doing so ruin the sound that the audience hear through your amp or the pa or whatever.

 

Ah gotcha 🙂

 

I suppose that it's a double edged sword - I want a good sound out of the PA but if it sounds terrible through the IEMs then I won't enjoy the gig.

 

I am more inclined to go with the fact that most of the audience won't know the difference between a precision and a Pickenbacker so a little overdrive in my sound wont be that noticable out front. I may be a one-off, most people want to get a sound that is great through the PA but I want to enjoy the gig as well so won't put up with a crap sound in my IEMs as long as it sounds decent through the PA.

[Delberthot]

I'm wondering if I should go with something like a line6 Pod GO. 

 

I could set up a basic preset for each bass along with the small number of effects that I will use. It looks relatively simple compared to something like the Helix and I don't have a problem tinkering with it to get the sound right. Plus I don't have to buy a bigger pedal board to potentially fit a sim pedal, overdrive and possibly something like a Boss LS-2 to blend clean and overdriven sounds. And if I have a bigger board then I will be tempted to add more unnecessary pedals.

[itu]

2 hours ago, Delberthot said:

The bass could be anything from a graphite neck maple jazz with EMGs... 

 

...I would have thought that a decent overdrive with volume and bass/treble controls would be able to be adjusted to suit. 

I have been talking about the family of OD/dist/fuzz pedals with manufacturers, players, and some boutique makers. All recommend the same: try before you buy. And with your own bass, not any other. 

 

One of the most complicated effects is the OD/dist/fuzz family, because their behaviour, sound, and adjustments are affected by the bass, or the effect before them. I've seen and heard that some compressors have a very different behaviour depending on the bass. That's why I have fx boards for hi-Z and lo-Z basses. Different beasts. 

 

I thought that output impedance does not matter at all. On paper there shouldn't be a big difference, but ears don't lie. Try a few side by side to compare them against each other.