What Do You Guys Do To Maintain Your Fundamental Tone When Using Effects?

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='789186' date='Mar 29 2010, 09:50 AM']Well, some people like their pedals to be so transparent that you can't tell they're on [/quote]

Yeah tbh if I bought a pedal that didn't affect my "fundamental tone" I'd take it back.

More often than not when I switch a pedal on I don't want to hear my bass, I want to hear something else. I do have some effects in an LS-2 loop just in case, but I have an OC-2 in the other side of the loop and more often than not I'll have that on rather than use a clean blend.

[cheddatom]

I use a clean blend, but I use it to give extra "punch".

RE a crossover - I tried this before, using my peavey combo for clean bass, and my pedals and guitar combo for effects. It sounds awful compared to running both amps from the effects (with the low tuned out fo the guitar combo). Maybe I just like it when the low frequencies are distorted.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='789271' date='Mar 29 2010, 11:47 AM']I use a clean blend, but I use it to give extra "punch".

RE a crossover - I tried this before, using my peavey combo for clean bass, and my pedals and guitar combo for effects. It sounds awful compared to running both amps from the effects (with the low tuned out fo the guitar combo). Maybe I just like it when the low frequencies are distorted.[/quote]

Where did you set the crossover point?

[Silent Fly]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='789271' date='Mar 29 2010, 10:47 AM'](...)
RE a crossover - I tried this before, using my peavey combo for clean bass, and my pedals and guitar combo for effects. It sounds awful compared to running both amps from the effects (with the low tuned out fo the guitar combo).(...)[/quote]
Splitting the frequencies can create problems. If the two components are sent to separate amplifiers, it is possible (very likely actually) that the different frequencies response of the amps combined with the effect of the crossover creates gaps or worse, overlaps in the overall frequency response.

This is essentially why I said "[i]The two components are processed separately [b]and then recombined[/b][/i]". If the two processed sides are recombined and sent to the same amp, the effect of different frequency responses are not present and the sound should be much more solid.

Alternatively, the two amps can be exactly the same but they need to properly positioned.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='789271' date='Mar 29 2010, 10:47 AM'](...) Maybe I just like it when the low frequencies are distorted.[/quote]
With some effects I like low frequency distorted as well

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='789163' date='Mar 29 2010, 09:21 AM']I'm often puzzled by this 'tone suck' thing.
I've noticed nothing noticeably different when I use mine in line.
Is it the frequecies? If something takes a way a bit of low end (as somebody said to me recently) or whatever why wouldn't you just adjust the eq on the amp?[/quote]

In my (limited) experience, different FX pedals can have a very diifferent impact. Anything involving phasing or envelope filtering tends to leave the bottom end sounding "thinner".

Obviously the impact can vary pretty drastically between a player with a P-bass and a player with a Status.

If you don't use that type of pedal anyway (and you didn't the last couple of times I saw The Jetsonics), then you won't have a problem.

There are also plenty of stomp-boxes which aren't actually FX pedals, of course ...

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='789282' date='Mar 29 2010, 12:05 PM']Where did you set the crossover point?[/quote]

I tried everything above 400Hz. I thought I might risk the guitar amp if I went lower.

SF - what you say about combining the crossover signals back together afterwards makes sense. This is what I effectively do with some of my settings.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='789370' date='Mar 29 2010, 01:43 PM']I tried everything above 400Hz. I thought I might risk the guitar amp if I went lower.

SF - what you say about combining the crossover signals back together afterwards makes sense. This is what I effectively do with some of my settings.[/quote]

Guitars put out down to 80hz or something, the fundamental might not be very strong, but they tend to have a pickup closer to the neck than most basses. I'd figure 100hz or thereabouts would be a more appropriate sort of spot, where I plan on setting mine if I start messing with that plan, sounded good in the living room.

[umph]

[quote name='Phaedrus' post='787390' date='Mar 26 2010, 09:07 PM']Hi,

Lots of effects sap tone in some way or other, so I'm wondering what folk do to prevent it?

Only buy FX that really don't negatively affect tone?

Use a blender/line-switcher/looper?

Use two separate amps (one clean & one effected)?

Send two separate clean & effected signals to the PA?

Something else?


Personally, I've been looking at sending two separate signals to our PA - one clean & one effected - by splitting the signal with a DI before the effects, but that'd leave me with just effected signal in my stage amp.

So I've started looking at using a blender instead - that'd give both my stage amp and the PA mixer the same blended signal.

Obviously this isn't an issue for guys who don't use effects . . .


Thanks,

Mark[/quote]

put a pedal with a good buffer at the start of the chain.

[gafbass02]

I quite like my buffered tone, although anything that sucks too much goes in an LS2 loop. Thats said i recently ditched the board for the ease of a zoom B9.1ut and so far am WELL chuffed!

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='789968' date='Mar 29 2010, 09:24 PM']Guitars put out down to 80hz or something, the fundamental might not be very strong, but they tend to have a pickup closer to the neck than most basses. I'd figure 100hz or thereabouts would be a more appropriate sort of spot, where I plan on setting mine if I start messing with that plan, sounded good in the living room.[/quote]

I would really worry though, guitars don't put out much that low, surely? It's a 2 x 12" SS johnson combo, about 150W or something. Am I risking anything?

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='790266' date='Mar 30 2010, 09:15 AM']I would really worry though, guitars don't put out much that low, surely? It's a 2 x 12" SS johnson combo, about 150W or something. Am I risking anything?[/quote]

Plug a guitar into a bass amp and you'll hear the low they put out. Their standard lack of bottom happens in the amp, so the bottom reaching the input is no prob, the preamp is made to roll it off.

[cheddatom]

Right, of course! I've played guitar through my bass rig quite a few times. Baritone's even better! :-D I just get extra worried abut this guitar combo because it's not mine! Thanks for the reassurance, i'll give the crossover another go.