Multi-Effects

[gabrielk]

Hiya! As is easy to see, I'm new to these forums, so a quick hello. =)

 

So I'm wondering--a couple years ago, I checked out a Boss multi-effects bass processor, and fell in love. But then the unit seemed to disappear completely off the face of the earth. So far the closest thing I've found in stores (to test out for myself) has been a multi-effects unit by DOD. I don't like it.

 

So do any of you guys use effects? Multi-effects? What do you like? What would you stay away from? I'm considering the (more expensive?) route of buying several pedals, too, since I haven't seen anything yet that catches my eye.

 

Thanks!

 

--Gabriel

 

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[Ed Friedland]

I use a Zoom 506 II pedal. It has a lot of useful sounds. It's decent quality and very inexpensive ($100). It's small and practical. I have lots of peals, but never bother to use them. I don't use effects much anyway, just a little reverb for solos, or some chorus. A short room verb for slap maybe.

 

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www.edfriedland.com

[gabrielk]

Originally posted by Ed Friedland:

I use a Zoom 506 II pedal. It has a lot of useful sounds. It's decent quality and very inexpensive ($100). It's small and practical. I have lots of peals, but never bother to use them. I don't use effects much anyway, just a little reverb for solos, or some chorus. A short room verb for slap maybe.

 

 

I'll check that out. Just so I know where to look, the 506 II is a bass-specific pedal, yes?

 

I use lots of effects when I'm jamming and goofing off, but they rarely have much of a place in the songs I end up recording. =D Even in effects, bass is all about "tasteful," eh? (Right...so it's rarely tasteful when I get ahold of it, but it's the thought that counts! =) Mmmn, gimme that tremolo & delay, too...

 

--Gabriel

[Ed Friedland]

Yes, the 506 is the bass model, the 505 is for guitar.

 

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www.edfriedland.com

[jeremy_dup1]

First of all, I haven't tried any of the new relatively inexpensive multi-effects units. I used to own an expensive ART unit and midi foot controller. I spent hours and hours programming effects and combinations into the thing. It was impossible to actually change anything at a gig, so I ended up programming lots of different choruses for example, so that I might actually have a usable one on a gig.

I went back to pedals. If you want to change something, you bend over and turn the dial a little.

I don't believe that any muliteffect one can do any one thing better than the specific pedal made for the purpose.

Nearly every time I have brought a pedal to a studio they haven't wanted it.

Live, I occasionally use an effect, but I feel that you really shouldn't use any effect more than once a gig or you're overdoing it.

The most useful pedals I have are a Boss Bass Chorus, Boss Octaver (although the EBS works a little better for twice the money) and a Mu-Tron III. And I haven't used the Mu-Tron in over a year.

But I do have a nice collection of "vintage pedals".

My latest "effect" is a dummy rack panel from Funklogic.com.

I'll break it out on gigs this weekend and I bet I get a better reaction than I do when I bring a pedal board.

 

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http://www.jps.net/jeremy/basspage.html

[rumpelstiltskin.]

i'm not much for multieffectors, especially for bass. i use my boss ODB-3 overdrive all over the place and i love it, but i really love the sounds of my basses. i don't want to obscure them with a bunch of modulation effects piled up on top of them.

 

i think multieffects boxes need to be handled with care, like a bomb. i also play guitar, and i've learned a lot about what i want in my sound and what i don't want in my sound from playing through multieffectors (i still use my digitech RP-1). and it was from them that i learned that a good distortion is a rare find, and will never be available from a multieffects box. but i have a friend who has always had more money than ability, so has always had really expensive, overwrought effects boxes. he hasn't made a good distortion sound in his life, despite having a carvin tube half stack and a marshall solid state half stack. this is not to mention his seriously over-effected sound in general.

 

even though it is more expensive, buying discrete boxes for each effect has provided me with superior effects sounds than those available in a multieffector. that is the path i'd recommend to anyone.

[LONGWALK]

Hello,

I use the Zoom 506ii and I won't leave home without it.It has smooth reverb and chorus sounds. Gritty distortion and cool delay sounds. If you'd like to get one check out www.music123.com.We have it for $79.00 and in stock.Ask for Don at 1-888-590-9700.

[zujo]

Hello

 

I play in a couple of combos one of them is a top 40 band of 70's,80's and 90's sets. The other one is jazz standards. The multieffects processor that I have been using for both settings is Korg's Bass pandora. I LOVE THAT BOX!!

