Pedalhead heaven !!!

[phil.i.stein]

I just received my Source Audio Multiwave Bass Distortion Pro (phew, what a mouthful).

it has a huge range of distortion possibilities, from very synthy fuzzes (even a kind of autowah) to gnarly distortions.

an onboard graphic tweaks the effected sound, which can be mixed with clean signal. 6 user presets are switchable.

oh man, it's going to take months to discover what this thing is capable of.

it sounds really good with my groove regulator too.

when i eventually get a good octave pedal i'll have some awesome synth tones available.

massively recommended !! great value, and thomanns are cool to deal with, they text you when dispatched and all that..

if you are curious, here's the official demo

[url="http://www.sourceaudio.net/videos/post/soundblox-pro-multiwave-bass-distortion-demo/"]http://www.sourceaudio.net/videos/post/sou...istortion-demo/[/url]

Edited March 31, 2010 by phil.i.stein

[basstard]

I agree 1000% - best (and most usable) pedal I own!

[thisnameistaken]

I suggest you loan it to me for an undefined period while I... prepare a review.

Yes.

A review.

[i]*fiendish cackling*[/i]

[cheddatom]

I need to try this!

[burno70]

Man, just when I thought I was done gassing over pedals!

[phil.i.stein]

this could well be a huge leap forward...

it's not a distortion pedal, it's that and part synth ('specially with the graphic / blend) .

i might have to learn how to use an expression pedal.

11/10 !

sorry thisnameistaken.. no proper review from me...i wouldn't think my view would be that important.

and i guarantee it would take a long time to fully get all possibilities from it, especially hooked up alongside other pedals...this thing is insane..! absolutely best value for money (and i have bought a few recently).

[dumelow]

I am so stuck between this and a VT pedal right now... Retro overdrive or Fat Synthy distortion...good lord i wish i could afford both

[mildmanofrock]

I know what you mean... I was considering an ehx bass muff... now this comes along...

[mildmanofrock]

I'm not that impressed with this smug demo.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKEWgOc_IBM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKEWgOc_IBM[/url]

To me, the single band fuzz sounds like a squashed bee. In fact, the whole thing seems a bit over-engineered and not natural sounding enought to my ears.

[thisnameistaken]

I dont' think it's intended to be "natural"-sounding, really. It's more a competitor for stuff like the WMD Geiger Counter, Subdecay Noisebox, Prunes & Custard, etc.

If all you need is a traditional fuzz then save your money and just get a Big Muff (or clone).

[Oscar South]

I absolutely need this, can anyone recommend where to pick one up from in the UK?

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='796695' date='Apr 5 2010, 04:11 PM']I dont' think it's intended to be "natural"-sounding, really. It's more a competitor for stuff like the WMD Geiger Counter, Subdecay Noisebox, Prunes & Custard, etc.

If all you need is a traditional fuzz then save your money and just get a Big Muff (or clone).[/quote]
i agree.

the fuzzes are very different from that on the bass big muff, so i'm not using it to replace my fuzz sound.

it is hugely versatile though mainly due to the blend, drive and graphic controls. by using a subtle blend i can get a very good overdrive sound, or go out and out synth buzz.

one of the most useful functions is that a clean/graphic boost can be saved as a preset. one of our bands songs goes straight from punk into reggae, so i managed to set the pedal up to go straight from overdrive to a fat dubby sound, without touching the amp or the eq on my bass. extremely convenient !

edit - the only criticism i can think of so far is that the plastic dials don't look paricularly robust compared to other pedals. saying that, for the amount of things this thing is useful for, it is a minor niggle...

it's a swiss army knife of a pedal !!

Edited April 5, 2010 by phil.i.stein

[dumelow]

any chance of some soundclips? ive seen demo's on youtube but i still think there are more sounds in this box than theyare letting on. can it give a real light overdriven sound or is it more full on distortion and synthy fuzz?

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='phil.i.stein' post='796754' date='Apr 5 2010, 05:31 PM']edit - the only criticism i can think of so far is that the plastic dials don't look paricularly robust compared to other pedals.[/quote]

Yeah plastic always sets alarm bells ringing with me too. What's the case made out of? That looks like plastic too.

[bobbass4k]

yea, my soundblox phaser was plastic with a metal base, seemed sturdy enough though

[thisnameistaken]

I suppose you could always get it re-housed if you were going to tour it or whatever.

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='dumelow' post='796821' date='Apr 5 2010, 06:41 PM']any chance of some soundclips? ive seen demo's on youtube but i still think there are more sounds in this box than theyare letting on. can it give a real light overdriven sound or is it more full on distortion and synthy fuzz?[/quote]
sorry, i don't have the facilities to provide a decent enough quality of recording clips (yet),

but, yes mild overdrive is very easily achievable with less drive and a balance of clean/effected signal.

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='796926' date='Apr 5 2010, 08:51 PM']I suppose you could always get it re-housed if you were going to tour it or whatever.[/quote]
that would be the way forward.

as bobbass4k stated, the unit itself does feel solid enough.

[itswac]

The largest surfaces, the entire top and bottom, are actually made from stainless steel. The sidewalls are made from high impact reinforced plastic, which was chosen so that the pedal would combine high strength without too much mass. Many artists have griped about pedal boards which cannot be lifted, so we did try to keep this in mind without compromising structural integrity. The knobs are an acknowledged weak point, and we are moving them to a new design. We will upgrade any customer who would like the updated knobs. A small drop or glue works well too. A picture of the housing without the graphics panel is attached.

[attachment=46602:IMG_0143.jpg]

[attachment=46598:IMG_0142.JPG]

[attachment=46603:IMG_0144.jpg]

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='itswac' post='797737' date='Apr 6 2010, 04:41 PM']The largest surfaces, the entire top and bottom, are actually made from stainless steel. The sidewalls are made from high impact reinforced plastic, which was chosen so that the pedal would combine high strength without too much mass. Many artists have griped about pedal boards which cannot be lifted, so we did try to keep this in mind without compromising structural integrity. The knobs are an acknowledged weak point, and we are moving them to a new design. We will upgrade any customer who would like the updated knobs. A small drop or glue works well too. A picture of the housing without the graphics panel is attached.

[attachment=46602:IMG_0143.jpg]

[attachment=46598:IMG_0142.JPG]

[attachment=46603:IMG_0144.jpg][/quote]
nice one for the info..if i do have any trouble with the knobs i'll get in touch. great unit, keep up the good work !

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='Oscar South' post='796744' date='Apr 5 2010, 05:18 PM']I absolutely need this, can anyone recommend where to pick one up from in the UK?[/quote]
i don't know who does the U.K. distribution.

i got mine through Thomann.de , the service was excellent. it took 4 days from placing my order online. they texted me to confirm dispatch (just leave your mobile no. with your order).

[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/source_audio_soundblox_multiwave_pro_bass.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/source_audio_soun...ve_pro_bass.htm[/url]

Edited April 6, 2010 by phil.i.stein

[throwoff]

This thing is an absolute MONSTER!

Im pretty sure I have never been as impressed with a pedal as I was when I heard this one.