drive pedals for bass

[mr.L.]

I'm searching for a good drive pedal for my bass practice/live setup. I'm currently running a warwick corvette standard through a Maxon OD808 (drive around 9:30 o'clock, level around 1 o'clock) into a sansamp (drive around 1:30) into a trace elliot head (set fairly clean). I really like the grind of my sound but I do not like how the Maxon cuts the lows of my bass. Are there any good bass drive pedals around that would provide the tubescreamer like sound while cutting less low end? Some pedals that I've heard positive things about are the Proco Rat (but that might be a bit too brutal for what I'm after), the fulltone bass-drive and the nobels ODR-B. Anyone here who has any experience with these pedals or other one's that can be recommended?

 

[Metaltastic]

I'm surprised you don't think the Sansamp (Bass Driver DI, I assume) has enough drive for you; whenever I've heard it, it's been distorted up the wazzoo. However, I have no trouble believing that the OD808 would be a poor choice for bass, given that it apparently does not favor (though doesn't cut either) anything below around 720 Hz.

 

[Let it burn...]

if you want heavy rock tones: Proco Vintage Rat. I use one on my bassrig and i still got all my low end. Just be gentle with the drive (i keep it around 9 o'clock)

 

[mr.L.]

I'm surprised you don't think the Sansamp (Bass Driver DI, I assume) has enough drive for you; whenever I've heard it, it's been distorted up the wazzoo. However, I have no trouble believing that the OD808 would be a poor choice for bass, given that it apparently does not favor (though doesn't cut either) anything below around 720 Hz.

Yeah it's the Bass Driver DI and you're right it can get pretty damn distorted, but I don't like the way it sounds when the drive is past the point I have it at now.

Let it burn...: Do you have any samples of what the proco rat sounds like on bass? :Smokin:

I've heard positive comments about it from several people, but since it is much more of an all out distortion pedal than the tubescreamer I wonder whether it would not be too brutal and undefined for my taste. All I need is some extra grit and a bit of boost.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

However, I have no trouble believing that the OD808 would be a poor choice for bass, given that it apparently does not favor (though doesn't cut either) anything below around 720 Hz.

Really? Or did you mean 70?

 

[Razorjack]

Listen to Arch Enemy (live at least) if you want to hear a Rat pedal on bass.

I recommend the brand new Ashdown LoMenzo overdrive pedal, it only overdrives the mid range (sweep-able from 200Hz-2.2kHz with a switchable 1/2-1 Oct Q). I've run mine with a USA Jazz bass, Spector NS5XL and my Warwick $$ 5'er and they all sound awesome. You blend the driven mid-range with the original clean signal to get a full on fat drive tone that far surpasses the myriad of thin sounds you get from a BDDI.

 

[mr.L.]

Listen to Arch Enemy (live at least) if you want to hear a Rat pedal on bass.

I recommend the brand new Ashdown LoMenzo overdrive pedal, it only overdrives the mid range (sweep-able from 200Hz-2.2kHz with a switchable 1/2-1 Oct Q). I've run mine with a USA Jazz bass, Spector NS5XL and my Warwick $$ 5'er and they all sound awesome. You blend the driven mid-range with the original clean signal to get a full on fat drive tone that far surpasses the myriad of thin sounds you get from a BDDI.

That sounds fantastic and the price is very nice too. Thanks alot I'm going to check whether I can find a store that carries them around here.

 

[Metaltastic]

Really? Or did you mean 70?

Yep, at least according to our man JBroll in the Tube Screamer FAQ:

Everything above about 700Hz or so gets itself some lovin', but the lower something is below that, the less gain – and, as a result, distortion – it'll get. What does this mean? No more distasteful splatter out of your amp on those chugga-chugga bits, angry sneery nonsense, or flubby low end. Hell, if you use it right this pedal is Gas-X, Midol, and fucking amphetamines all rolled into one.