 

Check it out if you get a chance. The only draw back is that it does not allow you to plug in a footswitch.

 

I basically use 4 to 6 different types of sounds over all. With this box I am able to cover Marcus Miler sounds to fretless emulations and dance/synth basslines.

 

I use a 4 string ZON graphite neck with DR strings.

[musicman1ovation.net]

For the longest time I couldn't relate to effects on bass. After all, some effects have a way of watering down the bass's punch. However, bass-specific effects do take that into consideration to a point. Envelope followers (touch wah) were the first thing I liked, and that was back in funk's heyday. A phase shifter and flanger is really nice on occasion. But with flanger, particularly, if it works on the lower frequencies it tends to mess around with the gain. I think the bass flangers are designed to flange only the upper frequencies, though, so that the bass doesn't come in and out of the mix and cause odd resonances. The thing that's taken me longest to relate to is bass reverb. I had an easier time with delay and echo. It's not so much that the bass itself doesn't sound right with the reverb, but its place in the mix gets a little nutty. My compromise is to allow more intense effects if the bass is getting either melodic or it is soloing. In a solo situation, the bass is no longer supporting other instruments, so it's then entitled to take on a more elaborate sonic signature. But when the band kicks back in, I find the bass' role compromised if resonance peaks or low frequency ambiance starts muddying up the soundscape. I heard a record not long ago that had reverb on the bass, and it was the first time I'd ever liked it. I didn't just not complain; it was very cool. I only heard it once and I didn't have the time or presence of mind to notice if the reverb effect was going on during ensemble playing.

[gabrielk]

Musicman1 has a lot of my feeling for proper use and presence of effects on bass.

 

I did check out the Zoom 506 pedal this weekend, and I agree, it has a *very* flavourful sound. I wasn't impressed by the distortion, however, which is what keps me from taking it home immediately. That was what made me fall in love with the now-unfindable Boss multieffects unit, is it had an AMAZING distortion. Much better than the Boss bass OD unit.

 

The Zoom unit's inexpensive enough, it seems well-worth picking up. However, individual pedals can often help paint the pretty picture.

 

At the moment I'm using mostly boss bass pedals--stereo chorus, flange, overdrive. I used to have a GREAT DOD stereo flanger ("great" and "DOD" in the same sentence? What am I thinking!), but that went the way of the 8-track cassette. I also use a DOD envelope filter (guitar variety) that's fun but practically useless.

 

I'm not sure I totally agree about multieffects always sounding lesser than individual pedals, but I Agree that tweaking them can be a little painful.

At this point, I'm really interested in delay and a nice, full distortion. My interest is piqued by a tremolo as well. But alas, I couldn't get my plug into any of the single pedals, so that will have to wait.

 

Till then, still shopping. After all, I've got time. =D

 

--Gabriel!

[5feetfromcool]

I have azoom 506(not 506II) and it gets the job done

[KAP]

I use an EBS Octabass. I bought it after reading several online recommendations from readers and equipment reviews. I've never been interested in other effects, since I prefer a clean sound. It's not a multi-effect, but it does have a lot to offer.

 

The great thing about it, is that when I set the Octabass volume knob high, and the octave knob just above zero, it seems to activate more on the low frquency end. And as you go toward the upper registers, it tends to cut itself. The deeper the initial note, the greater the low octave response! So if you go above the 12th fret, the octave-below tone is barely heard. In this mode, you can leave the pedal on and play right "through" the octave effect - no need to turn it on and off during a song. At least that's what I have experienced.

 

The low G is clean and huge, a real heartbeat tone, I love it. It goes down to low F without breaking up on my Carvin LB70 4-string, but you have to play gently and evenly, sometimes with light thumbstrokes. It would probably reproduce the low E, but since it's an open string, it can't handle the extra vibration (maybe on a zero-fretted bass).

 

If I turn up the octave, it has a synthesized sound I don't like. However, with the setting I described, it has some characteristics of distortion, chorus, and echo, since these pedals often have similar circuitry, from what I'm told.

 

Obviously, I'm in love with the Octabass! If you were to ask me what pedal you should buy if you only bought one, this would be it!

 

Earlier I posted a question to the forum titled 15" or 18" cab? I also asked for comments from other Octabass users - are there any ultra low freaks out there? Does anybody use this instead of a 5-string?