stewblack

Frank, that is a beautiful, beautiful bass.

Dayum! That looks lovely.

Makes a lot of sense @itu I shall do the same.

I've joined the club. Typical of me to buy just before the market floods as people upgrade to the newer model, but never mind. I am delighted to have found a piece of kit which i could gig with the same evening I bought it. Set up my first board with laughable ease. A real lesson to a lot of others in how to make software instinctive and simple to use. I can layer the more clever complex stuff once I'm fully comfy with the basics - which is how it should be. I'm very happy.

Just relieved Mr @2pods of an unwanted Stomp. Thoroughly decent chap from the kick off to the (early) arrival. Great communication, an accurate description, superb packaging - I can't recommend this most excellent Basschatter enough. If he's selling, buy it.

OK, so, I've had a play with the X5. Particularly with the (just updated) android app. I focused on a couple of toneprints, one for the Subnup and one for the Helix phaser (a name destined to cause confusion). It's simple to use, but extremely hit and miss as to what each control achieves. I am none the wiser after an hour of fiddling. The labels are probably clear to a TC Electronic developer but not to me. Other multi effects have the same controls on the machine itself as on the app or computer. This usually means that they're way too complicated to alter or set up on the pedal. The X5 differs. On the pedal there are 3 parameters and a list of toneprints for each effect. So you choose a toneprint close to what you're looking for then you can tweak the three 'main' parameters. Job done. On the phone app you can alter a plethora (ahem) of parameters and add extras - modulation on your octave? No problem! Interestingly you can add drive to the effects I looked at. At least, there was a virtual knob labelled 'drive'.

On the topic of midi ignorance, this is a pretty good start point.

Please don't over estimate me. I am utterly clueless. This will be A) A fun learning experience or B) An expensive source of frustration, which ends up on the For Sale pages.

Well, there is probably a couple of answers to this. Lockdown lunacy cannot be discounted. But there is a little band of Plethorites on FB who use both together. They midi them up and use the Helix to switch Plethora boards. I have become intrigued with their shenanigans, and wanted to have a go. Like you it was a debate as to which one I went for, but then I thought sell a bass, and I can have both.

Getting my Helix Stomp soon, I've been chatting with folk on the FB Plethora page about linking the two multi effects via midi. I confess I didn't understand much that was said. Hopefully it will become clearer

No dedicated synth pedal yet, but there is an effect loop which allows you to put one where you want to in the chain - without taking up one of the channels. The sounds are excellent and most definitely not inferior to the individual pedals. Just a few glaring holes in the line up. Dirt, synth and envelope filter top of my list.

Bang on

I believe the colour is far more significant than the material the pickguard is made from. Red will give you an angry tone, blue a more serene top end and gold is best for pulling and thumping. Curiously, both black and white guards do not alter the tone at all.

if you want to just pop it in the post, I have a hammer in my hand right now, happy to save you rummaging through the shed..

coma? Radio 4?

The Yerasov SCS uses ethernet style plugs into the underside of the pedal.

Well I never did! Biggest problem with this is incorporating other branded pedals.

I recall a rare visit from a bassist to the JHS show, and he used a bunch of guitar pedals just bunged a graphic (or some such tone altering thingy) at the end of the chain. I do the same but I also send a completely clean signal which I mix after the pedal board. I achieve this in many differing ways depending on the board. I must confess I watched a bass player setting up his core sound on an Helix Stomp and sat up on my hind legs when he just casually dragged and dropped a parallel signal path alongside his effect chain.

If anyone is interested in the pedals and doesn't want to buy from Russia (via ebay) the details are here http://yerasov.co.uk/index.html

The Parametric just arrived completing the board. Not used in anger yet. The compressor is also fairly new, but having played through it at low volumes I can attest to its compressing. Its as powerful as any I've tried and then some. It feels like the bass is struggling to breathe at high settings. However, as I get the hang of it I'm actually very happy with it. I would say it colours the sound a little, so that's a matter of taste, but as a tool it's really effective.

It's brilliant - obviously given the strictures of personal taste - I bought the distortion here and found the UK supplier for the rest. The system is superb, the pedals are joined by plugs and circuitry inside the pedal board. This means only one power cable and no patch cables. There are jack plugs too so you can use them in ordinary setups.

Happy to contribute @Phil Starr.

Scary Pockets are OK, I guess.. But I still have no idea what a mononron is. Luckily I have lots of bands I do like I can listen to.