1976fenderhead

I don't get it... aren't the line outs of amps (XLR) doing all that phase stuff that DI boxes do? How else would you go to the mixer if not by a mic or a DI or a line out from the amp (which for what I know is the same as DI)? I have an SWR 350x and 90% of the time the sound guy just takes a cable from the line out on the back and I usually flip the switch to have the preamp stage affecting it, so I get the valve warmth but I can also change EQ and volume to hear myself on stage without changing anything front-of-house ... Only a few times the engineer insists on taking the signal from my bass to a DI, which I hate, and it's usually coz he trusts that box and knows what to do with it and doesn't want anything added by the amp and doesn't want to take any chances (he'd rather have every1 sounding the same but control it). Very rarely a guy will prefer to mic it, which is fine with me as long as I don't change EQ and volume much during the gig... [quote name='dood' post='39971' date='Aug 1 2007, 12:41 PM']The advantage of DI over line out is reasonably straight forward. There are many resources that can explain 'Direct Injection' better than I, but I'll try to simplify as much as possible. DI is a low impedance 'balanced injection'. What this means is that your bass signal is split into 2 signals, one 180 degrees out of phase to the other. The 'transmitter' for want of a better word is designed to send this signal down longer cables with less effect on the signal (degredation etc). when the signal reaches the other end,at the 'balanced line receiver', the out of phase signal is flipped back 180 degrees and summed with the original signal. Now what difference does this make, you ask? Well, any noise that is pickups up along the cable on the 2 signal paths will be 'in phase' on both 'wires'. Now, when the receiver flips the signal over, the noise on the wires will now be 180 degrees out of phase with each other. When the receiver sums the 2 signals together the noise will be cancelled out leaving exactly what left the transmitter 'sent' in tact. A line out signal does not have this ability, but you'll be ok with short cable runs on a line out. Also 'DI' is essentially a standard, so you can pretty much guarantee connectivity between all DI ins and outs, as they are all at line level and around 600 Ohms impedance. Line out signals can vary between instrumet level (bizarrely) and SERIOUSLY hot signals.. lol. Hope this helps![/quote]

Just got this topic back up to say that being so impressed with my MXR Chorus, I tried their Flanger as well and was absolutely blown away! My BF-2B sounds like a toy compared to it, same as my Boss Bass Chorus sounded like a toy compared to the MXR... I'm definitely getting one soon (and selling the BF-2B). I find it hard to believe that the Aria could be even better, but if so, wow!

[quote name='Rayman' post='39149' date='Jul 30 2007, 06:49 PM']Sorted, PD7 on its way to me.[/quote] Cool, let us know what you think of it... I'm actually thinking of buying one for me again...

[quote name='Rayman' post='38960' date='Jul 30 2007, 01:51 PM']I'm after some quick advice, as I need to get the pedal asap. I need an overdrive/distortion pedal, fairly cheap as I can't afford boutique stuff at the moment. It's for a couple of Muse covers and other bits and bobs in the set, so I need something with some real distortion not just nice overdrive. Used or new, don't care, I just need it quick, but I don't want something totally crap, it needs to be a decent pedal. I've heard mixed reports on the OD-3, is the Ibanez PD-7 Phat head any good? Is the little Behringer BOD-1 any good? Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.[/quote] For that price and for what you need it for, you can't beat the PD7. It does Muse very well on the Distortion setting. I owned that one and the ODB-3 which I think is rubbish. But if you need very mild overdrive, the ODB-3 does it better (although it's rubbish sounding anyway). The PD7 on its lowest drive setting, still has a bit more than I wanted at times... The other option would be to find a Russian Big Muff 2nd hand on eBay...

[quote name='1976fenderhead' post='38148' date='Jul 28 2007, 02:38 PM']Juts wondering if there will be any problem such as 18v being too much for cables that are usually meant for 9v...?[/quote] ... just noticed Maplin's daisy chains are rated 1A and 75V DC, so I guess it's fine, but let me know if you disagree...

