Multi effect pedals and compressors

[shandobass]

My Trace Elliot Dual Compressor finally died. How good are the compressors on the multi effect units from Line 6 Bass Pod XLT Live or Boss? Any other suggestions? I am not so concerned about the amp modeling as much as effects. Should I buy the Demeter Compulator with separate effects like an octave pedal (EBS) & Envelope Filter (Electro-Harmonix or EBS) or go for the Pod or Boss Multi effects?

 

My rig is a Demeter preamp with Stewart World 2.1 power amp and SWR Goliath cabs. I will probably replace cabs with Acme or Epifani down the road. For recording in the past, mostly direct out from the Demeter or miked Ampeg B-15.

[...]

I recently went to a seperate pedal system from a multieffects board. I like the seperate pedals for two reasons:

 

1. It's very easy to bend down and tweak a knob on a pedal to change a sound on the fly. It's next to impossible to do that on a multi-effects unit while you're playing.

 

2. Tone and options. I wanted to be able to stick the overdrive wherever I wanted in the chain. Or the chorus. Or the octaver. You can't do that with a lot of multi-effects units; you're stuck with what they think the order should be. More importantly TONE! I have exactly what I want now in everything. Before I was settling for the best of what the multi unit had to offer.

 

My pedalboard consists of:

 

Ernie Ball volume pedal

EBS Octabass

EH Bassballs

EH Big Muff

ZVex Woolly Mammoth

Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor

TC Electronics Chorus/Flanger

Digitech Digital delay

 

At some point I'll add a synth pedal of some sort. I'm still looking for a pedal that sounds as good (and is as flexible) as the bass synth that's built into the SWR Mini Mo. I'd also like a good envelope filter; probably a Mu-Tron III or an Emma DB-1 Discumbobulator.

[SteveC]

I would go individual pedals as well - basically what Bump said. I don't put mine on a board anymore. I take what I want/need for each gig. I like the flexibility an dease of use of individual pedals. Yeah, it may cost more, but you get what you pay for.

[Max Valentino]

I recently went from a rack setup with digital multi-fx to a pedal based setup. Hmmm...is there a trend here?

 

I kept finding (hearing) a aurally shallow and superficial quality to digital processing that just rubbed me wrong. I kept switching out various Lexicon and TC units...and kept ending up with just my Demeter RV1 analog spring reverb.

 

I like analog....I know it is cliche to say "warmth"...but there I did. I also like knobs. Every environment you play in is different and thereby effects your sound/tone differently. Having to compensate for this by scrolling thru menus and moving cursors thru varied parameters is just too much of a hassle. I like to listen to a room, trust my ears, and adjust my sound from there.

 

Pedals, tho somewhat limited, offer a level of individuality which digital units cannot. This is a big factor....

 

There are pedal units now that rival most digital effects...and to be fair (anti-flame suit on) the sounds in the Pod and Boss units just ain't all that great. Certainly they won't do justice to the Demeter preamp.

 

My rig scaled back to a small pedal board holding: Xotic Bass BB preamp; Xotic X-Blender and RoboTalk Envelope Filter, Xotic Tri-Logic preamp; Demeter Compulator, Demeter Tremulator.

 

For solo/looping gigs that runs to a Raven Labs MDB1 which routes in a custom upgraded Lexicon JamMan, or Gibson EDP, and Demeter reverb.

 

With or with out the looping rig, it goes to a Demeter Tube DI and out. It is small, portable, and sounds very, very good.

 

Max

[Lenny B]

Totally with you Bumpcity - i've had a couple of multi's, but much prefer individual pedals these days. I've even gotten better at adjusting the knobs with my feet if playing in trainers!

 

 

My "board" consists of (in my current order, although it's rare i use them all together);

 

Demeter Compulator

Boss OC2

EH Q-Tron (only 'cos my handbuilt replica Mu-tron got nicked)

EH Big Muff

Demeter Tremulator

Sansamp DI

 

I've also a Crybaby for guitar fun.

 

On the shopping list are a nice phaser pedal and then for sheer fun a Meatball or Bass Murf, and more sensibly an A/B box and a proper power supply system.

[Jorg]

Specs:

MultiFX:

Price (like POD xt pro live): EURO 450, nrs of effects: 100

 

Individual Pedals

Price for one good enveloppe filter (EMMA): EURO 200, Price for good bass synth (Deep Impact): EUR 250. Nr of effects 2

 

If you are happy with sound quality of MultiFX go for it. I returned my POD XT Live Pro after 2 weeks. Not my thang.

