Silent Fly

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='515890' date='Jun 16 2009, 11:12 PM']Try Silent Fly's Red Dragon boost in the for sale section. Should do a clean boost as well as a mildly overdriven boost too![/quote] Thanks dannybuoy. Yes - the Red Dragon is definitely capable of working as a clean booster.

It depends what you are looking for. The M80 sounds a little bit too fuzz-like for my taste. The relatively harsh clipping can be mitigated with the eq but I didn't manage to get any nice/warm sound that I liked. Apart from that, it is a great pedal. I would recommend you the Digitech Bad Monkey or the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=51620"]Red Dragon[/url]

[quote name='mildmanofrock' post='497745' date='May 26 2009, 07:28 AM']I don't really find that my EBS multicomp stifles my dynamics at all. If anything, it just seems to add some meat and sparkle to the sound.[/quote] +1

[quote name='Finbar' post='496171' date='May 23 2009, 05:41 PM']I've come to a conclusion that I really just don't like compression at all for live work. I've tried really hard to like it, and I bought a few compressors (ranging from supposedly bad to supposedly good) to get an idea from more than one pedal, and it just doesn't do it for me. Its either too subtle (regardless of what anyone else says to me, subtle effects don't work in a full band mix for loud noisy aggressive music), or full on too much squish. I don't have a particularly noisy chain, but it usually just serves to raise my noise floor up to more annoying levels too. Question is do I sell the compressors I have, or do I keep them for when they one day might be useful? :/ Am I the only person who has this point of view? [/quote] I like compression but equally, I think good sounding compression can be difficult to achieve. Whether we like it or not, the sound we hear from our amplifier is compressed. Every element in the sound generation (from the way we play to the speaker) introduces a compression. A pedal just adds a further compression to the signal. As every compressor has its own characteristics which is added to the natural compression of the signal chain the overlap of compression curves and timing, can (and often does) create an inexpressive and flat sound. This is why the same compressor between bass and a mixing desk often sounds better then a compressor in a live rig. If your cabinet has "strong personality" you may not need any extra compression. The compression you hear is probably enough. My suggestion is keep your compressor and if you practice with your headphones put it after a little it of EQ. You will be pleasantly surprised.

[quote name='rbatts2000' post='439345' date='Mar 19 2009, 03:52 PM']So...to satisfy my curiosity, does anyone know how I would connect my tuner (Boss TU-2) to the amp via this jack?[/quote] With a standard 1/4" mono jack-jack cable. [quote name='rbatts2000' post='439345' date='Mar 19 2009, 03:52 PM']Also, are there any advantages to hooking the tuner up this way compared to the standard 'bass -> tuner -> effects -> amp'?[/quote] The main advantage is that the tuner is not in the fx chain so it will not have any effect on the signal. The flip side is that if now you use your tuner as mute switch you will not be able to do it using the Tuner Out of your Eden.

I recommend you this thread: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=41518"]Using the Amp efffects loop, or stuffing it straight into the front?[/url]. I am sure you will find it interesting.

[quote]What would happen if i used the 12v supply and daisy chain to power everything? Would it be BAD???[/quote] Very bad. Especially, if the pedals operate internally with a complex power supply system. Some pedals are more than happy to work at 12V though. [quote]Unless I get Diago or someone to build me a custom 9v and 12v daisy chain yeah?[/quote] You would need a 12V to 9V converter and a daisy chain after that. It is not difficult to design/build but you will end up spending more than a separate PSU. [quote][quote] And with regard to 1000ma and all that jazz.... (I dont have the foggiest what this even means!) but i need to find out how many ma's each of my pedals draw, total them up, check my supply can deliver that much and that the daisy chain i buy can cope too?[/quote] Yes, see what each one needs to operate, add the mA together, and buy a power supply that exceeds that total as you want to keep some back for additions. [/quote] +1 "1000ma and all that jazz" is not that complicated. 1000mA (1A) is the maximum current (more or less: number of electrons/sec) that the PSU can supply. If you go above that limit the PSU starts reducing the voltage or fries. The product V x I it is the maximum power the PSU can deliver. In this case 9V x 1000mA = 9 watt. (Which is always lower than the energy absorbed from the main: aka input power). If you have a Boss/Roland ACR-230E the max output current is 500mA which might be below what you need. As far as the sum of all the pedal energy requests is below 500mA (or 4.5W) the pedalboard will work happily. If it is above, you need another, more powerfull, PSU.