Juts wondering if there will be any problem such as 18v being too much for cables that are usually meant for 9v...?

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='34909' date='Jul 20 2007, 08:04 PM']Your Mum lent it me Fenderhead [/quote] Yeah... she always said she used it to play bass too. I believed her, so why would I doubt you?

[quote name='Dragonlord' post='34762' date='Jul 20 2007, 04:03 PM']I think Tayste bought it to use it on his bass though, I don't know how normal this is ^_^[/quote] ...or so he says...

The real question that rises here, is why the hell do tayste and dragonlord own vibrators... [quote name='Dragonlord' post='34631' date='Jul 20 2007, 01:35 PM']Just make sure you use a hard vibrator. I tried it with a soft, rubber one and couldn't get any volume or consistency.[/quote] Wow, better not take that out of the context I'm sure any experienced woman will tell you the same...

Ok, so I got the Mayo, which is an amazing pedal... BUT... I went home, A/B'd it with my plain Russian Muff... and the Muff won! The difference is, the Mayo has a thicker, fuller 'wall of fuzz' thing going on which sounds great from the A string up, but muddies up the notes a bit on the E string when playing a bit faster... also because it has less attack... The Muff feels like it has less gain, but it's an amount that retains more of the note's definition... I also felt the Muff has a more natural violin or voice-like tone, (though a bit more warbled) that gives it more warmth than the Mayo, which sounded colder, more predictable (also not reacting much to playing strength) and more 'solid-state'-like... For guitar, I'd definitely keep the Mayo and never let go of it... for bass, especially for the kind of stuff I'm playing, it just doesn't really suit it that well, which is a shame... I really wanted to prefer the Mayo for the more manageable size and excellent build... Anyway, if this is a close enough clone of 70's Muffs (especially the more scooped Triangle version), it's put me off worrying much about looking for another, I guess it's just not for me... Luckily, Vintage and Rare Guitars were nice enough to let me return it for a refund (they usually don't do it, but since some guy told me on the phone it was fine, they couldn't go back when I was there already :-p ), and I highly recommend going to the shop and trying loads of stuff they have there. Great pedals, I tried a bunch and another one that impressed me was the Frantone Bass Cream, amazing fuzz like nothing I heard before, but also not what I'm after right now... I didn't like the Flying Tomato, the Ezekiel (1 of the milder settings was nice, the other 3 were rubbish) and the DAM Meat Head... they didn't have the Ram Head unfortunately... I'm still going to try another Frantone bass fuzz pedal I forgot yesterday, since Frantone is now a brand I'll definitely have under my radar... Oh and btw... the Mayo is at least just as noisy as the Russian Muff, if not more... I guess the Russian Muff is not that cheaply built after all... until someone shows me an exception, I guess loads of gain = noise even with bass volume at zero and there's nothing you can do about it except switching it off between songs...

[quote name='Metal-Mariachi' post='34199' date='Jul 19 2007, 04:31 PM']How about just modding your Big Muff [url="http://www.student.ru.nl/r.kerkhof/Taas/Mods/Big%20Muff.htm"]http://www.student.ru.nl/r.kerkhof/Taas/Mods/Big%20Muff.htm[/url] Noise gate mod; with this mod the Big Muff will be quiet when you don't play or can sound really low-fi. Add a 100k trimpot (wired as a variable resistor) parrallel to the resistor before Q3 from signal to ground (R13). Add a switch so you can also undo the mod. Turn on the pedal and tweak the trimpot to taste. When combined with germanium diodes in the Q3 feedback loop, an octave up can be achived quite easy. A $1.00-2.00 cost and a little time. MM[/quote] Would be great weren't I electronically challenged...

[quote name='Basszilla' post='34107' date='Jul 19 2007, 01:48 PM']Here's my board then. It's a bit tight but managed to get everything on there except my tuner, I don't mind that though. Multicomp > Cream pie > LTD Silver > Bluebeard > UF-01 > VBF2 with a 18v Cat in the loop. I haven't had a chance to give it a good kicking yet in a band setting, so I'm looking forward to that. I'll probably end up moving it about a bit at some point. [attachment=1259:DSC00404.JPG] EDIT : Bit of a large pic that, have to learn how to resize ;-) On a sidenote - does anyone know if the standard diago supply is cool with the multicomp? I guess there's no reason why it shouldn't be.[/quote] hey, what do you think of that Bluebeard? Could you post some samples?

