What's the deal with effects and pedals? (Also: sound in general)

[terb]

that’s the point @howard , the big fat part of a 5-string with a standard bass I’m considering buying a cheap bass (probably an entry level P copy, used if possible) for this tuning.

[howard]

Man I want to do this but not on my only bass

[terb]

@Gio

y’all wanna start an alternate bass tuning thread, I’m WAY in

done !

@howard

Man I want to do this but not on my only bass

yeah, that’s the point ! I don’t see any other solution than having a dedicated instrument for this tuning … but I guess it’s worth it !

[howard]

I love this idea.

[Sachelis]

I second Howard’s suggestion for a Zoom B1on pedal. You can buy one and a power supply (usually separately) for well under $100. I am a complete newbie, but I use it as my digital tuner, I use the drum rhythms in place of a metronome (I can select the rhythm and the speed), I can plug in my headphones and play without annoying my family, AND and can have fun experimenting with the ~80 built in effects (you can also create your own). To me, it’s the best $60 I’ve spent this year! No need for “10-15 different pedals” (you will need one additional guitar cable), no need to even use the effects (most of the time I use it for its tuner and drum “metronome”), but it’s fun to play with the effects occasionally.

[howard]

For the price it’s probably the best money I have spent on gear ever.

Tonelib ZOOM makes it easy to program too:

Downloads | ToneLib

[PeteP]

@howard

$300 is a little steep but I’m not surprised, that thing looks awesome

For a less expensive alternative, you can still pick up Zoom’s B1on here and there for $40 or so - I was just describing how much I loved mine in the other topic - enough to upgrade it, in fact. No DI, but it has a drum machine, looper, tuner, 100 effects, amp and cab models:

I thought the B1on did have DI, have I misread the blurb?

@Sachelis

I can plug in my headphones and play without annoying my family,

Ah, perhaps that’s what I was thinking about rather than DI.

I can get a factory refurb one right now for £25, or for £30 a new one with no box, otherwise I’m £40. We’re used o seeing the price be the same number as the US price but with the exchange rate we end up paying a bit more.

$30 for a refurb doesn’t sound like a fantastic bargain but I really can’t go blowing pennies on loads of bass stuff while I’m still learning: my wife is very easy going, but there’s a limit. I only got to sign up for the B2B course because I found some holiday money from years ago. Still, it’s only another few quid…

[eric.kiser]

I’m a big fan of the refurbished market.

[PeteP]

Oops! I just hit “Buy It Now”. It was an accident, honest!

I’d better get a headphone adaptor while I’m at it - if nothing else this is going to be my go-to silent practice amp.

[howard]

It works really well for that, especially with the amp sims!

Make sure to download Tonelib, it’s essential… Much easier to tinker with the thing.

Basically the thing comes with a bunch of effects built in which are essentially simulated pedals and amps. These are pretty much named like what they are simulating (i.e. the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff sim is called Bass Muff, etc.) It also comes with 100 memory slots to save “patches” in, which are effects chains of up to five of the simulated pedals.

All of the memory slots come full of factory patches as well, which are basically demos. You’ll be wanting to delete some of them and save your own. You actually need to do this because it’s also the only way to get a bypass - you save an empty patch. It’s fine though, because maybe a third of the factory demo patches are not super useful and you won’t mind deleting them.

Tonelib ZOOM makes all of that (and moving patches around) a lot easier. Highly recommended. Plus, you know, it’s free

[joergkutter]

Ha, GAS hits you and gets you from so many different angles

Enjoyed reading what you guys are up to - don’t have much time for bass/music right now myself, as I am traveling a bit over the next two weeks. So, you are my “proxies”…

[howard]

Also, welcome @Sachelis!

[PeteP]

@joergkutter

Ha, GAS hits you and gets you from so many different angles

I justified this by not buying the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz (£230) AND the 1 year old Fender Rumble 40 (£130). If my wife asks you, the pedal is essential kit. Right?

Thanks for all the info @howard, I’m so looking forward to having a new toy to go with my new found enjoyment of the bass.

[joergkutter]

Slightly convoluted rationalization and post-rationalization are common symptoms of GAS.
(Music and Health Almanac, 1st edition).

[PeteP]

@joergkutter

Slightly convoluted rationalization and post-rationalization are common symptoms of GAS.

Pretty standard marital skill.

[joergkutter]

True, @PeteP

[howard]

Yeah we should probably start a new Zoom Effects thread, there’s a lot of little tips and tricks

done:

Zoom effects processors

A few of us have Zoom bass effects processors like the B1on, B1four, and B3n: https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/bass/b1on-bass-effects-pedal [Zoom B1on Bass multi effects pedal demo] There’s a lot of fun tips and tricks for these things and we’re hijacking other threads discussing them, so here’s a new thread to talk about them. First, most crucial tip if you have one: Download ToneLib ZOOM to manage the thing. This is a program by an independent developer, not Zoom. However it …

[muff]

@terb

I’m considering buying a cheap bass (probably an entry level P copy, used if possible) for this tuning.

Did exactly that on my Vintage, needed to practice some low so have it tuned to a low B. @bottomfeeder needed a sample of all notes so I re-strung my bass, sadly low A was too low! I did supply with Bb all the way up!

[eric.kiser]

I just discovered this. Cool video Josh!

[Vik]

Yeah, some of those Vintage Josh videos are great!