[quote name='simwells' post='437726' date='Mar 17 2009, 07:47 PM']That's really helpful, only thing I'm not entirely sure of is how to wire up the one with the 4PDT switch, can understand the 3PDT one, just struggling to understand how the 4PDT switch fits in. Sorry my knowledge of electronics is pretty basic.[/quote] Unfortunately, there is no easy answer 3PDT switches are more or less all the same, 4PDT switches can be different one from the other. If you go [url="http://www.little-black-box.co.uk/components/4pdt-super-bypass-footswitch/prod_26.html"]here[/url] you can see [url="http://www.little-black-box.co.uk/images/uploads/switches/4pdt-wiring.gif"]an example[/url]. I forgot... if you buy [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1263"]switched jacks[/url] for send/return you can use the box to switch bass/amp even if you don't have anything connected in the fx-loop. Please feel free to send me a PM if you need more details.

I draw a quick schematics for you. If I had to build it would use a 4PDT switch. If you can't find it, the 3PDT switch schematics [i]should[/i] work. I hope this helps. [attachment=22190:AB_fx_AB_switch.gif]

[url="http://www.diago.co.uk/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,44/category_id,3/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,206/"]This[/url] or [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1410"]this[/url] should help.

[quote name='Higgie' post='433956' date='Mar 13 2009, 05:43 PM'][...] I'd be expecting this thing to whipe my arse for me too.[/quote]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='433156' date='Mar 13 2009, 01:46 AM']There really is a really simple way of doing this and getting a pro job... but nobody is really touched on the idea here... yet.[/quote] Intriguing... can you tell us more?

[quote name='umph' post='433013' date='Mar 12 2009, 11:13 PM']i don't think you can copyright a fuzzface schematic.[/quote] I am not an expert on copyright but I think that the copyright of a schematics or a design is legally impossible (by design I am referring to a technical design not to a graphic or architectural design). It is possible copyright [i]the drawing[/i] of a schematics. It is also possible patent an idea or a design. ...I think - not 100% sure though.

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='432927' date='Mar 12 2009, 09:41 PM']A lot of what you’ve said is irrelevant. I don’t get paid to travel to and from work, postage and packaging is paid for by the customer, this isn’t a one off production, etc... If you’re talking about a one off bespoke piece of equipment then you’re totally right; it will take longer starting from scratch with something like this as you will have to design it which might take an hour. After you’ve sourced and collected your materials (which might take 20mins in Maplins) it shouldn’t take longer than 2 and a half hours to completely build the thing if you’ve got the right tools and have a basic understanding of how to use them. This isn’t a complicated project and it sounds to me that the “£40 a switch” figure was plucked out of the air with no real thought other than that it would be nice to earn £40 a switch.[/quote] I respect your viewpoint and I envy you lack of doubts but I believe we have different opinions about how to calculate time and production costs. What I say it’s not a judgment on musicman1 prices. As I said: <quote>[work and price] will be judged by the number of customers and their satisfaction.</quote> As far as I am concern, if we operate in a free marker, no price is, by definition, wrong or too high/low. [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='432927' date='Mar 12 2009, 09:41 PM'][...] but to ask for orders with a quoted price of £240 based on what he’s shown us is ridiculous. Judging from your first post you actually agree with me…[/quote] With the greatest respect benwhiteuk I think you misread my post. I believe I said the exact opposite: <quote>I won’t comment your work or its price. I would like to give only a few comments about the presentation.</quote>

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='432691' date='Mar 12 2009, 06:04 PM']With the Wooly Mammoth you're talking about a copyrighted design with a bucket load of intellectual property. What's been designed here isn't new, it's not original, it's not been well executed, it can be very easily replicated (legally) with a spare couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon, and it’s being sold at a ridiculous price when you compare its functionality and design to what else is available on the market at less than half the price…[/quote] I tend to see things a little bit less black and white than you so even if I may (or may not) agree with some of your points I am not sure I would put it this way. Last but not least because I don’t want to incur in the risk of offending other people. More specifically, I wasn't referring to any specific pedal or pedal builder and definitely not to any of the ZVex products. The field of copyright, patent and IP is extremely complex and personally I am not so confident about drawing a line between what it is a new-original-design, legally-original, adapted-from-other-design, a plain copy or a mix of the above. This regardless if it the Wooly Mammoth or anything else. I have other things in life that defending musicman1 position but there is one thing that confuses me. It is the assessment of the time required to build the unit (2 hours). The complete built requires at least: - draw a diagram - write the build of material - find the materials on the market - buy the materials - when the materials arrive verify that everything is correct (e.g. the colour of the LEDs) - measure the box and determine where drill the holes - drill the holes - partially screw the hardware to the box - cut the cables the right length and prepare them for soldering - connect - verify the isolation - test - screw the hardware to the box (tight) - organize payment and deal with the customer - buy packaging material - pack the unit - go to the post office (Sunday is closed) I couldn’t do it in two hours.

