ped

All the cool people have them

Here's where I got to, it's a 6 position switch offering Roland GK mode blended or in isolation on any/all strings individually, as well as a built in wireless

Let me guess, it doesn’t take batteries.. nope!

A P with flats into a simple old Assballs pedal is currently my vibe

He’s a total arse isn’t he! He’s got something about northerners too. Lots of complex issues to unpack. Sad really.

Sounds nice, quite like a Bassballs but with more controls.

Ok I've had a whirl this evening and have some immediate impressions to share. First of all, it's very quiet. Quieter than the FEA and a tiny bit quieter than the MXR - the noise is about the same volume but lower in pitch so less noticeable. This is on an 18v supply; I have yet to try it on batteries which is how I'll mostly want to use it (aware that 18v gives more headroom, but I'm not convinced I'll need it) I'm testing mostly with my G&L basses, a P with flats for the clanky finger funk and L2000 with rounds for the chewy slap. Immediate observations are that it has a softening effect over the range, or certainly can do, which lends it a more musical sound than my usual digital limiter. It's a matter of taste as sometimes I like to ride the limiter hard and love the sound, clank and all, but using the Cali I can use a lower ratio and control the peaks without getting the hard edge I'm used to. Pops on the G string sound different, too - like there's more weight behind them, which feels great on the P but can take away the sharpness of them on the L2k. With some judicious twiddling I was able to get it sounding identical to the VB99 albeit with a microscopic addition of noise. I honestly don't know how the VB99 is so quiet (maybe being digital?) but I think overall it'll still be my go-to. I'll play some more and see how I like the Cali but right now it's clearly better than the MXR in the sound department, but given that I only use a pedal compressor for playing live and occasional jams where noise and absolute audio quality are secondary, I'm not sure how it fares against the MXR in that scenario, whilst the Roland has the studio side perfected. I'll keep playing with it and see how I get on, I need to come back with fresh ears and do some recording comparisons too. Cheers ped

I bet that got curtains twitching!

It's the box box without the transformer. The MXR is great and a useful little pedal. It doesn't leave me wanting when I can't use my VB99 but I just had to check out the Cali on reputation alone. I previously tried the FEA Opti-Fet and moved it on quite quickly as it wasn't for me, but I didn't lose anything in the process. That's how I justify these things in my head lol

It's also nuts how differently envelope filters (well, any pedal for that matter) work better with some basses than others. I absolutely love the synthy phased sound of my Bassballs on my P with flats (trim pots turned down and sensitivity low), but it sounds anaemic and tacky with my other basses. The only exception is the original FX25 which makes everything sound amazing but I'm aware of how massively polarising that pedal can be! I'm reminded of some advice written elsewhere by a well trusted source - 'play the filter'. There aren't many filters that sound perfect whatever you do with them, or that don't need some special consideration to get the best sound. And that, of course, is a moveable feast at the best of times. Maybe give us some examples of sounds you like? 'Keeps bass in the signal' is misleading, because mixing wet and dry is one thing, BP and LP is another, and each work equally well depending on other things.

The receptionist at BC Towers delivered this to me this morning! I’m looking forward to trying it out. They certainly have a good reputation and it sounds like it’ll do the sort of compression I like - so we’ll see…. Hopefully I get a chance to play with it later once everyone is fed and watered

All these (except the first) are Elixir 40-95 nickels. Basses in drop D. Several months old. I've never had coating come off my Elixirs, but I never use a pick. I think the older 'polyweb' design used to flake a bit but the new formula (nanoweb) are perfect for me.

It's been so long I can barely remember but they probably aren't as insane as brand new uncoated strings. I get the nickel ones anyway which sound a little warmer (and they don't do the steel ones in super light gauge for some reason)

Elixir is the answer. I used to actually hesitate to play my basses for fear of killing the strings 'needlessly' before I found Elixirs - now they stay fresh for literally a year or more.

The only thing I don’t like about East preamps are the really tall stacked knobs. I’m sure you could have them separated if you wanted though!

It’s this sort of amazing ‘man maths’ that I firmly subscribe to! And it’s true! Personally I have found the higher you go in the price stakes, generally the quieter (less noisy) and more ‘musical‘ sounding the comp ‘can’ be. I gigged an LMB3 for years and only came to replace it when I started recording a lot more where I appreciated a quieter pedal and something which acted as a limiter but with some more flexibility around attack and release. Current fave pedal format comp is the MXR M87 which I think is the best for the price (again, buy used and sell for virtually no loss) - it offers a wide range of controls and would be a great way to learn how to use one, especially as the LED strip gives a visual indication of what’s happening.

IMO a filter is very hard to recommend to someone else because it depends so much on your playing style, your bass and everything else in your setup as well as your personal taste. These suggestions are good places to start but there’s no shortcut to finding one that suits you the best!

I’m away for a week but will endeavour to meet your request upon my return. I’ll start with my favourite three settings, played cack-handedly over inappropriate music

Tried to record a clip today. Forgot to press record on the computer.

I think so - here's a picture of the wood beneath. Nothing as fancy as that; I just sent him messages in the middle of the night and a few billboards around his hometown and work and family homes. Eventually he just said 'take it' and 'never contact me again' which was lovely

I saw it on Talkbass marked as ‘sold’ - I contacted the buyer and persuaded him to part with it!! I’m not sure what the body wood is. It looks quite dark so assumed it’s mahogany. The tape on the pickup is because I sometimes touch the poles with my thumb

I phoned around about 20 shops across the UK looking for Elixir 40-95s, ended up finally finding a single set behind the counter of a small music shop.

Suppose that would be ok

Nice idea but my helicopter doesn't have that sort of range