[quote name='Bassmurf' post='33909' date='Jul 18 2007, 11:21 PM']Getting rid of my ODB-3, have been listening to demos of various pedals online, the EBS Multidrive sounds pretty good to me but I was wondering if anybody has used or tried one and could tell me what they thought of it? [/quote] I tried it, thought it didn't preserve the low end well enough and sounded too thin and harsh in high settings, although it seemed ok for mild overdrive... And I don't like distortion pedals that don't have a tone control...

[quote name='ritch' post='33777' date='Jul 18 2007, 06:37 PM']Hi, If it's any use, I use an Ezekiel through an Ampeg SVT-3 and I'd say it isn't much like a big muff at all. I only have experience of a Green Big Muff but the Ezekiel is more of an overdrive distortion in my opinion(an absolutely lush one though). So at the moment I my pedal board is made up of a Green big muff for fuzz and an ezekiel for overdrive. I got my ezekiel on eBay - they do come up once in a while ... one in America here [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DAM-Ezekiel-25-17-OVERDRIVE-FUZZ-BASS-7-STRING-D-A-M-NM_W0QQitemZ180138724722QQihZ008QQcategoryZ41411QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZVietem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DAM-Ezekiel-25-17-OV...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] but getting pretty privey. The ZVex Wooly Mammoth's a good one to try for fuzz like a Russian Big Muff, although they're immensely more extreme! Hope that's of some help. Rich[/quote] Yeah I tried the Zvex once, I thought it was way too extreme and it's way too expensive... The Ezequiel sounds nice but it's not what I need now... For that kind of distortion I got the T-Rex Bass Juice... Thx

[quote name='Toasted' post='33585' date='Jul 18 2007, 01:39 PM']Vintage and Rare are liars They told me they've got a 100 person waiting list on D*A*M products. You're better going to one of the US dealers. Condering that they're made in Sheffield this seems a silly situation, eh?[/quote] Hmmm, maybe you should call them and tell them that personally and see what they say? :-p Because I called them yesterday and they said they have the Deluxe Meat Head and the Ezequiel in the store, though not the Ram Head, and I said I'd be there to try them on the weekend... But I'm not that interested anymore, after all the samples I heard yesterday, the Ezequiel doesn't seem to suit what I need now and the other 2 are too expensive. However, I called again today and they have the Mayo in store too, which I'll go and try today (and maybe buy)! Will probably have a go at the others as well... If they're lying I'll let you know ;-)

[quote name='Toasted' post='33584' date='Jul 18 2007, 01:38 PM']I don't remember the Mayo that well... only had it a few weeks. IMHO, no properly put together fuzz pedal should have undue noise when yout bass's volume is set to 0.[/quote] Yeah, you're right, that's exactly the thing with this Muff, just turning the volume of the bass to zero makes no difference, I really have to turn the pedal off between songs or the noise just does my head in, it really tires my brain! I have no problem with it during the songs though...

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='33437' date='Jul 18 2007, 09:08 AM'][url="http://www.stompin-ground.com/products/sgwahplate.htm"]http://www.stompin-ground.com/products/sgwahplate.htm[/url] Looks like a good idea[/quote] Yeah, that's where I got the idea to do it myself with foam board... That's probably metal but mine looks just the same, is also screwed, was free and I could give some use to these foam-board left-overs that have been accumulating for ages in the studio where I work