[quote name='cameltoe' post='430627' date='Mar 10 2009, 03:55 PM']I kinda get the idea behind compression. It makes the louder notes quiter, and raises the lower volumes, to make it 'even' sounding.[...][/quote] I am not sure I entirely agree with your description of how a compressor works. Essentially, a compressor reduces the amplitude of a signal if it is above a give threshold. A compressor can also increase the volume but it is only a side effect of its main function. Because the peaks are reduced, it is possible to increase the volume after the compression. We have the impression that low volume notes are amplified but in practice the entire signal is amplified and only the louder notes are reduced. [quote name='cameltoe' post='430627' date='Mar 10 2009, 03:55 PM'][...] I'm not great at describing this stuff so I hope it makes sense, but basically I'd like my Hartke to do what the Ashdown does! Sounding less like a 'limiter', I guess.[...][/quote] I think you hit the target. Your Hartke compressor operates like a limiter. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It helps preventing peaks that can potentially damage the speakers and it keeps the power stage below its physical limit. If you want a compressor I think you need to buy a separate unit. Alternatively, you can try to contact Hartke. The amp might have an internal trimpot that regulates the compression ratio.

I don't mean to criticise anybody's opinion. In the end a forum is a place where all opinions should be welcomed. There is only one thing I can't understand: does it make any difference how much mark-up musicman1 makes? Do we ask a bookshop or at the till at the supermarket how much mark-up they have? Don’t get me wrong, I understand that someone may feel a little bit offended by the offer of something that he sees far too expensive for what it is. However, musicman1 never claimed something that wasn’t true. Quite frankly I respect his openness in showing the inside of the box without hiding anything of what he offers. Nobody forces us to buying anything. What if he has a 200% mark-up? AFAIK, it is not illegal. And believe me, I have seen worse. Ultimately, it will be the market to judge his prices and the quality of what he sells. There also another thing that confuses me. It is the comparison between the cost of the parts (and consequently how much it would cost to build it as a DIY project) and the price of the finished unit. I don’t think it is a comparison that makes any sense. Nobody works for only the price of the materials. At the risk of sounding repetitive but do we complain with a cleaner because we could clean our property for free if we do it ourselves? Do we say that the bread is too expensive because we could make it ourselves for half of the price? We complain if what we get for what we pay is not good enough but musicman1 showed us in sufficient detail what he sells upfront. I don’t think that a variation of quality between the final product and what we see in the photos is likely to happen.

I won’t comment your work or its price. They will be judged by the number of customers and their satisfaction. I would like to give only a few comments about the presentation. I would recommend you write clearly what are the advantages of your solution compared to others especially if you are charging more than the average. Personally, I don’t find the low quality pictures of a damaged pedalboard and a (dirty?) towel particularly appealing but may be it is just me... English is not my first language so probably I am the last person that can say anything about it however... If you are selling something it might be a good idea to do it, at least grammatically, well. I would recommend you write “I” and not “i” and start sentences with an uppercase letter. People may think that if you don’t make the effort in pressing the [shift] key, you will not put the necessary attention to details in building the bypass strip. Please don’t take the above as a personal criticism. It just a friendly advice that I hope will help you sell a lot of units.

Providing the PA can manage the lower notes of your bass, I would connect an EQ and a compressor (preferably multi-band) before the PA. The chain I would use is: Bass->[effects]->EQ->Compressor The main reason I would do this is because PAs have a very fast dynamic on the higher frequencies. Moreover, because PA speakers are usually very linear and point directly to the audience, there is no ambient filtering (i.e. the air and natural obstacles between bass amp and the audience). In a nutshell, a bass connected directly to a PA it is likely to sound a little bit too aggressive on the high frequencies especially if you play slap or with a pick. In order to smooth this effect, I would cut some of the higher frequencies with the EQ and maybe boost [i]slightly[/i] the lower frequencies in order to compensate the low frequency cut of the PA. The compressor would also help in giving a more bass-speaker tone and dynamic to the sound. In other words, it controls the high freq content without dramatically change the tone. I hope this helps.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='426919' date='Mar 6 2009, 08:58 AM']If all your missing is active level and EQ, then why don't you just use an EQ pedal. Use the volume to match the output level of your other bass, and use the EQ to match the active EQ on your other bass. [...][/quote] +1