 

But you should decide yourself and listen.

[mcbn]

I say go seperate pedals. It is much more fun!

 

It is also easier just to switch things around and experiment with a different order. It seems like you have a nice rig there so you may be concerned about tone.

[SteveC]

That is a nice rig. I used to have the same one a few years ago.

[shandobass]

I want to thank everyone for their input. I will stay with the separate pedals. I will replace the Trace compressor with the Demeter Compulator. I still have a Sans Amp, Sadowsky preamp, Ernie Ball volume pedal, and a Fender tuner. I will probably add the EBS octave pedal and an envelope filter.

[Max Valentino]

Hey Lenny---

Another bassist using a Tremulator? I think that is one of the coolest pedal for basses out there.

 

Max

[Wally Malone]

Lenny & Max, tell us more about the Tremulator!

 

Wally

[Lenny B]

To be honest, it's spankingly new and i've still got to experiment properly - i can't really play through an amp in my flat!

 

A very good friend has a pro studio and was fortunate enough to be shipped a spare Compulator and then Tremulator which he kindly passed on (with the shop's blessings i hasten to add!)

 

The Compulator is class, the Tremulator is as good a tremelo pedal as i've ever heard or played on guitar, but is as yet ungigged on bass. Smooth and fluttery, and yeah Max, very cool indeed!

[Max Valentino]

Yes, the Tremulator is one hella-cool pedal. Ironically, it was never really intended to be a commercially available pedal. James Demeter, as I heard it, designed the Tremulator as a favor to Ry Cooder who was looking for a way of "capturing" the tremolo sound of his favorite old Fender Deluxe amp...and in doing so, Demeter stumbled across a very unique and desirable pedal (and thus entered into the pedal biz...)

 

The Tremulator is an optical tremolo unit, just as the tremolo's on vintage amps were. So, it is quite dynamically responsive.

It is very quiet...and has a very wide sweep of the trem effect. The bias of the optical unit can be set as well; allowing the trem effect to be "looser" or "tighter".

 

It can also be used as a clean boost (it has a special low impedence, unbalanced output which gives about 1-2dB of boost...perfect for using as a line driver for sending signal down long cable runs...like from a pedal board to an amp across that football field sized stage Wally is always playing at the EnormoDome....)

 

So cool is this pedal that Guitar Player Magazine named it one of the "50 Coolest Pedals of All-Time".

 

I use tremolo as a modulation effect. I don't like how chorus, while providing a shimmereing effect, can "cloud" the tone. For that reason I stopped using chorus some time ago (and along with it went flanging and phasing, as well...).

Tremolo, often mistakenly called "vibrato" (vibrato is a pitch, or frequency, modulation where a signal is fluctuated from in-to-out of tune--ever so slightly--and back again; tremolo is amplitude modulation where the amplitude of a signal is fluctuated) differs from other modulation effects, yet still offers a wonderful shimmer to a note, or chord...and is quite wonderful, when one cranks up the depth, to provide that rolling, queasy soundtrack to seasickness.

 

I think tremolo is a great effect for bass. Used subtley it provides just a touch of "movement" on a note. Cranked a bit higher it can "roll", like waves, thru the music. With the speed and depth dimed it can provide laser gun salvos.

 

There are a few tremolo pedals out there that are highly coveted by gtrists (Fulltone makes a good one, other names escape me at the moment). Most are pricey...as is the Tremulator. The Tremulator is one that works GREAT with bass as there is no low end loss.

 

Of course we all know about the Compulator, and how it is ideal for bass signals as well. Demeter also makes a great fuzz pedal, the (you guessed it) Fuzzulator whichg is really good for...well...fuzz bass (again no low end loss....ya think Demeter likes bass or something?)

I had a Fuzzulator for a bit, and it is very cool...but not at all what I would call a "subtle" device. I thought it was quite comparable to the Wooly Mammoth, but with a little more detail and focus. I liked it more than may Fulltone BD. Nonetheless, I did not use it all that much (being a bit older, civilized and respected in society).

 

Max

[Wally Malone]

Lenny & Max, thanks!

 

Wally

[...]

I suddenly desire a Tremulator. Thanks for the reviews, Max & Lenny!