Okay, so... 720Hz sounds like what? I don't fucking know. Pull a clean track of a guitar, and shove an amp sim in front of it. Then, shove an EQ before the amp sim and crank down everything below 720Hz by about... I don't know, somewhere between 10 and 20 db an octave. Hell, if you want, shove the EQ after a distorted track and see if that tells you more about that range – it might. ..

 

[skuller]

mxr blow torch is really awesome. thing sounds f-ing mean!

 

[Let it burn...]

Let it burn...: Do you have any samples of what the proco rat sounds like on bass? :Smokin:

I'll upload the basstrack of a song. It's sloppy and post-rockish, so don't expect a metal bass tone

 

[Let it burn...]

http://users.telenet.be/accesshome/RAT-bass.mp3 here it is. It's not an awesome tone but it suits the music well

bass is a J-bass copy tuned to drop D, Amp is an ashdown mag 300h w/ the ashdown 4x10 cab. mics: Beta 52a and an SM57

 

[mr.L.]

http://users.telenet.be/accesshome/RAT-bass.mp3 here it is. It's not an awesome tone but it suits the music well

bass is a J-bass copy tuned to drop D, Amp is an ashdown mag 300h w/ the ashdown 4x10 cab. mics: Beta 52a and an SM57

Thanks a lot

Sounds pretty cool, I am gonna check this pedal out too. Btw it sounds very much like the great bass tone Tulus had on their Evil 1999 album.

 

[ReliXKeepeR]

http://users.telenet.be/accesshome/RAT-bass.mp3 here it is. It's not an awesome tone but it suits the music well

bass is a J-bass copy tuned to drop D, Amp is an ashdown mag 300h w/ the ashdown 4x10 cab. mics: Beta 52a and an SM57

Really nice bass tone imo. But... who is playing?

 

[PhilR]

I just use a tube screamer in front of my Sansamp. Gives that lovely "tear your face off" apocalypse sound. I run the Sansamp drive at about 3 o'clock as well.

Thinking of getting the Sansamp rack soon as I've just invested in a nice 600w Peavey power amp for my live rig. Mmmmm nice.

 

[wishtheend]

Out of the ones I own, I'm going to go with the MXR Blowtorch. Now, granted I like fuzz more than straight overdrive on bass - this pedal slays. It's got a 10+db boost on the side that lets you kick on some more extreme fuzz grind. The whole fuzz circuit compresses really well. Everything is a pretty even output regardless of note/octave. Makes it really handy for making sure all notes cut through (you can't be timid with the volume on it). The EQ is pretty good on it, plus it's a got a 3-way mid selector switch (250hz, 750hz or 2khz) which makes it easy to get a good sound that sits in the mix. I have about 3db boost @ 2khz.

I also own the Sansamp RBI, MXR M-80 DI & the Boss OB-3. The Boss unit really sucks on bass. Sucks the tone right out. The MXR M-80 works alright, but the gain really can't be thrown on without loosing your low end as well. The RBI is more of an SVT style grind when cranked - so you don't really get tons of gain, but a good dirty tone. The RBI sounds best just as DI - not with an amp.

 

[sparkyness]

I'm partial to cranking the Sansamp Classic in conjunction with the Bass Driver. The BDDI for the growl and the Classic for the bite (probably a 70/30 blend in favour of the BDDI). I may also blended in a clean DI if need be.

 

[Seizure.]

The rat sample sounded cool! gonna look out for one!

Next to that i would say:

Sansamp on svt setting with a:

Od808
Bluebeardfuzz (or just a bigmuff/fuzz)
Hm-2 (cephalic carnage, early records)
ODB3 (i use this in combination with a MXR + type of distortion in front of it to taak out the digital edge, but it gives some awesome inflames type basstone on its one when combined with the sansamp)

All work great!! just make sure you push back some mid after.. well.. some.. i often boost about +9db with a Pultec type eq hehehe, and i would say don't use the same distortion pedal you also used on guitars, it doesn't gel well most of the time.