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='33005' date='Jul 17 2007, 01:12 PM']Other decent pedals that are similar sounding ish MI Audio GI Fuzz Tone Factor Fuzzsaw - [url="http://myselfalone.com/tayste2000/ToneFactorFuzzSaw.mp3"]http://myselfalone.com/tayste2000/ToneFactorFuzzSaw.mp3[/url] Sonny & Sanford Bluebeard BYOC Big Beaver - [url="http://myselfalone.com/tayste2000/BYOC%20Big%20Beaver.mp3"]http://myselfalone.com/tayste2000/BYOC%20Big%20Beaver.mp3[/url] Anything by Skreddy The gate will not work well, it will cut your sustain down, sometimes making your playing spluttery, there will be a tonal difference with it on and off. There are only 2 noise gates I've ever liked the first built into the Subdecay Noise Box because you'd blow your amp up with out it and it stops noise when you hold your strings, second is in the Rane DC24 Rack Compressor and again it only comes on when you hold your strings.[/quote] Whoa, of the loads of clips I managed to hear now (and couldn't find any of the Bluebeard and the GI), I have to say the Skreddy Mayo blew me away (the ICBM was a close 2nd)... It's EXACTLY the kind of tone I'm after... I just hope it retains all that tightness, clarity and punch on bass too... I think I'll order one... :-D Thanks again for the suggestions! Have you actually tried any of these (Mayo/ICBM) so you could tell me how you'd compare them? I noticed the Skreddy pedals would be probably just as noisy as my Big Muff when engaged though... Would you say the ICBM is more silent (impossible to tell from the clips)...?

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='33139' date='Jul 17 2007, 04:43 PM']i might have a bash at putting something under the board so the pedals are all the same sort of height rather than having a couple at either end raised to fit the plugs in. the board on mine lifts right out of the case so it's a question of getting something to fit[/quote] In that case, I think foam board would work great... it's light and if it's going to be under a hard board it will not give in... you can get it in 3, 5 or 10 mm (maybe others?), at A1 size that you'd cut to fit, problem is online you can usually order boxed quantities only. But I suppose in graphics or arts stores you could buy units...

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='33123' date='Jul 17 2007, 04:20 PM']i need to lift my board up in the flight case maybe half an inch or so to allow clearance for straight jack plugs in and out of the fx (ie guitar in to amp out at the other end). I was thinking of getting some sort of foam, but my concern is that it'll compress too much when i stand on an effect and will either bend the plug or be a pain in the butt cos the board moves around too much in the base of the case. Any ideas?[/quote] yeah, I got same problem with the Diago board... I think I'll just get some foamboard (plenty of left-overs where I work), cut it to the size of the base of the pedal, and velcro on one side to the pedal and on the other to the pedalboard...

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='33044' date='Jul 17 2007, 01:52 PM']Good luck getting a DAM pedal[/quote] [url="http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/index.cfm?method=site.product_list&category_id=71"]http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/index...;category_id=71[/url] They have 2 of the ones I want to try in the shop, sadly... not the Ram Head...

What about the DAM Ram Head? Been looking at their website and there's other 2 that seem interesting, although different, the Meat Head and the Ezequiel... I'll call the distributor in Denmark St and see if they stock them so I can try them... It's available on their website...

Following another topic I posted here, does anyone know of good pedals that sound like the Russian Big Muff (whatever version of it) but have a lot less noise at very high gain settings? Price is not an issue...

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='32971' date='Jul 17 2007, 12:22 PM']I shall repeat my self again no point spending more on a second pedal to fix the short comings of a cheaper first pedal better off combining the money and buying something decent.[/quote] That's what I always used to say myself. But then I couldn't find a well built pedal to replace the Muff, sounding the same but without the noise, so I started contemplating a gate... That pedal is a very good suggestion, thx. I'll post another topic asking for more...

I think you're being too fussy. I suggest you just try a dual channel pedal like the T-Rex Bass Juice or the Fulltone Bass Drive, one of those might just do it for you... if not, you should just try everything you can find, like I did... I mostly stay away from guitar distortion pedals, apart from the Russian Big Muff and maybe the Expandora, can't remember one I liked on bass, though some others are popular, like the Rat... I settled on the T-Rex Bass Juice on one band and the Russian Big Muff on another... Hope this helps...